The special distinction that God granted to Moses at his death was well
merited, for Moses outweighed all other pious men. [961] When Moses
died, Adam appeared and said, "I am greater than thou, for I was
created in God's image." But Moses replied: "I am nevertheless superior
to thee, for the glory that thou didst receive from God was taken from
thee, whereas I retained the radiance of my face forever."
Noah then said to Moses: "I am greater than thou, for I was preserved
out of the generation of the flood." Moses replied: "I am superior to
thee, for thou didst save thyself alone, and hadst not the power to
save thy generations, but I saved myself and also saved my generation
at the time when they transgressed with the Golden Calf."
Abraham said to Moses, "I am greater than thou, for I fed the
wanderers." Moses: "I am superior to thee, for thou didst feed the
uncircumcised whereas I fed the circumcised; and thou, moreover, didst
feed them in a land of habitations, whereas I fed Israel in the
desert."
Isaac said to Moses: "I am greater than thou, for I bared my neck upon
the altar and beheld the Face of the Shekinah." Moses replied: "Still
am I superior to thee, for thou didst indeed behold the Face of the
Shekihah, but thine eyes grew dim, whereas I talked with the Shekinah
face to face, and yet neither did mine eyes grow dim nor my strength
wane."
Jacob said, "I am greater than thou, for I wrestled with the angel and
conquered him." Moses replied: "Thou didst wrestle with the angel upon
thy territory, but I mounted to the angels into their own territory,
and still they feared me." [962]
Joseph said to Moses, "I am greater than thou, for my master's wife
could not tempt me to sin." Moses replied: "Still am I superior to
thee, for thou didst restrain thyself from a strange woman, whereas I
abstained from intercourse with my own wife." [963]
The degreed of Moses' superiority over the other pious men can be seen
by following. Adam died because he has been seduced by the serpent,
whereas Moses fashioned a serpent out of brass at sight of which
everyone that had been bitten by a snake recovered. Noah offered a
sacrifice to God that was accepted, but he himself was not admitted to
God's presence. When Moses, on the other hand, offered a sacrifice in
Israel's name, God said to him, "Know that twice daily I shall dwell
with ye." Abraham had been the cause for Israel's bondage in Egypt, for
that was the punishment for his words, "'Whereby shall I know that I
shall inherit 'the land?" Moses, on the other hand, it was that
delivered Israel out of Egyptian bondage. Jacob indeed conquered in his
struggle with the angel, but the blow that the angel dealt him put
Jacob's thigh out of joint forever, whereas Moses inspired the angels
with such fear that as soon as they beheld him in heaven, they fled.
But Moses not only surpassed all other human beings, he surpassed also
the entire creation that God had brought forth in six days. On the
first day God created light, but Moses mounted into heaven and seized
the spiritual light, the Torah. On the second day God created the
firmament, whereby He decreed that the earth was not to enter the realm
of the firmament, nor the firmament the realm of the earth, but Moses
scaled the firmament even though he belonged to earth. On the third day
God created the sea, but as soon as the sea caught sight of Moses, it
retreated before him affrighted. On the fourth day God created the sun
and the moon to illuminate the earth, but Moses said to God: "I do not
wish sun and moon to give light to Israel, Thou Thyself shalt do so,"
and God granted his prayer. On the fifth day God created the animals,
but Moses slaughtered whatever animals he wanted for Israel's needs.
When, therefore, God laid all the objects of creation on one side of
the scales, and Moses upon the other, Moses outweighed them. [964]
Moses was justly called, "the man of God," for he was half man and half
God. [965]
But not in this world alone was Moses the great leader and teacher of
his people, he shall be the same in the future world, in accordance
with the promise God made him shortly before his death. God said: "Thou
that didst lead My children in this world, shalt also lead them in the
future world. [966]