Maternal Vulnerability and Moshe's Leadership Va'etchanan -- Shabbat Nachamu August 17th, 2024
Not because his life was too short does Moses not reach Canaan, but because it was a human life.
—Franz Kafka, in a diary entry from 1921
Sacred Vulnerability
(כג) וָאֶתְחַנַּ֖ן אֶל־יְהֹוָ֑ה בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹֽר׃ (כד) אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֗ה אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלּ֙וֹתָ֙ לְהַרְא֣וֹת אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גׇּדְלְךָ֔ וְאֶת־יָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִי־אֵל֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה כְמַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶֽךָ׃ (כה) אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּ֗א וְאֶרְאֶה֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן הָהָ֥ר הַטּ֛וֹב הַזֶּ֖ה וְהַלְּבָנֹֽן׃ (כו) וַיִּתְעַבֵּ֨ר יְהֹוָ֥ה בִּי֙ לְמַ֣עַנְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֵלָ֑י וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֤ה אֵלַי֙ רַב־לָ֔ךְ אַל־תּ֗וֹסֶף דַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלַ֛י ע֖וֹד בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃ (כז) עֲלֵ֣ה ׀ רֹ֣אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֗ה וְשָׂ֥א עֵינֶ֛יךָ יָ֧מָּה וְצָפֹ֛נָה וְתֵימָ֥נָה וּמִזְרָ֖חָה וּרְאֵ֣ה בְעֵינֶ֑יךָ כִּי־לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֥ן הַזֶּֽה׃ (כח) וְצַ֥ו אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ וְחַזְּקֵ֣הוּ וְאַמְּצֵ֑הוּ כִּי־ה֣וּא יַעֲבֹ֗ר לִפְנֵי֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהוּא֙ יַנְחִ֣יל אוֹתָ֔ם אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּרְאֶֽה׃

23) And I pleaded with YHWH at that time, saying:

24) My Lord YHWH,
you yourself have started to let your servant see your greatness and your strong hand,
that who is a god in heaven and on earth
that can do according to your deeds and according to your power!

25) Pray let me cross over
that I may see the good land
that is in [the country] across the Jordan,
these good highlands, and the Lebanon!

26) But YHWH was cross with me on your account,
and he would not hearken to me;
YHWH said to me:
Enough for you!
Do not speak to me any more again about this matter!

27) Go up to the top of the Pisga [Range]
and lift up your eyes—toward the sea, toward the north, toward the south, and toward sunrise;
see [it] with your eyes,
for you will not cross this Jordan!

28) But command Yehoshua;
make-him-strong, make-him-courageous,
for he will cross over before this people
and he will cause them to inherit the land that you see.

Grace Not Bargaining

(א) ואתחנן. אין חנון בכל מקום אלא לשון מתנת חנם אף על פי שיש להם לצדיקים לתלות במעשיהם הטובים, אין מבקשים מאת המקום אלא מתנת חנם. לפי שאמר לו (שמות לג, יט) וחנתי את אשר אחן, אמר לו בלשון ואתחנן. דבר אחר זה אחד מעשרה לשונות שנקראת תפלה, כדאיתא בספרי:

(ג) לאמר. זה אחד משלשה מקומות שאמר משה לפני המקום איני מניחך עד שתודיעני אם תעשה שאלתי אם לאו:

(1) "I pleaded..." The word 'pleading' always refers to a freewill gift. Even though the righteous can and should rely on their good deeds, one does not pray to God for anything other than a freewill gift, as God said to Moses in Exodus 33:19, "I shall grace whomever I want." This is the same word as "And I pleaded." Also, this is one of ten terms which denote prayer (as taught in Sifrei).

(3) "Saying" This is one of three places where Moses says to God, 'I won't let you rest until you tell me if you will do what I ask or not."

The Ways of Chen--Grace
(יח) וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הַרְאֵ֥נִי נָ֖א אֶת־כְּבֹדֶֽךָ׃ (יט) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֲנִ֨י אַעֲבִ֤יר כׇּל־טוּבִי֙ עַל־פָּנֶ֔יךָ וְקָרָ֧אתִֽי בְשֵׁ֛ם יְהֹוָ֖ה לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וְחַנֹּתִי֙ אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָחֹ֔ן וְרִחַמְתִּ֖י אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲרַחֵֽם׃ (כ) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֹ֣ת אֶת־פָּנָ֑י כִּ֛י לֹֽא־יִרְאַ֥נִי הָאָדָ֖ם וָחָֽי׃

18) Then he said:
Pray let me see your Glory!

19) He said:
I myself will cause all my Goodliness to pass in front of your face,
and I will call out the name of YHWH
before your face:
that I show-favor to whom I show-favor,
that I show-mercy to whom I show-mercy.

20) But he said:
You cannot see my face,
for no human can see me and live!

עָבַר (v) heb

    • to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress
      • (Qal)
        • to pass over, cross, cross over, pass over, march over, overflow, go over
        • to pass beyond
        • to pass through, traverse
          • passers-through (participle)
          • to pass through (the parts of victim in covenant)
        • to pass along, pass by, overtake and pass, sweep by
          • passer-by (participle)
          • to be past, be over
        • to pass on, go on, pass on before, go in advance of, pass along, travel, advance
        • to pass away
          • to emigrate, leave (one's territory)
          • to vanish
          • to perish, cease to exist
          • to become invalid, become obsolete (of law, decree)
          • to be alienated, pass into other hands
      • (Niphal) to be crossed
      • (Piel) to impregnate, cause to cross
      • (Hiphil)
        • to cause to pass over, cause to bring over, cause to cross over, make over to, dedicate, devote
        • to cause to pass through
        • to cause to pass by or beyond or under, let pass by
        • to cause to pass away, cause to take away
      • (Hithpael) to pass over
Blame -- It's Your Fault!
(א) ויתעבר ה'. נִתְמַלֵּא חֵמָה: (ב) למענכם. אַתֶּם גְּרַמְתֶּם לִי, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהלים ק"ו) "וַיַּקְצִיפוּ עַל מֵי מְרִיבָה וַיֵּרַע לְמֹשֶׁה בַּעֲבוּרָם": (ג) רב לך. שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ הָרַב כַּמָּה קָשֶׁה וְהַתַּלְמִיד כַּמָּה סַרְבָן וּמַפְצִיר (סוטה י"ג); דָּ"אַ — רב לך, הַרְבֵּה מִזֶּה שָׁמוּר לְךָ, רַב טוּב הַצָּפוּן לְךָ (ספרי):
(1) ויתעבר ה׳ This means, GOD WAS FILLED WITH WRATH (Sifrei Bamidbar 135). (2) למענכם ON ACCOUNT OF YOU — You caused this for me (that God was wroth with me); similarly it states, (Psalms 106:32) “And they provoked Him at the waters of Meriba, and He did evil to Moses on their account". (3) רב לך LET IT SUFFICE THEE (i.e. pray no more), so that people should not say, “How harsh is the Master, and how obstinate and importunate is the disciple" (Sotah 13b). Another explanation of רב לך (lit., there is much for you) — more than this is reserved for you; much is the goodness that is stored up for thee (Sifrei Bamidbar 135).
Destiny

ויתעבר ה' למענכם. מפני שהייתי מתאוה לקיים אתכם בה שלא תגלו ממנה לעולם, והוא כבר נשא ידו לזרותם:

ויתעבר ה' בי למענכם, G’d was angry at me for trying to ensure your permanent stay in that land while He had already decreed that at a certain point in history your descendants would be exiled among the gentiles.
Like a Laboring Woman
(כו) ויתעבר ה' בי למענכם ולא שמע אלי, רבי אליעזר אומר נתמלא עלי חימה רבי יהושע אומר כאשה שאינה יכולה לשוח מפני עוברה.

(Devarim 3:26) "And ("yithaber") the L-rd with me because of you (lema'anchem), and He would not hearken to me": R. Eliezer says: He was filled with wrath ("evrah" [like "yithaber"]). R. Yehoshua says: He (the L-rd) became like a woman who could not converse because of her labor.

Life is Not Worth Living Without My Children
(לא) וַיָּ֧שׇׁב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶל־יְהֹוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אָ֣נָּ֗א חָטָ֞א הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ חֲטָאָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֔ה וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י זָהָֽב׃ (לב) וְעַתָּ֖ה אִם־תִּשָּׂ֣א חַטָּאתָ֑ם וְאִם־אַ֕יִן מְחֵ֣נִי נָ֔א מִֽסִּפְרְךָ֖ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּתָֽבְתָּ׃

31) Moshe returned to YHWH and said:
Ah now,
this people has sinned a great sin,
they have made themselves gods of gold!

32) So now,
if you would [only] bear away their sin—!
But if not,
pray blot me out of the record that you have written!

Who Bore These Children?
(יא) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־יְהֹוָ֗ה לָמָ֤ה הֲרֵעֹ֙תָ֙ לְעַבְדֶּ֔ךָ וְלָ֛מָּה לֹא־מָצָ֥תִי חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ לָשׂ֗וּם אֶת־מַשָּׂ֛א כׇּל־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה עָלָֽי׃ (יב) הֶאָנֹכִ֣י הָרִ֗יתִי אֵ֚ת כׇּל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אִם־אָנֹכִ֖י יְלִדְתִּ֑יהוּ כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֨ר אֵלַ֜י שָׂאֵ֣הוּ בְחֵיקֶ֗ךָ כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשָּׂ֤א הָאֹמֵן֙ אֶת־הַיֹּנֵ֔ק עַ֚ל הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתָּ לַאֲבֹתָֽיו׃ (יג) מֵאַ֤יִן לִי֙ בָּשָׂ֔ר לָתֵ֖ת לְכׇל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּֽי־יִבְכּ֤וּ עָלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר תְּנָה־לָּ֥נוּ בָשָׂ֖ר וְנֹאכֵֽלָה׃ (יד) לֹֽא־אוּכַ֤ל אָנֹכִי֙ לְבַדִּ֔י לָשֵׂ֖את אֶת־כׇּל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּ֥י כָבֵ֖ד מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ (טו) וְאִם־כָּ֣כָה ׀ אַתְּ־עֹ֣שֶׂה לִּ֗י הׇרְגֵ֤נִי נָא֙ הָרֹ֔ג אִם־מָצָ֥אתִי חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ וְאַל־אֶרְאֶ֖ה בְּרָעָתִֽי׃ {פ}

11) Moshe said to YHWH:
Why have you dealt-ill with your servant?
Why have I not found favor in your eyes,
[that you] have placed the burden of this entire people on me?

12) Did I myself conceive this entire people,
or did I myself give birth to it,
that you should say to me,
Carry it in your bosom
as a nursing-parent carries a suckling-child,
to the soil about which you swore to their fathers?

13) From where should I [get] meat to give to this entire people,
when they weep on me, saying:
Give us meat so that we may eat!

14) I am not able, I alone, to carry this entire people,
for it is too heavy for me!

15) If thus you deal with me,
pray kill me, yes, kill me,
if I have found favor in your eyes,
so that I do not have to see my ill-fortune!

How Can I Bear Them Alone?

(ט) וָאֹמַ֣ר אֲלֵכֶ֔ם בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹא־אוּכַ֥ל לְבַדִּ֖י שְׂאֵ֥ת אֶתְכֶֽם׃ (י) יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם הִרְבָּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֑ם וְהִנְּכֶ֣ם הַיּ֔וֹם כְּכוֹכְבֵ֥י הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם לָרֹֽב׃ (יא) יְהֹוָ֞ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֽוֹתֵכֶ֗ם יֹסֵ֧ף עֲלֵיכֶ֛ם כָּכֶ֖ם אֶ֣לֶף פְּעָמִ֑ים וִיבָרֵ֣ךְ אֶתְכֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר לָכֶֽם׃ (יב) אֵיכָ֥ה אֶשָּׂ֖א לְבַדִּ֑י טׇרְחֲכֶ֥ם וּמַֽשַּׂאֲכֶ֖ם וְרִֽיבְכֶֽם׃

9)And I said to you at that time, saying:
I am not able, I alone, to carry you;

10) YHWH your God has made-you-many—and here you are today, like the stars in the heavens in abundance!

11) YHWH, the God of your fathers, may he add to you as you are a thousand times,
and bless you, as he promised to you!

12) How can I carry, I alone, your load, your burden, your quarreling?

Finding Life in the Intersection of Three Women
(ז) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֲחֹתוֹ֮ אֶל־בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֒ הַאֵלֵ֗ךְ וְקָרָ֤אתִי לָךְ֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה מֵינֶ֔קֶת מִ֖ן הָעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת וְתֵינִ֥ק לָ֖ךְ אֶת־הַיָּֽלֶד׃ (ח) וַתֹּֽאמֶר־לָ֥הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵ֑כִי וַתֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ הָֽעַלְמָ֔ה וַתִּקְרָ֖א אֶת־אֵ֥ם הַיָּֽלֶד׃ (ט) וַתֹּ֧אמֶר לָ֣הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֗ה הֵילִ֜יכִי אֶת־הַיֶּ֤לֶד הַזֶּה֙ וְהֵינִקִ֣הוּ לִ֔י וַאֲנִ֖י אֶתֵּ֣ן אֶת־שְׂכָרֵ֑ךְ וַתִּקַּ֧ח הָאִשָּׁ֛ה הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַתְּנִיקֵֽהוּ׃ (י) וַיִּגְדַּ֣ל הַיֶּ֗לֶד וַתְּבִאֵ֙הוּ֙ לְבַת־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַֽיְהִי־לָ֖הּ לְבֵ֑ן וַתִּקְרָ֤א שְׁמוֹ֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַתֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֥י מִן־הַמַּ֖יִם מְשִׁיתִֽהוּ׃

7) His sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter:
Shall I go and call a nursing woman from the Hebrews for you,
that she may nurse the child for you?

8)Pharaoh’s daughter said to her:
Go!
So the girl went and called the child’s mother.

9)Pharaoh’s daughter said to her:
Have this child go with you and nurse him for me,
and I myself will give you your wages.
So the woman took the child and she nursed him.

10)The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter,
and he became her son.
She called his name: Moshe/He-Who-Pulls-Out;
she said: For out of the water meshitihu/I-pulled-him.

Entering the World of Men
(יא) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיִּגְדַּ֤ל מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֵּצֵ֣א אֶל־אֶחָ֔יו וַיַּ֖רְא בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיַּרְא֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י מַכֶּ֥ה אִישׁ־עִבְרִ֖י מֵאֶחָֽיו׃

(11) Now it was some years later, Moshe grew up;
he went out to his brothers and saw their burdens.
And he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man, [one] of his brothers.

Because You Were an Imposter!!

Moses said to G‑d: Master of the Universe! Joseph’s bones are entering the Land, and I shall not enter?

Said G‑d to him: He who admitted to his land is buried in his land; and he who did not admit to his land shall not be buried in his land. Joseph admitted to his land when his master’s wife said (Genesis 39:14), “See, they have brought us a Hebrew man . . . ,” and he did not deny it; on the contrary, he said (ibid. 40:15), “I was abducted from the land of the Hebrews.” Therefore, he shall be buried in his land. You, however, did not admit to your land when the daughters of Jethro said (Exodus 2:19), “An Egyptian man rescued us from the shepherds,” and you heard this and were silent. Therefore, “you shall not cross this Jordan.” ~Midrash Rabbah

Moshe Tries to Bargain
When Moses saw that the decree had been sealed against him, he went and drew a circle and sat inside it, and said: I am not moving from here until You nullify the decree! . . . He then wrapped himself in sackcloth and covered himself with ashes, and stood in prayer and supplication before G‑d until the heaven and the earth and the very laws of creation began to tremble, and said: Perhaps the time has come for God to destroy the world? . . .
What did God do at that moment? He announced at every gate of every heaven and at every gate of every court that Moses’ prayer should not be admitted . . . for the voice of Moses’ prayer was like a sword that slices and rips, and which nothing can stop . . .
Said Moses to God: If You will not allow me to enter the Land, allow me to [enter] as a beast of the field, which grazes on the grass and drinks water and sees the world that way—let my soul be as one of those!
Said God: “Enough!”
Said Moses to God: If You will not allow me to enter the Land, allow me to [enter] as a bird that flies in the air to all four corners of the earth to collect its feed, and in the evening returns to its nest—let my soul be as one of those!
Said God: “Enough!”
(Yalkut Shimoni)
Praying to Pray
ואתחנן אל ה' בעת ההוא לאמור כו' (דברים ג, כג). תיבת לאמר, הוא מיותר. והנראה, דהפירוש הפסוק ואתחנן אל ה' בעת ההוא, פירוש שהיה מתחנן תחילה כדי שיוכל להתפלל אחר כך. לאמור, פירוש הדבר שהיה צריך לאמר אלא שקודם לא היה יכול לאמר, כי היה בוש מלפניו יתברך והיה צריך להתפלל שיוכל להתפלל:
, Deuteronomy 3,23. “I pleaded with God at ‎that time, to say:” the word ‎לאמור‎ after we have been told that ‎Moses pleaded with Hashem is superfluous. ‎In light of this, it appears that ‎the correct interpretation of this verse "and I pleaded with God at that time" is that initially Moses’ ‎prayed to God that he would be able to pray subsequently. "Lemor" ---this is the explanation of what he needed "to say", that is: before this he was not able to say because he was ashamed before [God may his name be blessed]and needed to pray that he would be able to pray.
Two Elements of Prayer
או יבואר, ואתחנן אל ה' בעת ההוא לאמר. תיבת לאמר מיותר. ונראה, דבגמרא ברכות (ט:) מסקינן דאדני שפתי תפתח, לא הוי הפסק בין גאולה לתפילה אפילו בשחרית, דכיון דתקינו ליה רבנן כתפלה אריכתא דמיא. דלכאורה הוה ליה למימר תקינו רבנן לתפילה, ........ ונמצא יש לנו ב' בחינות בתפלה. א', התפלה עצמה. והב', התפלה שיהיה יכול להתפלל. ומשה רבינו עליו השלום בודאי היה תפלתו תמיד בבחינה העליונה שבמדריגת התפלה ותמיד היה תפלתו שגורה בפיו ומקובל, אבל עתה דחזינן דלא נתקבלה תפלתו בודאי ממילא לא היה תפלתו שגורה בפיו והוצרך להתפלל שיוכל לבקש מן השם יתברך תפילתו ליכנס לארץ ישראל ושאל ממנו מענה לשון.
Another possible way of explaining the opening line of our ‎‎Parshah is based on a statement in the Talmud ‎‎B’rachot 9b. The Gemara concludes that the verse of "God, open my lips and my mouth will tell of your praises [psalms 51:17] is not considered to be an interruption between the concluding blessing of the Shema which is about redemption and the Amidah prayer..... Since the Rabbis established it , it is considered like a long prayer [i.e. an extended part of the Amidah]... It turns out that there are two elements of prayer: 1. The prayer itself; 2. the prayer that [a person] be able to pray. And Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him,.....needed to pray that he would be able to request his prayer from Blessed God to enter into the land of Israel and he asked him for eloquence.
אוֹחִֽילָה לָאֵל. אֲחַלֶּה פָנָיו. אֶשְׁאֲלָה מִמֶּנּוּ מַעֲנֵה לָשׁוֹן:
אֲשֶׁר בִּקְהַל עָם אָשִֽׁירָה עֻזּוֹ. אַבִּֽיעָה רְנָנוֹת בְּעַד מִפְעָלָיו:
לְאָדָם מַעַרְכֵי לֵב. וּמֵיְהֹוָה מַעֲנֵה לָשׁוֹן:
אדושם, שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח. וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ:
I shall await the LORD, I shall entreat his favor,
I shall ask Him to grant my tongue eloquence.
In the midst of the congregated nation I shall sing of His strength;
I shall burst out in joyous melodies for his works.
The thoughts in man's heart are his to arrange,
but the tongue's eloquence comes from the Lord.
O LORD, open my lips, so that my mouth may declare Your praise
Translation by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

And I pleaded…

By Deborah Masel Miller

Comfort, comfort My crushed, My desolate people; bring them into the room beyond comfort, where I am prayer and I am pain.

Listen Israel as My servant Moses leads you to My crying rooms; hear him plead, Oh Lord open my lips …Lord let me cross over… let my teachings fall like rain…

Generation to generation…Ears that heard God speak from fire now hear His rain fall gently on their future fields.Eyes that saw the mountain burn to the heart of heaven see the goodly land across the river;but no one hears the breaking of a heart; they do not see the face that once saw face to Face look back in wonder and ahead in anguish.

This man Moses, born to be apart, pleading for his people. I will fill the world with prayer, said he upon that other peak, before I let You flood it with Your pain.

You will show mercy upon whom You show mercy, and I shall never know Your ways, yet will I not choose the cloistered Eden-comfort of a drunken Noah, nor will I let You make of me a great nation. Blot me from the book You have written.

I will forge a different comfort. If they would but listen I would teach them the comfort of carving You a highway through the desert stone, of loving You with all their heart and being and might in pain and sickness, in longing and defeat…

O that I had wings like a dove, I would fly away, and be at rest, then I would wander off, I would lodge in the wilderness…I would haste me to a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest…

Enough, said the Lord to His friend Moses. Let your longing be enough; let it hover here upon the blindness of My dark night. Let your longing sing My praise from here, My wounded dove, until your people learn to carry you across upon the eagle’s wings of prayer.

Masel Miller, Deborah. "'And I Pleaded,' Wings of Prayer." Limmud on One Leg.

https://jewschooled.com/2014/08/10/vaetchanan-deuteronomy-323-711/

When I die by Rumi

When I die
When my coffin
is being taken out
You must never think
I am missing this world

Don’t shed any tears
Don’t lament or
Feel sorry
I’m not falling
into a monster’s abyss

When you see
My corpse is being carried
Don’t cry for my leaving
I’m not leaving
I’m arriving at eternal love

When you leave me
in the grave
Don’t say goodbye
Remember a grave is
only a curtain
for the paradise behind

You’ll only see me
Descending into a grave
Now watch me rise
How can there be an end
When the sun sets or
the moon goes down

It looks like the end
It seems like a sunset
But in reality it is a dawn
When the grave locks you up
that is when your soul is freed

Have you ever seen
a seed fallen to earth
not rise with a new life
Why should you doubt the rise
of a seed named human

Have you ever seen
a bucket lowered into a well
coming back empty
Why lament for a soul
When it can come back
like Joseph from the well

When for the last time
you close your mouth
Your words and soul
will belong to the world of
no place no time

https://medium.com/@lordsfantasy/when-i-die-by-rumi-e74612005010

Resources:

Parshat Ve’etchanan: A Rendition of His Own

Episode 177

Dr. Yosefa (Fogel) Wruble with Ilana Kurshan

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2cEPhEb0HGrnOlWLr6Jo0j

No Milk, No Trust

By Beth Kissilef June 12, 2020

https://thelehrhaus.com/timely-thoughts/no-milk-no-trust/