Devarim 3: Enough!

At the end of Chapter 3, Moshe talks about his own punishment. He does not discuss the rock and the water here. Instead, he tells the people that it was because of them that God would not let him enter the land. Moshe recounts how he pleaded with God to cross the Jordan and see the land of Canaan:“I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying… Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan.” (Deuteronomy 3:23–25)וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל־ה׳ בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר׃אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן הָהָר הַטּוֹב הַזֶּה וְהַלְּבָנוֹןHe then adds God’s sharp response:“But the LORD was angry with me because of you, and He did not listen to me. The LORD said to me: ‘Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!’” (Deuteronomy 3:26)וַיִּתְעַבֵּר ה׳ בִּי לְמַעַנְכֶם וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֵלָי וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֵלַי רַב־לָךְ אַל־תּוֹסֶף דַּבֵּר אֵלַי עוֹד בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּהMoshe recalling God’s angry response is meant to show the people how fortunate they are to have the opportunity to enter the land that even Moshe himself is denied.There is also an interesting word choice in God’s response. The Hebrew phrase God uses is “רַב־לָךְ” (rav lecha). This is the same language used by Korach against Moshe earlier in the Torah. In Numbers, Korach and his followers confront Moshe and Aaron and say:“They gathered against Moses and Aaron and said to them, ‘You have gone too far!’” (Numbers 16:3)וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ עַל־מֹשֶׁה וְעַל־אַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם רַב־לָכֶם כִּי כָל־הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדֹשִׁים וּבְתוֹכָם ה׳Why would God use the same words against Moshe that Korach used against Moshe? Perhaps God is trying to teach Moshe a lesson. By deliberately echoing Korach’s language, God reminds Moshe of Korach’s rebellion. Korach’s rebellion was a direct attack on the authority of Moshe. God’s response to Moshe implies that Moshe’s continued pleas to enter the land amount to a challenge to divine authority. Just as Korach had no right to question Moshe’s authority, Moshe has no right to question God’s authority.