This weeks portion called Va’et’chanan (translated ‘And I plead’) is from the book of Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11.
In this week’s Torah reading, Va’etchanan, Moses continues his attempt to impress upon the Israelites the importance of following God’s commandments, the rewards which will result from obeying God’s words, and the punishments they will incur if they neglect to do so. Moses recounts the story of the giving of Torah at Mount Sinai, and repeats the Ten Commandments. Moses designates cities of refuge. This portion also contains the Shema.
Let’s read from the parsha:
Deu 3:21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, ‘Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings. So will the LORD do to all the kingdoms into which you are crossing.
Deu 3:22 You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.’
Deu 3:23 “And I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying,
Deu 3:24 ‘O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours?
Deu 3:25 Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’
Deu 3:26 But the LORD was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the LORD said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again.
The following is taken partly from FFOZ weekly eDrash from 2008
Moses wanted to enter the Promised Land. More than anything, he wanted to finish the journey, cross the Jordan and stand on the soil of the holy land. He pleaded with the LORD, “Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan” (Deuteronomy 3:25). Ordinarily Moses got what he asked for. Whether he asked for miraculous provision, amazing signs and wonders, direct answers from heaven or divine assistance and rescue, God heard the prayers of Moses and answered them immediately. But not even Moses got everything he wanted. Despite his earnest entreaties, God refused to allow Moses to enter Canaan. The LORD replied to his prayers, saying, “Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter”
There is extensive midrash on the exchange that took place between God and Moses. The sources are the Midrash Rabbah and the Yalkut Shimoni. Remember, these are midrash, but I think there is something to learn here so:
Moses prayed 515 prayers—the numerical value (gematria) of va’etchanan, “and I beseeched”—to be allowed to enter the land.
When Moses saw that the decree had been sealed against him, he went and drew a circle and sat inside it, and said: I am not moving from here until You nullify the decree! . . . He then wrapped himself in sackcloth and covered himself with ashes, and stood in prayer and supplication before God until the heaven and the earth and the very laws of creation began to tremble, and said: Perhaps the time has come for God to destroy the world? . . .
What did God do at that moment? He announced at every gate of every heaven and at every gate of every court that Moses’ prayer should not be admitted . . . for the voice of Moses’ prayer was like a sword that slices and rips, and which nothing can stop . . .
Said Moses to God: If You will not allow me to enter the land, allow me to [enter] as a beast of the field, which grazes on the grass and drinks water and sees the world that way—let my soul be as one of those!
Said God: “Enough!“
Said Moses to God: If You will not allow me to enter the Land, allow me to [enter] as a bird that flies in the air to all four corners of the earth to collect its feed, and in the evening returns to its nest—let my soul be as one of those!
Said God: “Enough!“
Moses said to God: Master of the Universe! Joseph’s bones are entering the Land, and I shall not enter?
Said God to him: He who admitted to his land, is buried in his land; and he who did not admit to his land, shall not be buried in his land. Joseph admitted to his land when his master’s wife said, “See, they have brought us a Hebrew man . . .” and he did not deny it; on the contrary, he said, “I was abducted from the land of the Hebrews.” Therefore, he shall be buried in his land. You, however, did not admit to your land, when the daughters of Jethro said, “An Egyptian man rescued us from the shepherds,” and you heard this and were silent. Therefore, “you shall not cross this Jordan.“
The account goes on. Perhaps Moses telling us that he pleaded / implored God in this matter gives some validity to the idea that he didn’t go quietly.
The LORD is gracious and compassionate. He delights to answer the prayers of His children. He opens His hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing. If an earthly father gives good gifts to his children when they ask him, how much more so does our heavenly Father delight to answer our prayers? Yeshua teaches us, “Whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you”. Nevertheless, the answer to prayer is sometimes “No.“
If God gave us everything we asked for in prayer, it would be the same as giving us the power of being God. We might arbitrarily change the color of the sky, reorganize the chemical composition of water, turn time backward or wish the universe out of existence. Obviously God has to reserve the right to say no to our prayers. James the brother of the Master says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures”.
Even when we ask with the right motives, God still might have to say no.
I think Moses teaches us that we don’t necessarily have to go quietly. There is nothing wrong with a respectful and yet insistent pleading of our case before the Holy One (blessed is He). But when we pray, we need to trust in God’s wisdom and kindness, knowing that He has our best interests in mind. Though we don’t always get an affirmative answer (maybe even after making our request 515 times), we can be confident that our prayers are heard. Sometimes, is it enough to merely acknowledge that we are completely in God’s hands.
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