The verse we're looking at is from Deuteronomy (Devarim) 32:48: "And the L-rd spoke to Moses on this very day..." Now, the Rabbis of old weren't ones to let a phrase like "on this very day" slide by without a good look. Why the emphasis? What's so special about this particular "day"? Sifrei Devarim (337) points out that this phrase appears in three critical moments in our history.
First, we have Noah and the ark. Remember the story? A righteous man, a devastating flood, and an ark filled with animals. Genesis 7:13 tells us, "On this very day, Noah… entered the ark." But the Rabbis imagine the scene a little differently than we might. They suggest that Noah's generation wasn't exactly thrilled about his ark-building project. In fact, they were ready to stop him, by force if necessary! "If we see him trying to leave on the ark," they supposedly said, "we won't let him. We'll take axes and hatchets and break the ark!" So, what did God do? God brought Noah into the ark in the middle of the day, declaring, "Anyone who has the power to stop Me, let him come and do so!"
Next, there's the Exodus from Egypt. Exodus 12:17 states, "For on this very day, I have taken your hosts out of the land of Egypt." Again, the Rabbis paint a vivid picture. The Egyptians, not wanting to lose their Israelite slaves, were ready to prevent their departure. “If we see them trying to leave,” they supposedly threatened, "we won't let them; we will take knives and swords and kill them.” And again, God intervened, leading the Israelites out in broad daylight, daring anyone to challenge His will.
Now we arrive at our verse, the one about Moses. Here, the context is Moses' impending death. The Israelites, understandably, didn't want to let him go. This was Moses! The man who led them out of Egypt, split the sea, brought down the Torah, gave them manna, even "flew in" the quail, and performed countless miracles! "We will not allow him to go!" they cried, according to the Rabbis. So, God says, in effect, "I will bring him into the cave in the middle of the day, and anyone who has the power to stop Me, let him come and do so!"
What's the common thread here? In each case, "on this very day" signifies a moment where humanity tries to resist God's plan. Whether it’s out of malice, like the Egyptians and Noah's generation, or out of love and desperation, like the Israelites with Moses, the message is clear: there are forces beyond our control.
The Rabbis in Sifrei Devarim aren’t just telling us historical anecdotes. They're teaching us a fundamental truth about faith, about destiny, and about the limits of human power. We might struggle, we might resist, we might even try to rewrite the ending. But sometimes, the "day" has already been written.
So, what do we take away from this? Perhaps it's a reminder to accept what we cannot change, to find strength in faith, and to appreciate the moments we have, knowing that everything, even the most beloved figures in our lives, are ultimately in God's hands. Can we truly accept that? That is the question this passage leaves us to ponder.