MOSHE'S PRAYER- PARSHAT VA'ETCHANAN & LESSONS OF LEADERSHIP (Copy)
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Share(כג) וָאֶתְחַנַּ֖ן אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹֽר׃ (כד) אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלּ֙וֹתָ֙ לְהַרְא֣וֹת אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גָּדְלְךָ֔ וְאֶת־יָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִי־אֵל֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה כְמַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶֽךָ׃ (כה) אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֗א וְאֶרְאֶה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן הָהָ֥ר הַטּ֛וֹב הַזֶּ֖ה וְהַלְּבָנֽוֹן׃ (כו) וַיִּתְעַבֵּ֨ר יְהוָ֥ה בִּי֙ לְמַ֣עַנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֵלָ֑י וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ רַב־לָ֔ךְ אַל־תּ֗וֹסֶף דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃ (כז) עֲלֵ֣ה ׀ רֹ֣אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֗ה וְשָׂ֥א עֵינֶ֛יךָ יָ֧מָּה וְצָפֹ֛נָה וְתֵימָ֥נָה וּמִזְרָ֖חָה וּרְאֵ֣ה בְעֵינֶ֑יךָ כִּי־לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֥ן הַזֶּֽה׃ (כח) וְצַ֥ו אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ וְחַזְּקֵ֣הוּ וְאַמְּצֵ֑הוּ כִּי־ה֣וּא יַעֲבֹ֗ר לִפְנֵי֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהוּא֙ יַנְחִ֣יל אוֹתָ֔ם אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּרְאֶֽה׃ (כט) וַנֵּ֣שֶׁב בַּגָּ֔יְא מ֖וּל בֵּ֥ית פְּעֽוֹר׃ (פ)
(23) I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, (24) “O Lord GOD, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal! (25) Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country, and the Lebanon.” (26) But the LORD was wrathful with me on your account and would not listen to me. The LORD said to me, “Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again! (27) Go up to the summit of Pisgah and gaze about, to the west, the north, the south, and the east. Look at it well, for you shall not go across yonder Jordan. (28) Give Joshua his instructions, and imbue him with strength and courage, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he shall allot to them the land that you may only see.” (29) Meanwhile we stayed on in the valley near Beth-peor.
Example number 1 of Moshe showing leadership
(כו) וַיִּתְעַבֵּ֨ר יְהוָ֥ה בִּי֙ לְמַ֣עַנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֵלָ֑י וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ רַב־לָ֔ךְ אַל־תּ֗וֹסֶף דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃
(26) But the LORD was wrathful with me on your account and would not listen to me. The LORD said to me, “Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!
(ב) למענכם. אַתֶּם גְּרַמְתֶּם לִי, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים ק"ו) "וַיַּקְצִיפוּ עַל מֵי מְרִיבָה וַיֵּרַע לְמֹשֶׁה בַּעֲבוּרָם":
(2) למענכם ON ACCOUNT OF YOU — You caused this for me (that God was wroth with me); similarly, it states, (Psalms 106:32) “And they provoked Him at the waters of Meribah, and He did evil to Moses on their account".
Rashi is saying that Moshe can not go into Israel because of something that he did for Bnei Yisroel. He does not say that it's all your fault, I can't go into Israel because of you. Rather then putting them down all he said was that I can't go because of something that I did for you. Moshe is showing leadership because he is trying to not put them down even if it was Bnei Yisroels fault. As a leader it is very hard to keep your opinion out of the situation, but Moshe did not make it personal and he stated the facts and the facts only. Those are qualities of a leader.
Example number 2 of Moshe showing leadership
(כח) וְצַ֥ו אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ וְחַזְּקֵ֣הוּ וְאַמְּצֵ֑הוּ כִּי־ה֣וּא יַעֲבֹ֗ר לִפְנֵי֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהוּא֙ יַנְחִ֣יל אוֹתָ֔ם אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּרְאֶֽה׃
(28) Give Joshua his instructions, and imbue him with strength and courage, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he shall allot to them the land that you may only see.”
(א) וצו את יהושע. עַל הַטְּרָחוֹת וְעַל הַמַּשָּׂאוֹת וְעַל הַמְּרִיבוֹת:
(1) וצו את יהושע AND GIVE JOSHUA CHARGE regarding the cumbrance, the burdens and strifes that he will have to bear (cf. Deuteronomy 1:12).
(ב) וחזקהו ואמצהו. בִּדְבָרֶיךָ, שֶׁלֹּא יֵרַךְ לִבּוֹ לוֹמַר כְּשֵׁם שֶׁנֶּעֱנַשׁ רַבִּי עֲלֵיהֶם, כַּךְ סוֹפִי לֵעָנֵשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם, מַבְטִיחוֹ אֲנִי כִּי הוּא יַעֲבוֹר וְהוּא יַנְחִיל (ע' ספרי):
(2) וחזקהו ואמצהו AND STRENGTHEN HIM AND MAKE HIM FIRM through thy words, so that he may not become faint-hearted, saying, “Just as my master was punished on account of them, so eventually will I be punished on account of them and not enter the land. I promise him “that he shall pass over [before this people] and he shall cause [them] to inherit [the land]” (cf. Sifrei Devarim 29:9).
(ג) כי הוא יעבר. אִם יַעֲבוֹר לִפְנֵיהֶם יִנְחֲלוּ, וְאִם לַאו לֹא יִנְחָלוּ; 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" – קָם לך כְּתִיב, אַתָּה הוּא הָעוֹמֵד בִּמְקוֹמְךָ וּמְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת בָּנַי לַמִּלְחָמָה לָמָּה זֶּה אַתָּה נֹפֵל עַל פָּנֶיךָ? לֹא כַךְ אָמַרְתִּי לְמֹשֶׁה רַבְּךָ אִם הוּא עוֹבֵר עוֹבְרִין וְאִם לַאו אֵין עוֹבְרִין! (ספרי):
(3) כי הוא יעבר (this may mean: if he passes) — If he will pass before them, they will possess the land, and if not, they will not possess it. So, indeed, you find that when he sent some of the people against Ai and he remained in the camp, “the men of Ai smote of them [thirtysix men]” (Joshua 7:5). And when he fell on his face, He said to him, קם לך: the verb is written קם (without ו, so that it may be read קָם) i.e. “It is thou who standest in thy place and sendest My children to war, who hast brought about this defeat. Why is it that thou fallest on thy face? Did I not thus tell thy master, Moses: If he will pass, they will pass on, but if not, they will not pass on? (Sifrei Devarim 29:9).