Komentarz do Powtórzonego Prawa 32:48

וידבר ה' אל משה בעצם היום הזה AND THE LORD SPAKE TO MOSES THAT SELF SAME DAY — In three places in Scripture the expression בעצם היום הזה is used. It states in the narrative of Noah (Genesis 7:12) בעצם היום הזה entered Noah … [into the ark]” — which means in the glare of full daylight. Because his contemporaries said: By this and by that we swear; (cf. Note 2 on Deuteronomy 1:1): If we notice him about to do so we will not let him enter the ark, and not only that, but we will take axes and hatchets and we will split the ark in pieces. Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “See, I will let him enter at midday and anyone who has power to prevent it, let him come and prevent it!” Of Egypt, too, it states, (Exodus All. 11) “The selfsame day the Lord did bring [the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt]”: because the Egyptians said: By this and by that! If we notice them about to do so, we will not let them leave, and not only that, but we will take swords and other weapons and will kill them. Thereupon said the Holy One, blessed be He, “See, I will bring them forth in the middle of the day, and anyone who has power to prevent it, let him come and prevent it!” Here, too, regarding Moses’ death, it states בעצם היום הזה, because the children of Israel said, By this and by that! If we notice him about to ascend the mountain, we will not let him do so, — the man who brought us out of Egypt, and divided the Red Sea for us, and brought the Manna down for us, and brought a flight of quails for us, and made the “well” rise, and gave us the Torah: we will not permit him to go!” Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Behold, I will bring him unto his resting place in the middle of the day, etc.” (Sifrei Devarim 337; cf. Rashi on Genesis 17:23).

At the very height of that day. The day of death is called a person’s sunset, but when Moshe died, “His appearance was not dulled and his freshness did not fade.” Therefore it was as if he was still in the middle of his life, and at the height of his day.

בעצם היום הזה לאמור. "on that very day, saying." Moses was to tell the people that he would ascend the mountain in order to die. This corresponds to what Sifri explains on the word בעצם that on the three occasions when this word appears it reflects G'd's determination not to be interfered with. In this instance the Israelites had threatened to physically prevent Moses from ascending the mountain to die there.

In three places it is said. If you ask: Why does it not count “that very day” which is stated regarding Avraham? For it is written (Bereishis 17:23), “On that very day” Avraham was circumcised, and Rashi explains, “By daytime and not by night, yet he was not afraid, etc.” One could answer that when it states regarding Avraham “on this very day” it comes to teach that he did the circumcision on the very day that he was commanded, as Rashi explains. Therefore Rashi mentions only three places.

V. 48. בעצם היום הזה. Wie bereits zu Bereschit 17, 23 bemerkt, bezeichnet nach Auffassung der Weisen עצם היום immer die Macht des Tages, d. i. die volle Mächtigkeit, die Helle des Tages, und sagt, dass der Vorgang am hellen Tage geschehen. Mosche Todesgang gehörte mit hinein in den Kreis seines ganzen menschlich freien Pflichtlebens. Es war nicht ein passives Erdulden physischer Notwendigkeit. Es war ein sittlich freies Sichhingeben an den Willen Gottes und seines Waltens, wie jede andere Pflichttat. Es dürfte dies um so mehr hervorgehoben sein, je schmerzlicher gerade der Moment seines Scheidens ihn der eigentlichen Krönung seines ganzen irdischen Wirkens entzog, je mehr gerade jetzt in dem Augenblick des Übergangs zu der Besitznahme des Landes und der eigentlichen Verwirklichung des Gesetzes das Volk seiner bedürfen mochte, und je mehr er nach Kap. 34, 7 sich noch in dem Vollbesitz der zur fernen Wirksamkeit erforderlichen körperlichen und geistigen Kraft wissen durfte.

בעצם היום הזה, “on this very day,” when he composed the song.