Unanswered Tefillah Elevating Others

תפלת מרע"ה לכנוס לארץ ולא נענה

Moshe Rabbeinu's tefillah to enter Eretz Yisrael, which was not answered.

The piece opens with the fact that Moshe Rabbeinu davened to be allowed into Eretz Yisrael, and Hashem did not grant his request.

נראה שהיא להעלות כל תפלות בנ"י אשר א"י לעלות

It appears that this tefillah was meant to elevate all the tefillos of Bnei Yisrael that are unable to ascend on their own.

The Sfas Emes suggests that the deeper purpose of this tefillah was to lift up all the tefillos of Bnei Yisrael that cannot rise on their own.

כל אותן התפילות הפסולות יש להם תיקון ועלי' ע"י תפלה זו

All those unfit tefillos have their rectification and their ascent through this tefillah of Moshe Rabbeinu.

Deficient tefillos that would otherwise be rejected gain their repair and elevation by being included within Moshe Rabbeinu's tefillah.

והכל במדה לאשר מרע"ה מסר נפשו בעבור בנ"י וגם מה שביקש לעלות לא"י הי' ג"כ רק לטובת ישראל

And everything is measured precisely, corresponding to the fact that Moshe Rabbeinu gave over his very soul on behalf of Bnei Yisrael; and even his request to ascend to Eretz Yisrael was likewise only for the good of Bnei Yisrael.

All of this is measured exactly against Moshe Rabbeinu's self-sacrifice for Bnei Yisrael, since even his wish to enter the Land was only for their benefit.

כי ידע שאם לא יכניסם הוא

For he knew that if he himself would not bring them into the Land,

Moshe Rabbeinu understood that if he was not the one to bring them into Eretz Yisrael, there would be a lasting spiritual consequence for them.

ישחיתו אח"כ דרכם

they would afterward corrupt their way.

Without his leadership entering the Land, Bnei Yisrael would eventually fall into corrupt ways.

כמ"ש הן בעודני חי כו'

As it is written, "Behold, while I am yet alive..." (Devarim 31:27).

He brings the pasuk in which Moshe Rabbeinu warns that even while he is still alive they have been rebellious, all the more so after his passing.

לכן הועיל תפלתו זאת לבנ"י אף שלא נעשה בקשתו לא הי' לבטלה ח"ו התפלה:

Therefore this tefillah of his was of benefit to Bnei Yisrael, and even though his request was not granted, the tefillah was not, chas v'shalom, for naught.

Therefore, even though Moshe Rabbeinu's personal request was denied, his tefillah accomplished a great good for Bnei Yisrael and was never wasted.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains the deeper meaning of Moshe Rabbeinu's tefillah to enter Eretz Yisrael, which Hashem did not grant. Although his personal request was refused, the true purpose of his tefillah was to elevate all the deficient tefillos of Bnei Yisrael that cannot rise on their own, granting them rectification and ascent. This power flows precisely from Moshe Rabbeinu's complete self-sacrifice for Bnei Yisrael, for even his desire to enter the Land was solely for their good, since he knew that if he did not bring them in, they would eventually corrupt their way, as the pasuk warns. Thus, even an unanswered tefillah of Moshe Rabbeinu was, chas v'shalom, never for naught, but instead became a source of benefit and elevation for all of Bnei Yisrael.