Moses continues his monologue to the Israelites in this Torah portion. He soon discusses a topic that brings him great pain: that he will not be able to enter the Holy Land.
The opening word of this portion is v'etchanan which means to plead.
M. Hacohen, Al ha-Torah, Vol. V, p.483; based on Berachot 30b as quoted in The Torah: A Modern Commentary (Plaut-Bamberger, revised) p. 1215
The opening word of the weekly portion (3:23) is a form that suggests a reflexive sense, such as "I got myself to plead." Said the Rabbi of Tans, in like manner: "Before I begin to pray, I pray that I may be able to pray."
So that his mind will be in a pleading mode [titḥonen], as it is written: “And I pleaded [va’etḥanan] before the Lord” (Deuteronomy 3:23).
(כג) וָאֶתְחַנַּ֖ן אֶל־יְהֹוָ֑ה בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹֽר׃ (כד) אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֗ה אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלּ֙וֹתָ֙ לְהַרְא֣וֹת אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גׇּדְלְךָ֔ 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 וְהַלְּבָנֹֽן׃ (כו) וַיִּתְעַבֵּ֨ר יְהֹוָ֥ה בִּי֙ לְמַ֣עַנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֵלָ֑י וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֤ה 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׃
The verses above include so much nuance and depth. Together we will consider the following:
1) Why does Moses say "The Eternal was wrathful with me on your account?"
2) Why does God respond to Moses saying "Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again?"
3) How does Moses respond to God's words? Why is this Moses' response, and what does it tell you about Moses' state of mind?
Sifrei Bamidbar 135
(Devarim 3:26) "But the L-rd was wroth with me": As one would say (to his neighbor): That man was angry with me and was filled with wrath against me. "because of you": You are the cause. Likewise (Psalms 106:32) "And they aroused the wrath (of the L-rd) at the waters of contention, and Moses was afflicted because of them." "and He did not heed me": He did not accept my prayer. R. Nathan says: It is written (Iyyov 36:5) "Behold G-d is great, and He will not despise" — the Holy One Blessed be He does not despise the prayer of the many, but here "and He did not heed me." He did not accept my prayer. "And the L-rd said to me, etc." He said to me: "It is enough for you with this thing," (My refusal to heed You), tzaddikim being kept (by such rebuke) from a graver transgression. In this regard, R. Yishmael adduced a folk-saying: "According to the camel is the load." Variantly: If Moses, the wise, the father of the wise; the prophet, the father of the prophets, was not forgiven, how much more so lesser men who delay judgment and who pervert judgment...."Much for you": He said to him: "Much have you labored; much have you toiled. Take leave, Moses, and rest," viz. (Daniel 12:13) "Go (to your reward) in the end (of days), when you will rest."
The Torah: A Modern Commentary (Plaut-Bamberger revised) p. 1433
Moses did everything to ensure that Joshua was installed as Israel's leader.... As he was about to die, his wisdom was given to Joshua. Then Moses said to God: "Until this moment I desired life, now my life is in your hands",
[Moses entered a prolonged argument with God, giving reasons why he should not die].
God said: "You must die because you did not sanctify me (Num 20)."
Moses responded: "You deal with your creatures in mercy and forgive them once, twice, even three times, but not me!"
Said God: "You committed six sins, still I did not accuse you."
"You refused Me when I asked you to deliver your people" (Exodus 4:13).
"You tested Me twice" (in the uprising of Korach, Num 16:29-30)
"You slandered your people when you said 'Listen you rebels!' (Num 20:10), "and again when you called them 'a breed of sinful men'" (Num 32:14).
Moses had to die because he had slain the Egyptian taskmaster (Exod. 2:11).
God: "Did I tell you to kill the Egyptian?"
Moses: "But You killed the first-born in Egypt!"
God: "Do you resemble Me? I cause people to die--and I also revive them"
Ten times is Moses' death mentioned in the Bible: eight times in Deuteronomy and twice in the book of Joshua. For ten times it was decreed that oses should not enter Eretz Yisrael, though the judgment was not sealed until the Court on High declared: "You shall not go across yonder Jordan (Deut 3:27). But Moses was unconcerned, thinking Israel has committed many sins, yet whenever I prayed for them God answered me.
Upon seeing that Moses made light of the decree and did not engage in prayer, God swore that Moses would not enter the Land and sealed the decree.
Moses now donned sackcloth and commenced to pray. He drew a circle and said: "I will not move until You alter the judgment." But God ordered all the gates of heaven to be shut to Moses' prayer.
God decreed that not even Moses' bones would cross into the Promised Land. But--Moses objected--would not the bones of Joseph accompany the people? God then accused Moses of not having acknowledged his ancestry when he was called an Egyptian (Exod. 2:19), whereas Joseph had acted differently (Gen 41:12-16).
Moses prayed in fact 515 times for a reversal o the judgment. Whence do we know this? From Deut 3:23, :I pleaded with the Eternal at that time..." The Hebrew for "I pleaded" is Vaetchanan, the letters of which add up in gimatriyah to 515 (vav is 6, aleph is 1, tav is 500, chet is 8, nun is 50, nun sofit is 50. At last God relented and allowed him at least to view the land.
Moses continued to plead his case.
"If I cannot go into the Land, let me become like one of the beasts of the field that eat its grass and drink its water and live and enjoy the world; or let me fly about like a bird gathering its good--only let my soul be like one of them."
God then said: "Enough! Never speak of this matter again!'
In that hour God said "I have heard your prayer, I Myself will bury you."
After kissing Moses to take away his soul, God wept as it were. So did the heavens and the earth.
Sifrei Bamidbar 135
"And there shall you not come." Moses: "If not, let (at least) my bones cross the Jordan." The L-rd: (Ibid. 3:27) "For you shall not cross this Jordan": Your bones, too, will not cross, viz. (Ibid. 4:22) "for I will die in this land; I will not cross the Jordan." Now can a dead man cross? — Moses was saying: "My bones, too, will not cross." (Ibid. 3:26) "Do not speak to Me again about this thing": He said to him: "Do not ask this thing of Me, but decree a different thing upon me, and I will do it." An analogy: A king issues a difficult decree upon his son, who asks him to rescind it. The king: Do not ask this thing of me, but decree a different thing upon me and I will do it, viz. (Iyyov 22:28) "You will decree and it will be fulfilled for you." Moses: If not, (i.e., If I cannot enter Eretz Yisrael), let me see it. The L-rd: This I will do. (Devarim, Ibid. 23) "Go up to the summit of Pisgah, etc." We are hereby apprised that the L-rd showed Moses the distant as (if it were) near; the concealed, as (if it were) revealed — all that is called "Eretz Yisrael," as it is written (Ibid. 34:1-3) "And the L-rd showed him the whole land … and all of Naftali … and the Negev and the plain, etc."
Ora Horn Prouser, The Torah: A Woman's Commentary, p.1065
While Moses interprets God's response and behavior as anger (see also 4:21), one might also see a nurturing hand in God's allowing Moses to see the land and assuring him an integral role in passing on leadership to Joshua.