It’s a question that’s echoed through generations, pondered in synagogues and around countless Shabbat tables.

The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal midrashim on the Book of Deuteronomy, offers a fascinating, almost mystical, glimpse into that pivotal moment. It centers around the phrase, "whom the L-rd knew face to face," describing Moses' unique relationship with the Divine.

But what does it mean to be known "face to face"? It's not as straightforward as it seems.

The text directs us to a crucial passage in Exodus (Shemot) 33:18. Moses, yearning for deeper understanding, pleads, "Show me, I pray, Your glory." The response? A divine limitation. God tells Moses, in no uncertain terms, "You shall not be permitted to see My face."

Why? The Sifrei Devarim explains that in this world, seeing God's "face" is simply impossible. It's beyond our earthly capacity. The text suggests that the concept of "face" in this context represents a direct, unfiltered view of God's essence, something mortal eyes cannot behold.

But here's where it gets interesting. The verse continues, offering a glimmer of hope. God says, "Then I shall remove My palm, and you shall see My back."

The "back"? What does that even mean?

The Sifrei Devarim interprets this as a promise for the world to come, the Olam Ha-Ba. In that future realm, the barriers to divine understanding will be lifted. We will, in essence, see what was previously hidden. The "back" represents a glimpse of God's presence that's possible only after our earthly existence.

So, when did Moses get this glimpse? According to the Sifrei Devarim, it happened close to his death. The text draws a powerful inference: that the nearness of death allows for a heightened spiritual awareness, a veiling of the curtain between this world and the next. It suggests that in those final moments, Moses was granted a vision, a profound understanding that transcended his earthly limitations. He finally saw the “back” he was promised.

It’s a comforting thought, isn’t it? That in our final moments, a deeper truth might be revealed. That the boundaries that separate us from the Divine might thin, offering a glimpse of something greater. The story of Moses' death, as illuminated by the Sifrei Devarim, is not just about an ending, but about a transition – a passage into a realm where understanding deepens, and the face of the Divine becomes, at last, visible.