(Devarim 32:50) "And die on the mountain which you are ascending": Moses said before Him: Why should I die? Is it not better that they should say "Moses is good" by sight than "Moses is good" by hearsay? Is it not better that they say: This Moses, who took us out of Egypt and split the sea for us and brought the Torah down for us and "flew in" the quail for us and performed miracles and feats of might for us, than "This and this is what he did"? and "This and this is what he said"? — whereupon He said to him: Leave off, Moses, this (i.e., death) is a decree for all men, viz. (Bamidbar 19:14) "This is the law: A man if he die in the tent." The ministering angels said before the Holy One Blessed be He: L-rd of the universe, Why did Adam die? He: Because he did not keep My commandments. They: But Moses kept Your commandments! He: It is a decree before Me for all men, viz. "This is the law: A man if he die."
"and be gathered to your people": with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, your fathers; with Kehoth and Amram, your fathers; with Aaron and Miriam, your brother and sister.
"as Aaron your brother died": the kind of death that you desired. Whence did Moses desire the death of Aaron? When the L-rd said to him (Bamidbar 20:25-26) "Take Aaron and Elazar his son … and strip Aaron of his garments," they stripped him of the priestly vestments and put them on Elazar … He said to him: "Enter the cave"; he entered. "Lie down upon the bed"; he did so. "Stretch out your arms"; he did so. "Stretch out your legs"; he did so. "Close your mouth"; he did so. "Close your eyes"; he did so. At that time Moses said: Happy is he who dies such a death. Thus, (here) "as Aaron your brother died" — the kind of death that you desired.
(דברים לב נ) וּמֻת בָּהָר אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹלֶה שָׁמָּה, אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, לָמָּה אֲנִי מֵת? לֹא טוֹב שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ טוֹב מֹשֶׁה מִמַּרְאֶה מִשֶּׁיֹּאמְרוּ טוֹב מֹשֶׁה מִשְּׁמוּעָה? לֹא טוֹב שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ זֶה מֹשֶׁה שֶׁהוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְקָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם וְהוֹרִיד לָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן וְעָשָׂה לָנוּ נִסִּים וּגְבוּרוֹת מִשֶּׁיֹּאמְרוּ כָּךְ וְכָךְ הָיָה מֹשֶׁה כָּךְ וְכָךְ עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה? אָמַר לוֹ: כַּלֵּךְ מֹשֶׁה, גְּזֵרָה הִיא מִלְּפָנַי שֶׁהִיא שָׁוָה בְּכָל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יט יד): ״זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אָדָם כִּי יָמוּת בְּאֹהֶל״, וְאוֹמֵר (ש״ב ז יט): ״וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת הָאָדָם ה׳ אֱלֹהִים״. אָמְרוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, לָמָּה מֵת אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן? אָמַר לָהֶם: שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה פִּקּוּדָי. אָמְרוּ לְפָנָיו: וַהֲרֵי מֹשֶׁה עָשָׂה פִּקּוּדֶיךָ! אָמַר לָהֶם: גְּזֵרָה הִיא מִלְּפָנַי שָׁוָה בְּכָל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אָדָם כִּי יָמוּת בְּאֹהֶל״.
(Devarim 32:50) "And die on the mountain which you are ascending": Moses said before Him: Why should I die? Is it not better that they should say "Moses is good" by sight than "Moses is good" by hearsay? Is it not better that they say: This Moses, who took us out of Egypt and split the sea for us and brought the Torah down for us and "flew in" the quail for us and performed miracles and feats of might for us, than "This and this is what he did"? and "This and this is what he said"? — whereupon He said to him: Leave off, Moses, this (i.e., death) is a decree for all men, viz. (Bamidbar 19:14) "This is the law: A man if he die in the tent." The ministering angels said before the Holy One Blessed be He: L-rd of the universe, Why did Adam die? He: Because he did not keep My commandments. They: But Moses kept Your commandments! He: It is a decree before Me for all men, viz. "This is the law: A man if he die."
וְהֵאָסֵף אֶל עַמֶּיךָ, אֵצֶל אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, אֵצֶל עַמְרָם וּקְהָת, אֵצֶל מִרְיָם וְאַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ.
"and be gathered to your people": with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, your fathers; with Kehoth and Amram, your fathers; with Aaron and Miriam, your brother and sister.
כַּאֲשֶׁר מֵת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ, מִיתָה שֶׁחָמַדְתָּ לָהּ. וּמֵהֵיכָן חִמֵּד מֹשֶׁה מִיתָתוֹ שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן? בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא (במדבר כ כה): ״קַח אֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת אֶלְעָזָר בְּנוֹ״, (שם כו) ״וְהַפְשֵׁט אֶת אַהֲרֹן אֶת בְּגָדָיו״, אֵלּוּ בִּגְדֵי כְהֻנָּה, הַלְבִּישֵׁם לְאֶלְעָזָר, וְכֵן שֵׁנִי וְכֵן שְׁלִישִׁי. אָמַר לוֹ: הִכָּנֵס לַמְּעָרָה, וְנִכְנַס. עֲלֵה לַמִּטָּה, וְעָלָה. פְּשֹׁט יָדֶיךָ, וּפָשַׁט. פְּשֹׁט רַגְלֶיךָ, וּפָשַׁט. קְמֹץ פִּיךָ, וְקָמַץ. עֲצֹם עֵינֶיךָ, וְעָצַם. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אָמַר מֹשֶׁה: אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁמֵּת בְּמִיתָה זוֹ! לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר כַּאֲשֶׁר מֵת אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ, מִיתָה שֶׁחָמַדְתָּהּ לָהּ.
"as Aaron your brother died": the kind of death that you desired. Whence did Moses desire the death of Aaron? When the L-rd said to him (Bamidbar 20:25-26) "Take Aaron and Elazar his son … and strip Aaron of his garments," they stripped him of the priestly vestments and put them on Elazar … He said to him: "Enter the cave"; he entered. "Lie down upon the bed"; he did so. "Stretch out your arms"; he did so. "Stretch out your legs"; he did so. "Close your mouth"; he did so. "Close your eyes"; he did so. At that time Moses said: Happy is he who dies such a death. Thus, (here) "as Aaron your brother died" — the kind of death that you desired.