Midras Bilangan 20:10: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Devarim Rabbah, Shemot Rabbah & Midrash Tanchuma

(Job 20:6:) EVEN THOUGH ONE'S HEIGHT ASCENDS TO THE HEAVENS. This refers to Moses, when he ascended unto the firmament and drew near unto the Araphel (the lower sky). Moreover, he was like the ministering angels in that he spoke with him (i.e., with the Holy One) face to face and received the Torah from the hand of the Holy One. But when he besought him that he not die, the Holy One said to him: (in Deut. 3:26): DO NOT <EVER> SPEAK <UNTO ME ON THIS MATTER> AGAIN. Why was the Holy One angry with Moses? Because he had rebuked Israel. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had a son. He handed him over to a paidagogos.¹This Greek word does not correspond to the English “pedagogue.” Rather it denotes a slave whose task was to accompany a child as a companion to steer him on the right ways of life. The paidagogos was more of a nanny than a teacher. See my chapter, “Ancient Education in the Time of the Early Roman Empire,” in The Catacombs and the Colosseum, edited by S. Benko and J. J. O’Rourke (Valley Forge: Judson, 1971), pp. 139–163, especially p. 144. <When> the paidagogos became angry with him and reprimanded him, the king heard <about the reprimand> and said: By the life of my kingdom, you are not entering my palace.²Palterin. Gk.: praitorion; Lat.: praetorium. Similarly when Moses said to Israel (in Numb. 20:10): LISTEN, YOU REBELS, the Holy One said to him (in Numb. 20:12): THEREFORE YOU SHALL NOT LEAD THIS CONGREGATION <INTO THE LAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN THEM>.

(Deut. 3:24:) YOU HAVE <ONLY> BEGUN <TO SHOW YOUR SERVANT YOUR GREATNESS AND YOUR MIGHT…. > He said to him: You are the one who opened a door for me to pray to you.³Sifre to Deut. 3:24 (27). When? When they did that deed.⁴I.e., when they made and worshiped the golden calf. See Deut. 9:7–12. The Holy One said to him (in Deut. 9:14): LET ME ALONE, AND I WILL DESTROY THEM AND BLOT OUT THEIR NAME FROM UNDER THE HEAVENS. Moses said: Who would seize hold of the Holy One? One only seeks to pray for one's children. What is written there (in Exod. 32:11)? AND MOSES IMPLORED THE LORD HIS GOD. Moses said: Once I prayed for the community and was answered, but the community prayed for me and was not answered. Why? Because you have issued a decree over me <for calling them rebels>! But you were the one who began by calling them <rebels> (in Numb. 17:25 [10]): <PUT BACK AARON'S ROD … > TO BE KEPT AS A SIGN FOR THE CHILDREN OF REBELLION. Then because I called them <rebels> (in Numb. 20:10): LISTEN, YOU REBELS, you said (in 20:12): THEREFORE YOU SHALL NOT LEAD THIS CONGREGATION <INTO THE LAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN THEM>.

Another matter: Rabbi Simon said: When the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses that he should review the Torah, he did not seek to rebuke them for what they had done.¹⁴Moses was going to review the Torah with the Israelites, but he did not intend to rebuke them. Rabbi Simon said: To what is the matter comparable? To a disciple who was walking with his teacher and saw a glowing ember. He thought it was a gem. He took it and was burned. Days later, he was walking with his teacher and he saw a gem. He believed it was a glowing ember and he was afraid to touch it. His teacher said to him: ‘Take it, it is a gem.’ So, Moses said: ‘Because I said to them: “Hear, now, defiant ones” (Numbers 20:10), I received my punishment because of them;¹⁵Moses was punished by not be able to enter the Land of Israel; see Numbers 20:10–12. will I now come to rebuke them?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Fear not.’