The Death of the Man of God: A Reading of the Midrash on Moses' Death
Date:
Sunday (in 11 days)
September 6 at 9:00 in the morning – September 10 at 12:00 noon
© Makore Events 2025
A series of lectures exploring the midrash on Moses’ death and the description of Moses’ passing. The discussion will examine Moses’ struggle with God, his passing of his role on to Joshua, and his confrontation with the Angel of Death. Stories about the location of his burial and the eulogies delivered for him will also be discussed, alongside additional Jewish sources.
The story of Moses’s death at an advanced age, on the threshold of entering the Promised Land, occupied many Jewish sources throughout the generations.
The lecture series will focus on Midrash on the Death of Moses. We will read the text and discuss Moses’s struggle with God following the dual decree—the decree of death and the decree forbidding him from entering the Land—as well as the question of passing his role on to Joshua, his successor. We will also explore the description of Moses standing before the Angel of Death, who seeks his soul, and the moment of his awe-inspiring death, described as a “kiss.” Finally, we will read stories about the location of Moses’s burial and the eulogies delivered for him. We will read Midrash on the Death of Moses alongside additional works, including the Midrash Tanhuma, Devarim Rabbah, the writings of Josephus, and the Samaritan Memar Marqah, examining the similarities and differences among them.
Avigdor Shinan is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Hebrew Literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the academic advisor of Beit Avi Chai. His research interests include midrashic and aggadic literature, Aramaic translations, and the Jewish prayer book.
Weekly events digest
The week's best events, in your inbox — free.
