When the Stake Never Ends

This is the blessing with which Moses, the man of G-d, blessed the Israelites before his death. [Deuteronomy 33:1]

As a dying man, Moses has never been so busy. In the previous Torah portion Haazinu, the prophet-king rebukes his people for their fickleness and penchant for aping the nations. In our weekly portion Vzot Habracha, Moses, with G-d’s encouragement, blesses the Israelites.

On paper, Moses has no stake in the game. He will never enter the Land of Israel. He will not experience the Temple, the pilgrimages to Jerusalem, the transformation of a corrupt and idolatrous region into the kingdom of G-d. Instead, in his last hour, Moses is shown the destruction of the Jewish homeland and the exile that after 2,000 years seems eternal.

Another leader might simply not care what happens after his demise. As the French say, apres moi le deluge, attributed to Louis XV, known as France’s most brutal monarch, or perhaps his official and highly influential mistress Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson. Louis, eventually an object of contempt, would announce one policy but secretly press for an opposite course.

And that’s the way it is with most who claim leadership. When leadership pays handsomely, they are all in. When the chips are down or when their stake fades, they look for other options, including joining the other side.

For years, Benedict Arnold was regarded as one of the best commanders of the American revolution, which began in 1775. But his ego and rages made him intolerable among his peers and soon the knives were out. As his efforts turned from fighting the British to protecting himself against court-martial, poor health and dwindling finances, Arnold became convinced that the only one that could finance and protect him was the hated empire. By 1780, he turned traitor and pledged to surrender West Point to the enemy.

Moses was not made of such stuff. He praised the Jewish people and reminded G-d that the nations had been offered the Torah — particularly Edom and Ishmail — but refused. In contrast, Israel proclaimed “We will do and we will listen.” Looking centuries ahead, Moses also pleaded for the descendants of Judah, including the kings David, Solomon, Asa and Hezekiah.

Asa’s son Jehoshaphat was in particular need of Moses’ beneficence. Although G-d-fearing, Jehoshaphat had joined with Ahab, one of the most corrupt and idolatrous kings of Israel and under the spell of his evil wife Jezebel The two kings agreed to a joint war against the Ammonites in an effort to conquer the strategic region of Ramot Gilead. Moses prayed that Jehoshaphat avoid sharing the brutal end of Ahab, himself targeted by the Ammonites.

In addition, Moses prayed for the safety of Simeon, the tribe decimated not long before when they succumbed to the idolatry of Midian at Shitim. The massive sin sparked a plague that killed 24,000 members of the tribe, which became too small to control any significant portion of Israel. In the end, the Simonides would live under the tutelage of Judah, the largest tribe.

Moses Ben Nachman, known as the Ramban, writes that his biblical namesake did not see sitting on the fence as an option. He would never be allowed to become a lame duck, cheering or sniping from the sidelines. Moses’ blessings marked a tradition that continued from the patriarch Jacob. The Israelites were given the Torah on Mount Sinai and required a new set of blessings — one linked to obeying G-d’s word and yet remain eternal.

…He [Moses] said to them [Israel], “These blessings, when will they reach you? From the time that they receive the Torah that is written in it, ‘And this is the Torah.'” Because the word ‘this’ hints to the blessings that is the Torah, and this is the covenant… [Ramban on Deuteronomy 33:1]

To Moses, the covenant was crucial. Some of the tribes had trouble staying on the straight and narrow. Moses’ tribe, the Levites, did not. Unlike the others, the Levites did not commit the sin of the Golden Calf, rather rallied around Moses when he said, “Whoever is with G-d, join me.” The Levites were also the only ones who circumcised their sons in the desert. The other tribes maintained the exemption and were eventually circumcised at the edge of the Jordan River. Finally, Moses, seeing 1,000 years ahead, prayed for the Hasmoneans, a family of 13 who would battle and after 20 years defeat the world power Greece during its occupation of the Second Temple.

“G-d, bless their army and favorably accept the work of their hands. Strike the loins both of those who rise up against them and of their enemies, so they be prevented from rising up against them again.” [Deuteronomy 33:11]

Moses would not see the fruits of his blessings, and that made them stand apart. His wishes were sincere, without a trace of aggrandizement or resentment. He harbored no jealousy toward his successor, Joshua, whom Israel would accept as Moses’ heir and referenced during the blessing of Joseph. Moses did not forget the blessings of Jacob. Indeed, the leader of Israel drew from the patriarch’s blessings of his 12 children some 250 years earlier. Moses foresaw that five of the children — Asher, Dan, Gad, Naftali and Zebulun, seen as the weakest of the tribes, would require special attention, Moses repeated their names to boost their stature.

As it turned out, Zebulun would need more than tea and sympathy. The tribe complained that its territory was inferior to that of neighboring Naftali. But Moses envisioned a huge role for the sea-faring tribe. Zebulun would concentrate on commerce, particularly with the nations of the region. The foreign merchants would arrive to Zebulun’s enclave to close deals on such goods as white glass, tuna and a marine creature known as chilazon.

Once the negotiations were completed, the gentiles would decide to visit Jerusalem. They would observe a nation that prays to one deity and maintain a diet proscribed by the Torah. They were stunned. In their countries, people served numerous gods and ate whatever they desired.

They then say, “There is no nation as worthy as this one,” and there — in Jerusalem — they will convert. As it says: “They will offer up proper sacrifices there.” [Rashi on Deuteronomy 33:19]

In the end, Moses left his people with the greatest of blessings: The ability to lead the world to recognize G-d. His stake could not be greater.