(מח) וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּעֶ֛צֶם הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃ (מט) עֲלֵ֡ה אֶל־הַר֩ הָעֲבָרִ֨ים הַזֶּ֜ה הַר־נְב֗וֹ אֲשֶׁר֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מוֹאָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֣י יְרֵח֑וֹ וּרְאֵה֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֲנִ֥י נֹתֵ֛ן לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לַאֲחֻזָּֽה׃ (נ) וּמֻ֗ת בָּהָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתָּה֙ עֹלֶ֣ה שָׁ֔מָּה וְהֵאָסֵ֖ף אֶל־עַמֶּ֑יךָ כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־מֵ֞ת אַהֲרֹ֤ן אָחִ֙יךָ֙ בְּהֹ֣ר הָהָ֔ר וַיֵּאָ֖סֶף אֶל־עַמָּֽיו׃
(48) That very day יהוה spoke to Moses: (49) Ascend these heights of Abarim to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab facing Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving the Israelites as their holding. (50) You shall die on the mountain that you are about to ascend, and shall be gathered to your kin, as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his kin.
Excerpts from Devarim Rabbah 10-11
When Moses realized that the decree of death had been sealed against him, he drew a small circle around himself, stood in it, and said, "Master of the universe, I will not budge from here until You void that decree." At the same time, he donned sackcloth 0- indeed, wrapped himself in it - strewed ashes upon himself, and persisted in prayer and supplication before the Holy One, until heaven and earth - indeed, all things made during the six days of creation - were shaken...
...What did the Holy One do then? He had it proclaimed at every gate of every firmament that Moses' prayer be not accepted nor brought up to His presence, because the decree concerning him had been sealed.
Still, as the sound of Moses' prayer to Him above grew even stronger, the Holy One summoned the ministering angels and commanded them: Go down in haste, bolt all the gates of every firmament - for Moses' prayer was like a sword, ripping and tearing, and nothing could stop it.
Moses' pleas before God:
- I have suffered because of Israel, should this be my reward?
- If I can't enter the Land alive, can I enter dead, like Joseph's bones?
- If I can't enter the Land alive, can I remain alive like a beast of the field? Can I remain alive like a bird?
To all of these, God answers no.
What might be surprising about Moses' unwillingness to die, particularly with his singular status as God's greatest prophet?
Does the pleading remind you of Moses' first conversation with God at the burning bush?
Why do you think the rabbis elaborate so much on this scene? What might they be working through in this story?
Back to Devarim Rabbah 10
Once Moses exhausts his arguments with God, Moses implores...
...the heaven and earth
...the sun and moon
...the stars and the planets
...the mountains and hills
...the sea
...the "angel of the Presence," or Metatron
Each time he uses a verse from Scripture, but each element refuses, using their own verse from Scripture. Moses returns to his conversation with God, who says:
"Such was My thought [from the beginning], and such must be the way of the owrld: each generation is to have its own interpreters of Scripture, each generation is to have its own providers, each generation is to have its own leaders. Until now it has been your portion to serve Me, but now your disciple Joshua's portion to serve has come."
Why do you think the rabbis elongate this drama?
Why do you think Moses appeals to cosmic and earthly forms? Why must they all reject him?
What do you think about God's response to death and each generations having its own sages, providers and leaders?
Again, what could the rabbis crafting this story be working through here?
Devarim Rabbah 10
Moses goes to visit Joshua for one last time. In the meantime, the people, looking for Moses, approach Joshua's doorstep.
The people said to Moses, "Moses our teacher, teach us Torah."
He replied, "I no longer have the authority," to which they responded, "We will not leave you."
Then a divine voice came forth and commanded the people, "Be willing to learn from Joshua."
With that, the people submitted to the command to sit and learn from Joshua's mouth.
Joshau sat at the head, Moses at his right, and Aaron's sons at his left, while Joshua taught in Moses' presence. At that session, the tradition of wisdom was taken away from Moses and given to Joshua.
When they went out, Moses walked at Joshua's left, and as they entered the Tent of Meeting, a pillar of cloud came down and formed a partition between the two. After the cloud departed, Moses went over to Joshua and asked, "What did the Word say to you?"
Joshua replied, "When the Word used to reveal itself to you, did I know what it said to you?
In that instant, Moses cried out in anguish and said, "Rather a hundred deaths than a single pang of envy. Master of universes, until now I sought life. But now my soul is surrendered to you."
How is this encounter with Joshua and the people a turning point for Moses?
What do you make of Joshua's response?
How does Moses' visit with Joshua help bring him peace?
Back to Devarim Rabbah 10-11
God commands angels Gabriel and Michael to retrieve Moses' soul, but they both are too devastated to comply. Samael, angel of death, agrees, but fails:
The time of Moses came to an end. A divine voice went forth, saying, ‘The end, your death, draws near.’ Moses responded to God, ‘Master of the Universe! Remember the day when you were revealed to me in the bush, and you said to me, Go, I shall send you to Pharaoh to bring forth my people, the children of Israel, from Egypt. Remember the day when I stood upon Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights. Please do not hand me over into the power of the Angel of Death!’ A divine voice answered, ‘Do not be afraid. I Myself shall attend to you and to your burial.’
---note that Moses is overcome by fear again. Why do you think this is?
At that time Moses stood and purified himself like (one of) the seraphim. The Holy One descended from the highest heavens to fetch the soul of Moses, and three ministering angels accompanied Him—Michael, Gabriel, and Zagzagel. Michael laid out the bier for Moses, and Gabriel spread a linen cloth at its head. Zagzagel (stood) at its foot, with Michael on one side and Gabriel on the other side. God said to Moses, ‘Moses, shut your eyes,’ and he closed his eyes. He said, ‘Place your hand upon your chest,’ and he placed his hand on his chest. He said, ‘Put your feet close together,’ and he put his feet close together.
--this is such a tender moment between God and Moses. What emotions does this bring up for you?
Then God called out to the soul (nefesh) in the midst of his body, saying, ‘My daughter! I allocated you one hundred and twenty years to be in the body of Moses; now your time for departure has arrived. Come out, do not delay!’
The soul responded, ‘Master of the Universe! I know that You are the God over all spirits and life-forces. You created me and formed me and placed me in the body of Moses for one hundred and twenty years ago. Is there a body in the universe that is purer than the body of Moses? I love him and do not wish to depart from him!’
God answered, ‘Soul! Come out without delay, and I will cause you to ascend to the highest heaven, and I will install you under the throne of glory, next to the cherubim and seraphim.’
At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, kissed Moses, and took his soul while kissing his mouth. Then God wept, saying, "There shall never again arise a prophet like Moses in Israel’ (Deut 34:10).
Devarim Rabbah text from The Book of Legends, Sefer Ha-Aggadah, ed. Hayim Bialik & Yehoshua Ravnitzky
What do you make of Moses' soul pleading with God?
What emotions does this bring up? Does Moses' end of life encounter resonate with you, or does it bring up different anxieties and feelings?
What do you think about the rabbis interpreting Deut 34:10 as spoken by God, God's mournful words after Moses dies?
How can this story help us move forward?
Other Jewish texts that can relate to death anxiety
(יט) כִּי֩ מִקְרֶ֨ה בְֽנֵי־הָאָדָ֜ם וּמִקְרֶ֣ה הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה וּמִקְרֶ֤ה אֶחָד֙ לָהֶ֔ם כְּמ֥וֹת זֶה֙ כֵּ֣ן מ֣וֹת זֶ֔ה וְר֥וּחַ אֶחָ֖ד לַכֹּ֑ל וּמוֹתַ֨ר הָאָדָ֤ם מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה֙ אָ֔יִן כִּ֥י הַכֹּ֖ל הָֽבֶל׃ (כ) הַכֹּ֥ל הוֹלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־מָק֣וֹם אֶחָ֑ד הַכֹּל֙ הָיָ֣ה מִן־הֶֽעָפָ֔ר וְהַכֹּ֖ל שָׁ֥ב אֶל־הֶעָפָֽר׃ (כא) מִ֣י יוֹדֵ֗עַ ר֚וּחַ בְּנֵ֣י הָאָדָ֔ם הָעֹלָ֥ה הִ֖יא לְמָ֑עְלָה וְר֙וּחַ֙ הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה הַיֹּרֶ֥דֶת הִ֖יא לְמַ֥טָּה לָאָֽרֶץ׃
(19) For in respect of the fate of man and the fate of beast, they have one and the same fate: as the one dies so dies the other, and both have the same lifebreath; man has no superiority over beast, since both amount to nothing. (20) Both go to the same place; both came from dust and both return to dust. (21) Who knows if a man’s lifebreath does rise upward and if a beast’s breath does sink down into the earth?
How is the author of Ecclesiastes' death anxiety expressed through humanity and animals?
"Rise upward" and "sink down into the earth" may not directly mean "heaven" or "hell," rather something like an established world to come versus nothingness.
Do you also wonder about the fate of animals, either beloved pets or animals at large? How does that inform your anxiety?
תְּנַן הָתָם, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: שׁוּב יוֹם אֶחָד לִפְנֵי מִיתָתֶךָ. שָׁאֲלוּ תַּלְמִידָיו אֶת רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר: וְכִי אָדָם יוֹדֵעַ אֵיזֶהוּ יוֹם יָמוּת? אָמַר לָהֶן: וְכׇל שֶׁכֵּן, יָשׁוּב הַיּוֹם, שֶׁמָּא יָמוּת לְמָחָר, וְנִמְצָא כׇּל יָמָיו בִּתְשׁוּבָה. וְאַף שְׁלֹמֹה אָמַר בְּחׇכְמָתוֹ: ״בְּכׇל עֵת יִהְיוּ בְגָדֶיךָ לְבָנִים וְשֶׁמֶן עַל רֹאשְׁךָ אַל יֶחְסָר״.
Rabbi Eliezer says: Repent one day before your death. Rabbi Eliezer’s students asked him: But does a person know the day on which he will die? He said to them: All the more so this is a good piece of advice, and one should repent today lest he die tomorrow; and by following this advice one will spend his entire life in a state of repentance.
And King Solomon also said in his wisdom: “At all times your clothes should be white, and oil shall not be absent from upon your head” (Ecclesiastes 9:8), meaning that a person always needs to be prepared.
In this passage, the fear of the unknown is a motivator for teshuva and purity.
Does the anxiety of death, and fear of the unknown, also motivate you in positive ways? Are there other aspects of gratitude and joy in Jewish tradition that can ground us in the moment, rather than staying paralyzed by the fear of death?
רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן כִּי הֲוָה מְסַיֵּים סִפְרָא דְאִיּוֹב, אָמַר הָכִי: ״סוֹף אָדָם לָמוּת וְסוֹף בְּהֵמָה לִשְׁחִיטָה, וְהַכֹּל לְמִיתָה הֵם עוֹמְדִים. אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁגָּדֵל בַּתּוֹרָה וַעֲמָלוֹ בַּתּוֹרָה, וְעוֹשֶׂה נַחַת רוּחַ לְיוֹצְרוֹ, וְגָדֵל בְּשֵׁם טוֹב וְנִפְטָר בְּשֵׁם טוֹב מִן הָעוֹלָם, וְעָלָיו אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה: 'טוֹב שֵׁם מִשֶּׁמֶן טוֹב וְיוֹם הַמָּוֶת מִיּוֹם הִוָּלְדוֹ'״.
When Rabbi Yoḥanan would conclude study of the book of Job, he said the following: A person will ultimately die and an animal will ultimately be slaughtered, and all are destined for death. Therefore, death itself is not a cause for great anguish. Rather, happy is he who grew up in Torah, whose labor is in Torah, who gives spirit to his Creator, who grew up with a good name and who took leave of the world with a good name. Such a person lived his life fully, and about him, Solomon said: “A good name is better than fine oil, and the day of death than the day of one’s birth” (Ecclesiastes 7:1); one who was faultless in life reaches the day of his death on a higher level than he was at the outset.
Does Rabbi Yochanan's words resonate with you? Why or why not?
Why do you think Yochanan chose these words to conclude the book of Job? Recall that Job encountered tremendous suffering, including the loss of his children, and much of the book centers on Job navigating his grief, while refusing to attribute his suffering to punishment or lack of faith.
כִּי לֹא יִזְכּוּ בְּעֵינֶיךָ בַּדִּין וְכָל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם יַעַבְרוּן לְפָנֶיךָ כִּבְנֵי מָרוֹן כְּבַקָּרַת רוֹעֶה עֶדְרוֹ מַעֲבִיר צֹאנוֹ תַּחַת שִׁבְטוֹ כֵּן תַּעֲבִיר וְתִסְפֹּר וְתִמְנֶה וְתִפְקֹד נֶפֶשׁ כָּל חָי וְתַחְתֹּךְ קִצְבָה לְכָל בְּרִיָּה וְתִכְתֹּב אֶת גְּזַר דִּינָם
(ד) בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה יִכָּתֵבוּן, וּבְיוֹם צוֹם כִּפּוּר יֵחָתֵמוּן.
כַּמָּה יַעַבְרוּן, וְכַמָּה יִבָּרֵאוּן, מִי יִחְיֶה, וּמִי יָמוּת, מִי בְקִצּוֹ, וּמִי לֹא בְּקִצּוֹ, מִי בַמַּיִם, וּמִי בָאֵשׁ, מִי בַחֶרֶב, וּמִי בַחַיָּה, מִי בָרָעָב, וּמִי בַצָּמָא, מִי בָרַעַשׁ, וּמִי בַמַּגֵּפָה, מִי בַחֲנִיקָה, וּמִי בַסְּקִילָה, מִי יָנוּחַ, וּמִי יָנוּעַ, מִי יִשָּׁקֵט, וּמִי יְטֹּרֵף, מִי יִשָּׁלֵו, וּמִי יִתְיַסָּר, מִי יַעֲנִי, וּמִי יַעֲשִׁיר, מִי יֻשְׁפַּל, וּמִי יָרוּם. וּתְשׁוּבָה וּתְפִלָּה וּצְדָקָה מַעֲבִירִין אֶת רֹעַ הַגְּזֵרָה.
(ו) אָדָם יְסוֹדוֹ מֵעָפָר וְסוֹפוֹ לֶעָפָר. בְּנַפְשׁוֹ יָבִיא לַחְמוֹ. מָשׁוּל כְּחֶרֶס הַנִּשְׁבָּר, כְּחָצִיר יָבֵשׁ, וּכְצִיץ נוֹבֵל, כְּצֵל עוֹבֵר, וּכְעָנָן כָּלָה, וּכְרוּחַ נוֹשָׁבֶת, וּכְאָבָק פּוֹרֵחַ, וְכַחֲלוֹם יָעוּף. וְאַתָּה הוּא מֶלֶךְ אֵל חַי וְקַיָּם.
As a shepherd herds his flock, directing his sheep to pass under his staff, so do you shall pass, count, and record the souls of all living, and decree a limit to each persons days, and inscribe their final judgment.
(4) On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed:
how many shall pass away and how many shall be born, who shall live and who shall die, who in good time, and who by an untimely death, who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by wild beast, who by famine and who by thirst, who by earthquake and who by plague, who by strangulation and who by lapidation, who shall have rest and who wander, who shall be at peace and who pursued, who shall be serene and who tormented, who shall become impoverished and who wealthy, who shall be debased, and who exalted.
But repentance, prayer and righteousness avert the severity of the decree.....
(6) We come from dust, and return to dust. We labour by our lives for bread, we are like broken shards, like dry grass, and like a withered flower; like a passing shadow and a vanishing cloud, like a breeze that passes, like dust that scatters, like a fleeting dream. But You are the ruler who lives eternal.
Unetane Tokef is a singular prayer, in the High Holy Days liturgical canon and also throughout the entire year. It is perhaps the only prayer that so directly pierces our death anxiety. It is fitting to do so while we contemplate taking stock of our souls, and commit to change during the upcoming year - but without the knowledge of what may come to pass.
What role does Unetane Tokef have in your experience during the chagim? Does it resonate with death anxiety for you?
Is the final paragraph comforting, unsettling, or something else?
Chasidic masters told this story about Rabbi Zusya of Hanapoli:
Once, the Hassidic Rabbi Zusya came to his followers with tears in his eyes. They asked him: “Zusya, what’s the matter?
And he told them about his vision; “I learned the question that the angels will one day ask me about my life.”
The followers were puzzled. “Zusya, you are pious. You are scholarly and humble. You have helped so many of us. What question about your life could be so terrifying that you would be frightened to answer it?”
Zusya replied; “I have learned that the angels will not ask me, ‘Why weren’t you a Moses, leading your people out of slavery?’ and that the angels will not ask me, ‘Why weren’t you a Joshua, leading your people into the promised land?”‘
They will say to me, ‘Zusya, why weren’t you Zusya?’”