(Devarim 29:9) "You are standing this day, all of you": (Ibid. 31:14) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Behold, your days have drawn near to die." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: Blessed is the true Judge, before whom there is no wrong or partiality, viz. (Ibid. 32:4) "He is a G-d of trust without wrong. Righteous and just is He."
Moses appealed to the Holy One Blessed be He: L-rd of the universe, since I am departing from the world in such exaltation, show me a trustworthy man, who will go forth before them in peace, as it is written (Bamidbar 29:17) "who will go out before them and who will come in before them, and who will take them out and who will bring them back. And let the congregation of the L-rd not be as sheep without a shepherd." And this is expounded in the tradition (Song of Songs 1:7) "Tell me, O You whom my soul loves: Where will You graze (Your flock)? Where will you lay (them down) in the afternoon? For why should I be like (a woman) veiled (in mourning) among the flocks of Your neighbors?" What did the Holy One Blessed be He answer? (Ibid. 8) "If you do not know, O fairest of the women (i.e., "greatest of the prophets"), go out in the footsteps of the sheep" (i.e.,) what I am destined to do with them in the future. Israel passed through four exiles — without a shepherd, without a prophet, without a sage. And thus is it written of the days of Achav (II Chronicles 18:16) "I have seen all of Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd."
(דברים לא יד) וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל מֹשֶׁה הֵן קָרְבוּ יָמֶיךָ לָמוּת, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי אוֹמֵר: בָּרוּךְ דַּיָּן הָאֱמֶת, אֲדוֹן כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים, שֶׁאֵין עַוְלָה וּמַשֹּׂא פָנִים לְפָנָיו. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (מיכה ז ה): ״אַל תַּאֲמִינוּ בְרֵעַ וְאַל תִּבְטְחוּ בְאַלּוּף״.
(Devarim 29:9) "You are standing this day, all of you": (Ibid. 31:14) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Behold, your days have drawn near to die." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: Blessed is the true Judge, before whom there is no wrong or partiality, viz. (Ibid. 32:4) "He is a G-d of trust without wrong. Righteous and just is He."
מֵשִׁיב מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, הוֹאִיל וַאֲנִי נִפְטָר בִּנְסִיס גָּדוֹל מִן הָעוֹלָם, הַרְאֵנִי אָדָם נֶאֱמָר שֶׁיַּעֲמֹד עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאֵצֵא יְדֵיהֶם לְשָׁלוֹם. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (במדבר כז יז): ״אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא לִפְנֵיהֶם וַאֲשֶׁר יָבֹא לִפְנֵיהֶם״, וְאוֹמֵר (במדבר כז יח): ״וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל מֹשֶׁה קַח לְךָ אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן נוּן״, וְאוֹמֵר (שה״ש ח ח): ״אָחוֹת לָנוּ קְטַנָּה וְשָׁדַיִם אֵין לָהּ״ – אַרְבַּע מַלְכֻיּוֹת מוֹשְׁלוֹת בָּהֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵין בָּהֶם חָכָם וְאֵין בָּהֶם נָבוֹן, בִּימֵי אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִימֵי יְהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל נְפוֹצִים עַל הֶהָרִים כַּצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר אֵין לָהֶם רוֹעֶה (במדבר כז יז): ״וְלֹא תִהְיֶה עֲדַת ה׳ כַּצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר אֵין לָהֶם רֹעֶה״.
Moses appealed to the Holy One Blessed be He: L-rd of the universe, since I am departing from the world in such exaltation, show me a trustworthy man, who will go forth before them in peace, as it is written (Bamidbar 29:17) "who will go out before them and who will come in before them, and who will take them out and who will bring them back. And let the congregation of the L-rd not be as sheep without a shepherd." And this is expounded in the tradition (Song of Songs 1:7) "Tell me, O You whom my soul loves: Where will You graze (Your flock)? Where will you lay (them down) in the afternoon? For why should I be like (a woman) veiled (in mourning) among the flocks of Your neighbors?" What did the Holy One Blessed be He answer? (Ibid. 8) "If you do not know, O fairest of the women (i.e., "greatest of the prophets"), go out in the footsteps of the sheep" (i.e.,) what I am destined to do with them in the future. Israel passed through four exiles — without a shepherd, without a prophet, without a sage. And thus is it written of the days of Achav (II Chronicles 18:16) "I have seen all of Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd."