Moshe's Prayer Parshat Va'etchanan Lessons of Leadership

׃ (כד) אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלּ֙וֹתָ֙ לְהַרְא֣וֹת אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גָּדְלְךָ֔ וְאֶת־יָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִי־אֵל֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה כְמַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶֽךָ׃:

(כו) וַיִּתְעַבֵּ֨ר יְהוָ֥ה בִּי֙ לְמַ֣עַנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֵלָ֑י וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ רַב־לָ֔ךְ אַל־תּ֗וֹסֶף דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃:

(24) “O Lord GOD, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal!

(26) But the LORD was wrathful with me on your account and would not listen to me. The LORD said to me, “Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!

SUMMARY OF PESSUKIM: Moshe is praying to Hashem to go into Eretz Yisrael in the valley of Beth-Peor. He does this in a very specific way. First, he praises Hashem, saying how great He is, and how mighty he is. Then, he makes his request. He begs Hashem to enter Eretz Yisrael to see Yerushalayim and the Beit Hamikdash. Hashem did not listen to Moshe's request. He became angry with Moshe and told him not to talk about this thing again. Hashem told Moshe to go to the top of the hill if he really wanted to see the land because he will not go there. He told Moshe to encourage Yehoshua because he would lead Bnei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael.

EXAMPLE 1: This Passuk is my first example of Leadership because it shows how Moshe makes his request in such a way that he praises Hashem first and then makes his request.

(כד) אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלּ֙וֹתָ֙ לְהַרְא֣וֹת אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גָּדְלְךָ֔ וְאֶת־יָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִי־אֵל֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה כְמַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

(24) “O Lord GOD, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal!

CONNECTION 1 to EXAMPLE 1: This Rashi shows how Moshe perceived Hashem's words. Hashem said, "And now, leave Me alone”. Most people would perceive this as they should stop praying to Hashem. Moshe was always looking for ways to do good, and he perceived this as he should pray more. This was also what happened at the חטא העגל.

(ב) אתה החלות להראות את עבדך. פֶּתַח, לִהְיוֹת עוֹמֵד וּמִתְפַּלֵּל אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁנִּגְזְרָה גְּזֵרָה; אָמַר לוֹ מִמְּךָ לָמַדְתִּי, שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ לִי (שמות ל"ב) "וְעַתָּה הַנִּיחָה לִּי", וְכִי תוֹפֵס הָיִיתִי בְךָ? אֶלָּא לִפְתֹּחַ פֶּתַח, שֶׁבִּי הָיָה תָלוּי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם, כְּמוֹ כֵן הָיִיתִי סָבוּר לַעֲשׂוֹת עַכְשָׁו (ספרי):

(2) אתה החלות להראות את עבדך THOU DIDST BEGIN TO SHOW THY SERVANT an opening to stand and offer prayer, although the decree has been enacted; he said to Him: I learned to do so from Thee, for Thou didst say to me, (Exodus 32:10; cf. Rashi thereon) "And now, leave Me alone”. Was I, then, holding Thee? But Thou didst say this to open the door and to show that it depended upon me to pray for them. Just so do I think to act now (Sifrei Devarim 27:2).

CONNECTION 2 for EXAMPLE 1: The Ran shows that Moshe was humble and said that he did not think he deserved to see Eretz Yisrael. He wanted Hashem to show it to him because Moshe saw some of Hashem's greatness when he thought he did not deserve it, so Hashem should show him Eretz Yisrael too. Humility is a good trait for a leader.

דרשות הר"ן ט': י"ז

שר' אברהם נדחק ואמר שמפני שאין קץ לנפלאות הש"י אמר משה שכל מה שראה עד עכשו לא היה כי אם התחלה לבד ולפיכך אמר אתה החלות, ולפי דבריו אם כל מה שראה עד עכשו לא היה כי אם התחלה לבד ולפיכך אמר אתה החלות, ולפי דבריו אם כל מה שראה עד עכשיו לא היתה כ"א מתחלה איך יהיו גמרו של דבר באעברה נא ואראה. אבל נאה שעל זה הדרך יתפרש יפה והוא שמשה מצד ענותנותו לא היה רואה עצמו כדאי שיהיה ראוי לראות את הארץ, ולפיכך פתח לרצות את בוראו ואמר אתה כמי שאומר שכל מה שראיתי עד עכשיו לא היתה התחלה ממני לראותו שאף בתחלה לא הייתי ראוי לכך, אבל אתה החלות להראות.

Darashos HaRan:

R. Abraham [Ibn Ezra] adduces a forced explanation to the effect that since there is no end to the Blessed One's wonders Moses says that all he has seen until now was only the beginning, for which reason he says "You have begun." But according to his words, if all that he has seen until now was only the beginning, how does this jibe with his concluding (Ibid 25): "Let me go over and see the good land"? It does seem to be well explicated, however, along the lines we have indicated. That is, Moses, in his humility and in magnifying the severity of his error did not regard himself as worthy of seeing the land. He therefore begins by conciliating his Creator, saying: "O L-rd G-d, You have begun…" as if to say: all I have seen now was not initiated by me in any way, for even in the beginning I was not worthy of it, but it is You who have begun to show.

EXAMPLE 2: This Passuk is my second example of Leadership because it shows how Moshe does not embarrass Bnei Yisrael by hinting to a sin that they did to rebuke them.

(כו) וַיִּתְעַבֵּ֨ר יְהוָ֥ה בִּי֙ לְמַ֣עַנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֵלָ֑י וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ רַב־לָ֔ךְ אַל־תּ֗וֹסֶף דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃

(26) But the LORD was wrathful with me on your account and would not listen to me. The LORD said to me, “Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!

CONNECTION 1 for EXAMPLE 2: This Rashi shows that even Moshe, who seems to be the perfect leader does not get everything he wants. This shows us that as leader of our community, we don't always get what we want. Additionally, everyone makes mistakes and you have to learn from them like Moshe Rabeinu.

(ג) רב לך. שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ הָרַב כַּמָּה קָשֶׁה וְהַתַּלְמִיד כַּמָּה סַרְבָן, וּמַפְצִיר (סוטה י"ג); דָּ"אַ — רב לך, הַרְבֵּה מִזֶּה שָׁמוּר לְךָ, רַב טוּב הַצָּפוּן לָךְ (ספרי):

(3) רב לך LET IT SUFFICE THEE (i.e. pray no more) so that people should not say, “How harsh is the Master, and how obstinate and importunate is the disciple" (Sotah 13b). Another explanation of רב לך (lit., there is much for you) — more than this is reserved for you; much is the goodness that is stored up for thee (Sifrei Bamidbar 135).

CONNECTION 2 for EXAMPLE 2: The Sforno shows that Moshe prayed for Bnei Yisrael to stay permanently in Eretz Yisrael, even though he would not enter into the land. This shows how selfless he was and how much he cares about Bnei Yisrael.

(א) ויתעבר ה' למענכם מפני שהייתי מתאוה לקיים אתכם בה שלא תגלו ממנה לעולם והוא כבר נשא ידו לזרותם:

(1) ויתעבר ה' בי למענכם, G’d was angry at me for trying to ensure your permanent stay in that land while He had already decreed that at a certain point in history your descendants would be exiled among the gentiles.