They tell us of Moses' death. But… wait a minute. How could Moses himself have written about his own demise? It's a question that's puzzled Jewish scholars for centuries.
The Sifrei Devarim (357) presents this head-scratcher right away: "And Moses died there" (Deuteronomy 34:5). It seems impossible! Did Moses really write, "And Moses died there"?
R. Yehudah offers a compelling solution: Up to that point, Moses penned the words, but from that verse onwards, it was Joshua who completed the scroll. Problem solved, right?
But then R. Shimon steps in. "Hold on," he says, pointing to Deuteronomy 31:26: "Take this Torah scroll and place it at the side of the ark." If Moses was commanded to place the entire Torah scroll beside the Ark, doesn't that imply he wrote it all?
R. Shimon suggests something even more profound: Moses, with tears in his eyes, faithfully wrote what God dictated, much like Baruch wrote down Jeremiah's prophecies in the Book of Jeremiah (36:18). Imagine the weight of that moment, knowing you are writing your own ending.
Then we have R. Eliezer, who offers a truly awe-inspiring image: a heavenly voice booming out, for miles and miles – twelve mils by twelve mils – announcing, "And Moses died." Twelve mils is a vast distance, emphasizing the cosmic significance of Moses' passing. And S'malyon adds that the voice specifically proclaimed, "And Moses died there, the great scribe of Israel."
The text then shifts to a more mystical idea. Is there a secret tunnel connecting Moses’ grave to the graves of the patriarchs? The verse "and Moses died there" is linked to Genesis 49:31, which says, "There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife." The repetition of "there" suggests a connection, a hidden pathway between these monumental figures.
And finally, a truly radical idea: Maybe Moses didn't die! Some say he still stands and serves before God. The word "there" in "and Moses died there" is compared to Exodus 34:28, "And he (Moses) remained there with the L-rd." Just as Moses stood and served God "there" on Mount Sinai, perhaps he continues to stand and serve "there," beyond our understanding of death.
What are we to make of all this? Is it a straightforward historical account, or something deeper? Perhaps these different interpretations aren't meant to be mutually exclusive. Maybe they offer us different facets of Moses' legacy, his impact on the Jewish people, and his enduring relationship with the Divine. The Torah, even in its final moments, invites us to ponder, to question, and to find our own meaning within its sacred words.