וָאֶתְחַנַּ֖ן אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹֽר׃
И я просил Господа в то время, говоря:
Kedushat Levi
Deuteronomy 3,23. “I pleaded with Hashem at that time, to say:” the word לאמור after we have been told that Moses pleaded with Hashem appears totally superfluous. Who else was this to be relayed to? In light of this, it appears that the correct interpretation of this verse is that prior to Moses’ praying to G’d on his own behalf he pleaded with Hashem to ensure that He was in a receptive mood for the prayer which would follow. This is also why the Torah added the words: בעת ההיא, “at that time,” to teach us that before that time Moses felt too ashamed to offer entreaty or prayer on his own behalf.
Kedushat Levi
This is what G’d meant when He told Yaakov in his dream: כי לא אעזבך עד אשר עשיתי את אשר דברתי לך, “for I will not abandon you until I have done what I have said (I would do) for you.” What G’d meant was that as soon as Yaakov would return to the land of Israel, he would have to fend for himself, using the intelligence etc., that G’d had endowed him with. He implied that at that time he would have to accompany his activities with the appropriate prayers asking G’d to let his efforts be crowned with success. If he were to neglect to do so, he would not become the founding father of the twelve tribes making up the Jewish people. Seeing that you had not reached spiritual maturity until that time, I intervened overtly on your behalf during the preceding years.
When we look at Yaakov’s situation from this angle, it is neither fear nor lack of faith when Yaakov says אם יהיה אלוקים עמדי וגו', “if G’d will be with me etc.” It is a declaration by Yaakov that as soon as he will safely return to his homeland he is prepared to do everything humanly possible, including prayer, of course, to ensure his success in the task that G’d has set him. He indicates by promising to tithe his income he will continue to view his success as an act of charity by G’d. Although he will do what is in his power, he will view success as G’d manifesting His love for him. Tzaddikim, even when earning their livelihood by their own efforts, will continue to view their success as not due to their own intelligence or hard work, but as a gift from G’d. The matriarchs, whose success is not measured in terms of their earning power, but in terms of the fruit of their wombs, therefore were meant to turn to G’d in prayer in order for what other women considered as their natural right, i.e. to produce children, to be granted to them also.
Perhaps this is how we must understand Bereshit Rabbah 76,2 on Genesis 45,28 according to which any assurance given by G’d to tzaddikim does not refer to events that would occur in this life. On Deuteronomy 3,23 Rashi comments that although the righteous, if they wanted to, could ascribe any success that they enjoyed in this life as due to merits they had accumulated, they prefer not to do so. When they ask G’d for something, they make a point as describing G’d’s granting their request as a מתנת חנם, a “free gift.” These explanations were needed, as seeing that we have a tradition that G’d does not even go back on a conditional promise, how could the Midrash say that no promises of G’d apply in this world. The meaning of the words: כי לא אעזבך עד וגו', therefore must mean that there comes a time in Yaakov’s life when he is expected to no longer have to rely on G’d’s promises.
When we look at Yaakov’s situation from this angle, it is neither fear nor lack of faith when Yaakov says אם יהיה אלוקים עמדי וגו', “if G’d will be with me etc.” It is a declaration by Yaakov that as soon as he will safely return to his homeland he is prepared to do everything humanly possible, including prayer, of course, to ensure his success in the task that G’d has set him. He indicates by promising to tithe his income he will continue to view his success as an act of charity by G’d. Although he will do what is in his power, he will view success as G’d manifesting His love for him. Tzaddikim, even when earning their livelihood by their own efforts, will continue to view their success as not due to their own intelligence or hard work, but as a gift from G’d. The matriarchs, whose success is not measured in terms of their earning power, but in terms of the fruit of their wombs, therefore were meant to turn to G’d in prayer in order for what other women considered as their natural right, i.e. to produce children, to be granted to them also.
Perhaps this is how we must understand Bereshit Rabbah 76,2 on Genesis 45,28 according to which any assurance given by G’d to tzaddikim does not refer to events that would occur in this life. On Deuteronomy 3,23 Rashi comments that although the righteous, if they wanted to, could ascribe any success that they enjoyed in this life as due to merits they had accumulated, they prefer not to do so. When they ask G’d for something, they make a point as describing G’d’s granting their request as a מתנת חנם, a “free gift.” These explanations were needed, as seeing that we have a tradition that G’d does not even go back on a conditional promise, how could the Midrash say that no promises of G’d apply in this world. The meaning of the words: כי לא אעזבך עד וגו', therefore must mean that there comes a time in Yaakov’s life when he is expected to no longer have to rely on G’d’s promises.
Kedushat Levi
The author sees in the Midrash dealing with the candlestick consisting of several parts an allusion to the human body, each of whose limbs has been charged with fulfilling one of the 248 positive commandments of the Torah. Similarly, each of the 365 tendons has been made responsible for not transgressing any of the 365 negative commandments. Avraham was able to fulfill all the commandments that were later revealed in the Torah due to his amazing intellect. (Compare Yuma 28) Anyone born since the Torah has been given who is obligated to keep the commandments, causes harm to parts of his body through failure to perform any commandment which he is capable of fulfilling. His body therefore becomes flawed and requires rehabilitation. The instrument G’d selected to help us to achieve this rehabilitation is giving our soul an additional round of life on earth during which we can make up for our failures in the previous round. According to our author, the word היום in the last verse of Vaetchanan, alludes to the individual who through meticulous mitzvah performance does not need to experience transmigration, whereas the word עקב in the first verse of the next portion alludes to the final round of life on earth experienced by someone who did need to experience transmigration to complete his task on this earth.