As Legends of the Jews tells us, Joshua's grief was profound. He tore his clothes, a traditional sign of mourning, and cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof. But where shall wisdom be found?" It's a heartbreaking image, isn't it? This powerful leader, now lost and searching, echoing the very words Elisha spoke upon Elijah's ascent to heaven (II Kings 2:12).
But God, in His infinite compassion, responds. "How long wilt thou continue to seek Moses in vain? He is dead, but indeed it is I that have lost him, and not thou." What a powerful, almost shocking statement! God, the Creator of the universe, acknowledging His own sense of loss. It speaks volumes about the unique relationship between God and Moses, a bond so strong that even death couldn't sever it completely.
And then we have Samael, the Angel of Death. In a strange twist, Legends of the Jews recounts how Samael hadn't yet heard that God had already taken Moses' soul. Can you imagine? The Angel of Death, out of the loop!
Believing Moses was still alive, Samael sets out to fulfill his perceived duty. He fears returning to God empty-handed. So, he goes to Moses' house, but finds it empty. "Long did Moses pray to be permitted to enter this land, and perhaps he is there," Samael thinks. He travels to the land of Israel and asks, "Is Moses perchance with thee?" But the land replies, "Nay, he is not found in the land of the living."
It's almost comical, this celestial being searching high and low, only to discover he's too late. But it also highlights a profound truth: even death, even the Angel of Death himself, is ultimately subservient to God's will. God had already taken Moses' soul, receiving it under the Throne of Glory. Samael's mission was, in a sense, rendered irrelevant.
This little detour with Samael reminds us that even in the midst of sorrow and loss, there's often a larger, unseen divine plan at play. We may not always understand it, just as Samael didn't understand why Moses was already gone. But perhaps, like Joshua, we can find solace in knowing that even in our deepest grief, we are not alone. And that even God, in His own way, shares in our loss.
What does it mean that even the Divine feels loss? What does it mean that even the Angel of Death can be, in some sense, mistaken? Perhaps it is a reminder that the universe is far more complex and layered than we can ever truly comprehend, and that even in the face of death, life, mystery, and the Divine continue to intertwine in unexpected ways.