AND IF THOU (at) DEAL THUS WITH ME. R. Isaac asked: ‘For what reason did Moses make use of the feminine form at (thou) instead of the masculine atta? The reason is’, he explained, ‘that Moses directed his words towards the realm of death, the realm associated with the female principle. Therefore he said “Kill me, I pray thee, out of hand’, an invocation to the Tree of Death. Hence the feminine at.

AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: GATHER UNTO ME SEVENTY MEN…. The Holy One, blessed be He, in effect said to him: On every such occasion you wish to die,¹ so “I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them”. Observe that Moses was here made to know that he would die [in the wilderness] and not enter into the Land, as, in fact, Eldad and Medad announced.¹

footnotes: ¹ Allusion to “blot me, I pray thee out of thy book…” (Ex. 32, 32), in connection with the Golden Calf. ¹ v. T. B. Sanhedrin, 17a.

This is a lesson that in time of wrath a man ought not to utter anything in the nature of a curse against himself, inasmuch as ever so many malignant powers are standing by, ready to take up that utterance. On the other occasion, when Moses prayed for death to himself¹ his request was not taken up, for the reason that Moses meant it all for the benefit of Israel. Here, on the other hand, Moses only gave vent to his anger and anguish of heart; his words, therefore, were taken up, and Eldad and Medad, who remained in the camp, announced, “Moses will be gathered in and Joshua will bring Israel into the Land”.

footnotes: ¹ Viz., in connection with the Golden Calf.

This made Joshua jealous for the sake of Moses, and so he came to him and said, “My lord Moses, restrain them”, or, as we might also render, “withhold from them these words”. But Moses, regardless of his own glory, did not consent. Observe the meekness evinced in the reply of Moses: “Art thou jealous for my sake?” Happy is the portion of Moses, who rose high above the highest prophets (al. the prophets of the world).’ R. Judah remarked: ‘All the prophets were to Moses like the moon to the sun.’