It’s a question that’s plagued humanity for millennia, and it’s a question that even Moses himself wrestled with.
Imagine being Moses, the man who led the Israelites out of slavery, parted the Red Sea, and received the Torah (the Law) at Mount Sinai. He’s literally spoken to God face-to-face! So, when God tells him he’s going to die before entering the Promised Land, you can understand why he might ask, "Why me?"
The Sifrei Devarim (a legal midrash on the Book of Deuteronomy) recounts Moses' plea. Moses argues, "Why should I die? Wouldn't it be better for the people to see my goodness, to witness my leadership, rather than just hear about it secondhand?" He reminds God of all he’s done: taking them out of Egypt, splitting the sea, bringing down the Torah, even making the quail “fly in” for them in the desert.
He wants his legacy to be a living, breathing testament to God's power and his own faithfulness. Wouldn’t it be more powerful, he suggests, for the people to say, "This is Moses, who did all these wondrous things," rather than simply recounting stories of his deeds?
God's response is… sobering. He says, essentially, "Leave off, Moses. Death is a decree for all." He quotes from Numbers 19:14, "This is the law: A man if he die in the tent." Death, it seems, is unavoidable. It’s a universal human experience.
But the story doesn't end there. The Sifrei Devarim then tells us that even the ministering angels questioned God’s decision. "Lord of the Universe," they ask, "Why did Adam die?" God answers that it was because Adam didn’t keep His commandments. The angels then retort, “But Moses did keep Your commandments!"
God’s response is the same. "It is a decree before Me for all men: 'This is the law: A man if he die.'"
So, what are we to make of this? Why this seemingly unwavering decree, even for the most righteous among us? Is it simply a cosmic rule, an unchangeable law of the universe?
Perhaps it's a reminder of our own mortality. No matter how great our achievements, no matter how righteous our lives, we are all ultimately human. Death is the great equalizer, a force that brings us face-to-face with our own limitations.
It's not a comfortable thought, but perhaps it’s a necessary one. It forces us to consider what truly matters in life, to appreciate the present moment, and to strive to live a life of meaning and purpose, knowing that our time is finite.
The story of Moses' death is not just about the end of a great leader's life. It's about the enduring mystery of life and death, the complexities of divine justice, and the enduring human quest to understand our place in the grand scheme of things. And maybe, just maybe, it's about accepting the things we cannot change, and focusing on making the most of the time we have.