Words cannot adequately express Moses’ burning desire to cross over into Israel. His repeated requests,
however, were met with God’s repeated refusals. This pattern resurfaces in the final verses in chapter 3.
Abravanel asks: What was the prophet thinking? What gave Moses a glimmer of hope? Abravanel gets
into Moses’ head.
“And I pleaded to God at that time saying…”
Moses sensed wiggle room in the Maker’s decree banning him from entering Canaan. Perhaps, the
prophet reasoned, Heaven’s ban could be narrowly constructed. How? Maybe Moses would not lead all
of the Jewish warriors in the quest to conquer the Holy Land, but he might lead a small combat unit or
team. Alternatively, Abravanel asserts, maybe in the grand political-military constellation, Joshua would
be on top, Moses would retire and join the emeritus ranks.
Moses’ plea continued. “O God Almighty, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness, and
Your strong hand…” Abravanel explains. Moses referred to God's request to spare Esau, Moab, and
Ammon, preventing the Hebrews from armed conflict with those nations. Heaven’s stand down order, if
you will, reflected territorial gifts to the children of Esau and Lot. The commands bespeak God's
grandeur, invoking His largesse to ancient non-Hebrew patriarchs (Esau and Lot). Moses bowed in
deference, "God Almighty, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness…"
As for God’s “strong hand", Moses had in mind the Creator’s obliteration of two powerhouses, Sihon
and Og. God's hand cannot be deflected let alone be deterred; it defeats His enemies at will. By
extrapolation, Moses understood that, shortly, Joshua would summarily defeat the Canaanites, courtesy
of the Creator’s “strong hand.”
At some juncture, Abravanel surmises, Moses understood that there would be no subservient role to
play in Joshua’s imminent conquest. Still, something else preoccupied him. "May I please pass over and
see the goodly land?" Moses wasn't expressing an interest to fight Canaanites nor conquer vast swathes
of the land. Similarly, he had not ruminated about defeating mighty foes or divvying up Israel between
his co-religionists.
Moses' sights were lower, much lower. He asked God for nothing more than to walk side by side with
the Hebrews when they traverse the Jordan and behold the Holy Land. Joshua would march in the
vanguard, valiantly marshalling the troops and parceling out the land. As for Moses, he was content to
lag behind, loitering among the anonymous rank and file – “May I please pass over.”
As in earlier instances toward Moses, God hadn’t budged. He did get angry. “And God's wrath burned
towards me on your accounts." As Abravanel already explained, Mose's fate had been sealed by divine
edict. The prophet, under no circumstances, would step foot in the land. At root stood his association
with the nasty spy affair. It dealt the evil decree. More specifically, when the Jews reacted waywardly by
heaving heresy upon the One Above, repercussions rippled. Ultimately, Moses was implicated.
Irreparably, the people bad-mouthed the Holy Land. Ill-judgment on the prophet's part caused the
theological rift."And you shall see the land" Moses directed the spies. After their visit, the spies
published their report. The Jews panicked. Faith in God faltered. Thus, when the seer begged,"May I
please pass over and see the goodly land" – he was sorely rebuffed. Anger greeted him."And God's
wrath burned towards me."
“But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and
he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.” Because of a score to settle with Jewish
scoffers, Moses suffered. “And He did not listen to me.”
“Enough [of this].” Moses heard that God had extended more favor than He should have. Hadn’t God
allowed him to lead troops in a string of storied victories over Sihon and Og? God's grace went further.
Moses personally oversaw divvying up the territories gained in those wars, allocating them to the tribes
of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh.
God granted His prophet more dispensation. “Ascend the mountain peak and feast your eyes to the
west, north, south, and east. Take in the sights.” God promised a bird's eye view of vistas far off in the
horizon. Moses would see far-flung parts of the land, as if he strode upon it. God intended something
else.
Moses had not received the full brunt of divine punishment, something the backsliding generation had.
"And all those who provoked Me will not see it". The prophet was not of their ilk. Freely, his eyes
delighted in the view.
In this manner, Abravanel explains this Torah portion’s opening verses, beginning with Moses’ plea.
