(Devarim 3:25) "Let me pass over and see": Is it possible that Moses would ask the L-rd to enter the land? Is it not written (Bamidbar 20:12) "You shall not bring this congregation to the land which I have given them"? An analogy (to resolve this): A king who had two servants decreed upon one of them not to drink wine for thirty days. The servant: What did he decree upon me? That I not drink wine for thirty days? I will not taste it even for a year! Even for two years! Why all this? To weaken the effect of his master's words. The king then decrees the same upon the second servant. His reaction: I cannot live without wine for even one hour! Why all this? To heighten the effect of his master's words. Thus, Moses, to heighten the effect of the L-rd's words besought Him to enter the land — "Let me pass over and see!"
"this good mountain and the Levanon." All called it (Jerusalem) "mountain." Abraham called it "mountain," viz. (Bereshith 22:14) "… of which it will be said: 'On this day, in the mountain, the L-rd shall appear.'" Isaiah called it mountain (Isaiah 2:2) "And it will be in the end of days that the mountain of the house of the L-rd will be established." Nations called it mountain, viz. (Ibid. 3) "And many nations will go, and they will say: 'Let us go and ascend to the mountain of the L-rd.'"
"and the Levanon": This is the Temple, viz. (Jeremiah 22:6) "You are Gilead to Me, the head of the Levanon, etc.", and (Isaiah 10:34) "And the Levanon by a mighty one will fall." And why is it called "Levanon"? Because it "whitens" (malbin) the sins of Israel, as it is written (Ibid. 1:18) "If your sins be like scarlet, they will be as white (yalbinu) as snow."
(דברים ג כה) אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה, אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה מְבַקֵּשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ? וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר (דברים ג כז): ״כִּי לֹא תַעֲבֹר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה״! מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ שְׁנֵי עֲבָדִים, וְגָזַר עַל אֶחָד מֵהֶם שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁתּוֹת יַיִן שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם. אָמַר: מָה גָּזַר עָלַי, שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁתּוֹת יַיִן שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם? – אֵינִי טוֹעֲמוֹ אֲפִלּוּ שָׁנָה אַחַת, אֲפִלּוּ שְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים. וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה? כְּדֵי לָפִיג דִּבְרֵי רַבּוֹ. חָזַר וְגָזַר עַל הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁתּוֹת יַיִן שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם. אָמַר: אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁאֲנִי יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת בְּלֹא יַיִן אֲפִלּוּ שָׁעָה אַחַת? וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה? כְּדֵי לְחַבֵּב דִּבְרֵי רַבּוֹ. כָּךְ מֹשֶׁה הָיָה מְחַבֵּב דִּבְרֵי הַמָּקוֹם, וּמְבַקֵּשׁ מִלְּפָנָיו שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה.
(Devarim 3:25) "Let me pass over and see": Is it possible that Moses would ask the L-rd to enter the land? Is it not written (Bamidbar 20:12) "You shall not bring this congregation to the land which I have given them"? An analogy (to resolve this): A king who had two servants decreed upon one of them not to drink wine for thirty days. The servant: What did he decree upon me? That I not drink wine for thirty days? I will not taste it even for a year! Even for two years! Why all this? To weaken the effect of his master's words. The king then decrees the same upon the second servant. His reaction: I cannot live without wine for even one hour! Why all this? To heighten the effect of his master's words. Thus, Moses, to heighten the effect of the L-rd's words besought Him to enter the land — "Let me pass over and see!"
הָהָר הַטּוֹב הַזֶּה וְהַלְּבָנוֹן, הַכֹּל קָרְאוּ אוֹתוֹ הָר: אַבְרָהָם קְרָאוֹ הָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית כב יד): ״אֲשֶׁר יֵאָמֵר הַיּוֹם בְּהַר ה׳ יֵרָאֶה״, מֹשֶׁה קְרָאוֹ הָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הָהָר הַטּוֹב הַזֶּה, דָּוִד קְרָאוֹ הָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים כד ג): ״מִי יַעֲלֶה בְהַר ה׳״, יְשַׁעְיָה קְרָאוֹ הָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה ב ב): ״וְהָיָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים נָכוֹן יִהְיֶה הַר בֵּית ה׳״, גּוֹיִם קָרְאוּ אוֹתוֹ הָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה ב ג): ״וְהָלְכוּ עַמִּים רַבִּים וְאָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַעֲלֶה אֶל הַר ה׳״.
"this good mountain and the Levanon." All called it (Jerusalem) "mountain." Abraham called it "mountain," viz. (Bereshith 22:14) "… of which it will be said: 'On this day, in the mountain, the L-rd shall appear.'" Isaiah called it mountain (Isaiah 2:2) "And it will be in the end of days that the mountain of the house of the L-rd will be established." Nations called it mountain, viz. (Ibid. 3) "And many nations will go, and they will say: 'Let us go and ascend to the mountain of the L-rd.'"
וְהַלְּבָנוֹן, מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין לְבָנוֹן אֶלָּא מִקְדָּשׁ? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה כב ו): ״גִּלְעָד אַתָּה לִי רֹאשׁ הַלְּבָנוֹן״, וְאוֹמֵר (ישעיה י לד): ״וְנִקַּף סִבְכֵי הַיַּעַר בַּבַּרְזֶל וְהַלְּבָנוֹן בְּאַדִּיר יִפּוֹל״, וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ לְבָנוֹן? שֶׁמַּלְבִּין עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה א יח): ״אִם יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ״
"and the Levanon": This is the Temple, viz. (Jeremiah 22:6) "You are Gilead to Me, the head of the Levanon, etc.", and (Isaiah 10:34) "And the Levanon by a mighty one will fall." And why is it called "Levanon"? Because it "whitens" (malbin) the sins of Israel, as it is written (Ibid. 1:18) "If your sins be like scarlet, they will be as white (yalbinu) as snow."