How did Moses feel? – Chukkat
It is in this part of the Torah that Moses receives the bad news that his career is to come to an end and someone else will lead the people into the Promised Land.
The people must have been devastated: imagine life without their leader!
The new leader would have God’s sanction, but that’s not the point. Moses was a fixture, always there, known and respected even when the people were in one of their rebellious moods.
How did Moses himself feel?
He had dreamt that he would go out on a high, having brought the people to the Land and closing off his career with the makkah b’patish, the final stroke of success.
The fact that he was not a saint and had sinned explains God’s decision. We also see that Aaron could not have taken over because he too had sinned.
But at this moment our feelings are with Moses. Indeed with every leader, and with every ageing human being.
They all dream of seeing more of their hopes come true, but the important thing is to use their life sufficiently wisely that they feel assured that even without them the family, the community, the people, will bring credit to their name.
