How could Moshe write in the Torah "Vayamas Sham Moshe"?
Rashi #1 (citing R. Yehudah 1 ): Moshe wrote the Torah until here; from here until the end of the Torah was written by Yehoshua. 2
Rashi #2 (citing R. Meir 3 ): From here onwards, Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu dictated and Moshe wrote with tears. 4
In Bava Basra, 15a. Rashi: R. Shimon objects to this explanation, due to the Pasuk in Vayeilech, 31:26, which implies that already then, the Torah was complete.
Rashi (in Yehoshua, 24:26, citing Makos 11a): As the Pasuk there indicates.
In Bava Basra, 15a. The Gemara there actually cites R. Shimon.
Kol Eliyahu and Divrei Eliyahu: How does this answer R. Yehudah's question, that Moshe could not write what is not true? Refer to 34:5:152:3.
What is the meaning of "Vayamas ... Moshe al-Pi Hashem"?
Rashi (citing Bava Basra 17a): It means that Moshe died through a kiss from Hashem. 1
Targum Onkelos: It means that Moshe died at the behest of Hashem.
Da'as Zekenim and Rosh, citing a Midrash: Moshe's Neshamah refused to leave his body, even after Hashem said that it will be placed underneath His Kisei ha'Kavod. Hashem then kissed him, and the Neshamah left through the kiss. Refer to 34:5:151:1.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes (citing Bava Basra 17a) that Moshe died through a kiss, and not through the angel of death. But Midrashim say that Hashem sent the angel of death to take Moshe?
Abarbanel: Normally, the angel of death separates the Neshamah from the body, and brings the Neshamah to Hashem. In Misas Neshikah, he separates them, but the Neshamah goes by itself to Hashem. Hashem sent the angel of death only to separate the Neshamah, and the angel of death erred and thought that he would also take Moshe's Neshamah.
Rashi writes (citing Bava Basra 15a) that after this Pasuk, Hashem dictated and Moshe wrote with tears. What does that mean?
Rashi (in Menachos 30a): In fact, he wrote these Pesukim with ink, like the rest of the Torah. 'bi'Dema' means that - in contrast to the rest of the Torah, where Hashem dictated a Pasuk and Moshe repeated it and wrote it - when he wrote the last eight Pesukim, out of anguish he wrote them without repeating them. 1
Ritva (Bava Basra 15a) #1: It means literally that he wrote the last eight Pesukim with tears - and not with ink.
Kol Eliyahu: "bi'Dema" means (not 'with tears' but) 'the letters mixed-up' - so that they were read (in the same order, but split-up differently than "Vayamas Sham Moshe ... ". 2 .
See Torah Temimah, note 8.
Kol Eliyahu: The entire Torah was written two thousand years before the creation, so how could the Torah record things that had not yet occured - such as the creation of heaven and earth and Yetzi'as Mitzrayim, the Dor Haflagah and the Dor haMabul? The answer is that the entire Torah comprised names of Hashem - the same letters were split-up to be read as Names of Hashem, not as wes read it now. And it was only after the Torah was given, and Yisrael needed to do Mitzvos in certain places and at certain times, that, in order to explain how to do the Mitzvos, the letters were divided into the words as we know them. R. Shimon explains that Moshe could not write explicitly that he died, so he wrote 'bi'Dema', the letters mixed up (like they were before Matan Torah). They were names of Hashem, and were not read "Vayamas Sham Moshe". And after he died. Yehoshua rearranged the letters to read them the way they are written in our Sifrei Torah. See Kol Eliyahu who elaborates further.
