Moses Is Alive and Well!

Every one of us possesses a spark of Moses in our soul. There are times when this spark is ignited and our awareness of G-d is awakened. At times like these we feel spiritually empowered and we become passionate for G-d and for all that is G-dly.

Who Wrote the Last Eight Verses?

The Torah reading for Simchas Torah is the last parsha entitled “V’zos haberacha-And this is the blessing,” referring to the blessings Moses gave the Jewish people before his passing. This Torah reading concludes with the moving description of Moses’ passing and burial.

The Talmud raises an obvious question. We know that Moses wrote the entire Torah. Who wrote the last eight verses that speak of Moses’ passing?

One opinion states that it was Joshua, Moses’ disciple and successor, who wrote these last eight verses. According to the second opinion, Moses wrote these words, but with one difference: These last eight verses he wrote with tears. In other words, G-d dictated these verses to Moses and Moses wrote them while he was shedding tears. Alternatively, as some commentators explain, instead of ink, Moses used his tears to write his own eulogy.

Upon reflection, the Talmud’s original question still remains according to this opinion. How could Moses have written about his death before he actually died?

Granted that G-d could have dictated this to him, but how could Moses have written the words that described his passing as an event that happened while he was still alive? And although Moses was a prophet and could have been given a glimpse into the future, why does the Torah then employ the past tense with regard to his passing when he still very much alive?

To answer this question we must first appreciate that the Torah is not a history book. To be sure, every event recorded in the Torah is historically accurate. However, the purpose of the Torah is not to teach us the chronology of events even when it describes these events in vivid detail. The main objective of the Torah is to provide us with guidance in our own lives.

When the Torah describes Moses’ passing it wishes to convey a spiritual and moral lesson for us.

The Internal Moses

Every one of us possesses a spark of Moses in our soul. So states Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (the founder of the Chabad Chassidic movement, known as the Alter Rebbe) in his classic work Tanya (Chapter 42).

This premise, Tanya explains, sheds light on the statement in the Torah that says: “What is G-d asking of you? Only to fear (or better: to revere) G-d…” The Talmud asks, “Is fear of G-d a minor matter?” And the Talmud answers, “Yes, for Moses it is a minor matter.” This answer begs the obvious question. Why does the Torah ask us to revere G-d because it is a “minor” matter, when it is only minor for Moses? What good is it for everyone else that for Moses it is a minor matter?

Rabbi Schneur Zalman answers that, in truth, each and every one of us has a spark of Moses in his or her soul. From the vantage point of this spark, revering G-d is indeed a minor matter. Reverence for G-d is easily achievable when we ignite the spark of Moses that is embedded within our soul.

There are times when this spark is ignited and our awareness of G-d is awakened. At times like these we feel spiritually empowered and we become passionate for G-d and for all that is G-dly. Yet there are times when it seems that the spark of Moses within us has died. What are we to do then? How do we cope with this apparent loss of our internal Moses?

Dimmed Spark: Also a Part of Torah

The Torah thus concludes with a description of the death of Moses to inform us that this phenomenon is not outside the pale of the Torah. And it is a situation that ought not frighten us or dampen our spirits. Even this situation is part of the Torah, which means that it is part of the process of spiritual growth. Even when we are at a spiritual low, when the light of our internal Moses appears to have been extinguished, we should not worry. It is part of the process.

And this phenomenon is described at the end of the Torah. This suggests that even when we think we have reached the zenith, we can suddenly experience a drastic change in our spiritual lives; we cannot access the Moses within— Moses seems to have died within us.

This phenomenon of spiritual degeneration is indeed the definition of death. According to the Zohar the spiritual definition of death is the decline to a lower level. And it is a relative description. A person who has reached the pinnacle and then regresses somewhat has experienced a form of spiritual death.

And since we cannot always maintain the same spiritual high; when we begin to fall, when the Moses component of our soul seems to have died, we should not despair or panic. G-d always provides a fallback position that enables us to function spiritually even as we seem to have temporarily lost our hold on the higher level.

License for Individuals

Perhaps this is the underlying meaning of the enigmatic statement in the Talmud that these last eight verses can be read even by an individual. The standard requirement of a minyan, a quorum of ten adult men, to read the Torah publically, is dispensed with. Commentators grapple with this law.

In light of the above, the license for an individual to read these verses was meant to convey the message that even an individual who finds his or her Moses’ spark dimmed should not fret. He or she is not left out of the Torah. Even these last eight verses containing what appears to be a “eulogy”, cannot be taken as a sign of one’s spiritual demise.

The “Joshua” Contingency Plan

This message of consolation to the “fallen” spiritual individual is encapsulated in the Torah’s description of how G-d told Moses that He would be with Joshua just as he was with Moses. Even when the internal Moses “passes on,”

G-d appoints a “successor” that takes his place until such time when we regain our spiritual high and reignite the spark of Moses in us.

True, the Biblical Joshua could not compare to Moses, but nevertheless his devotion to Moses was so powerful that he reflected Moses’ light; as the Talmud states:

“Moses’ face shone like the sun, and Joshua’s face shone like the moon.”

Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, so too, Joshua reflected Moses’ spiritual qualities.

Moses Never Died

This idea will assist us in understanding the statement of the Talmud that “Moses never died.” Chassidic thought clarifies that Moses’ soul lives on and is present in the lives of all of the great Jewish leaders throughout history. When a leader devotes his life to being a faithful disciple of Moses—as did Joshua—he is said to possess Moses’ soul and is a reflector of his light.

Translating this thought into practical terms this Torah lesson teaches us that even when we do not feel inspired because the spark of Moses within is hidden and has experienced a form of death, we should know that there is always a backup light that can provide us with a reflection of the light of Moses.

The only prerequisite to access Joshua’s reflective light is to emulate Joshua’s devotion to Moses. As long as we try to stay connected to the Moses within—and the spiritual leader, the “Moses” of the generation—we will be able to have his light inspire us even when it seems that it had died.

First Redeemer and Last Redeemer

Our Sages tell us that Moses was the first redeemer and Moses will be the final redeemer. As commentators point out, this does not mean that Moses will be resurrected to become the Moshiach who will bring an end to the exile and usher in the Messianic Age. It means that Moshiach, in addition to his own qualities, will be a perfect reflection of Moses’ soul. Moshiach will embody the ideals of Moses in the most dramatic and revealed fashion.

And just as we all possess the spark of Mosses within us, the Ba’al Shem Tov taught that we also possess a spark of Moshiach within us.

When the spark of Moses-Moshiach within us is strong, our faith in and anticipation for the arrival of Moshiach is likewise strong. And this strong faith manifests itself in the way we behave; we cease to be affected by exile conditions and we are no longer tainted with the exile mentality. We are joyous and optimistic and our good deeds are infused with life and enthusiasm.

However, there are times when it seems that Moses has “died,” when we lose that strong feeling of anticipation and excitement for the Redemption, and we fall back into exile feelings of doom and gloom.

Remedy for Depressing Times

It is for these depressing times that the Torah concludes with the description of Moses’ passing and the worthiness of his successor Joshua. “Don’t worry, Moses spirit is still here with us, though it may be concealed. And the spark of Moses-Moshiach will certainly soon be reignited.”

Even when it seems that Moses/Moshiach is not with us, if we behave like the Joshua’s of the past and faithfully reflect the light of Moshiach, we will discover that, as the Rebbe told us, Moshiach is truly here. All we have to do is open our eyes in the spirit of the last verse of the Torah which describes the feats Moses performed in front of the “eyes of all of Israel.” Once our intellectual eyes are open to the reality of Moses/Moshiach, we will then see the reality of the final Redemption unfold before our eyes of flesh!

From the book Light from the Future: Simchas Torah by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.