(כג) וָאֶתְחַנַּ֖ן אֶל־יְהֹוָ֑ה בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹֽר׃
(23) (And) I pleaded with YHVH at that time, saying,
וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל משֶׁה בְּאוֹתוֹ הַפֶּרֶק חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר פְּעָמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ג, כג): וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל ה' בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר, וָאֶתְחַנַּן בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא הָכֵי הֲוֵי.
How do we know that Moshe prayed 515 times at that point? As the verse (Deuteronomy 3:23) states: I pleaded (ואתחנן) with haShem, and ואתחנן in gematria is 515.
(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 YHVH was wrathful with me on your account and would not listen to me. YHVH said to me, “Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!
Perhaps Moshe’s 515th prayer was that his last breath would be held within the breath of the Divine One. Nothing more could ever be asked.
“People think they pray to God. But this is not the case. For prayer itself is of the essence of God”
“The Purpose of all prayer is to uplift the words, to return them to their source above. The world was created by the downward flow of letters: Our task is to form those letters into words and take them back to God. If you come to know this dual process, your prayer may be joined to the constant flow of Creation—word to word, voice to voice, breath to breath, thought to thought.” The divine spring is ever-flowing: make yourself into a channel to receive the waters from above.”
... בַּאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה, משֶׁה הַשְׁקֵף עֵינֶיךָ זֶה עַל גַּב זֶה, וְהִשְׁקִיף עֵינָיו זֶה עַל גַּב זֶה, אָמַר לוֹ הַנַּח יָדְךָ עַל הֶחָזֶה, וְהִנִּיחַ יָדוֹ עַל הֶחָזֶה, אָמַר לוֹ הַקֵּף רַגְלֶיךָ זֶה עַל גַּב זֶה, הִקִּיף רַגְלָיו זֶה עַל גַּב זֶה, בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה קָרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַנְּשָׁמָה מִתּוֹךְ גּוּפוֹ, אָמַר לָהּ בִּתִּי מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה קְצַבְתִּיךְ הֱיוֹתֵךְ בְּגוּפוֹ שֶׁל משֶׁה, עַכְשָׁו הִגִּיעַ קִצֵּךְ לָצֵאת, צְאִי אַל תְּאַחֲרִי. אָמְרָה לְפָנָיו רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, יוֹדַעַת אֲנִי שֶׁאַתָּה אֱלֹהַּ כָּל הָרוּחוֹת וְכָל הַנְּפָשׁוֹת, נֶפֶשׁ הַחַיִּים וְהַמֵּתִים מְסוּרִין בְּיָדֶךָ, וְאַתָּה בְּרָאתַנִי וְאַתָּה יְצַרְתַּנִי וְאַתָּה נְתַתַּנִי בְּגוּפוֹ שֶׁל משֶׁה מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה, וְעַכְשָׁו יֵשׁ גּוּף טָהוֹר בָּעוֹלָם יוֹתֵר מִגּוּפוֹ שֶׁל משֶׁה, שֶׁלֹא נִרְאָה בּוֹ רוּחַ סְרוּחָה מֵעוֹלָם, וְלֹא רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה, לָכֵן אֲנִי אוֹהֶבֶת אוֹתוֹ וְאֵינִי רוֹצָה לָצֵאת מִמֶּנּוּ... בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה נְשָׁקוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְנָטַל נִשְׁמָתוֹ בִּנְשִׁיקַת פֶּה...
...HKBH said: “Moshe, fold your eyelids over your eyes,” ("like this"). He then said: “Place your hands upon your breast,” ("like this"). He then said: “Put your feet next to one another,”("like this"). Then the Holy Blessed One summoned the soul from the midst of the body, saying to her: “My daughter, I have fixed the period of your stay in the body of Moses at a hundred and twenty years; now your end has come, depart, delay not ... Thereupon God kissed Moshe and took away his soul with a kiss of the mouth ("like this")...
...
If anyone wants to know what Ruach or Spirit is,
Or how Bosem ‘Eloha, her divine fragrance smells,
Lean your head in.
Keep your face there, close.
Like this.
If anyone wonders how the redeemed
are raised from the deadened,
Don’t try to explain.
Kiss me on the lips.
Like this.
When someone asks what it means
To “die for love,” point here.
Like this.
If someone asks how tall I am, frown
And measure with your fingers the space
Between the creases on your forehead.
This tall.
The soul sometimes leaves the body, then returns.
If you can't believe it,
Walk back into my house.
Like this.
I am a sky where spirits live.
Stare into this deepening blue,
While the breeze tells a secret.
Like this.
When someone asks what there is to do,
Light the candle in her hand.
Like this.
Maggid of Mezeritch, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dov_Ber_of_Mezeritch
Maggid of Mezeritch, Or Torah, published in Korets in 1804, pages 58b-59a
Reb Pinchas of Koretz, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinchas_Shapiro_of_Koretz
Reb Pinchas of Koretz, Imre Pinchas, Tel Aviv, 1974, page 40
"Like This" adaptations to Devarim Rabbah 11:10 made to tie this midrash to the Rumi poem "Like This"
Adapted from Rumi, "Like This"