King Solomon, of blessed memory, said: “come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed” [Proverbs, 9:5]. He compares the Torah to bread and to wine. The food of the soul is the Torah and the commandments. Therefore, the verse says, “come.” That is, you must go to seek the Torah where one can find it to study it. One makes oneself humble to hear from someone who knows it well. King Solomon teaches us that one must remove the attribute of jealousy from oneself and one should not hold oneself too haughty to go study Torah from his friend. How much more so, to a rabbi who is more important than he is. King Solomon showed even more. He compared the Torah to bread and wine, since the custom is that one must exert oneself for bread and wine, before they come to fruition. So too, the Torah; one must search for it day and night to study it. When he struggles for the sake of bread to feed the body, how much more so must he exert himself to study Torah to feed the soul? When the person can fulfill his commandments in his place, he has a reward from the Holy One, in any event. However, when he goes and exerts himself to fulfill the commandments, then the Holy One gives him a double reward, since he has a reward for the journey and he has a reward for fulfilling the commandment. Therefore, the portion wrote here:1Bahya, Yayelech, Introduction.
“Moses went” [31:1]. Moses went from one gate to the other gate, to the Levites and the Israelites to console them. He said to them: when I will die, yet there is still Joshua who will lead you and will teach you Torah, just as I have taught you. Even though all of Israel stood together, Moses waited until each one had gone to his house, and then Moses went to each one separately, to their house, expecting that he would receive the reward for the trip.2Ramban, Deuteronomy, 31:1–2.
“I am now one hundred and twenty years old” [31:2]. Moses lived for one hundred and twenty years, which was related to the three times that he was on Mount Sinai for forty days each time, and three times forty is one hundred and twenty. The first time he received the first Tablets and Israel made the Golden Calf. Moses broke the Tablets, and again went up the mountain and prayed that the Holy One should forgive them for the sin of the Golden Calf. The third forty days Moses received the second Tablets. Therefore, Moses was worthy to live one hundred and twenty years, or three times forty. Moses was born on the seventh of Adar and died on the seventh day of the month of Adar, since the Holy One makes full the days of the righteous, as the verse says, “I will let you enjoy the full count of your days” [Exodus, 23:26].3Bahya, Deuteronomy, 31:1–2.
“I can no longer come and go” [31:2]. Moses said: I can no longer go to war, and even though his strength was as in his youth, but Moses was consoling Israel. That is to say, do not mourn my death. I am no longer strong enough to go to war for you. Moses said all this so they should not worry, since Joshua would be a better leader than I. Our sages said: Moses said, I cannot go before you. That is, I can no longer teach you Torah. Moses was comparable to the intellect of the Torah. They asked him and he could not answer. The Holy One did this so that Moses should not mourn his death. Since he had lost his intellect, it was despicable for him to live. Another reason is that he forgot the Torah, expecting that Joshua should be better able to answer the Israelites about the Torah. Thus, they will see that Joshua was more worthy to be a leader. Moses previously wrote the whole Torah for Israel.4Bahya, Deuteronomy, 31:1–2.
“The time is drawing near for you to die” [31:14]. The day of your death is near. This verse teaches us that the Holy One decrees the time of how long the person should live and the Holy One makes the people approach the stated time for the person. Sometimes, the Holy One lengthens the time and he lives longer. Sometimes, the Holy one shortens his life. It is known that the Holy One has given everything into the power of the constellations in heaven to make someone rich and poor, as the Talmud says in [tractate Moed Katan], chapter three. The life of the person, children for the person, and food for the person, all these do not depend on the merit of good deeds, but depend on the constellations. Ravah and Rav Hisdah were both very righteous. One of them lived forty years and the other one lived sixty years. In the house of Ravah, his household did not have enough barley bread and at Rav Hisdah’s, the household did not want to eat fine flour bread, since there was so much of it in his house. Even though the Holy One placed these three things in the power of the constellations, but in any event the Holy One has power over them and can change them when the Holy One so desires, as we find concerning Hezekiah. He was supposed to die. The Holy One said: I will lengthen his stated years, so that he should live longer, another fifteen years. Sometimes, the Holy One shortens someone’s life, as we find concerning Ahaziah son of Ahab. He worshiped foreign gods and the Holy One shortened his life, as the verse says, “you shall not rise from the bed which you are lying on; but you shall die” [II Kings, 1:16]. This means, the prophet told him: you might have lived longer, but because you have worshiped foreign gods, therefore you must quickly die, before your time comes. The Holy One has power over the constellations to change them. The person can avert everything with his merits, even if the constellation points to an evil end, but the person has anguish in his heart and even if he does not pray, yet he averts the evil constellation with his anguish, as the verse says, “He fulfills the wishes of those who fear Him” [Psalms, 145:19]. This means, the Holy One does the will of the righteous, what they desire with their heart and in their prayers. However, three things are decided above, having children, having enough food, and living long. These, the person cannot abrogate the constellation, but he must pray, as the verse says, “He hears their cry and delivers them” [Psalms, 145:19]. He can abrogate the evil decree with prayer, and the Holy One gives him children, enough food, and long life. We find this regarding Rachel, who had no children, as the verse says, “God heeded her and opened her womb” [Genesis, 30:22]. This means, the Holy One heard the prayer of Rachel and gave her children. We also find this with regard to long life for Hezekiah, as the verse says, “I have heard your prayer … I hereby add fifteen years to your life” [Isaiah, 38:5]. This means, I have heard your prayer. I will lengthen your life by fifteen years. The food we find concerning Elijah and Elisha. God gave them food when there was famine. Therefore, our sages taught us that one could abrogate the constellation, to have children through prayer; similarly, with food and long life. The Midrash writes: Moses said, with the word “Mark … to the Lord your God” [Deuteronomy, 10:14]. I have praised you always and now You tell me with the word “Mark” that I will die. That is to say, You said, “Mark, the time is drawing near for you to die” [31:14]. The Holy One responded: with that which you praised Me, with that you will die. That is to say, death is a favor for you. You will also have more honor in the world to come. Our sages learn from here that the Holy One will bring the dead back to life. Therefore, it says, “you are soon to lie … and will arise” [31:16]. This means, though you will lie in the grave, you will rise again.5Bahya, Deuteronomy, 31:14.
“The alien gods in the land” [31:16]. The verse teaches us that no angel is appointed over the land of Israel, but the Holy One Himself is the Lord over the land of Israel. However, angels and constellations are placed over other lands. However, the Holy One Himself is the Lord in heaven over the land of Israel. Over Ishmael is the constellation called Cancer. Over the king of the Persians is the constellation called Sagittarius. Over the Philistines there is a constellation called Capricorn. Over Edom there is a constellation called Libra. Therefore, the Holy One punishes Israel more than all the other nations when they worship foreign gods, since Israel is the portion of the Holy One, but the nations are the portion of the constellations. Therefore, the nations who lived in the land of Israel were destroyed because they worshiped foreign gods in the holy land, in the land of Israel. However, in other lands when the nations worshiped foreign gods, He did not punish them, since the Holy One has His supervision over the land of Israel, and the land of Israel is blessed more than other lands, as the verse says, “who gives rain to the earth, and sends water over the fields” [Job, 5:10]. This means, the Holy One Himself gives rain over the land of Israel. However, over other lands He sends rain through messengers.6Bahya, Deuteronomy, 31:16.
“Since it will never be lost from the mouth of their offspring, for I know what plan they are devising” [31:21].7The entire text from here to note 13 is one commentary. I was not able to find an author and it may well be by the author of the Ze’enah U-Re’enah. The Holy One said: the warning that is written in the Torah to Israel, that they should study Torah, will not be forgotten. The Holy One also said: the evil inclination of Israel is evil. It incites them to commit sins. Therefore, remember to repent, particularly now it is time to repent. The one who has regret for sins; he must mention the sin with his mouth. He needs to bring no other sacrifices, as the Talmud says in, [tractate Yoma] chapter eight. Rabbi Isaac said: the Holy One and His attributes are unlike those of people. When one person becomes angry with another, there is a question if he will be able to be reconciled with him. He does not know if he can reconcile with money or with words. However, with the Holy One, he will certainly be reconciled with words, as the verse says, “take words with you” [Hosea, 14:3].8B. Yoma, 86b. This means, take good words with you to repent. The Talmud says in the first chapter of tractate Sotah. Judah confessed that he had slept with Tamar, his daughter-in-law. Thus, he was worthy of the world to come.9B. Sotah, 7b. Reuben also repented for throwing out Bilhah’s bed. When Rachel died, Jacob took Rachel’s bed and placed it in Bilhah’s room. Reuben went and took the bed and threw it out and said: you are a servant, how do you want to inherit Rachel’s bed, which was important? Jacob was angry and therefore Reuben repented and the Holy One forgave him, so that he had a share in the world to come.10B. Shabbat, 55b. The person must explicitly state the sins that he has committed against the people, so that the people know about the sin, expecting that the people should see that he has repented. However, if it is a sin against God alone that the people do not know about, he must quietly say before God. Rabbi Yannai said: there were two good leaders for Israel, Moses and David. Moses, who said before God that they should write down his sins, so that people will know what sins he had committed, as the verse says, “because you did not trust me” [Numbers, 20:12]. Because you did not believe in me, therefore you must die. David said that they should not write his sins.11B. Yoma, 86b. How are Moses and David similar? A parable. Two women sinned. One of them engaged in illicit sexual relations and the other one ate figs that were forbidden to be eaten. Both of them were punished for their sins. Both of them were punished for their sins. The woman who ate the figs called out. I ask you: let them announce my sin so that people should not think that I have committed a great sin, like my colleague. They hung a fig on that woman and called out that she had eaten figs during a time when it was forbidden. Therefore, we recite [the prayer] for the sin [Al Het] on Yom Kippur, since all the sins are written in for the sin. Therefore, it is good that the woman who does not understand Hebrew, should be careful to recite the for the sin [Al Het] in Yiddish, expecting that when she will come to the sin that she committed that year, she will take it to heart that she did this and will cry and plead with God that He should forgive her. She will never again do it. However, when she does not understand, she will forget what she had done and would not plead about it, since the person must be sad in his heart for the sin that he did. His repentance is better than many tears, as the verse says, “God, you will not despise a contrite and crushed heart” [Psalms, 51:19]. This means, a broken heart and sadness do not embarrass God. When someone has committed a sin with his eye, that he saw what he should not see, he should cry and be sad and shed tears, since the tears and crying greatly help repentance. Our sages said: since the destruction of the Temple, the gates of prayer have been closed in heaven, but in any event the gate where the tears enter heaven are open in heaven. Just as when the body is sick, he searches for a remedy so that the illness should go away. He must also do this when the soul is sick, he must search for its remedies. When his soul is sick and desires to have much money, then he must become accustomed to giving charity and must not be stingy in giving charity. Through this, the desire for money will be removed. He should think that much good and evil comes from the money. When his soul is accustomed to pursue arrogance and haughtiness, then he must accustom himself to be humble. He should walk stooped and must think about death and how the worms will eat him in the grave. He must pursue this for a long time and through this he will become accustomed to restore this trait.
The book Rokeach writes that there are four kinds of repentance.12Eleazar of Worms, Sefer Rokeach, Hilkhot Teshuvah. One is called the repentance of offering. This means, we he committed a sin with a married woman, and he encounters the same woman again, and he again desires her, and there is a place where he can again have a liaison with her, and he compels his evil inclination [not to sin], this is called the repentance of offering. The second form of repentance is called the repentance of the fence. This means, he makes himself a fence to the sin. He does not look at any woman and does not look at her clothes, or when the women dance. It is evident that he should not dance with them. The sin cannot be bigger; Gehenna is too small for him. The third form of repentance is called proportionate repentance. This means, the pleasure that he had from the sin, so too he must torment himself. He must fast and should not eat meat and not drink wine, except for festivals. He should not bathe himself, except for festivals. He should not go to banquets and should give himself lashes. He should not lie on a pillow, except on festivals and on the Sabbath. The fourth form of repentance is the repentance of the biblical text. This means, the one who slept with a married woman must suffer great anguish that should be as severe as death. He should sit in the cold on the ice, or in the water, or in the snow, for an hour every day. In the summer he should sit amidst flies, or mice, or bees. He should be further warned that he should not speak with women. He should repent for the sin every day, because he made that woman forbidden to her husband. He must suffer great pains, since he had persuaded a married woman. Thus, this woman is forbidden to her husband. However, when he slept with a married woman by force, that woman is not forbidden to her husband. Then he does not need more than to allow himself to receive lashes and must fast for forty days, and must lie on the ground. He should not bathe and should not attend celebrations. He must recite the confession three times with tears and mourning. If he slept with a woman who was not married, he should think that she was a menstruant because she had not immersed herself for him. He must lie on the ground and must allow himself to receive lashes every day and must fast for forty days and must confess the sin every day three times and should also not go to any celebrations. If he slept with a gentile woman, he must fast, receive lashes, eat no meat and drink no wine, and not bathe for forty days. If he stole something from his friend and had regret, he must return it to him or his heirs and should confess. He should abstain in the future from the money of strangers and should give much charity. He should ask forgiveness from the one he had stolen from, etc. The person should confess to repent and overcome his evil inclination. Therefore, the verse in the portion said, “for I know his plans” [31:21]. This means, I know well the thoughts of the person. When the troubles will come upon the person, the song will testify that I have warned him. From here our sages learn that in the end when the Messiah will come, the commandments of the Torah will be ended, since when the evil inclination will be abrogated, then the Torah will also be abrogated, but Purim will never be abrogated even when the Messiah will come.13The commentary to Deuteronomy, 31:21, ends here.
“Since it will never be lost from the mouth of their offspring, for I know their plans” [31:21]. The Torah would not be forgotten. Therefore, when the evil inclination is with them, but when the evil inclination will disappear in the days of the Messiah, then no Torah will be needed. This means that the resurrection of the dead will occur long after the Messiah, since the Messiah will come first before the resurrection of the dead. Therefore, one should repent. One should know that the Holy One has warned us that we should be pious. Then the Holy One will send us the Messiah.14Bahya, Deuteronomy, 31:21.