[Avodah] ONE HAND vs. TWO HANDS

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Jul 21, 2011 at 01:39:44PM -0400, Richard Wolberg wrote:
: So I did some research on my own and found that the Ramban addressed the
: very question, though I didn't find it a satisfying answer. He says: "Take
: thee Joshua the son of Nun, means that 'when your time [to die] comes, you
: shall take Joshua," [but it is not a command to do so now]. And Scripture
: completed [this episode] by saying that Moshe did so wholeheartedly..."
: This refers to the fact that although Moshe was only commanded (in pasuk
: 18) to lay "his single hand upon him," he laid his 'HANDS' upon him,
: which shows that he appointed his successor whole-heartedly, although
: he knew that he was now to die."

: The reason given doesn't explain or address the fact that Moshe was
: commanded to lean ONE hand and instead he leaned TWO...

Doesn't it? You're assuming Hashem's "one hand" is specifically one,
as opposed to saying Hashem said place one hand and left it up to Moshe
to do what he wants with the second.

So, his right hand was deOraisa, and his left was a rabbinic or personal
embelishment in order to express his wholeheartedness -- that he didn't
leave his other hand free to potentially do something else.

:-)BBii!
-Micha