It seems like a simple title, but Midrash Tehillim 90, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Psalms, dives deep into what that name really means. It's not just about being a good guy, it's about a profound relationship with the Divine.
Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon, quoting Reish Lakish, offers an intriguing perspective. He says that God is called "the Man of God" because, like a man who fulfills his vow, God always fulfills His promises. We see this echoed in (Numbers 30:3), which states, "He shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth." And, of course, remember Moses' plea in (Deuteronomy 10:12): "Arise, O Lord, and return to Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your strength." It all points to the unwavering nature of God's commitment.
But the midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) doesn't stop there. It shines a spotlight on Moses' incredible power of prayer. : we might pray for an hour, maybe even a whole day if we're really pouring our heart out. But Moses? (Deuteronomy 9:18) tells us that he "fell down before the Lord, as at the first." Rabbi Berachiah and Rabbi Helbo, citing Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani, emphasize that Moses left no corner of heaven untouched by his prayers. He prayed for forty days and forty nights! The midrash tells us that God even turned to the angels and said, "Have you seen his strength?" as in (Psalm 103:20), "Bless the Lord, his angels, the mighty in strength."
What made Moses' prayer so special? The people themselves said, in (Exodus 20:19), "You speak with us, and we will hear." He was their intermediary, conveying God’s word. He put forth to them in the tens of thousands what they could not hear themselves.
The midrash illustrates this with a parable. Imagine three people seeking freedom from a king. The first two simply ask for forgiveness for their rebellions, and the king grants it. But the third? He doesn't ask for himself. Instead, he asks to rebuild a desolate part of the king's land. The king replies, "This is a great crown for you."
Similarly, David came to pray, asking God to "Hear my just cause" (Psalm 17:1). Habakkuk, in a moment of confusion and pain, questioned God's justice, wondering why the righteous sometimes suffer while the wicked prosper. (Habakkuk 1:4 and 1:13). It's a raw, honest moment of wrestling with faith. The midrash points out that Habakkuk almost spoke inappropriately, "I uttered a prayer to Habakkuk the prophet about my mistakes."
But when Moses prays for the people, asking God to "Please forgive the iniquity of this people," God's response is similar to the king's: "This is a great crown for you, that I pass over my will before you, as it is said, 'A prayer of Moses, the man of God.'" The midrash emphasizes that the phrase "Moses, the man of God" wasn't just a label; it signified the power of his intercession.
The midrash continues with a compelling analogy: A king, furious with his son, intends to kill him. But someone pleads for the son's life, reminding the king of his love. The king relents. Later, the king reflects: "If I had killed my son myself, I would have stumbled. But remember my loved ones who asked for mercy for him, and what shall I do for him? I shall make him a father to kings." This echoes God's words to Moses in (Deuteronomy 9:14), "Let me alone and I will destroy them." And Moses' powerful response in (Numbers 11:15), "If this is how you treat me, please kill me."
Moses wasn't just asking for mercy, he was offering himself as a sacrifice. He was saying, "Kill the one who kills." He essentially said, "If I speak against them, they will kill me, but if I do not do your bidding, I am obliged to be killed before you. From here and from here I am the one who is killed." This ultimate act of selflessness prompts God to forgive, as stated in (Exodus 32:20), "And God said, 'I have forgiven according to your word.'"
The midrash concludes with a final image of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. When Moses confessed, "I do not know the way," God promised in (Exodus 23:20), "Behold, I send an angel before you." But Moses, ever the devoted leader, insisted, "Even if you send many angels, I will not leave you if you are not before me." And God, honoring Moses' unwavering commitment, declared, "I swear by your life, I will do your decree," (Exodus 33:14) "My presence shall go and I will give you rest."
So, what does it mean to be called "the Man of God"? It's about unwavering faith, selfless devotion, and the extraordinary power of prayer. It's about a relationship so profound that it can sway the Divine will. And perhaps, it's a reminder that we, too, can strive for that same level of connection, that same unwavering commitment to something greater than ourselves.
Another interpretation is given by Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon in the name of Reish Lakish: Why is God called "the Man of God"? Just as a man fulfills his vow whether he chooses to annul it or uphold it, so too, God fulfills His promise. As it says in Numbers 30:3, "He shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth." Similarly, Moses tells God in Deuteronomy 10:12, "Arise, O Lord, and return to Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your strength."...
Another thing is prayer to Moses. As it says in Deuteronomy 9:18, "And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first." Rabbi Berachiah and Rabbi Helbo in the name of Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani said that Moses did not leave a corner of the heavens without falling on it, as it says, "And I fell down before the Lord." We find that many prophets and righteous people prayed before the Lord, but the scripture only attributes it to Moses because his actions were unique among all creatures. How does a person stand and pray for an hour or two, and when he prays a lot, he prays for one day? But Moses prayed for forty days and forty nights. The Lord said to the ministering angels, "Have you seen his strength?" As it says in Psalm 103:20, "Bless the Lord, his angels, the mighty in strength." This is Moses, who told Israel the words of the Lord, as it says in Exodus 20:19, "You speak with us, and we will hear." What they could not hear, he put forth to them in the tens of thousands. So prayer is like this for Moses. A parable: Three people came to take freedom from the king. The first one came and paid respects and said, "What do you want?" He said, "For the rebellion that I rebelled, I ask that you give me freedom." He gave it to him. The second one came and he gave it to him. The third one came and said, "What do you want?" He said, "My lord the king, I do not ask for anything for myself, but for a certain country that is desolate and belongs to you, decree that I may build it." The king said, "This is a great crown for you." Similarly, David came to pray. The Lord said to him, "What do you want?" He said, "Hear my prayer," as it says in Psalm 17:1, "Hear my just cause, O Lord." Habakkuk came and said, "What do you want?" He said before Him what he said before you by mistake: Hananiah and his companions were thrown into the fiery furnace and escaped, while Rabbi Hananiah ben Teradion and his companions were burned. When he saw this, he exclaimed and said, "Master of the universe, these are righteous and those are righteous, these are pure and those are holy, so why do these escape and those are burned?" (Habakkuk 1:13) Therefore, the law fails, and justice never goes forth, for the wicked surround the righteous, so justice comes out perverted (Habakkuk 1:4). However, Nebuchadnezzar is uncircumcised and impure, while Daniel is holy and pure, so he clothed Daniel in purple (Esther Rabbah 7:14). Ahasuerus is uncircumcised and impure, while Mordecai is holy and pure, so he crowned Mordecai (Esther Rabbah 10:10). Pharaoh is uncircumcised and impure, while Joseph is holy and pure, so he made Joseph ruler (Esther Rabbah 7:12). For the wicked surround the righteous, so justice comes out perverted. At that moment, the Holy One, blessed be He, was revealed to him and said, "After you call out in protest, not so shall it be, for the righteous shall live by faith, but if he shrinks back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him." (Habakkuk 2:4) At that moment, he began to say by mistake, "I uttered a prayer to Habakkuk the prophet about my mistakes." Moses came to him and said, "What do you seek?" He replied, "Please forgive the iniquity of this people." He said to him, "This is a great crown for you, that I pass over my will before you, as it is said, 'A prayer of Moses, the man of God.' " He did not need to say, "Moses, the man of God." It can be compared to a king who was angry with his son and sought to kill him. He said to him, "Please, my love for you, forgive him and do not kill him." And so he did. The next day, the king began and said, "If I had killed my son myself, I would have stumbled. But remember my loved ones who asked for mercy for him, and what shall I do for him? I shall make him a father to kings." Thus said the Lord (Deuteronomy 9:14), "Let me alone and I will destroy them." Moses said to him (Numbers 11:15), "If this is how you treat me, please kill me." What does "kill me" mean? "Kill the one who kills." If I speak against them, they will kill me, but if I do not do your bidding, I am obliged to be killed before you. From here and from here I am the one who is killed. Kill the one who kills. Please kill me. What is written (Exodus 32:20), "And God said, 'I have forgiven according to your word.'" Afterwards, the Lord said, "If I had killed Israel, I would have stumbled myself. I hold good for Moses who asked for mercy for them, as it is said (Exodus 32:11), 'And Moses pleaded.' What shall I do for him? I will make him a father to the prophets." Let there be prayer for Moses, the man of God. When Israel came out of Egypt, he stood and prayed, saying, "I do not know the way." The Lord said to him (Exodus 23:20), "Behold, I send an angel before you." Moses said to him, "Even if you send many angels, I will not leave you if you are not before me." He said to him, "I swear by your life, I will do your decree." (Exodus 33:14) "My presence shall go and I will give you rest."
