ויאמר יְדֹוָד אֶל משֶׁה הִנְּךָ שֹׁכֵב עִם אֲבֹתֶיךָ וְקָם הָעָם הַזֶּה וְזָנָה אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהֵי נֵכַר הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הוּא בָא שָׁמָּה בְּקִרְבּוֹ וַעֲזָבַנִי וְהֵפֵר אֶת בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר כָּרַתִּי אִתּוֹ: (דברים לא:טז)

“Behold you are going to be laid to rest with your ancestors and this nation (Bnei Yisroel) will go astray and after the alien gods in their midst, in the land that they are about to enter; they will forsake Me and break My covenant that I made with them,” (Devarim 31:16)

In this week’s parsha, as Moshe approaches the end of his life, Hashem summons both him and Yehoshua to the Ohel Moed. The purpose is to prepare Yehoshua for his upcoming leadership role over Bnei Yisroel. Before giving Yehoshua his instructions, Hashem first informs Moshe about the future of Bnei Yisroel after he is gone.

It is written in the first pasuk of this encounter, “Behold you are going to be laid to rest with your ancestors and this nation (Bnei Yisroel) will go astray and after the alien gods in their midst, in the land that they are about to enter; they will forsake Me and break My covenant that I made with them,” (Devarim 31:16).

Zera Shimshon asks: How is Moshe’s passing away connected with Bnei Yisroel’s serving idols to such a degree that they are both mentioned in one pasuk?

A possible explanation is that even though the people wanted to worship idols during Moshe’s lifetime, they held themselves back out of fear of Moshe. Therefore, after he will pass away, Hashem said that they will then serve the gods of the land. Zera Shimshon rejects this explanation because we find that even in Moshe’s lifetime—and even after the incident of the golden calf—Bnei Yisroel were involved with idolatry (Rashi, Bamidbar 14:4 and Rashi Bamidbar 13:31).

Another question: Hashem didn’t just speak to Moshe outright about his death and Bnei Yisroel’s future idolatry; He first called Moshe and Yehoshua together to the Ohel Moed (pasuk 14). However, after they were both there in the Ohel Moed, it is written that Hashem’s message was directed only at Moshe. So, why did Hashem also want Yehoshua to be present? Although Hashem did speak to Yehoshua afterward, it’s important to understand why Hashem wanted Yehoshua there when Hashem told Moshe about what would happen after his death.

Zera Shimshon answers in light of the Gemara in Erchin (32b) that says that Hashem was angry at Yehoshua for not praying to eliminate the yetzer hara of avodah zara like Ezra and Anshei Knesses HaGedolah did at the time of the second Bais Hamikdash. The Gemara asks: Why did Hashem get angry only at Yehoshua and not at Moshe? Moshe also didn’t daven to destroy the yetzer hara of avodah zara. The Gemara answers that Moshe didn’t live in Eretz Yisroel. Moshe knew that since he was missing this merit—even if he did daven for this—his prayers wouldn’t have been effective.

Since Moshe knew that his prayers would not yield any benefit, he did nothing wrong by not davening to eradicate the yetzer hara of avodah zara. Yehoshua—who had the zechus of residing in Eretz Yisroel—could have had his tefillah heard by Hashem due to this merit. Yet, because he failed to daven for it, Hashem became angered at him. In parshas Vaeschanan, Zera Simshon explains that the whole reason why Moshe wanted so desperately to enter Eretz Yisroel was only in order to be capable of nullifying the yetzer hara of avodah zara.

According to this interpretation, the two questions—why Hashem invited Yehoshua to overhear the dialogue with Moshe, and why Moshe’s death and Bnei Yisroel’s idol worship are mentioned in the same pasuk—are answered. By mentioning that Moshe will soon die Hashem alluded to Moshe that his desire to enter Eretz Yisroel in order to eliminate the yetzer hara for avodah zara won’t be fulfilled. As a result, Bnei Yisroel will engage in idol worship after entering the land. Hashem called Yehoshua to hear this because Hashem wanted Yehoshua to understand that he should use his merit of living in Eretz Yisroel to combat this yetzer hara and prevent sin among Bnei Yisroel.

There is still a question, though. Why didn’t Yehoshua act on this? Why didn’t he daven to destroy the yetzer hara of avodah zara? Wasn’t he aware that Hashem let him overhear the conversation with Moshe only for this reason?

Zera Shimshon clarifies that Yehoshua did understand this, but prioritized defeating the nations in Eretz Yisroel before praying to eliminate the yetzer hara. He didn’t manage to do so due to his shortened lifespan of 110 years, instead of 120. According to this, we have to understand why did Hashem get angry at him? It wasn’t his fault that he died early before he could execute his plan.

Zera Shimshon—citing a midrash—clarifies that Yehoshua’s delaying the wars wasn’t arbitrary. He believed it would extend his lifespan! He assumed—like Moshe who was promised life until he fought the Midyanim—that Hashem would grant him the same. However, because Yehoshua’s delay was for personal gain rather than “l’shem shamayim,” it backfired—costing him 10 years of his life and the inability to successfully daven to eradicate the yetzer hara of worshiping avodah zara.

To summarize: Hashem called Moshe and Yehoshua to the Ohel Moed to speak to them, but when they got there, Hashem initially spoke only to Moshe and told him that he would soon die and that Bnei Yisroel would serve avodah zara.

Zera Shimshon asks: Since Hashem only spoke to Moshe, why did Hashem also call Yehoshua to come, and, secondly, why did Hashem mention Moshe’s dying and Bnei Yisroel’s serving of avodah zara together?

He explained that Moshe desperately wanted to enter Eretz Yisroel in order that the merit of being in Eretz Yisroel would help his prayers—to eliminate the yetzer hara of avodah zara—be effective. When Hashem told Moshe that he would soon die, Hashem was really telling him that he would not enter Eretz Yisroel and, hence, the urge for Bnei Yisroel to serve avodah zara would remain intact. Hashem wanted Yehoshua to hear this, so he will use his merit of living in Eretz Yisroel to daven for this something that Moshe was not able to do.

Yehoshua understood that this was his duty and responsibility, but he felt that it was more important for him to first conquer the inhabitants of Eretz Yisroel and only after that to pray to get rid of the yetzer hara of avodah zara. Unfortunately, Hashem punished Yehoshua for being lax in the conquering of Eretz Yisroel for personal benefits, and died 10 years earlier than was originally allotted to him—not allowing him to help rid Bnei Yisroel of the yetzer hara.