Va'eschanan: It's Amazing, Your Grace
There are many forms of prayer, as there are innumerable ways of relating to the Almighty.
Rashi comments here that it is the way of the Tzadik is to ask for things, not because they "deserve" or even "need" it, but only because we want it and God is a Gracious Giver.
After all, who had more claim to deserve anything if not Moshe Rabainu? And yet the title to our parshe is Ve'schanan, "and I supplicated to HaShem at that time, saying..." Moshe Rabainu does not argue and he does not whine, he supplicates.
The root of the word ve'eschanan is chain, Grace.
Grace is amazing, because just as the song says, when we are down so low that we think no one can help us, and even more - when no one truly can help us, there is God. God can help us.
At times we find ourselves in a position where this is the case. This was Moshe Rabinu's position at the beginning of our Parsha. And his argument could have been very good. Who else could handle the difficulties of leading this cantankerous people?! What if they make another calf, or two even?!
Wouldn't the entire process of conquering and settling the Land be more effectively accomplished with the wily old veteran at the helm of the ship?!
Do you, HaShem, really want to send your precious children into battle against forces that turned their father's stomachs to jelly? And by the way, they are our precious children for goodness sake, as I mentioned I carried them like a nursemaid - and a FOSTER PARENT IS A PARENT TOO!
But Moshe Rabainu makes none of these claims. He asks only for God's grace in the matter.
Why?
There was the incident with the rock, as we discussed there, and why it was a lack of sanctification of God's Name.
As we learned then, if that sanctification had taken place in the minds of the people, they would have had a much greater chance at fighting the temptation towards idol worship for many centuries to come.
As it did turn out however, now that the people do not know that nature itself is indeed miraculous and responds to God's command, without the interference of man, without that vital lesson, the people could not handle the level of conquering that would have occurred if Moshe Rabainu himself had led them in battle.
Had he been allowed to do, the sanctification of the Land would have been much stronger than with Yehoshua, and that would have made it harder to exile the Jews from their Land when they sin. The result of that would have been the destruction of the Jews. As it is, the Almighty allowed the sin to be expiated with the destruction of wood and stone, albeit amidst much death and suffering.
Therefore even as a "favour," God cannot grant Moshe Rabainu's request. I feel that even Moshe Rabainu himself would not have wanted it - had HaShem shown him the results. Perhaps that is indeed what made him stop, as he says: "And HaShem was upset with me for your sakes...."
And so it was destined from now that Moshe Rabainu die in the wilderness, and a new era of post Biblical (well the 5 books anyway) period should begin. As the Mishna in Avos says: Moshe received the Torah from Sinai, and gave it Yehoshua....
But let's ask one final question. If Moshe Rabainu's prayers went unanswered, then why are they in the Chumash?
And the answer is obviously to teach us how to pray, as Rashi said.
That even for the holiest and most deserving of us, in fact especially for people who want to be more spiritual, pray with full clarity and joy at being utterly dependent on God for everything. This way we remain aware that everything we receive is really only God's amazing grace.
Rashi comments here that it is the way of the Tzadik is to ask for things, not because they "deserve" or even "need" it, but only because we want it and God is a Gracious Giver.
After all, who had more claim to deserve anything if not Moshe Rabainu? And yet the title to our parshe is Ve'schanan, "and I supplicated to HaShem at that time, saying..." Moshe Rabainu does not argue and he does not whine, he supplicates.
The root of the word ve'eschanan is chain, Grace.
Grace is amazing, because just as the song says, when we are down so low that we think no one can help us, and even more - when no one truly can help us, there is God. God can help us.
At times we find ourselves in a position where this is the case. This was Moshe Rabinu's position at the beginning of our Parsha. And his argument could have been very good. Who else could handle the difficulties of leading this cantankerous people?! What if they make another calf, or two even?!
Wouldn't the entire process of conquering and settling the Land be more effectively accomplished with the wily old veteran at the helm of the ship?!
Do you, HaShem, really want to send your precious children into battle against forces that turned their father's stomachs to jelly? And by the way, they are our precious children for goodness sake, as I mentioned I carried them like a nursemaid - and a FOSTER PARENT IS A PARENT TOO!
But Moshe Rabainu makes none of these claims. He asks only for God's grace in the matter.
Why?
There was the incident with the rock, as we discussed there, and why it was a lack of sanctification of God's Name.
As we learned then, if that sanctification had taken place in the minds of the people, they would have had a much greater chance at fighting the temptation towards idol worship for many centuries to come.
As it did turn out however, now that the people do not know that nature itself is indeed miraculous and responds to God's command, without the interference of man, without that vital lesson, the people could not handle the level of conquering that would have occurred if Moshe Rabainu himself had led them in battle.
Had he been allowed to do, the sanctification of the Land would have been much stronger than with Yehoshua, and that would have made it harder to exile the Jews from their Land when they sin. The result of that would have been the destruction of the Jews. As it is, the Almighty allowed the sin to be expiated with the destruction of wood and stone, albeit amidst much death and suffering.
Therefore even as a "favour," God cannot grant Moshe Rabainu's request. I feel that even Moshe Rabainu himself would not have wanted it - had HaShem shown him the results. Perhaps that is indeed what made him stop, as he says: "And HaShem was upset with me for your sakes...."
And so it was destined from now that Moshe Rabainu die in the wilderness, and a new era of post Biblical (well the 5 books anyway) period should begin. As the Mishna in Avos says: Moshe received the Torah from Sinai, and gave it Yehoshua....
But let's ask one final question. If Moshe Rabainu's prayers went unanswered, then why are they in the Chumash?
And the answer is obviously to teach us how to pray, as Rashi said.
That even for the holiest and most deserving of us, in fact especially for people who want to be more spiritual, pray with full clarity and joy at being utterly dependent on God for everything. This way we remain aware that everything we receive is really only God's amazing grace.