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Shareואומר אלכם בעת ההיא לאמר לא אוכל לבדי וכו' הבו לכם אנשים חכמים ונבנים וידעים. כאשר היו קרובים לכנוס לא"י והרגיש מרע"ה כי רצון הש"י הוא שע"י יהושוע יכנסו לארץ, והוא היה רוצה שיתפללו ישראל לה' שאינם רוצים במנהיג אחר, וזה שרמז להם במאמרו לא אוכל לבדי וכו' אף שמצינו שאח"כ בקש מה' שהוא יכניסם, ואומר להם כדי שיבינו שהוא צריך לתפלתם כעת... והם לא הבינו ואמרו טוב הדבר, וע"כ אמר אח"כ ואקח מאתכם אנשים חכמים וידועים וכו' ואמרו חז"ל (נדרים כ':) מה שלא הוזכר נבונים כי נבונים לא מצא וז"ש ונבונים לא מצאתי רומז כי לא מצא מי שיבין כוונתו, כי באם הבנתם את כוונתי והתפללתם אולי הייתם מועילים בתפלתכם.
When they were close to entering the land of Israel, Moshe Rabbeynu felt that it was the will of the blessed God that Yehoshua would be the one to bring them in. But still he wanted Israel to pray to God saying that they did not want another leader (than Moshe, in effect to change God's will). This is hinted in the way he said, "I alone cannot bear you." (Not alone, but if all of Israel prays, then perhaps. ) Even though we find later (at the beginning of the next parasha) that he asks God to be the one to bring them in, he says it to them here in order for them to understand that he needs their prayers now... However, they didn't understand (Moshe's hidden meaning, wanting them to pray that he should be the one to bring them in), and they said, "it is good to do what you have said [to choose other leaders]". Therefore, it is said, "Take men of wisdom, of deep understanding, and known," and after, "so I took wise men, and known, On this out sages say (Nedarim 20b), "the second time it does not say, 'of deep understanding,' because he didn't find anyone of deep understanding." This means that (because they answered him in verse 14, "it is good to choose new leaders") he didn't find anyone with an understanding of his hidden intention (as if to say), "for if you had understood my intention and prayed, maybe your prayer would have been successful."
Therefore, when they came to pass over the Jordan, Moses reminded them of every plea that he had made on their behalf, because he thought that they would pray on his behalf that he should enter the land with them. What is the force of THOU ART TO PASS OVER? R. Tanhuma said: Moses prostrated himself before Israel and said to them: ‘You are to pass over, but not I,’ and he gave them the opportunity to pray for him, but they did not grasp it. This can be compared to a king who had many children by a noble lady. The lady was undutiful to him and he resolved to dismiss her. He said to her: ‘ Know that I am going to marry another wife.’ She replied: ‘Yes, but will you not tell me whom it is that you intend to marry.’ He replied: ‘So-and-so.’ What did the noble lady do? She summoned her children and said to them: ‘Know that your father intends to divorce me and to marry So-and-so; could you bear being subjected to her?’ They replied: ‘Yes.’ She then said to them: ‘Know what she will do to you.’ She thought that perhaps they would understand what she meant and would intercede with their father on her behalf, but they did not understand. As they did not understand, she said: ‘I will command you only for your own sake, be mindful of the honour of your father.’
So it was with Moses. When God said to him: ‘ Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, etc. (Num. XXVII:18); For thou shalt not go over this Jordan’ (Deut. III, 27), Moses said to Israel, 'And it shall come to pass, when the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it’ (ib. XI, 29); he stressed [the words] THOU ART TO PASS OVER THIS DAY, not I, [He thought] that perhaps Israel would understand. As they did not understand, he said: ‘I will command you only for your own sakes, be mindful of the honour of your Father in heaven.’ Whence do we know this? For it is said, That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, etc. (ib. VI, 2).
- Aviva Gottlieb Zornberg, Bewilderments: Reflections on the Book of Numbers