פירוש על דברים 3:29

ונשב בגיא וגו׳ SO WE ABODE IN THE VALLEY [OVER AGAINST BETH PEOR], — and ye associated yourselves with idol-worship, yet, however, ועתה ישראל שמע אל החקים NOW, O ISRAEL, HEARKEN TO THE STATUTES and everything will be forgiven thee. But I — I was not privileged that it was forgiven me (Sifrei Devarim 30:2).

ונשב בגיא, "we abode in the valley, etc." What did Moses want to tell us with this verse? How is it connected to either the previous verse or to the one following? Rashi, quoting Sifri, says that Moses reminded the people that they had become attached to the idol Baal Pe-or and that he exhorted them that all would be forgiven provided they would from now on hearken to G'd's statutes as per 4,1. If we accept this, we still have not explained the word ונשב as the verse only wishes to remind us of the sin of בעל פעור. Even the words מול בית פעור, opposite the temple of the פעור does not appear to make sense. If Moses referred to what had happpened there he should have used the language used by the Torah in Numbers 25,3 ויצמד ישראל לבעל פעור.

ונשב בגיא, until now when we find ourselves facing the Beyt Peor in the Arvot Moav. What you have seen happen there should serve as a lesson to you; the details are described in 4,3-4.

ונשב בגיא מול בית פעור, “We stayed on in the valley across from Bet-Peor.” We had already been encamped there, as this was the ראש הפסגה Moses had mentioned in verse 27; seeing this was where the people had committed idolatry and adultery. Moses warns them once again concerning the sin of idolatry in the following paragraph.

And you attached yourselves to idolatry, etc. Rashi is saying: The preceding verse was dealing with the Almighty’s response to Moshe, that he shall not enter the Land. [So now,] Moshe says to the Jewish People, “We lived in the valley,” meaning that you attached yourselves to idolatry and sinned by worshipping it. Nevertheless they are told, “And now Yisroel, etc.” I.e., despite this, you will enter the Land, but I, etc. [Rashi explains in this way,] even though “And now, etc.,” is a separate paragraph. There are other verses that are understood in the same way, such as, “And it was after the plague. And Adonoy said to Moshe, etc. (Bamidbar 26:1).” You might ask: Why does Moshe mention this sin more than any other that they committed in the wilderness? The answer is: Moshe mentions the sin of facing Beis Peor to say that even though they sinned, the Almighty will forgive them through Moshe’s burial [being there]. For this is the reason that Moshe is buried outside the Land, as it is written in Parshas Vezos Habracha (below 34:6), “He buried him in the valley, in the land of Moav facing Beis Peor.” And Rashi explains there that Moshe was buried facing Beis Peor, outside the Land, to atone for their sin of idolatry that they committed in Beis Peor (attributed to the Maharitz).

V. 29. ׳ונשב וגו. Offenbar ist diese Bitte und dieser Auftrag identisch mit dem Bamidbar 27, 12 f. gegebenen Bericht. Wir erfahren hier, dass dem dortigen ויאמר ד׳ die versagte Bitte vorangegangen war. Wenn aber Mosche hier noch besonders an die Örtlichkeit erinnert, wo er diese Bitte um Gewährung des Mithinüberziehens in das Land gewagt, so dürfte damit auch noch das besondere Motiv angedeutet sein, das in der Tiefe seiner Seele diesen Wunsch erzeugt. Es war Beth Peor gegenüber, die Gegend, welche Zeuge der letzten Verirrung, der sittlichen Schwäche seines Volkes gewesen, das so leicht der Verführung erlag, und tief mochte die Bekümmernis in Mosche Gemüt gewohnt haben, wie sein Volk die sittliche Probe bestehen werde, in noch engerer Berührung mit der entarteten Bevölkerung des Landes, und wie sehr es seines Beistandes, seines mahnenden und warnenden Wortes bedürfen — und entbehren werde.

ונשב בגיא, “we settled down in the valley.” Moses refers to Numbers 25,1, 'וישב ישראל בשיטים ויחל העם לזנות וגו, Israel settled down at Shittim, and the people began to indulge in harlotry, etc.” At that time, 24000 of them fell victim to a plague as a result of their misconduct. As a result of this we are still stuck here.

I believe that what Moses meant was that with this verse he concluded the subject with which he had commenced when he said: "I pleaded with G'd" in 3,23. He concluded by saying that his prayer did not help, that instead of both he and the people crossing the Jordan at once, they remained encamped opposite the temple of Pe-or. The expression ישב always means a stay of indeterminate length [the author says: עד עולם, i.e. forever. I do not know the source for this although the Talmud in Megillah 21 states that the word means "a delay." The proof offered there is based on Deut. 1,46 which was certainly not "forever" but for a period of 19 years according to most commentators. Ed.] The reason Moses described the location as being "in the valley" is that the land of Israel is situated at a higher level than all other countries, as we know from Numbers 13,17 "ascend here from the South." Moses added that the place was opposite the temple of Pe-or as he hinted at the place where he would be buried (Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer chapter 45). We are told there that when this idol and accuser of Israel looks at Moses' grave he is scared to raise his voice against Israel (as Moses had fought him successfully on numerous occasions).