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Netziv
quotes our Sages’ homily [Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 5a]that "Good
refers only to Torah, as the verse states: 'For I gave you good teaching;
forsake not My instruction (Torah),'” [Proverbs 4:2] and explains that
Moses’ request of God was to merit engagement with Torah within the Land of
Israel.
In
commenting on the opening verse of the parasha, Netziv explains
that the timing of Moses’ request “at that time” [3:23] is connected to his
having given the land on the eastern side of the River Jordan to the tribes of
Gad and Reuben. In Netziv’s words:
(Moses) saw the necessity
to inculcate within Israel the power of elucidating and engaging in Torah. And
Moses our master wanted this to be within the Land of Israel, which is better
suited for Torah study than the eastern side of the Jordan, since “there is no
Torah comparable to that of the Land of Israel.” [Breishit Rabba 16:7] And Jerusalem is
even better suited than the rest of the Land, for Torah comes forth from her
(based on Isaiah 2:3, Micah 4:2), and even more so, the site of the Temple, “the
mountain (where) the Lord will be seen” [Genesis 22:14] (the Temple Mount was
the seat of the Sanhedrin, the supreme religious court of Israel [Deuteronomy
17:8]). Thus, Moses’ prayer “at that time” was motivated by the advantage of
instilling the power of Torah elucidation within the Land.
Therefore,
Moses did not satisfy himself with the request to cross the River Jordan merely
to see the Land in general, but specified that he wished to see “the good
mountain” – which our Sages taught is Jerusalem [Mechilta d’Rebbi Shimon bar
Yoḥai 17:14] – and “the Lebanon” – which refers to the Temple [ibid.].
Thus,
according to Netziv’s elucidation, Moses’ request was graduated, from
the Land which is generally suited to Torah study, to Jerusalem, which is “even
better suited for Torah,” to the apex, the Temple “which is best suited to
reach the truth (of Torah) in ‘the place which God will choose.’” [Deuteronomy
12:5]
There
has been no greater Torah scholar than Moses, who was taught Torah by God
Himself, and yet he yearned to enter the Land in order to advance himself in
Torah study, as Netziv comments on next week’s parasha:
“Certainly spiritual vitality cannot be completely achieved until reaching the
Land of Israel.” If this is so with the cedars, what shall the hyssop of the
wall do? [Babylonian Talmud, Moed Katan 25b]
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