Taking A Closer Look (Rabbi Dov Kramer)
“And Moshe wrote (put on parchment) this Torah, and he gave it to the Kohanim, the sons of Levi, the carriers of the ark of G-d’s covenant, and to all of the elders of Israel” (Devarim 31:9). “On the day that Moshe died, he wrote 13 Torah scrolls; 12 of them he gave to the 12 Tribes (one scroll for each Tribe), and one that was placed in (or by) the ark, so that if they want to alter it, they will not be able to (i.e. the 13th scroll would be a reference to ensure that the text remained intact).” This Chazal (Midrash Tehillim 90) is echoed throughout Rabbinic literature. After I gave my weekly Chumash shiur last Thursday night (which had nothing to do with this Chazal), I was asked how it was physically possible for Moshe to write 13 complete Torah scrolls in one day. To be honest, not only had this question never occurred to me, but even after it was asked, it didn’t really seem (to me) to be a big problem. After all, we’re talking about Moshe Rabbeinu, in a situation where it was of primary importance to get this done; having it done miraculously would just be “par for the course.” (My father had the same reaction when I shared the question with him.) Nevertheless, I said I would, bli neder, look into it. (Hopefully he’ll come to this week’s shiur, as it will be a large part of what I hope to cover!)
Sure enough, Eitz Yosef (Devarim Rabbah 9:9; 9:4 in most editions that carry his commentary) writes, “there is no doubt that this happened miraculously, for who is able to write even one Sefer Torah (Torah scroll) in one day.” Tzror Hamor (Devarim 31:24) elaborates on this, telling us that “holy things are done by themselves, without human help.” He brings several examples of verses that speak in a passive form, with things being done, not someone doing them, such as creation (Beraishis 2:1 and Tehillim 33:6), the Mishkan (Shemos 39:32) and the Temple (Melachim I 6:7). Here too (by Moshe’s Torah scrolls), the verse says, “until they were finished” (as opposed to “until he finished [writing] them”), because these 13 Torah scrolls were written “by themselves,” i.e. miraculously. Alshich explains that they had to be written miraculously so that everyone would realize that the whole Torah came from G-d, not just the 10 Commandments (which had also been written miraculously). This echoes the thoughts of the Rokayach (31:26), who wrote, “in order that they will not say that only the [10 Commandments] which G-d [Himself] spoke, are primary, but not the [whole] Torah, therefore the Torah was placed at the side of the ark (next to the Luchos).” In short, these sources clearly indicate that the 13 Torah scrolls being written in one day was miraculous, and had to be.
Others are not as sure. In his comments on Midrash Tehillim, Rabbi Shlomo Buber suggests that perhaps the Midrash really meant that Moshe handed the Torah scrolls over on his last day, not that they were written on that last day. In fact, many of the sources that discuss these 13 Torah scrolls, such as Pesikta D’Rav Kahana (32), Midrash HaGadol (Devarim 31:9), Sifre (in a manuscript quoted in the notes in the Finkelstein edition at the beginning of Devarim), and Rambam (Introduction to the Mishnah), make no mention of the scrolls being written on Moshe’s last day. Additionally, one of the reasons given for saying “Tzidkasecha” at Mincha on Shabbos is based on Moshe dying on Shabbos (see Sefer Chasidim 356); since writing is one of the 39 categories of work forbidden to do on Shabbos, how could he have written anything, much less 13 Torah scrolls, on Shabbos? However, many answers are given to this question (see Bach, O”C 292), and several (see Or Zarua, Hilchos Motza’i Shabbos 92 and Mordecai (Pesachim 105b) prove that Moshe died on a Friday, taking for granted that the 13 Torah scrolls were written on Moshe’s last day. [As a side note, Mordecai quotes Sifre as the source of Moshe writing 13 Torah scrolls on his last day, and there is some discussion as to what he meant by “Sifre” since this is not in our editions. Finkelstein assumes that the manuscript he quotes is what Mordecai had, but even that manuscript makes no mention of it being on Moshe’s last day. Either Mordecai meant to reference a different Midrashic source (as Maharitz Chiyos suggests, see Buber’s notes on Midrash Tehillim and Pesikta D’Rav Kehana), or if the version of the Sifre he had didn’t mention it explicitly, Mordecai understood from the context of the day’s activities that Moshe must have written the Torah scrolls on his last day.]
Numerous sources (besides Midrash Tehillim) mention specifically that Moshe wrote these scrolls on his last day (e.g. Tosfos on Devarim 31:26), with the context of several necessitating that it be on that last day. Devarim Rabbah (9:9) says that one of the things Moshe hoped to accomplish by writing 13 scrolls was to be involved in holy activities the whole day and thus prevent the Angel of death from being able to kill him on the day destined to be his day of death (similar to King David having to be distracted from learning Torah by the Angel of Death). If so, the writing of the scrolls had to have been done on that last day, not just his handing them over to the nation. Interestingly, the Midrash says that the sun refused to set until Moshe finished (whereby he could die, and do so on the day he was supposed to), indicating that Moshe’s last day lasted for far more than 24 hours, giving him more than a “day” to write the scrolls.
Maharzo suggests that most of the text had been written previously, as Moshe had written each part down (on 13 different scrolls) as he was taught them by G-d. It was the final parts (and, I would add, the narrative that connects the parts) that were written on that last day, making them full, complete scrolls. (Since Maharzo is commenting on Midrash Rabbah, he must be of the opinion that there was still enough left to be written that it would take up the whole day, or Moshe’s attempt at warding off death could not work.) However, Rashi had told us (Devarim 29:3) “he heard” that Moshe originally gave a Torah only to the Tribe of Levi, at which point the other tribes insisted that they get one too. This happened on Moshe’s last day, which means Moshe wouldn’t have written parts of the other 12 scrolls until then; all he would have thought would be necessary was one scroll. [Interestingly, several versions (see Yalkut Shimoni 941 and Rabbeinu Efrayim on Devarim 31:9) have Moshe writing 12 scrolls on his last day, which makes sense if it were only the 12 scrolls requested by the other Tribes on that day that Moshe had to write at the last moment.]
Although by saying “he heard” Rashi is indicating that it was not from a Midrashic source, it is likely that Moshe being asked on that last day to provide a Torah to each Tribe was suggested to answer why Moshe waited until the last day to write the 13 scrolls. Nevertheless, recent editions of Rashi have tried to give his comment a Midrashic source, and point out that it is similar to something quoted in Yalkut Shimoni (938, pg. 662 in the standard edition). There are several differences between the Midrash and Rashi; the one most relevant to our discussion is who approached whom. Whereas Rashi says that the nation approached Moshe demanding that they get a copy of the Torah too, the Midrash has Moshe asking the nation if they also want access to it. Nevertheless, this doesn’t necessarily mean these are two separate versions of what happened.
“Moshe said to them, ‘do you want a covenant to be enacted with you that anyone who seeks to study Torah will not be denied?’ They responded to him, ‘yes.” They stood, and they swore that no one will be held back from reading the Torah, as it says (Devarim 27:9), ‘to all of Israel, saying, ’Moshe said to them (ibid), ‘today you have become a people.” Describing this as a “covenant” has many ramifications. For one thing, since it was a covenant, it’s possible that the nation first approached Moshe about having access to the Torah, to which Moshe responded by asking if they wanted to make it a (or to include it in the) covenant. Secondly, Chazal tell us (see Tanchuma Netzavim 3 and Soteh 37b) that there were three covenants: at Mt. Sinai, in the Mishkan, and at Arvos Moav (some add one at Mt. Grizim/Mt. Aival). There is much discussion regarding what the nature of each of the covenants were, and this Midrash indicates that the one at Arvos Moav gave access to the Torah to everybody, not just to the Tribe of Levi. Additionally, it informs us of what might have been had this covenant not been made, as only the teachers, the Tribe of Levi, would have been involved in deep Torah study; everybody else would only study practical law, and would have to ask a Levi any question they had (as they would have been denied access to the source texts to figure out the basis of the law).
Think about it: The only sages that would have (or could have) been quoted in the Mishnah, Talmud or Midrashim would be those that were Kohanim or Levi’im. The same is true of our Yeshivos and Batei Midrashim; only those with proof that they were from the Tribe of Levi would be allowed in. The only thing the rest of us could study would be Mishnah Berurah, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, or something similar. (“V’dibarta bam” would, for us, refer to this type of study.) However, since we agreed to this covenant at Arvos Moav, even I, a non-Levi, am allowed to try to write this piece and research any other issue that I want to understand more fully. Only after the covenant was enacted did we become a full nation, with a “heart to know, eyes to see and ears to hear” (Devarim 29:3). If it was only enacted because the nation first approached Moshe, we can understand why Moshe had to realize what they wanted before they could become such a nation (see Rashi there). (Even without the covenant aspect, it was only because Moshe realized what they wanted that he was able to give them more than he otherwise would have given over to them.)
Let’s take it from the other perspective. What if Moshe’s offer of this covenant wasn’t a response to the nation’s request? What if he would have offered it anyway, or was hoping they would request it? A nation that consisted of primarily halacha learners (and observers) would not need full Torah scrolls (only the teachers would). They would study the parts of the Torah they had already been taught by Moshe, but wouldn’t need to see how the parts were connected, which “lesson” was attached to another “lesson.” All they would need were individual scrolls that contained each separate lesson; there would be no reason to write these “lesson scrolls” in a way that they could be easily attached (after the connecting narratives were added) to become one cohesive scroll. However, if Moshe was hoping all along that they would request such a scroll, and/or would agree to such a covenant, then he likely would have written each lesson down in a way that they could more easily be connected to become a full Torah scroll.
Putting this possibility together with several others, it doesn’t seem as difficult for Moshe to have “written” all 13 scrolls in one day. Bear in mind that at the covenant at Sinai, Moshe gave them scrolls with all of Beraishis, a large part of Shemos, and perhaps even part of Vayikra (see Rashi on Shemos 24:4 and Chizkuni on 24:7). If Moshe was planning on offering them full access to the Torah (or hoping they would ask), he would have written down everything they would have to study anyway in a way that could easily be incorporated into a Torah scroll. All that was left to do after they agreed to this covenant was to add the connecting narratives and G-d’s final additions. This would still take plenty of time, and Moshe was hoping it would take too long to finish in one day, thus preventing the Angel of Death from taking his life. However, G-d hinted to the sun that it should stay up longer, and Moshe was able to finish everything before the day ended. He was able to take the parts of 13 (or 12) Torah scrolls he had already written, add what needed to be added, and put them together in one day. Which is still pretty miraculous in its own way.