Midot Hayom: Day 28: Malchut in Netzach

The Holy One, Blessed is He, had said to the angel of Death: Go and bring Me the soul of Moshe.” He went to look for him but could not find him. So he went to the Great Sea and asked, “Has Moshe been here?” The sea replied, “Ever since Israel passed through me, I have not seen him.” He went to the mountains and hills and asked: “Have you seen Moshe?” They answered, “Ever since the day Israel received the Torah on Mount Sinai, we have not seen him.” He went to Sheol and Doom, asking. “Have you seen Moshe?” They answered, “We have heard his name, but we have not seen him.” He went to the ministering angels, asking, “Have you seen Moshe?” They replied, “God understands his way, only He knows his place.” (Job 28:23) “God has set him aside for life in the World to Come, and no one knows where he is. Joshua too, worried about Moshe, until the Holy One, Blessed is He, said, “Joshua, Why are you concerned about Moshe?” “My servant Moshe is dead.” (Joshua 1:2) Avot of Rabbi Nathan 12:5

Moshe achieved true Nitzchiut – Eternality. He stepped directly into the World to Come, even while alive. The Great Sea could not recognize him as he once was even when Moshe was still alive: “Ever since Israel passed through me, I have not seen him.” The mountains and hills could not recognize him as he once was: “Ever since the day Israel received the Torah on Mount Sinai, we have not seen him.” Even the ministering angels could not see Moshe, as he was when they first met him in the highest heavens when he came to learn Torah from God. Moshe understood that absolutely everything he did with a sense of Eternal value transformed him into a different being.

The challenge of this day is to treasure all that the things connected to Netzach that we do over the course of a day, and acknowledge and appreciate their power to transform us.