In Memory of our beloved David Schwartz, who fell in battle sanctifying God’s name, on 27 Tevet, 5784 (8 January 2024).
“Le’David Barchi Nafshi” is a compilation of essays written on the weekly Torah reading by David Schwartz, of blessed memory. First published on the occasion of his marriage to Meital, David’s unique Torah thoughts that delve into the depths of the Torah are shared now to elevate his memory and sanctify his soul.
Vezot Habracha concludes the Torah with the blessings of Moshe to the tribes of Israel, and subsequently with his transfer of power to Yeshoshua bin-Nun, and then it ends with Moshe’s passing. Our Torah in many places and especially in the Prophets is referred to as “The Torah of Moshe.” It is not a coincidence that the death of Moshe is the central event at the Torah’s conclusion, as he was the greatest of the Prophets and the one responsible for writing the Torah.
Deuteronomy 34:5 states:
“So Moshe the servant of the Lord died there, in the land of Moab at the command of God. [God] buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, near Beth-peor; and no one knows his burial place to this day. Moshe was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated.”
The simple reading of the verses arouses wonder. These verses and those going forward make mention of Moshe in the past tense. Who then officially wrote these verses in the Torah? It is difficult to say that Moshe wrote about his death in the past tense in the third person. On the other hand, the thought that another person was involved in the writing of these verses likewise is difficult to accept for a different reason.
In two places in the Talmud the sages seek to clarify this issue. In Tractate Baba Batra 14a and in Tractate Menahot 30a. “As it was taught: ‘And Moshe the servant of God died there’ (Deut. 34:5). Did he write ‘and Moshe died there’!? The explanation is that until this point, Moshe wrote the Torah but from here onward Yehoshua wrote it. This was the opinion of the sage Rabbi Yehuda, or some say Rabbi Nehemia. Rabbi Shimon said to him: ‘Is it possible that his Torah scroll was missing even one letter? The verse states, ‘Take this Torah scroll,” (Deut. 31:26), so this indicates that the Torah scroll was complete. Therefore, Rabbi Shimon’s explanation is that until this point God instructed Moshe and he would pronounce it and write it, but from here forward God spoke and Moshe wrote it with tears.”
This question of the composition of the final verses in the Torah scroll, which was debated by the sages in the Talmud in the passage above, continued to remain a topic of dispute through the generations among later sages as well.
Rabbi Yehuda’s position was that “until this point (Deut. 34:5) Moshe wrote, and from that point on Yeshoshual wrote the Torah.” Avraham ibn Ezra (1089-1164) accepts this interpretation when he explains that Yeshoshua wrote from the verse: “And Moshe went up from the steppes of Moab until Mt Nebo” (34:1). Ibn Ezra explains that “after Moshe went up to the mountain he did not continue writing, and they wrote these concluding verses through prophecy.” According to his opinion, all of the last twelve verses of the Torah should be associated with Yehoshua, and not just the last eight verses. God transmitted to Yehoshua a prophecy about the death of Moshe after it had occurred. Other commentators likewise adopted this explanation. Some of those who explained the Talmud passage above likewise noted that: “The last eight verses in the Torah - an individual may read them.” (BB 15a).” This law stems from the idea that Moshe did not write that passage.
Apparently, this first viewpoint maintains that Moshe wrote the entire Torah, but Yehoshua wrote the final verses that make mention of his death, his burial and his exceptional status among the prophets. These verses simply must be included in the Torah since they include essential elements that deal with the passing of Moshe.
Rabbi Shimon, on the other hand, is of the view: “From this point forward, God spoke and Moshe wrote with tears.” Among those who accepted this position later were Isaac Caro (1458-1535), the uncle of Rabbi Joseph Caro, and also the great biblical commentator and statesman Don Isaac Abarbanel from Lisbon, Portugal (1437-1508). They explained that the final eight verses were said by God Himself, but Moshe did not review them as his eyes were filled with tears.
Maimonides likewise maintains this position and rules like Rabbi Shimon. In his “Laws of Prayer and the Priestly Blessings” he writes as follows. “The eight verses at the conclusion may be read in a synagogue with less than ten people present. They are indeed all Torah and were related to Moshe by the Almighty. However, since the end of the Torah literally states that it is written after Moshe’s death, it is permissible for an individual to recite it.”
With the help of God, I will seek to explain my understanding for the underlying rationale of each position.
The view of Rabbi Yehuda, which maintains that Yehoshua wrote the verses, provides us with the insight that even though Moshe did not write these verses, they were included within it to show us that the Torah is neither in heaven nor beyond the sea (i.e., it is within reach of us all). Yehoshua was a man of the people, even though he would go on to become the great leader of the nation. Moshe grew up in the palace of Egypt and was closer to God than anyone else, and as a leader he visibly stood apart from the people in a definite way. When Yehoshua became leader, he stood as one person connected to the rest. Essentially then, with Yehoshua putting the finishing seal at the Torah’s end, the Torah informs us through him that it is closely tied to every person in Israel. At the core of his explanation, Rabbi Yehuda is telling us that these verses were written specifically by the hand of Yehoshua.
In contrast, Rabbi Shimon maintains that the Torah scroll in our hands must have been completely transmitted by Moshe. The holy Torah was given through the power of God through Moshe, the greatest of the Prophets. There is no doubting any part of this fact. Essentially, Rabbi Shimon informs us that when people prepare to learn Torah, they must understand the greatness of the moment, and approach the Torah with strength and fear. The writing of each and every word by Moshe makes it clear that, despite his death, Moshe our teacher and no one else wrote the Torah including these final verses. This explanation in no small way instills us with the understanding of the holiness of the Torah so we may approach our studies with reverence at every time.
May it be God’s will that we fulfill the words of the Torah with joy and gladness in the abundance of blessings in our years.
"לֹא יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה לְמַעַן תִּשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל הַכָּתוּב בּוֹ כִּי אָז תַּצְלִיחַ אֶת דְּרָכֶךָ וְאָז תַּשְׂכִּיל" (יהושע א, ח)
“Let not this Book of the Teaching cease from your lips, but recite it day and night, so that you may observe faithfully all that is written in it. Only then will you prosper in your undertakings and only then will you be successful.” (Joshua 1:8)