136. Rabbi Yitzchak said: What is the difference here, why did Moses speak before, as if talking to a female, as it is written: "and if You (fem.) deal thus with me" (Bemidbar 11:15), USING THE FEMININE GENDER? He should have used the masculine term. HE RESPONDS: He was referring to the place where death prevails, and that area is of the female, MEANING MALCHUT. Therefore, he said: "kill me, I pray You, out of hand" (Ibid.) since this is the Tree of Death, and we have already explained that there is no death in the Tree of Life, ZEIR ANPIN. THEREFORE, HE COULD NOT POSSIBLY SAY TO IT, "KILL ME, I PRAY YOU, OUT OF HAND." He consequently turned HIMSELF AWAY FROM THE TREE OF LIFE and spoke to the Tree of Death, MALCHUT, saying, "You (fem.)," and did not use a masculine gender. That was how he was supposed to say it, SINCE MALCHUT IS A FEMALE.
137. Immediately, "Hashem said to Moses, 'Gather to Me seventy men...'" (Ibid. 16). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: 'You ask for death all the time, so here, have it.' "And I will take of the spirit..." (Ibid. 17). Come and behold: here, Moses became aware that he would die and would not be able to enter the Holy Land, since Eldad and Meidad prophesied this.
138. Therefore, it is ill advised for a person to curse himself when he is angry, since many ADVERSARIES are standing by to accept such speeches, MEANING THAT HIS CURSE WILL COME TRUE. At another time, WHEN MOSES requested death AT THE EPISODE OF THE GOLDEN CALF, SAYING, "BLOT ME, I PRAY YOU, OUT OF YOUR BOOK WHICH YOU HAVE WRITTEN" (SHEMOT 32:32), they did not accept it from him because it was all for the benefit of Yisrael. This time, he said it out of pressure and anger, and therefore they accepted. Therefore, Eldad and Meidad remained IN THE CAMP and said that Moses would be gathered to his people and Joshua would usher Yisrael into the land.
139. Therefore, Joshua came to Moses and was zealous for Moses, but Moses was not concerned about his own honor. Consequently, JOSHUA said: "my master, Moses, restrain them" (Bemidbar 11:28). What is meant by, "restrain them?" It means to hold them from such speeches, SO THAT THEY WILL NOT COME TRUE, as it says, "so the people were restrained from bringing" (Shemot 36:6), and, "the rain from heaven was restrained" (Beresheet 8:2). THE MEANING OF, "WAS RESTRAINED," is actual restraining, but Moses did not wish to. Come and behold the humility Moses had. It is written: "envy you for my sake..." (Bemidbar 11:29). Praised is Moses's lot, in that he ascended above all the elevated prophets. Rabbi Yehuda said: All the other prophets in relation to Moses are like the moon in relation to the sun.