Reb Ginsbourg: 'You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness"

Begun? Why does Moshe Rabbeinu use that verb after all the miracles of the Exodus and the sojourn in the desert?

Our Parasha commences with Moshe Rabbeinu beseeching Hashem - the Baalei Midrash say, for the five-hundred and fifteenth time - to cancel the decree that he not enter the Land.

We read(3:23-26):’I implored Hashem at that time, saying:’My Lord, Hashem Elokim, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand, for what power is there on heaven or on the earth that can perform according to Your deeds and according to Your mighty acts? Let me now cross and see the good Land that is on the other side of the Jordan, the good mountain and the Lebanon’.

‘But’ - as on the previous five-hundred and fourteen times - his plea was unsuccessful, the Torah recording, that ‘Hashem became angry with me because of you, snd He did not listen to me; Hashem said to me:’It is too much for you! Do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter.’

Rashi comments:’You have begun to show Your servant..’: an opening to stand and pray even when a decree has already been decreed.’

‘Your greatness’: Your attribute of goodness, in pardoning sin’

‘Strong’: suppressing the trait of strict judgement with mercy.’

‘According to its straightforward meaning, it means: You have begun to show Your servant the conquest of the Land, by letting me lead the war against Sichon and Og, as it is written: ראה החילותי תת לפניךֶ:’ Behold, I have begun to deliver before you’ - so show me too, the war against the 31 kings of Canaan.’

Let us note that Moshe chose to use the word ‘החילות’ in his plea - the very same word that Hashem chose, in His words, as to the two kings.

Rav David Halevi Segal, in his commentary on our Rashi - ‘Divrei David’ - also notes a different linguistic similarity, saying:’Here’ - in my plea - ‘I follow that which You’ - Hashem - ‘said: ) Devarim 2:25) אחל תן פחדך: I will begin to put the dread of you on the peoples who are under thr whole heaven’.

‘Clearly, everything that has a beginning, has to have an ending and I ask that the ending be the battle against the thirty-one kings.

‘However, the words of Hashem, were intended only to the lands of Og, that it should be the ending - and not to the thirty-one kings.’

Rav Yaakov Ettlinger offers a different insight, as to Moshe’s plea:’You have begun to show Your servant…’, based on the dictum that ‘one who starts a Mitzvah, is told: complete it.’

Proffers the Rav:’Moshe’s plea was not solely as a plea, but implied that, by right, Hashem should grant his request to cross the Jordan, as our Sages say: ( Taanit 9. ): the manna descended in the merit of Moshe’, and Moshe wrote in the Torah (Beshalach 16:35), as instructed by Hashem, that Bnei Israel would eat the manna until they came to the boundary of the Land of Canaan - which was after they crossed the Jordan River.

‘It is well known (Yerushalmi Rosh Hashanah 1:8) that one who starts a Mitzvah, is told: ‘complete it’ - as we read that Moshe said to Hashem, in taking revenge against Midian.

It follows that as all of Bnei Israel were sustained in the merit of the manna, in the forty years in the desert, surely there is no greater zechut and Mitzvah than this.

‘When Moshe said to Hashem:’You have begun to show your servant your greatness, he alluded to the manna which Hashem brought down, in his merit.

‘Therefore, by right, I - Moshe - should complete the Mitzvah, and I should therefore cross the Jordan, until Bnei Israel reach the border of the Land of Canaan, so that I can complete the Mitzvah, to sustain the people.

‘Though Hashem did not accede to Moshe’s plea, to cross the River Jordan, He did heed his plea to be allowed to complete the Mitzvah, as we read ( Yehoshua 5:12 ), that the manna ceased to descend on the day after Pesach, for though we read in the Gemara (Kid’ 38.), that the manna ceased to descend on the seventh Adar - the day on which Moshe died - a miracle occurred, as the manna in their vessels, sufficed to sustain them, till the day following Pesach.

‘Hashem performed this miracle - though the manna did not fall after the seventh Adar - due to the claim of Moshe, so that he should have the merit of completing the Mitzvah, that Bnei Israel should be sustained by the manna which descended in his merit, till they reached the border of the Land of Canaan.’

The Be’er HaTorah, in his commentary on our Rashi, first asks:’One has to wonder on Moshe’s entreaty: how did it relate to his plea - as he begins his plea by recalling Hashem’s wondrous deeds, yet concludes by a plea, that he be permitted to enter the Land.

On a simple level, ‘You have begun’, relates to the giving of the Torah, which was the desired objective of mankind, and it therefore says:’Your servant’, meaning: Your faithful servant, who had the zechut that the Torah be given by his hand: ‘Your greatness’, as it says in Matan Torah:’His honor and His greatness; ‘and Your mighty hand’, alluding to that which is written there, ‘His voice we heard from within the fire’ - ‘’what power is there on heaven or on the earth that can perform according to your deeds and to Your mighty acts’: as it is there written: ‘From the heavens, Your voice was heard, and on the earth, He showed you His great fire’.

‘This is why - in his plea - Moshe used both appellations for Hashem, alluding to the opening of the first of the Dibrot:’I am Hashem Elokim’, and linked this to: so too, You began to give the Torah, by my hand, and the the main purpose of the Torah, is in the Land - and the one who begins a Mitzvah, is told: ‘complete it’.

Therefore, ‘Let me now cross and see the good Land - this is how the Rashbam expounds our matter.

‘Other commentators, expound that the order of Moshe’s prayer, were as befits all one’s prayers: The first, that he asks from Hashem, as an act of grace, and not think that he is entitled to that which he requests - that is:’Your greatness’, by Your chessed, though I was unworthy of it.

‘Second, that he fully accepts that Hashem has the ability to grant his wish -that is:’Your strong hand’.

‘Third: to think and to know that there is no other force in the world, than Hashem, that can fulfill his request, or to object to Hashem doing whatever He wishes - that is: that there is ‘no power ..in the heaven or on the earth’ that can prevent Him.

‘After this praise of Hashem, Moshe began his entreaty, that he be permitted to enter the Land.’

The Kli Yakar brings our Rashi - that Moshe, in his words:’You have begun to show..- To show what? An opening, based on the punctuation, as one who opens an opening to something. And then expounded:To stand and pray.

‘However, our Sages ( Brachot 32. )say: A person should always organize his praise of Hashem, before his prayer, as Moshe did - starting with his praise of Hashem, saying: You have begun to show your servant.., and then prayed:’Let me cross..’.

‘The lesson being, that every Tzaddik should ask as for a gift from Hashem, in his prayers, knowing in his heart that all that Hashem does for him - is but chessed, as Hashem is always the One who begins doing good for man from the day we are born, and whatever man does, in his good deeds, is all by way of repayment.

‘Hashem, is the great storekeeper, continues to give ‘on account’, because we have repaid our first debt - as Iyov (41:3)said:’’Whoever preceded Me, I will pay him’ - acknowledging that Hashem is the one who precedes man, in all his goodness.

‘This is the praise of Hashem: that one who prays, should acknowledge the goodness of Hashem, before his prayer for his own needs, as thereby every prayer is asking for a מתנת חינם: a free gift from Hashem - as we read that Moshe did:’Before praying that he be permitted to cross the Jordan, into the Land, he said:’You have begun..’ - acknowledging that Hashem was the One who began in His goodness, and that he - Moshe - has no claim on Him.’

Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler also brings our Gemara, as to the lesson Moshe taught us here - as to the proper order of prayer - adding:’We first need to clarify what the praise that preceded his prayer, was - so that it can serve as a prelude to that which he prayed for.

‘On a simple level, we need to say, that as he started by saying:’Your greatness and Your mighty hand’, it was proper that this be completed, and that he be shown a completed thing.

‘Further, since the entry into the Land was to be by changing the natural order of things, this required His ‘greatness and His mighty hand’, as these are required to change the natural order.

‘Therefore, Moshe prayed, that since through him, as this way already began in the exodus from Egypt and in the desert, it was proper that it continue until their entry into the Land.

‘Rashi also comments - on the words בעתֶ ההיא:’at that time’: After he entered the lands of Sichon and Og’, and prima facie, this too relates to: ‘You have began to show..’, since the war against Sichon and Og is considered as the start of the inheritance of the Land.

‘Hashem already showed Moshe wondrous deeds in this battle, therefore his prayer before Hashem was that He show him its continuance, as the Land was the place of the residing of the Shechina in the world - ss the Torah says:(Re’eh 11:12) ‘The Land that the eyes of Hashem your G-d are on’, as there the Divine Providence is revealed.

‘Therefore, Moshe prayed: Since Hashem started to show His greatness - he prayed that the that the revelation of Hashem’s greatness be completed by his entry into the Land.’

Rav Yosef Salant adds:’Moshe ‘caught’ Hashem, as it were, as He had said to him (Devarim 2: 24-25):Behold, I have delivered into your hand, Sihon..and his land. Begin to possess it, and provoke him to war. Today I will begin to put the dread of you..upon the nations under the sun..’.

‘The inference in the word החל: ‘Begin..’, and the rest of these pesukim, and its underlying meaning, is that this war against Sihon, is the beginning of Moshe’s war against the nations, to make his name known before the nations under the sun - and that it will also be so in the days to come , that his dread will be upon the nations under- these words of Hashem, in the language of ‘begin’, were taken by Moshe’ - unfortunately unsuccessfully - ‘as the basis of his plea.’

Rav Zalman Sorotzkin adds:’In their plain meaning, Moshe’s words:’You have begun to show your servant..’ allude to the wars against Sihon and Og, as it is written (Devarim 2 :31):’Behold I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land before you, begin to drive him out, that you may inherit his land.- Rashi comments:’He showed me the battle of the thirty-one kings.’

‘According to this, we can expound:’Your greatness’, alludes to the war against against Sihon, and ‘Your mighty hand’, to the war against Og, as he was the mightier of the two kings.’

Abarbanel expounds these praises in a different way:’’Your greatness’ alludes to not doing battle against the descendants of Esav - Amon and Moab - as Hashem adjured Bnei Israel against aggrieving them, having given them their lands - this showed ‘His greatness.’

‘The ‘mighty hand’ - on the other hand - alludes to the wars against Sihon and Og, the mightiest of the kings of Canaan, as we praise their strength in the Haggadah- the two being reckoned to be equal to all the others , in their might.

‘In praising Hashem:’For what power is there in heaven or on the earth that can perform according to Your mighty deed..’, Moshe was alluding to the defeat. of these two kings.’

The Alshich Hakadosh expounds by way of a parable: ‘ I, Moshe, at this point, am like one who receives from his master, a portion missing one part - the servant asking his master: Why is do you not complete the gift, as my gift, it is as if you have begun and not completed the gift.

‘The matter can be likened to one who has made all the preparations necessary to receive a gift, yet does not receive the gift itself.

‘This, as all the miracles You - Hashem - performed in Egypt, and taking Bnei Israel out of there, and also that You have done since then, were only a beginning and a preparation to the gift of the Land.

‘This is so, as on the very first occasion that Hashem appeared to Moshe, He said:’I descended to save you from the hand of Egypt, and to take you to the Land’ (Shemot 3:8), and similarly at the beginning of Parashat Bo.

So, too, Matan Torah, the Torah being given so that they should observe it in the Land, as there - as is known - is the place for its complete observance.

The wars against Sihon and Og, were a preparation for the conquest of the Land - we find that all this was as a preparation for the gift of the Land, so that by the prevention of Moshe from entering the Land, it is like the preparation for giving a gift, and not fulfilling its objective - the gift itself, not being given, in the end.

‘This is - in essence - the plea of Moshe: You, Hashem, showed ‘your greatness’ for the good of your people, and ‘Your mighty hand’, in Egypt, showing me, that there is ‘no power ..in heaven or on earth.. like You, Hashem’ - as, at Matan Torah, Moshe saw to his eyes, ‘that there was no one but Him’; or ‘who could do..Your deeds’, as we saw with the manna, the Be’er, the slav and the clouds of glory, nor ‘like your mighty acts’, in the wars against the Emori and Sihon and Og.

‘The words אשר יעשה allude to future deeds, meaning: all this is the beginning ‘that You have begun to show’, as it is all but a prelude to the entry into the Land - this being the case, what purpose was there in showing me all this, without the objective of all these preparations .

‘Therefore:’Let me now cross over (to) the good Land that is on the other side of the Jordan’.’

Two parting gems, from two Torah giants, several centuries apart:

The Gerrer Rabbi expounded homiletically:’You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness..’: We can learn from Moshe Rabbeinu, that forty years after he received the Torah, and taught it to Bnei Israel, he now said:’You have been begun to show Your servant Your greatness’ - the word:’Begun’, being the language of beginning, as if he - Moshe - was only now beginning to learn it.’

Second, a wondrous exposition is elucidated by a current Torah giant- Rav Moshe Sternbuch - who, comments:’We need to be aroused by the example of Moshe Rabbeinu, whose great knowledge of Hashem, and cleavage to Him, would have led us to believe, that he had completed his spiritual growth.

‘Yet we find the very opposite: he considered himself only at the beginning of his way, as alluded to in his words:’You begun to show your servant..’ - that only now did he begin to see and to recognize the greatness of the deeds of Hashem, and of His mighty hand.

‘Further, long was the way before him, to complete his work and to perfect his soul, to bring it to the purpose of its creation.

This is why he pleaded that he be permitted to enter and to see the good Land - as only there, in the palace of the King, and by serving Him there, could he achieve the loftiest levels, which he was unable to merit outside the Land.

‘From Hashem’s response, we learn that that was the substance of Moshe’s plea, as - as Rashi comments -‘ It is too much for you’: greater than this awaits you’,and informed him in these words, that he had completed his soul in all that a person can achieve in this world; but that, in the future, his soul would achieve more - the fruits of his labors in this world..

‘Do not these words a fortiori concern us? - if Moshe who saw that which no mortal saw - and to whom Hashem spoke face-to-face - yet in his unparalleled humility he considered himself at the beginning of his service of Hashem!

‘How much more so us, lesser mortals, who are so far from his lofty levels, so distant from his ascent to the loftiest levels - may Hashem illuminate our eyes, and open our hearts to His service.’

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/412929