Another matter: “I pleaded” – this is what the verse said: “He changes the times and the seasons…” (Daniel 2:21). Rabbi Avin said: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had a close friend who would appoint generals, governors, and commanders. Sometime later, they saw that he was requesting from the gatekeeper to enter the palace, but he would not let him.
Everyone was astonished and said: Yesterday he was appointing generals, governors, and commanders, and now he requests from the gatekeeper to enter the palace, and he does not let him? They would say to him [the questioner]: ‘His time has passed.’ So, Moses would issue a decree on the Holy One blessed be He, and He would fulfill it: “Arise Lord” (Numbers 10:35), “return Lord” (Numbers 10:36), “but if the Lord creates a creation [yivra Hashem]” (Numbers 16:30) – if an opening was created for it from the six days of Creation, that is fine, but if not, “may the Lord, create [yivra Hashem].”3Moses asked God to open the ground and have it swallow up Koraḥ, Datan, and Aviram.
This in fact occurred. “Yivra Hashem” by itself can be understood as meaning, “Let the Lord create.” But now, he is pleading and prostrating himself [in prayer] to enter the Land of Israel, but his [request]is not accepted; his time has passed: “At that time, saying.”4He prayed “at that time,” asking to enter the Land of Israel, but the time in which he had God’s favor had already passed.