(כג) וָאֶתְחַנַּ֖ן אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹֽר׃ (כד) אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה ... (כה) אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֗א וְאֶרְאֶה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן הָהָ֥ר הַטּ֛וֹב הַזֶּ֖ה וְהַלְּבָנֽוֹן׃
(23) And I pleaded with the Eternal at that time, saying: (24) ’O Lord GOD... (25) Let me go over, I pray Thee, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly hill-country, and Lebanon.’
(א) ואתחנן. אין חנון בכל מקום אלא לשון מתנת חנם אף על פי שיש להם לצדיקים לתלות במעשיהם הטובים, אין מבקשים מאת המקום אלא מתנת חנם. לפי שאמר לו (שמות לג, יט) וחנתי את אשר אחן, אמר לו בלשון ואתחנן. דבר אחר זה אחד מעשרה לשונות שנקראת תפלה, כדאיתא בספרי:
(ג) לאמר. זה אחד משלשה מקומות שאמר משה לפני המקום איני מניחך עד שתודיעני אם תעשה שאלתי אם לאו:
(1) "I pleaded..." The word 'pleading' always refers to a freewill gift. Even though the righteous can and should rely on their good deeds, one does not pray to God for anything other than a freewill gift, as God said to Moses in Exodus 33:19, "I shall grace whomever I want." This is the same word as "And I pleaded." Also, this is one of ten terms which denote prayer (as taught in Sifrei).
(3) "Saying" This is one of three places where Moses says to God, 'I won't let you rest until you tell me if you will do what I ask or not."
What are the different attitudes of Rashi's first and third comments on the verse? Can we reconcile them? Do we bring one or both of these approaches to our own prayer?
The emphasis of our midrash is on the petitions of the righteous, who despite their accumulated merits are required to seek God’s gratuitous mercy… When it comes time for judgment, regardless of whatever prerogatives and powers the Sage has acquired through his merits of service to God and community, he stands empty-handed like everyone else, beseeching God for gratutitous and undeserved favor.
Ironically, despite the fact that Moses correctly petitions God for gratuitous favor, thereby serving as a positive model for future generations of sages, his request is denied. Our midrash implies that despite Moses’ merits and despite his proper attitude in prayer his petition could not be granted, for were it granted, some might think that God had forgiven him because of special favor, and this could not be countenanced. The righteous, despite their merits and despite their humility, are punished for their sins, even their minor sins, even with death, even with untimely death, while God grieves, and while man continues to seek gratuitous divine favor.
(from “Sifre Deuteronomy 26 (ad Deut. 3:23): How Conscious the Composition?” Steven D. Fraade in 1983 HUC Annual, p295)
Prelude tothe Decalogue:
(א) וַיִּקְרָ֣א מֹשֶׁה֮ אֶל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם שְׁמַ֤ע יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־הַחֻקִּ֣ים וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י דֹּבֵ֥ר בְּאָזְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם וּלְמַדְתֶּ֣ם אֹתָ֔ם וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם לַעֲשֹׂתָֽם׃ (ב) יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ כָּרַ֥ת עִמָּ֛נוּ בְּרִ֖ית בְּחֹרֵֽב׃ (ג) לֹ֣א אֶת־אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ כָּרַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֑את כִּ֣י אִתָּ֗נוּ אֲנַ֨חְנוּ אֵ֥לֶּה פֹ֛ה הַיּ֖וֹם כֻּלָּ֥נוּ חַיִּֽים׃ (ד) פָּנִ֣ים ׀ בְּפָנִ֗ים דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה עִמָּכֶ֛ם בָּהָ֖ר מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵֽשׁ׃
(1) And Moses summoned all Israel, and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the laws and rules that I proclaim in your ears this day! Study them and observe them faithfully! (2) The Eternal our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. (3) The Eternal made this covenant not with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive today. (4) Face to face the Eternal spoke with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire—
How do the differences between the commandments regarding Shabbat in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 6 relate to their locations in the narrative?