Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah
Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 9:1/אור החיים על דברים ט׳:א׳
אשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתָּה עֹבֵר וְגוֹ׳. אָמְרוֹ שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל פֵּרוּשׁ, תְּנוּ דַּעְתְּכֶם לְמַאֲמָר זֶה שֶׁאֲנִי אוֹמֵר לָכֶם ״אַתָּה עוֹבֵר״, מָה רְצוֹנִי לוֹמַר לָכֶם בָּזֶה ״אַתָּה עוֹבֵר״, וְהַשְׂכִּילוּ כַּוָּנָתִי בְּמַאֲמָר זֶה מַה הוּא. וְהוּא עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם נִתְכַּוֵּן לְהָעִירָם עַל מַה שֶׁאֵרַע אֵלָיו שֶׁהוּא אֵינוֹ עוֹבֵר, וְלָזֶה אָמַר אַתָּה לוֹמַר וְלֹא אֲנִי, וְהַטַּעַם כְּאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (דברים רבה ג,יא) וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנָם: לִפְתֹּחַ לָהֶם פֶּתַח שֶׁיְּבַקְשׁוּ עָלָיו רַחֲמִים, עַד כָּאן. וְחָשׁ שֶׁמָּא לֹא יָבִינוּ אֶת דְּבָרָיו וְהִקְדִּים לוֹמַר ״שְׁמַע״, פֵּרוּשׁ, הָבֵן. וְאָמְרוֹ הַיּוֹם נִתְכַּוֵּן לוֹמַר שֶׁהַהֶפְרֵשׁ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בֵּינָם לְבֵינוֹ שֶׁהֵם עוֹבְרִים וְהוּא אֵינוֹ עוֹבֵר הוּא דַּוְקָא הַיּוֹם, אֲבָל בִּזְמַן אַחֵר יַעֲבֹר גַּם הוּא, כְּאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (זוהר ח״ב קכ.) בְּפָסוּק ״כִּימֵי צֵאתְךָ״ וְגוֹ׳ כִּי לֶעָתִיד מֹשֶׁה יַכְנִיס אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל.
1 שמע ישראל אתה עובר היום את הירדן, "Hear, O Israel: you are going to cross the river Jordan this day." The word שמע in this context means "pay attention to this statement." What did Moses want the Israelites to pay attention to, seeing this was not the date on which they would cross the Jordan, something which was quite clear to them? Moses wanted to draw a line between them and himself. Whereas on this day he knew that he would not cross the Jordan, they knew that they were slated to cross the Jordan. By saying אתה, "you," Moses implied "you and not I." According to Devarim Rabbah 3,11 Moses phrased this line so that the Israelites would understand that they should plead with G'd on his behalf to permit him to cross the river Jordan. Moses was afraid the Israelites would not get the hint; therefore he emphasised the word היום, "this day," meaning that the difference between them was only on that day, i.e. that they would cross now whereas he would not. There would, however, come a time when he too would be allowed to cross the Jordan as we learned in the Zohar volume two page 120 on the verse כימי צאתך מארץ מצרים (Michah 7,15). We deduce from that verse that Moses will lead the Israelites into the Holy Land at the time discussed by the prophet.