דברים רבה ט׳Devarim Rabbah 9

Section 1א׳

וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה הֵן קָרְבוּ יָמֶיךָ (דברים לא, יד), הֲלָכָה, אָדָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁמֵּתוֹ מוּטָל לְפָנָיו מַהוּ שֶׁיְהֵא מֻתָּר לוֹ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל, כָּךְ שָׁנוּ חֲכָמִים מִי שֶׁמֵּתוֹ מוּטָל לְפָנָיו פָּטוּר מִקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וּמִן הַתְּפִלָּה, וְלָמָּה לִמְּדוּנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ כֵּן, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרוֹאֶה צָרָתוֹ לְפָנָיו דַּעְתּוֹ מֻבְלֶגֶת, אֲבָל מִשֶּׁנִּקְבַּר כָּל שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הָאֵבֶל הוּא זָקוּק לְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁל מִצְוָה, וּמִנַיִן אַתָּה לָמֵד לְאֵבֶל שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר אֲבִינָא שֶׁכֵּן מָצִינוּ בְּיוֹסֵף (בראשית נ, י): וַיַּעַשׂ לְאָבִיו אֵבֶל שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, וְהַשַּׁבָּת עוֹלֶה מִן הַמִּנְיָן. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר זְבִידָא בְּשֵׁם רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ יֵשׁ לְךָ לִלְמֹד מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עמוס ח, י): וְהָפַכְתִּי חַגֵּיכֶם לְאֵבֶל, מַה יְּמֵי הֶחָג שִׁבְעָה אַף יְמֵי הָאֵבֶל שִׁבְעָה. אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ מַעֲשֶׂה הָיָה בִּימֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן חֲלַפְתָּא, שֶׁהָלַךְ לִבְרִית מִילָה, וְסָעַד שָׁם אָבִיו שֶׁל תִּינוֹק, וְהִשְׁקָה אוֹתָן יַיִן יָשָׁן בֶּן שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים, אָמַר לָהֶן מִן הַיַּיִן הַזֶּה אֲנִי מְיַשֵּׁן לְשִׂמְחָתוֹ שֶׁל בְּנִי. הָיוּ סוֹעֲדִין עַד חֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן חֲלַפְתָּא שֶׁהָיָה בָּטוּחַ עַל כֹּחוֹ, יָצָא לוֹ בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה לֵילֵךְ לְעִירוֹ, מָצָא שָׁם מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת בַּדֶּרֶךְ, וְרָאָה אוֹתוֹ מְשֻׁנֶּה. אָמַר לוֹ מִי אַתָּה, אָמַר לוֹ שְׁלוּחוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, אָמַר לוֹ וּמִפְּנֵי מַה אַתָּה מְשֻׁנֶּה, אָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי מִשִֹּׂיחָתָן שֶׁל בְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁהֵן אוֹמְרִים כָּךְ וְכָךְ אָנוּ עֲתִידִין לַעֲשׂוֹת וְאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ אֵימָתַי הוּא נִקְרָא לָמוּת, אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ שֶׁהָיִיתָ סוֹעֵד אֶצְלוֹ וְאָמַר לָכֶם מִן הַיַּיִן הַזֶּה אֲנִי מְיַשֵּׁן לְשִׂמְחַת בְּנִי, וַהֲרֵי הִגִּיעַ פִּרְקוֹ לִטֹּל אַחַר שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם. אָמַר לוֹ הַרְאֵה לִי אֶת פִּרְקִי, אָמַר לוֹ לֹא עָלֶיךָ וְלֹא עַל כַּיּוֹצֵא בְּךָ אֲנִי שׁוֹלֵט, פְּעָמִים שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חָפֵץ בַּמַּעֲשִׂים הַטּוֹבִים וּמוֹסִיף בָּכֶם חַיִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי י, כז): יִרְאַת ה' תּוֹסִיף יָמִים. רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי קָשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִגְזֹר מִיתָה עַל הַצַּדִּיקִים, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קטז, טו): יָקָר בְּעֵינֵי ה' הַמָּוְתָה לַחֲסִידָיו, תֵּדַע לְךָ כָּךְ הָיָה צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר לְמשֶׁה הִנֵּה אַתָּה מֵת, וְלֹא אָמַר כָּךְ אֶלָּא הִנִּיחַ אוֹתוֹ וְתָלָה הַמִּיתָה בַּיָּמִים, מִנַּיִן, מִמַּה שֶּׁקָּרִינוּ בָּעִנְיָן: הֵן קָרְבוּ יָמֶיךָ לָמוּת.

“The Lord said to Moses: Behold, your days are approaching to die; summon Joshua, and stand in the Tent of Meeting and I will command him. Moses and Joshua went, and stood in the Tent of Meeting” (Deuteronomy 31:14). “The Lord said to Moses: Behold, your days are approaching” – halakha, a person of Israel whose deceased relative is laid out before him, what is the ruling; is it permitted for him to pray? So, the Sages taught: One whose deceased relative is laid out before him is exempt from the recitation of Shema and from the Amida prayer. Why did our Rabbis teach us this? Since he sees his trouble before him, his mind is muddled. But once he is buried, all seven days of mourning, he is obligated for every possible matter of mitzva. From where do you derive that mourning is seven days? Rabbi Abba bar Avina said: As we found regarding Joseph: “He observed mourning for his father seven days” (Genesis 50:10), and Shabbat is included in the count. Rabbi Yosei bar Zevida said in the name of Reish Lakish: You should derive it from another place. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “I will transform your festivals into mourning” (Amos 8:10) – just as the days of the festival are seven, so the days of mourning are seven. Our Rabbis said: There was an incident during the days of Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta, who went to a circumcision. The father of the baby made a feast, and gave them to drink wine that was aged seven years. He said to them: ‘I am aging from this wine for the wedding feast of my son.’ They were feasting until midnight. Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta, who was confident in his strength, departed at midnight to go to his city. He encountered the angel of death there on the way, and saw that he looked strange. He said to him: ‘Who are you?’ He said to him: ‘The emissary of the Omnipresent.’ He said to him: ‘Why do you look strange?’ He said to him: ‘It is due to the conversation of the people, who say: This and that we intend to do, but they do not know when they will be called to die. That man with whom you were dining, and [who] said to you: I am aging from this wine for the wedding feast of my son? The time for him to be taken will be reached after thirty days.’ He said to him: ‘Show me my time.’ He said to him: ‘I do not have control over you, and over those like you. At times, the Holy One blessed be He desires good deeds and adds life to you, as it is stated: “The fear of the Lord will add days”’ (Proverbs 10:27). The Rabbis said: The death of the righteous is onerous before the Holy One blessed be He. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Weighty in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones” (Psalms 116:15). Know that He should have said to Moses: “Behold, you are going to die,” but He did not say so. Instead, He forsook him and attributed his death to the days. From where is it derived? It is from what we read regarding the matter: “Behold, your days are approaching to die.”

Section 2ב׳

זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (קהלת ט, יא): שַׁבְתִּי וְרָאֹה תַחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי לֹא לַקַּלִּים הַמֵּרוֹץ וגו', וּמַהוּ כִּי לֹא לַקַּלִּים הַמֵּרוֹץ, אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא, הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה מְדַבֵּר בְּמשֶׁה, כֵּיצַד, אֶתְמוֹל הָיָה עוֹלֶה לָרָקִיעַ כְּנֶּשֶׁר, עַכְשָׁו הָיָה מְבַקֵּשׁ לַעֲבֹר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ג, כז): כִּי לֹא תַעֲבֹר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה. וְלֹא לַגִּבּוֹרִים הַמִּלְחָמָה, אֶתְמוֹל הָיוּ מַלְאָכִים מְרַתְּתִין לְפָנָיו, וְעַכְשָׁו הוּא אוֹמֵר (דברים ט, יט): כִּי יָגֹרְתִּי מִפְּנֵי הָאַף וְהַחֵמָה. וְגַם לֹא לַחֲכָמִים לֶחֶם, אֶתְמוֹל (משלי כא, יט): עִיר גִּבֹּרִים עָלָה חָכָם וַיֹּרֶד עֹז מִבְטֶחָה, מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְעַכְשָׁו נִטְּלָה מִמֶּנּוּ וְנִתְּנָה לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן. (קהלת ט, יא): וְגַם לֹא לַנְּבֹנִים עשֶׁר, אֶתְמוֹל הָיָה מֵסִיחַ כְּעָשִׁיר (שמות לב, יב): שׁוּב מֵחֲרוֹן אַפֶּךָ, (במדבר יד, יט): סְלַח נָא לַעֲוֹן הָעָם הַזֶּה, וְעַכְשָׁו הוּא מֵסִיחַ כְּרָשׁ (דברים ג, כג): וָאֶתְחַנַּן, עֲשֵׂה עִמִּי חִנָּם. (דברים ג, כג): וְגַם לֹא לַיֹּדְעִים חֵן, אֶתְמוֹל הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ הֵיאַךְ לְרַצּוֹת אֶת בּוֹרְאוֹ (במדבר י, לה): קוּמָה ה', (במדבר י, לו): שׁוּבָה ה'. וְעַכְשָׁו מִשֶּׁנִּתְחַנֵּן כָּל שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים, לַסּוֹף אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הֵן קָרְבוּ יָמֶיךָ.

What the verse said: “I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift…” (Ecclesiastes 9:11). What is “that the race is not to the swift”? Rabbi Tanḥuma said: This verse is speaking about Moses. How so? Yesterday, he would ascend to the heavens like an eagle; now, he seeks to cross the Jordan, but is unable to do so, as it is stated: “As you will not cross this Jordan” (Deuteronomy 3:27). “And the war is not to the valiant” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) – yesterday the angels were trembling before him, but now he says: “For I was daunted due to the wrath and the fury” (Deuteronomy 9:19). “Also not to the wise is bread” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) – yesterday, “The wise man goes up against the city of the mighty and removes the strength of its stronghold” (Proverbs 21:22); from Heaven, but now, it was taken from him and given to Joshua son of Nun. “And also not to the clever is wealth” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) – yesterday, he spoke like a wealthy man: “Relent from Your enflamed wrath” (Exodus 32:12), “please pardon the iniquity of this people” (Numbers 14:19). But now he is speaking like an indigent man: “I pleaded [vaetḥanan]” (Deuteronomy 3:23) – do it for me for nothing [ḥinam]. “And also not to the knowledgeable is favor” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) – yesterday, he knew how to appease his Creator: “Arise, Lord” (Numbers 10:35), “repose, Lord” (Numbers 10:36), but here, after he pleaded for all of seven days, ultimately the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Your days are approaching.”

Section 3ג׳

זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (קהלת ח, ח): אֵין אָדָם שַׁלִּיט בָּרוּחַ לִכְלוֹא אֶת הָרוּחַ, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר אֵין אָדָם שַׁלִּיט בְּמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת לְכַלּוֹת אוֹתוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ, וְאֵין רוּחַ אֶלָּא מַלְאָךְ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קד, ד): עֹשֶׂה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת. רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר אֵין אָדָם שַׁלִּיט בָּרוּחַ בַּגָּלֻיּוֹת לְכַלּוֹתָם מִן הָעוֹלָם, וְאֵין רוּחַ אֶלָּא גָּלֻיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דניאל ז, ב): וַאֲרוּ אַרְבַּע רוּחֵי שְׁמַיָא. דָּבָר אַחֵר, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר אֵין אָדָם שַׁלִּיט בְּנַפְשׁוֹ לְכַלּוֹת אוֹתָהּ, לָמָּה שֶׁבְּלָלָהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּכָל הַגּוּף, שֶׁאִלּוּ בְּלָלָהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּאֵבָר אֶחָד, כְּשֶׁהָיָה מַגִּיעַ לְאָדָם צָרָה הָיָה חוֹתֵךְ אוֹתוֹ אֵבָר וּמֵת, לְפִיכָךְ הִיא בְּכָל הַגּוּף כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹא יְהֵא יָכוֹל לְכַלּוֹתָהּ, הֱוֵי אֵין אָדָם שַׁלִּיט בָּרוּחַ, מַהוּ (קהלת ח, ח): וְאֵין מִשְׁלַחַת בַּמִּלְחָמָה, אֵין אָדָם יָכוֹל לוֹמַר בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנּוֹטֶה לָמוּת הֲרֵינִי מְשַׁלֵּחַ לְעַבְדִּי תַּחְתָּי. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן חֲלַפְתָּא אוֹמֵר אֵין אָדָם יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּלֵי זַיִן וּלְהִנָּצֵל מִמַּלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים ב לב, ה), וַיַּעַשׂ שֶׁלַח לָרֹב וּמָגִנִּים, מַהוּ (קהלת ח, ח): וְאֵין שִׁלְטוֹן בְּיוֹם הַמָּוֶת, אֵין אָדָם שַׁלִּיט לוֹמַר הַמְתִּינוּ לִי עַד שֶׁאֶעֱשֶׂה חֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹתַי וְעַד שֶׁאֲצַוֶּה לְבֵיתִי וְאַחַר כָּךְ אֲנִי בָּא. דָּבָר אַחֵר מַהוּ וְאֵין שִׁלְטוֹן, אֵין מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת אוֹמֵר הוֹאִיל וְזֶה מֶלֶךְ נְוַתֵּר לוֹ עוֹד יוֹם אֶחָד אוֹ שְׁנֵי יָמִים, אֵין לְפָנָיו בְּאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם מַשֹּׂוֹא פָנִים, תֵּדַע לְךָ שֶׁכָּל יָמָיו שֶׁל דָּוִד נִקְרָא מֶלֶךְ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א א, א), וְהַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד זָקֵן, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְמִיתָתוֹ אֵין כְּתִיב בּוֹ מַלְכוּת, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א ב, א): וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי דָּוִד לָמוּת. (קהלת ח, ח): וְלֹא יְמַלֵּט רֶשַׁע אֶת בְּעָלָיו, אֵין אָדָם יָכוֹל לִתֵּן לְפָנָיו אַנְקְלִיטִין, אֵין אָדָם יָכוֹל לוֹמַר לְפָנָיו אַנְקְלוֹמָא, הֲרֵי משֶׁה אַחַר כָּל אוֹתוֹ הַשֶּׁבַח שֶׁרָאָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ יוֹם מִיתָתוֹ לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לְעַכֵּב, מִיָּד אָמַר לוֹ הֵן קָרְבוּ יָמֶיךָ לָמוּת.

What the verse said: “There is no person who rules the spirit, to retain the spirit” (Ecclesiastes 8:8) – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: There is no person who rules the angel of death, to keep him from him, and spirit [ruaḥ] is nothing other than an angel [malakh], as it is stated: “He makes the winds [ruḥot] His messengers [malakhav]” (Psalms 104:4). Rabbi Neḥemya says: There is no person who rules the ruaḥ of the exiles, to eliminate them from the world, and ruaḥ is nothing other than exiles, as it is stated: “And behold, the four winds [ruhot] of the heavens” (Daniel 7:2). Another matter, Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: There is no person who rules over his soul to eliminate it. Why? It is because the Holy One blessed be He disseminated it throughout the body, as had the Holy One blessed be He disseminated it in one limb, when trouble would befall a person, he would amputate that limb and die. That is why it is throughout the body, so that he will not be able to eliminate it. That is, “there is no person who rules the spirit.” What is, “there is no sending a proxy in war”? (Ecclesiastes 8:8). A person cannot say, when he is tending toward death: ‘Behold, I am sending my slave in my stead.’ Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta says: A person cannot craft a weapon and save himself from the angel of death, like the matter that is stated: “And made weapons and shields in abundance” (II Chronicles 32:5). What is “there is no dominion over the day of death”? There is no person with dominion to say: ‘Wait for me until I settle my accounts or until I give orders to my household, and then I will come.’ Another matter, what is “there is no dominion”? The angel of death does not say: ‘Since this one is a king, we will concede to him an additional day or two days.’ There is no favoritism before him on that day. Know that all the days of David, he was called king, as it is stated: “King David was old” (I Kings 1:1). When he reached his death, kingship is not written in his regard. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “The days of David approached to die” (I Kings 2:1). “And wickedness will not rescue its owner” (Ecclesiastes 8:8) – a person cannot pose an appeal before him [the angel of death], nor can a person make a claim before him. After all, Moses, after all the goodness that he saw, once the day of his death arrived, he was unable to delay it. He immediately said to him: “Behold, your days are approaching to die.”