פירוש על דברים 4:21

התאנף means, HE WAS FILLED WITH WRATH.

AND THE ETERNAL WAS ANGERED WITH ME FOR YOUR SAKES, AND SWORE THAT I SHOULD NOT GO OVER THE JORDAN. He repeated it in this place [despite having already mentioned it above, 1:37] as if to say: “The Eternal commanded me at that time to teach you⁷⁹Verse 14. the commandments that ye might do them in the Land whither ye go over to possess it;⁷⁹Verse 14. now accept instruction from my mouth, for I must die in this land, (I must not go over the Jordan),⁸⁰Verse 22. and I will not be able to teach you in the Land [of Israel] and so do not forget there what I have taught you [here], nor what you have seen at Sinai.”
By way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], Moses is stating: Take good heed of yourselves lest you corrupt yourselves, for the Eternal was angered with me in His concern over this matter⁸¹Aside from the mystical allusions here implied, Ramban’s words can also be interpreted as follows: In addition to the several categories of graven images against which Moses warned the people, there was yet one more fear. They might deify Moses himself, since he was their leader and lawgiver. It was therefore necessary that he die in the wilderness lest the people consider him immortal and worship him as a deity (T’cheileth Mordechai; see my Hebrew commentary, p. 363). lest ye forget the covenant of the Eternal your G-d⁸²Verse 23. in the devouring fire on the top of the Mount,⁸³Exodus 24:17. and you will make the likeness of any thing,⁸²Verse 23. this being the sense of the expression, which the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee.⁸⁴Verse 23. Thus we were warned against making the likeness of any thing as commanded us from the mouth of the Eternal (T’cheileth Mordechai). This has already been alluded to in the section Chukath Hatorah.⁸⁵Numbers 20:1 — Vol. IV, p. 217: “The Truth etc.” And Rashi wrote: “Which the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee — which He commanded thee not to do.” This is the simple meaning of Scripture. But one learned in the mystic teachings of the Cabala will understand these verses in the light of their true meaning. And the sense of the verse For the Eternal thy G-d is a devouring fire⁸⁶Verse 24. is “as you have seen on the top of the Mount, ”⁸³Exodus 24:17. the intent being that it is the attribute of justice that is jealous of idols [and as the verse concludes, a jealous G-d].⁸⁶Verse 24. From this verse⁸⁶Verse 24. you will understand the expression the Eternal thy G-d that is always mentioned in the Book of Deuteronomy.

וה׳ התאנף בי על דבריכם, "G'd was angry at me on account of you." Moses repeated this once more, not content with what he had said already in 1,37. He also repeated twice: "not to let me cross the Jordan and not to let me come to the good land." He meant that he suffered not only from the decree of having to die in the desert but from another decree i.e. that even his bones would not be buried in ארץ ישראל although he had made sure that both Joseph's remains and the remains of the brothers would be buried in holy soil (compare Jerusalem Talmud Sotah 1,10). The first time he mentioned the word לבלתי he referred to his not entering the Holy Land while alive, whereas the second time he mentioned that word he referred to not even being brought to burial there. Moses repeats the same theme in another form when he says in verse 22: "I am going to die in this land and I will not cross the Jordan." He means that he will neither cross the Jordan alive nor dead. He contrasts this with the Jewish people, his charges, whom he congratulates by saying: "you will cross and inherit the land." The form of address is what is known as לא זו אף זו, i.e. "not only will you cross the Jordan but you will even take possession of that land."