Moses ascends Mount Nebo, and God shows him all the land which the Children of Israel are set to inherit. Then Moses dies, and is buried in an unknown location in the land of Moab.
The mourning period for Moses lasts 30 days in the plains of Moab. Joshua, on whom Moses rested his hands to pass on authority, takes over the leadership, and is imbued with a spirit of wisdom.
The Torah concludes by describing the greatness of Moses. At the time of his death, at 120 years old, his strength had not waned, nor had his eyesight. Unique among prophets, only Moses merited to speak with God face to face, and he was chosen to perform God’s miracles and wonders in Egypt.
The Israel Bible points out how important the Land of Israel was to Moses. Although throughout his life he preoccupied himself with all the nation’s various needs, before his death, he was interested in one thing alone: seeing the Land of Israel, which he would never enter himself.
Virtual Classroom Discussion
Why do you think Moses’s burial place is unknown?