It sounds almost unbelievable, doesn't it? Yet, according to Devarim Rabbah, this is precisely the monumental struggle Moses faced at the end of his life.
Rabbi Yoḥanan tells us that there are ten “deaths” written concerning Moses, scattered throughout the Torah. You can find them in Deuteronomy and Joshua: hints and foreshadowings like "Behold, your time to die is approaching" (Deuteronomy 31:14), or "Moses My servant died" (Joshua 1:2). What do these ten "deaths" signify? They represent the ten times it was decreed that Moses would not enter the Land of Israel.
Now, Moses wasn’t one to back down easily. He’d interceded with God on behalf of the Israelites before, successfully pleading for their forgiveness after the Golden Calf incident and other transgressions. Remember God saying, "Let Me be, and I will destroy them" (Deuteronomy 9:14)? Moses argued, and God relented: "The Lord reconsidered the evil" (Exodus 32:14). So, Moses thought, surely his own prayer, coming from a place of such deep devotion and service, would be accepted.
But this was different. This time, as the text in Devarim Rabbah explains, God saw that Moses wasn't taking the decree seriously enough. So, He swore an oath – a binding, unbreakable promise. The verse "Therefore [lakhen], you will not bring this assembly [into the land that I have given them]" (Numbers 20:12) uses the word lakhen, which, as we see from its usage in I Samuel 3:14, signifies an oath.
Imagine Moses’s desperation. He donned sackcloth, covered himself in ashes, and fasted, drawing a small circle around himself, declaring he wouldn't move until the decree was revoked. The heavens, the earth, even the very order of creation shook with the intensity of his prayer! They thought, perhaps, the end of times had come.
But a Divine Voice proclaimed that this wasn't the end. Instead, it stated: “In whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man” (Job 12:10). And who is this "man" but Moses himself, the humblest of men, as Numbers 12:3 tells us?
God then commanded that all the gates of the firmament be locked, so Moses’s prayer couldn’t reach Him. The angel in charge of proclamations, Akazriel, was put on high alert. The text describes Moses's prayer as a sword, cutting through everything, unstoppable. It was empowered by the ineffable Name, learned from Zagzael, the master scribe of the upper world. Ezekiel 3:12 speaks of a great noise [raash] and quaking, which the midrash connects to Moses, who Exodus 11:3 calls "very great in the land of Egypt."
How many times did Moses pray during this period? The Midrash calculates it from the verse "I pleaded [vaetḥanan] with the Lord at that time, saying" (Deuteronomy 3:23). The numerical value of vaetḥanan is 515!
Moses argued passionately with God. He reminded God of his decades of service, his sacrifices for the Israelites. Was this how he was to be rewarded? Was God going to render His own Torah a forgery, violating the principle of paying a worker on time (Deuteronomy 24:15)?
Meanwhile, the wicked angel Samael, head of all the accusing angels, was eagerly awaiting Moses’s death, as Psalm 37:32 describes: “The wicked man looks upon the righteous man and seeks to kill him.” Samael thought, "When will Mikhael weep, so I can fill my mouth with laughter?" But Mikhael retorted, quoting Micah 7:8: “Do not rejoice, my enemy, over me; though I fell, I will rise; though I sit in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.”
Moses even pleaded to be allowed to live like an animal, just to continue existing in the world. But God refused: "Enough for you, [do not continue to speak to Me of this matter]" (Deuteronomy 3:26).
Finally, Moses accepted the decree. He affirmed God’s justice, declaring, “The Rock, His actions are perfect, as all His ways are justice; a faithful God and there is no injustice, righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4). He wrote the ineffable Name and the book of the song – presumably the Song of Haazinu in Deuteronomy 32 — knowing his time was near.
The story then shifts to the celestial realm. God sends angels to retrieve Moses's soul, but they all refuse, except for Samael. Yet, even Samael is initially terrified by Moses’s radiance and power. Moses recounts his extraordinary life, his miracles, his unparalleled connection to God. He even strikes Samael with his staff, blinding him!
Ultimately, God Himself descends to take Moses’s soul, accompanied by Mikhael, Gavriel, and Zagzagel. God prepares Moses for his final moment, guiding him through the process. The soul resists leaving Moses's body, so pure and untainted. But God promises the soul a place of honor in the highest heavens. Finally, God kisses Moses and takes his soul with a kiss on the mouth.
The heavens, the earth, the angels, and the Israelites all mourn the loss of Moses. They acknowledge his righteousness, his faithfulness, his unique role in history. "The memory of the righteous is for a blessing" (Proverbs 10:7), and his soul for life in the World to Come.
What does this all mean? This passage from Devarim Rabbah isn't just a story about death; it's a testament to the power of prayer, the limits of even the greatest among us, and the ultimate acceptance of God's will. It reminds us that even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, we can find strength, dignity, and ultimately, peace. And perhaps, it also reminds us that true greatness lies not in avoiding death, but in how we live our lives leading up to it.