Tomorrow, on Simchat Torah, we will conclude the annual Torah reading cycle. Perhaps, more importantly though, we will read about the death of our greatest teacher, Moshe Rabbenu. After Moshe Rabbenu's death, the Jewish People cried over their loss for 30 days. Then, the Torah reports, "Vayitmu Yemei Vekhi Evail Moshe - the days of tearful mourning for Moshe ended" (Devarim 34:8).
Rabbi Barukh Halevi Epstein in his Sefer Tosefet Bracha points out that the Torah describes the completion of mourning for Yaakov Avinu in a different manner. In Parashat Vayehi, it says that after Yaakov's death, Egypt bewailed Yaakov for 70 days and then, "Vaya'avru Yemei Vekhito - the days of crying passed" (Bereshit 50:4).
The Tosefet Bracha notes that the crying for Moshe "Yitmu - ended," while the crying for Yaakov "Ya'avru - passed." He explains that there is a major difference between these two expressions. The root "Tam - ended" means the absolute end of an event. Parashat Vayigash, for example, describes the end of the first year of the famine in Egypt in the time of Yosef, in these words: "Vatitom Hashanah Hahe - and that year ended." The year was over and it was not coming back. The root "Avar - passed," however, means something has ceased temporarily; there is no true finality to the event, because it has the potential to return. We see this usage on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur when we recite the famous Unetana Tokef. We say, "Uteshuvah Utefilah Utzedakah Ma'avirin Et Ro'a Hagezerah – and repentance, prayer and tzedakah can overturn the evil decree." The prayer does not say that repentance, prayer and tzedakah will "Mevatlin - nullify" - the evil decree; they can only "Ma'avirin - overturn" it. As long as a person remains steadfast in his repentance, they can keep the evil decree in abeyance. But if a person returns to sinning, the evil decree will be re-instated.
With this understanding of these terms, the Tosefet Bracha says that we can now see why the two different words were used to describe the termination of the crying for Moshe and Yaakov. When Moshe died, he left Yehoshua as his successor and the Torah says that the Jewish People obeyed their new leader. Therefore, after the 30 day period of crying "Yitmu - ended" - there was no reason to cry again. They had a new leader who would carry on in the footsteps of Moshe Rabbenu. However, when the Torah says that the days of crying for Yaakov passed, it means they did not cease completely, but temporarily ended. Yaakov's sons were extremely worried about the death of their father because they feared that Yosef would then take revenge on them for selling him into Egyptian slavery. They thought Yosef had not yet punished them either out of respect for their father or in order not to distress him. As a result, although the original period of crying and mourning "Ya'avru – passed," they were still mourning his loss because it was with his death that their period of uncertainty began.
I would like to suggest another reason for the difference. By the time of Moshe Rabbenu's death the Torah had undoubtedly been passed on to the next generation. Moshe had put his hands on Yehoshua's head and the people had accepted his successor. The future of the Torah was secure. Moshe death, while a great loss, marked the completion of the transference of the Torah. His death was mourned, but the mourning was tempered by the realization that the teachings of Torah would live on. In Yaakov's case, however, the future was far less certain. The Talmud in Massekhet Pesahim (56a) relates that on his death bed, Yaakov was concerned about his sons' ability to continue on the traditions he had taught. They reassured him, "Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad" - Listen, Yisrael, our father, we believe in Hashem's unity and we will follow in your path. But Yaakov had questions. The official mourning for Yaakov had passed, but the question remained whether his teaching would live on.
As we say good-bye to Moshe Rabbenu and begin again the Torah reading cycle, we should each look at our own commitment to Hashem and to His Holy Torah, and see whether we as individuals should still be mourning the death of Moshe. Every single one of us has this obligation: to live Torah and to pass it on. If we strive to learn and observe Torah, then the crying for him is an event of the past. While he is not physically here, his teachings live on. But if we look at our lives and see that we are not living up to these obligations, if the Torah's future in our own lives is uncertain, if we do not learn Torah and observe as many mitzvot as we can, if we fail to give our children and grandchildren proper role models and a proper Jewish education and we do not support day-schools and yeshivot where Torah flourishes, then the mourning for Moshe Rabbenu did not really end in the desert: its passing was only temporary.
Rabbi
Mordechai Friedfertig
Congregation B'nai Shalom
Williamsville,
New York
Email: mordechai at utj.org
Copyright 2002-2003 by Mordechai Friedfertig