AND MOSES WENT UP. I believe that Joshua wrote from this verse onward,¹ for Moses did not write² after he ascended.³ Joshua wrote prophetically.⁴ And the Lord showed him; And the Lord said unto him (v. 4); and also, And he was buried (v. 6) are proof.⁵

footnotes: ¹ In other words, Joshua composed Chapter 34. ² Anything. ³ Mount Nebo. Hence he could not have composed this chapter. ⁴ Chapter 34 was written under Divine inspiration. Hence it could be appended to the Torah. ⁵ That Chapter 34 was written prophetically, for otherwise how would Joshua know these things.

SO MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD DIED THERE. Even in his death Moses, like a servant, did what God commanded him.

ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD.⁶ (literally, by God’s mouth). Hence I.E.’s comment. For God told him, Get thee up (Deut. 32:49) and die (Deut. 32:50). Scripture similarly writes with regard to the death of Aaron, at the commandment of the Lord⁷. (Num. 33:38). It similarly states, At the commandment of the Lord⁸. We thus see that al pi Adonai is not to be taken literally but is to be interpreted according to God’s command. I.E. comments thus because there is a midrash which takes al pi Adonai literally and tells us that Moses died by God’s kiss. See Mo’ed Katan 28a; Bava Batra 17a. Also see Rashi. they encamped (Num. 9:23).

footnotes: ⁶ Hebrew, al pi Adonai ⁷ Hebrew, al pi Adonai ⁸ Hebrew, al pi Adonai

AND HE WAS BURIED.⁹ (literally, and he buried him). Moses buried himself.¹⁰ (and he buried him) is to be rendered, and he buried himself. I.E.’s point is that the pronoun oto (him) or otam (them) sometimes has the meaning of himself or themselves. He entered a cave in the valley. The same is true of but the shepherds fed them (otam),¹¹ (them) is to be rendered themselves. Our clause thus reads, but the shepherds fed themselves. and fed not My sheep (Ezek. 34:8) and, And the officers of the children of Israel did see them¹² (otam)¹³). (Ex. 5:19). Note,¹⁴); the valley (gai) which is over against Beth-peor (Deut. 34:6). I.E. goes on to explain that all of these terms refer to one and the same place. Mount Abarim is also known as Mount Nebo.¹⁵ Nebo is in the image of Mercury.¹⁶. According to I.E. the idol Nebo stood and was worshipped on Mount Abarim. Hence Mount Abarim was also known as Mount Nebo. Mount Abarim is also known as “the valley which is the top of Pisgah which is over against Beth-peor.”¹⁷ The fact that Scripture tells us that Israel journeyed from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, by the top of Pisgah (Num. 21:20) is proof of this.¹⁸) is to be identified with the top of Pisgah. Furthermore, Scripture writes, And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah (v. 1).¹⁹ Moses died there²⁰ and his grave is there.²¹ Scripture states,²² So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor (Deut. 3:29). Now, Scripture tells us that after Israel dwelt in the valley…the children of Israel journeyed, and pitched in the plains of Moab (Num. 22:1). Another verse states, And [Israel] pitched in the mountains of Abarim, in front of Nebo. And they journeyed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab (Num. 33:47,48). Look, it is clear that Moses’ burial place was in the place where he died.²³ and Sotah 13b.

footnotes: ⁹ Hebrew, va-yikbor oto ¹⁰ Va-yikbor oto ¹¹ Otam ¹² Translated literally. ¹³ Which is to be rendered, and the officers of the children of Israel did see themselves (otam ¹⁴ Scripture refers to Moses’ burial place by the following names: Mount Abarim (Deut. 32:49); Mount Nebo (Deut. 34:1); the top of Pisgah (Ibid. ¹⁵ See Deut. 32:39. ¹⁶ Nebo is the name of an idol in the image of Mercury (Krinsky). See I. E. on Is. 46:1, Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth ¹⁷ In other words, Mount Abarim, Mount Nebo, the valley which is the top of Pisgah which is over against Beth-peor all refer to one place. ¹⁸ That the valley (gai ¹⁹ We thus see that Pisgah and Mount Nebo refer to the same place. ²⁰ On Mount Nebo. ²¹ On Mount Nebo. ²² Additional proof that the valley and Mount Abarim are one and the same. ²³ I.E. takes issue with the midrash that states that Moses died in the land of the tribe of Reuben (the location of Mount Nebo) but was buried in the land belonging to the tribe of Gad. See Sifre

UNTO THIS DAY. These are the words of Joshua.²⁴ 15a: “The Holy One, blessed be He, dictated, and Moses wrote in tears.” He probably wrote this at the end of his days.²⁵ indicates that some time had passed since the death of Moses.

footnotes: ²⁴ Contrary to the opinion of Rabbi Meir in the Talmud that Moses also wrote this verse. See Bava Batra ²⁵ Unto this day

HIS NATURAL FORCE. The heh of lechoh (his natural force) is in place of a vav.²⁶. Here it is indicated by a heh. Hence I.E.’s comment. It is like the heh of oholoh (his tent) (Gen. 9:21).²⁷. Lechoh is related to the word lach (moist, fresh).²⁸ means his moistness. Scripture notes this²⁹ because old people are overtaken by dryness.

footnotes: ²⁶ The pronoun “his” is usually indicated by a vav ²⁷ Which is in place of a vav ²⁸ Thus lechoh ²⁹ That Moses’ moisture did not abate.

The word nas (abated) is the reverse of diffused.³⁰

footnotes: ³⁰ Moisture is diffused throughout the skin of a young person. However, it is removed from the skin of an old man. See Filwarg.

THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. However, when Aaron died, even all the house of Israel (Num. 20:29) mourned out of respect for Moses.³¹, Chapter 17.

footnotes: ³¹ The word “all” does not appear before the children of Israel. I.E. believes that Moses did not leave any survivors of such importance that out of respect for them all of Israel would participate in the public mourning for him. It should be noted that the midrash offers a different interpretation for the difference in mourning for Moses and Aaron. See Rashi: “The children of Israel wept,” i.e., the men; but regarding Aaron, because he pursued peace, and made peace between a man and his fellow, and between a woman and her husband, it is stated, “The whole house of Israel wept [for him] the men and the women” (Rosenbaum and Silberman translation). See Pirke De Rabbi Eliezer

SO…WERE ENDED. When the days of weeping in the mourning of Moses were ended there,³² the children of Israel hearkened unto Joshua.

footnotes: ³² In the plains of Moab.

WAS FULL OF THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM. The reference is to the spirit of the Lord.³³ (Is. 11:2). It then goes on to explain that the spirit of the Lord is the spirit of wisdom and understanding (Ibid.). See I.E. on Ex. 31:3 (Vol. 2, pp. 645,646). For Moses had laid his hands upon him is proof of this,³⁴. for there was not found in Israel one such as Joshua for Moses to lean on.³⁵ to mean relied on him, i.e., took him for a disciple. Be that as it may, according to I.E, For Moses had laid his hands upon him does not mean that the placing of Moses’ hand on Joshua caused Joshua to be full of the spirit of wisdom but rather that Moses placed his hands on Joshua because Joshua was full of the spirit of God.

footnotes: ³³ Scripture states, And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him ³⁴ That Joshua was full of the spirit of wisdom ³⁵ Another term for “place his hands on him.” It is possible that I.E. interprets Moses had laid his hands upon him

AND DID AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES. That they hearken unto Joshua.

FACE TO FACE. I have previously explained this.³⁶

footnotes: ³⁶ See I.E. on Deut. 3:5.

THE MIGHTY HAND. The wonders at the sea.³⁷ (literal translation).

footnotes: ³⁷ See Ex. 14:31: And Israel saw the mighty hand of God

THE GREAT TERROR. When Israel stood before Mount Sinai.³⁸

footnotes: ³⁸ See Ex. 20:15,16.