Explanation Of Rashi Devorim

‫בס“ד‬

Rashi explains everything that we need to know to understand the simple meaning of every .verse in the Torah

In other words, if we see what seems like a question that Rashi doesn’t answer, either he answered it already, or it is not really a question.

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Yet in our Parshah we find a question that many commentaries ask, yet Rashi mentions nothing!

In Chapter 1, Verse 22 Moshe begins telling the Jews about sending the spies to the land of Israel.

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34. And the Lord heard the sound of your words, and He became angry and swore, saying, 35. 'If any of these men of this evil generation sees the good land, which I swore to give your forefathers, 36. except Caleb the son of Jephunneh he will see it, and I will give him the land he trod upon, and to his children, because he has completely followed the Lord."   After Moshe says that Caleb   would enter the land, and before he says that Joshua will also enter the land, he interrupts with something else.

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He first says: 37. The Lord was also angry with me because of you, saying, "Neither will you go there.

Then he resumes listing the two people who will enter the land and says: 38. But Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you he will go there; strengthen him, for he will cause Israel to inherit it.

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This leaves us with A number of questions!

he obvious question is hy the Torah interrupts between Caleb and Joshua? he verses imply that Moshe is also not permitted o enter the land because of the spies. However we know that the only reason Moshe was not allowed to enter srael was because of hitting the rock. he two incidents happened nearly forty years apart! he spies were sent at the beginning of the orty years, and Moshe hit the rock near

‫בס“ד‬ The Ramban answers this question by  stating that the Torah is listing people  who would not be allowed to enter the  land because of sins. However, this does not fit in with the simple meaning of the verse: Before Moshe and after Moshe the verse discusses the spies! Why should we switch in midstream? The generation of the spies passed away before the sin of hitting the rock. Why did Moshe say to them that they told him to send spies, and G-d punished him because of them? Moshe should have said that Hashem punished him because of the Jewish people right after the verse said that the generation of the spies will not see the land!

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There are commentaries who give a  different answer!

Moshe was also punished because of  the incident with the spies. Even  though he didn’t accompany them, he  allowed them to go! G-d left it up to  his discretion. Despite the fact that  .  Moshe was punished because of the  rock, it could be that he was punished  because of the combination of both  things together!

‫בס“ד‬

As good as this answer sounds, it  doesn’t work for Rashi!

Rashi explicitly states that Moshe was  only punished because of the rock! Moshe says that G-d was “filled with  anger at me on your account!” That  would be pretty severe for not even  participating in the incident!

‫בס“ד‬

There is another possible  explanation!

he Torah may be trying to compare he sin of the rock to the sin of the spies.  his is as Rashi explained above, nd therefore doesn’t have to explain again,  “Why is the passing of Miriam stated near the  law of the red cow? In order to teach us that  just as sacrifices atone, so does the passing of  the righteous.

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This explanation is untenable!

e already know how serious  he sin of the rock was –  t was a desecration of G-d’s name! side from that, if the point is to show he severity of the sin of the rock, t should have been mentioned by name!

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The Explanation!

espite the fact that Caleb and Joshua were oth allowed into Israel, there was a major  ifference between them. aleb entered the land and was given a  ortion in it. n the other hand, Joshua entered  he land, lead the Jewish people, and divided it amongst them. herefore we say that G-d was  ngry at Moshe because of “you!” hat was why Joshua lead the Jews, 

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The Explanation!

he mention of Moshe here is  nly parenthetical, to explain why Joshua  ill lead the Jews. This is something we  ind throughout the Torah, hence Rashi  as no need to explain it. He also has  o need to explain why Moshe declares  hat he was punished  because of you,” in  other words  he generation that will enter the land.  his is because we know that he was 

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The Explanation!

he mention of Moshe here is  nly parenthetical, to explain why Joshua  ill lead the Jews. This is something we  ind throughout the Torah, hence Rashi  as no need to explain it. He also has  o need to explain why Moshe declares  hat he was punished  because of you,” in  other words  he generation that will enter the land.  his is because we know that he was 

‫בס“ד‬

The Explanation!

his is also the reason that the Torah says that  Moshe was punished because of the rock  specifically. He did not want it thought  hat he was guilty of the same sin as  he spies!