Devarim 3:23-29 דברים ג׳:כ״ג-כ״ט

ואתחנן. אֵין חִנּוּן בְּכָל מָקוֹם אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן מַתְּנַת חִנָּם – אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם לַצַּדִּיקִים לִתְלוֹת בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַטּוֹבִים אֵין מְבַקְּשִׁים מֵאֵת הַמָּקוֹם אֶלָּא מַתְּנַת חִנָּם, (לְפִי שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת אֲשֶׁר אָחֹן אָמַר לוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן וָאֶתְחַנַּן); דָּ"אַ זֶה אֶחָד מֵעֲשָׂרָה לְשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת תְּפִלָּה, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּסִפְרֵי:

I pleaded. The word חִנוּן everywhere signifies an undeserved gift. Although the righteous might claim [reward] based on their good deeds, they ask the Almighty only for an undeserved gift. Because [the Almighty] had said to him, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious,” he [Moshe] uses the expression וְאֶתְחַנַּן . There is another explanation: This is one of the ten terms by which prayer is described, as is stated in Sifrei.

בעת ההוא. לְאַחַר שֶׁכָּבַשְׁתִּי אֶרֶץ סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג דִּמִּיתִי שֶׁמָּא הֻתַּר הַנֶּדֶר:

At that time. After I had captured the land of Sichon and Og, I imagined that the vow had been cancelled.

לאמר. זֶה אֶחָד מִגּ' מְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁאָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם אֵינִי מַנִּיחֲךָ עַד שֶׁתּוֹדִיעֵנִי אִם תַּעֲשֶׂה שְׁאֵלָתִי אִם לָאו (ספרי):

Saying. This is one of the three occasions where Moshe said to the Almighty, “I will not leave You alone until You make known to me whether You will do as I requested or not.”

ה' אלהים. רַחוּם בַּדִּין:

Adonoy, Elohim. Merciful in judgement.

אתה החלות להראות את עבדך. פֶּתַח, לִהְיוֹת עוֹמֵד וּמִתְפַּלֵּל אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁנִּגְזְרָה גְּזֵרָה; אָמַר לוֹ מִמְּךָ לָמַדְתִּי, שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ לִי (שמות ל"ב) "וְעַתָּה הַנִּיחָה לִּי", וְכִי תוֹפֵס הָיִיתִי בְךָ? אֶלָּא לִפְתֹּחַ פֶּתַח, שֶׁבִּי הָיָה תָלוּי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם, כְּמוֹ כֵן הָיִיתִי סָבוּר לַעֲשׂוֹת עַכְשָׁו (ספרי):

You have begun to show Your servant an opportunity to stand and pray even though the decree has gone forth. He [Moshe] said to Him, “I learned this from you, for You said to me, ‘Now leave me alone.’ Was I then holding You? [But You said this] to provide an opportunity [and to show] that it was up to me to pray for them. Similarly, I thought to do so now.”

את גדלך. זוֹ מִדַּת טוּבְךָ, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (במדבר י"ד) "וְעַתָּה יִגְדַּל נָא כֹּחַ ה'":

Your Greatness. This refers to Your attribute of goodness. Similarly it is said, ”And now please magnify the Might of my Master.”

ואת ידך. זוֹ יְמִינְךָ שֶׁהִיא פְּשׁוּטָה לְכָל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם:

And Your hand. This refers to Your right hand which is extended to all who enter the world.

החזקה. שֶׁאַתָּה כוֹבֵשׁ בְּרַחֲמִים אֶת מִדַּת הַדִּין בְּחָזְקָה (ספרי):

Powerful. You subdue with [Your] compassion the attribute of strict justice.

אשר מי אל וגו'. אֵינְךָ דוֹמֶה לְמֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ יוֹעֲצִין וְסַנְקַתֶּדְרִין הַמַמְּחִין בְּיָדוֹ כְּשֶׁרוֹצֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת חֶסֶד וְלַעֲבֹר עַל מִדּוֹתָיו, אַתָּה אֵין מִי שֶׁיִּמְחֶה בְיָדְךָ אִם תִּמְחֹל לִי וּתְבַטֵּל גְּזֵרָתְךָ; וּלְפִי פְשׁוּטוֹ אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ לְהַרְאוֹת אֶת עַבְדְּךָ מִלְחֶמֶת סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג, – כְּדִכְתִיב (דברים ב') "רְאֵה הַחִלֹּתִי תֵּת לְפָנֶיךָ", – הַרְאֵנִי מִלְחֶמֶת ל"א מְלָכִים:

That there is no power etc. You are unlike a king of flesh and blood who has advisors and critics who would deter him when he wants to do kindness and to forgo his attribute [of strict justice]. You, however, there is no one to deter You, should You pardon me and annul Your decree. But according to its simplistic sense [it means]: You have begun to show Your servant the war with Sichon and Og, as it is written, “I have begun defeating before you;” show me also the war with the thirty-one kings.

אעברה נא. אֵין נָא אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן בַּקָּשָׁה:

Please allow me to cross over. The word נָא denotes a request.

ההר הטוב הזה. זוֹ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם:

This good mountain. A reference to Jerusalem.

והלבנן. זֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (ספרי):

And the Lebanon. A reference to the Bais HaMikdosh.

ויתעבר ה'. נִתְמַלֵּא חֵמָה:

Adonoy grew angry [at me]. He was filled with wrath.

למענכם. אַתֶּם גְּרַמְתֶּם לִי, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים ק"ו) "וַיַּקְצִיפוּ עַל מֵי מְרִיבָה וַיֵּרַע לְמֹשֶׁה בַּעֲבוּרָם":

Through your fault. You caused this [to happen] to me. Similarly it is said, “And they provoked Him at the waters of Merivah, and Moshe suffered harm because of them.”

רב לך. שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ הָרַב כַּמָּה קָשֶׁה וְהַתַּלְמִיד כַּמָּה סַרְבָן וּמַפְצִיר (סוטה י"ג); דָּ"אַ — רב לך, הַרְבֵּה מִזֶּה שָׁמוּר לְךָ, רַב טוּב הַצָּפוּן לְךָ (ספרי):

Enough for you. So that people should not say, “How harsh is the Master, and how stubborn and pleading is the disciple.” Another explanation of רַב לָךְ . Much more than this is preserved for you, great is the goodness that is hidden away for you. (Siphre)

וראה בעיניך. בִּקַּשְׁתָּ מִמֶּנִּי וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה, אֲנִי מַרְאֶה לְךָ אֶת כֻּלָּהּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ל"ב) "וַיַּרְאֵהוּ ה' אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ":

And see with your own eyes. You asked of Me — “And let me see the good land”; I will show you all of it, as it is said, “And Adonoy showed him all the land.”

וצו את יהושע. עַל הַטְּרָחוֹת וְעַל הַמַּשָּׂאוֹת וְעַל הַמְּרִיבוֹת:

And command Yehoshua. Regarding the troubles, the burdens and the strifes [of leadership.]

וחזקהו ואמצהו. בִּדְבָרֶיךָ, שֶׁלֹּא יֵרַךְ לִבּוֹ לוֹמַר כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנֶּעֱנַשׁ רַבִּי עֲלֵיהֶם, כָּךְ סוֹפִי לֵעָנֵשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם, מַבְטִיחוֹ אֲנִי כִּי הוּא יַעֲבֹר וְהוּא יַנְחִיל (ע' ספרי):

And encourage him and embolden him. With your words so that he will not become faint-hearted, saying, “Just as my teacher (Moshe) was punished because of them, so eventually will I be punished because of them”; I [therefore] assure him that he will cross over and he shall apportion to them [the land.]

כי הוא יעבר. אִם יַעֲבֹר לִפְנֵיהֶם יִנְחֲלוּ, וְאִם לָאו לֹא יִנְחֲלוּ; וְכֵן אַתָּה מוֹצֵא כְּשֶׁשָּׁלַח מִן הָעָם אֶל הָעַי וְהוּא יָשַׁב, "וַיַּכּוּ מֵהֶם אַנְשֵׁי הָעַי וְגוֹ'" (יהושע ז') וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנָּפַל עַל פָּנָיו אָמַר לוֹ "קֻם לָךְ" – קם לך כְּתִיב, אַתָּה הוּא הָעוֹמֵד בִּמְקוֹמְךָ וּמְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת בָּנַי לַמִּלְחָמָה, לָמָּה זֶּה אַתָּה נֹפֵל עַל פָּנֶיךָ? לֹא כָךְ אָמַרְתִּי לְמֹשֶׁה רַבְּךָ אִם הוּא עוֹבֵר עוֹבְרִין וְאִם לָאו אֵין עוֹבְרִין (ספרי):

Because he will cross. If he will cross at the head [of this people] they will possess [the land], but if not they will not possess it. And similarly you find that when he sent some of the people against Ai and he remained [in the camp], “The men of Ai killed [thirty-six] of them.” And when he fell on his face, he [God] said to him, “Get up.” It [the word קֻם ] is written [without the vov] [so that it can be read] קָם לָךְ — [It is because of] you remaining in your place and sending My children to war [that caused this defeat.] Why is it that you have fallen on your face? Did I not say this to Moshe, your teacher: If he will cross over [at the head] they will cross, and if not, they will not cross.

ונשב בגיא וגו'. וְנִצְמַדְתֶּם לַעֲ"זָ, וְאַעַ"פִּ כֵן ועתה ישראל שמע אל החקים, וְהַכֹּל מָחוּל לְךָ, וַאֲנִי לֹא זָכִיתִי לִמָּחֵל לִי:

We lived in the valley [facing Beis Peor]. And you attached yourselves to idolatry, but nevertheless, “And now Yisroel, listen to the statutes,” and everything is forgiven you. But I was not privileged to be forgiven.