Sotah 13b — the Talmud in English

They said

Israel:

This is all that is written here!

And we raised an objection:

And if Moses had not occupied himself

with the bones of Joseph,

would Israel not have occupied themselves with them?

Yet they had all been sworn regarding this; how, then, did they leave Moses to occupy himself with them alone?

But it is written "

And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up from Egypt, they buried in Shechem"

—so it follows that after Moses died, Israel occupied themselves with him?

And furthermore, if Israel did not occupy themselves with him

after Moses died,

his sons

of Joseph

would not have occupied themselves with him

—how, then, did they leave the rest of the people to occupy themselves with him?

But it is written

concerning Shechem: "

And they became an inheritance for the children of Joseph"

—so it follows that the children of Joseph buried him in their inheritance because he was dear to them?

And we resolve it:

They said,

his sons themselves:

Let him be left

so that all Israel would occupy themselves with him, because

his honor is greater among many than among few.

And furthermore, they said

Israel concerning Moses:

Let him be left

so that he alone would occupy himself with him, because

his honor is greater among the great than among the small.

And regarding that which is written

“They buried him in Shechem”

we raised an objection:

What is different about Shechem

—why did they bury him specifically there? And we answer:

Rabbi Hama bar Rabbi Hanina said: From Shechem they stole him

his brothers,

and to Shechem we shall return his lost property.

The verses contradict one another: It is written

in the portion of Beshalah: "

And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him"

—it implies Moses alone, and not the rest of the people;

and it is written

in the Book of Joshua: "

And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up

from Egypt"—it implies that all of them brought him up?

And we answer:

Rabbi Hama bar Rabbi Hanina said: Whoever performs a thing but does not complete it, and another comes and completes it, Scripture considers it as though the one who

completed

it had done it

entirely. Here, too, the children of Israel completed his burial, and therefore even his bringing up is called by their name.

Rabbi Elazar says: It also causes him to be brought down from his greatness

from Heaven—one who begins a matter but does not complete it [unless he was prevented by circumstances beyond his control, like Moses, who died in the wilderness]—

as it is written

after the sale of Joseph: "

And it came to pass at that time that Judah went down"

—for Judah began the rescue of Joseph, saying, “What gain is there if we kill our brother and cover his blood?” but did not complete it.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani said: He also buries his wife and his sons,

as it is written "

And the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died,"

and it is written "

And Er and Onan died,"

who were Judah’s sons.

Rav Judah said in the name of Rav: Why was Joseph called—

“bones”

during his lifetime?

Because Joseph said about himself while he was still alive, “And you shall bring up my bones from here,”

because he did not protest the honor of his father, for they said to him

his brothers: "

Your servant, our father,"

and he said nothing to them.

And Rav Judah said in the name of Rav—and some say Rabbi Hama bar Rabbi Hanina: Why did Joseph die before his brothers?

Because he conducted himself with authority.

It is written: "

And Joseph was brought down to Egypt."

Rabbi Elazar said: Do not read “was brought down,” but “brought down”—

for he brought Pharaoh’s astrologers down from their greatness

by interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, which they did not know how to interpret.

It is written: "

And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, bought him."

Rav said: He bought him for himself

for intercourse with a male, because of his beauty.

Gabriel came and punished him

—he castrated him [with an additional castration], for

at first it is written “Potiphar,” and at the end

it is written

“Potiphera,”

on account of Gabriel’s castrating him.

We learned in the Mishna:

Who is as great for us as Moses?

It is written in the portion of Va’ethanan: "

And the Lord said to me, It is enough for you

—do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter."

Rabbi Levi said: With

“enough”

He informed—with

“enough”

He informed him.

With “enough” He informed Moses to the sons of his dispute in the portion of Korah, when he said to them: "

Enough"

to

you, sons of Levi." And the Holy One, blessed is He, is exacting with the righteous to the breadth of a hairsbreadth, and he was punished in the same measure:

the sons of his opponents in the portion of Korah, saying to them:

“It is enough for you,

sons of Levi.” The Holy One, blessed be He, is exacting with the righteous to the measure of a hairsbreadth, and he was punished in the same measure:

with

“enough”

He informed him—"

It is enough for you."

Alternatively: "

It is enough for you"—

you have a great deal.

And who is he?

Joshua!

For his reign had arrived, and one reign does not encroach upon another.

Alternatively: "

It is enough for you"

means: It is enough for you; do not increase your request from Me, so that

they will not say: How harsh is the teacher

who does not listen and is not appeased by his student,

and how obstinate is the student

who persists.

And why so much?

Why was his prayer not accepted?

A tanna of the school of Rabbi Ishmael taught: According to the camel is its burden

—just as they increase the camel’s load according to the camel’s strength, so, regarding Moses our teacher, the Holy One, blessed is He, was exacting with him according to his righteousness.

It is written: "

And he said to them, I am today one hundred and twenty years old."

For what purpose is

“today”

needed? Rather,

today my days and years have been completed

—for on this day I was born.

This teaches you that the Holy One, blessed is He, completes the years of the righteous from day to day and from month to month

—that they die on the day on which they were born.

As it is written: "

I shall fill the number of your days."

It is written: "

I can no longer go out and come in."

What is

“go out and come in”?

If you say, literally going out and coming in

—that he was unable to go out and come in because of old age,

but it is written: "

And Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye had not dimmed"

—his vitality had not departed from him,

and it is written: "

And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo,"

and it was taught: There were twelve steps

steps

there, and Moses traversed them in one step

—so it follows that he had not weakened at all, even on the day of his death?

And we answer:

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan:

What is

“go out and come in”?

With words of Torah; this teaches that the gates of wisdom were closed to him

on that day.

It is written: "

And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the Tent of Meeting."

A tanna taught: That Shabbat

on which Moses died

was a day of paired partners

two companions;

authority was taken from this one and given to that one

—the beginning of the day belonged to Moses, and its end to Joshua.

Rabbi Judah said: If the verse were not written, it would be impossible

to say it!

Where did Moses die?

In the portion of Reuben, as it is written: "

And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo,"

and afterward, “And Moses died there.”

And Nebo stands in the portion of Reuben, as it is written: "

And the children of Reuben built, and so forth,

and Nebo, and so forth" [“

Nebo”

from the language of prophecy;

for there Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, three prophets, died]

—so it follows that he died in the portion of Reuben.

And where was Moses buried?

In the portion of Gad, as it is written

concerning Gad: "

And he saw the first portion for himself

for there the portion of the lawgiver is hidden."

And from the portion of Reuben to the portion of Gad, how much is it

the distance?

Four mil.

Those four mil—who transported him?

This teaches that Moses was laid in the wings of the Divine Presence

in the wing of the garment of His glory, that is, the Holy One, blessed is He, brought him.

And the ministering angels say

concerning Moses: "

The righteousness of the Lord he performed, and His judgments with Israel."

And the Holy One, blessed is He, says

concerning him: "

Who will rise up for Me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for Me against the workers of iniquity?"

to rebuke them for My sake.

And Shmuel said:

the Holy One, blessed is He, says: "

Who is like the wise man, and who knows the interpretation"

—for he knew how to make a compromise between Me and Israel.

And Rabbi Yohanan said:

the Holy One, blessed is He, says: "

Wisdom—from where shall it be found?"

And Rav Nahman said:

the Holy One, blessed is He, says: "

And Moses died there."

Simlai [

a sage’s name]

said:

the Holy One, blessed is He, says:

“And Moses died there, the great scribe of Israel,”

who wrote the Torah.

It was taught: Rabbi Eliezer the Great says: Twelve mil by twelve mil—

corresponding to the camp of Israel.

A bat kol sounds and says: “And Moses died there, the great scribe of Israel.”

And some say: Moses did not die.

It is written here: "

And he died there,"

and it is written there: "

And he was there with the Lord

forty days and forty nights." They derive by a gezera shava: “there”—“there”:

just as there he stood and served

before the Lord,

so here he stood and served.

It is written: "

And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor."

Rabbi Berechiah said: A sign within a sign

—that is, there are many signs here for the place of Moses’ burial: in the land of Moab, in the valley, opposite Beth-peor.

And even so: "

And no man knows his burial place."