Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Quia v. Quatenus Subscriptions

For John:

Like signing a contract, signing a confession--subscribing--is a statement of agreement.

In Confessional Lutheranism there is a distinction made between two different ways an individual may say he or she subscribes to the Lutheran Confessions

A person may subscribe because he believes the Confessions are a correct interpretation of the Scriptures. This is called a "quia" subscription. Quia is the Latin for "because."

A person might also subscribe in so far as he believes the Confessions are a correct interpretation of the Scriptures. This is called a "quatenus" subscription. Quatenus is Latin for "in so far as."

If you have a group of teachers and pastors who maintain a quia subscription to the Lutheran Confessions you can be reasonably confidant that all those pastors and teachers are in basic agreement on the doctrine of Scripture. 

Among a group of quatenus subscribers one can not be sure of what teaching any individual teacher may believe. With a quatenus subscription one pastor might deny the divinity of Christ, another might deny the Trinity, the virgin birth of Christ, or the penal substitutionary atonement of Christ. These are examples of heresies that place a person outside of Christianity. 

Another teacher might deny the real presence in the Lord's Supper, or embrace the teachings of a limited atonement, acknowledge the authority of the Pope, or reject the office of the ministry. These are examples of teachings which place a person outside of Lutheranism.

A quatenus subscription is not really a subscription to the Confessions or to the doctrine of Scripture at all. It is simply a way for the wolves to hide among the flock.

A person who subscribes to the Lutheran Confessions "in so far as" the Confessions agree with Scripture might say that he can't subscribe to the words of men, only to the Word of God. This sounds pious. And the person might think it is humble and pious. But in the end it means that he disagrees with the Doctrine of Scripture as it is clearly taught in Confessional Lutheranism, and cannot be called a real Lutheran.

And if a person's disagreement has to do with the Three Ecumenical Creeds or the first three articles of the Augsburg Confession that person has rejected historical Christianity and cannot be called a Christian.

Sunday, November 03, 2024

Michael as Christ in Hippolytus of Rome's Commentary on Daniel

Hippolytus of Rome died about A.D. 236. He wrote his Commentary on Daniel somewhere between A.D. 202 and 211. (Schmidt, p1). Here we have what I believe is a clear reference by Hippolytus to Michael the Archangel as the pre-Incarnate Christ.

He stated his goal in writing this commentary at the outset:

Wishing to precisely demonstrate the times of the captivity which befell the sons of Israel and the prophetic dreams of the blessed Daniel, and also the manner of his life from childhood in Babylon, I myself come forward to speak in order to testify to the holy and righteous prophetic man, even to him who became a witness of Christ, who not only then in those times, revealed the visions of king Nebuchadnezzar, but also similarly, having thoroughly taught his youths, led the faithful witnesses onward into the world.
(Book 1.1.1 Concerning Susana and Daniel)

In the fourth book of his Commentary on Daniel Hippolytus discussed the identity of Michael the Archangel.

Hippolytus identifies Michael as the Angel of the LORD, who is also the same as the LORD. In this he is on the same footing as the early Church Fathers almost universally taught that the Angel of the Lord is the Jesus Christ before He was conceived in the Virgin Mary to be born as a human.

Hippolytus walked through a couple basic Scriptural proofs to demonstrate that Michael in Daniel 11 with Christ:

 Commentary on Daniel, Book 4:40.3-41.1

40.3. And so he says to him, “Do you know why I came to you? And now I will return to fight with the chief of the Persians, but I will proclaim to you what is written in the Scripture of truth, and there is no one who endures with me concerning these things except Michael your chief [ἢ Μιχαἡλ ὁ ἄρχων ὑμῶν], and I left him there, for from the day you gave your face to be afflicted before your Lord God your petition was heard, and I myself was sent to fight with the chief of the Persians. For some plot happened to prevent me from coming to the people so that therefore in haste your request may be answered, I myself stood against him and I left Michael your chief there

40.4. But who is Michael, but the angel who is granted to the people, as he says to Moses, “I will not go with you on the way because the people are stiff necked, but my angel will go with you”?

40.5. This one stood against Moses in the encampment when he carried the uncircumcised boy to Egypt. For it was not possible for Moses to be the elder and mediator of the law, who also announced the covenant of the fathers, and also to lead the uncircumcised boy, so that he may not be considered by the people as a false prophet and a deceiver.
[emphasis is mine]

In 40.4 Hippolytus refers to Exodus 33:1-3 which refers to the Angel of the Lord. This is the Angel of Yahweh, who is also Yahweh. The term Arch [ὁ ἄρχων] in Archangel means "ruler" in English. Hippolytus understood the word Arch [ὁ ἄρχων] to refer to the fact that this Angel of the Lord is the Ruler of the people of Israel. The text says:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’
And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.
Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

In case the reader missed the point, Hippolytus refers the reader in his next sentence (40.5) to Exodus 4:24. The reference is clear. Hippolytus said "This one stood against Moses in the encampment when he carried the uncircumcised boy to Egypt." Exodus 4:24 says:

24 And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. 

Hippolytus identifies Michael the Archangel with the Lord himself who came to meet Moses when Moses was returning to Egypt.

 

Hippolytus of Rome: Commentary on Daniel, ©2010 T.C. Schmidt 1st Edition. Originally published on the now defunct Chronichon.net website. Now available from Gorgias Press 

https://www.gorgiaspress.com/hippolytus-of-romes-commentary-on-daniel

 

Saturday, June 29, 2024

Birth Date Death Date: The Fulfiling of Years

Articles about the birth date of Christ sometimes state that it was an ancient teaching or understanding that the rabbis and other believed that the righteous died on their birth dates. While the claim is often made, I have rarely seen a reference given for this teaching.

So here are some references for the claim. I have arranged the text to make it easier to read and provided a fairly literal translation and references for the quotations.

 

The rabbinic tradition that a righteous man would die on the day he was born seems to be fairly early.  The foundational passage is Exodus 23:26. This passage in context with Moses' use of the word "today" in Deuteronomy 31:2 form the main argument of the tradition.

Sotah 13b

Sotah שׂוֹטָה is one of the tractates of Seder Nashim “Order of Women”. Seder Nashim concentrates on family law. Tractate Sota discusses the laws relating to a woman who is suspected of adultery. The word sotah refers to a woman who is tried for adultery under biblical law.

״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם

      בֶּן מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה אָנֹכִי הַיּוֹם״,

   שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״:

      הַיּוֹם מָלְאוּ יָמַי וּשְׁנוֹתַי.

      לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

         מַשְׁלִים שְׁנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים

            מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם וּמֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ,

   דִּכְתִיב:

       ״אֶת מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּא״.

And he said to them:
     “I am one hundred and twenty years old today…” (Dt. 31:2)

As it is not necessary for the verse to say “today”
    “this day my days and years have been filled
         to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He,
             orders the years of the righteous

                from day to day and month to month.”

As it is written:
      “The number of your days I will fill.” (Exodus 23:26)

The Aramaic text is from the Davidson Edition at Safira.

https://www.sefaria.org/Sotah.13b.16-17?lang=bi



Kidushin 38a

Kiddushin קִידּוּשִׁין Betrothal” is the final tractate in Seder Nashim. As the title expresses, it deals primarily with legal issues related to engagement and marriage.

תַּנְיָא אִידַּךְ:

     בְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת מֹשֶׁה,

     וּבְשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלַד.

   מִנַּיִן שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת –

     שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיָּמׇת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳״,

     וּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּבְכּוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת מֹשֶׁה בְּעַרְבֹת מוֹאָב שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם״,

     וּכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳״,

     וּכְתִיב: ״מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי מֵת וְעַתָּה קוּם עֲבֹר״

     וּכְתִיב: ״עִבְרוּ בְּקֶרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה וְצַוּוּ אֶת הָעָם

         לֵאמֹר הָכִינוּ לָכֶם צֵדָה כִּי בְּעוֹד שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעַבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן״

     וּכְתִיב: ״וְהָעָם עָלוּ מִן הַיַּרְדֵּן בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן״,

   צֵא מֵהֶן שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים לְמַפְרֵעַ,

   הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת מֹשֶׁה.



It is taught again

           Moses died on the seventh of Adar,

            and he was born on the seventh of Adar.

From where is this that on the seventh of Adar he died?

As it is stated:

“And Moses the servant of the Lord died there…” (Dt 34:5)

And as it is written:

“And the children of Israel mourned Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days.” (Dt 34:8)

And as it is written:

“And so it was after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord…” (Jos 1:1)

And as it is written:

“Moses my servant is dead. Now you arise and cross over…” (Jos 1:2)

And as it is written:

“Pass through the middle of the camp and command the people

saying: ‘Prepare your provisions for in yet three days you will cross the Jordan…’” (Jos 1:11)

And as it is written:

“And the people went up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month…” (Jos 4:19)

Go back from them thirty three days
[30 for the mourning of Moses
and 3 for the preparation to cross the Jordan]

thus you learn that it was on the seventh of Adar that Moses died.

וּמִנַּיִן

         שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלַד מֹשֶׁה –

    שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:

        ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם

             בֶּן מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה אָנֹכִי הַיּוֹם

             לֹא אוּכַל עוֹד לָצֵאת וְלָבוֹא״,

          שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״,

          מָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״?

    מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

        יוֹשֵׁב וּמְמַלֵּא שְׁנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם וּמֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ,

        שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֶת מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּא״.

And where does is come from
that Moses was born on the seventh of Adar?

As it is stated:
“And he said to them:
‘I am one hundred and twenty years old today.
I am not able again to go out or to come in…” (Dt 31:2)

Since there is no need for the verse to say “today”

what [reason does] the verse say “today”?

This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, sits and fills up the years of the righteous from day to day and from month to month.

As it is stated: “The number of your days, I will make full.” (Ex 23:26)



https://www.sefaria.org/Kiddushin.38a.5-6?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en



Megillah 13:b

Megilla is the 10th tractate in the second order of the Misha: Seder Moed “The Order of Festival”. The title is Masekhet Megilla מסכת מגילה "Tractate Scroll” and deals with legal issues, customs, and stories relating to Purim.

״הִפִּיל פּוּר הוּא הַגּוֹרָל״,

     תָּנָא: כֵּיוָן שֶׁנָּפַל פּוּר בְּחוֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר

               שָׂמַח שִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה,

     אָמַר:

         נָפַל לִי פּוּר בְּיֶרַח שֶׁמֵּת בּוֹ מֹשֶׁה.

     וְלֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ

         שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת,

         וּבְשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלָד.

 

They cast the Pur, that is, the lot” (Esther 3:7)

He [a sage] taught:

   “Once the lot fell in the month of Adar

        he [Haman] greatly rejoiced.

     He [Haman] said:

         The lot has fallen for me in the month that Moses died.”

     He [Haman] did not know that

           it was on the seventh of Adar he died,

           and it was on the seventh of Adar he was born.”



This interpreter is saying that a special cause for Haman’s rejoicing about the lot is that the month of Adar was chosen. Haman was especially joyful because, according to this interpreter, Haman knew that was the same month Moses died. So the people of Moses would be exterminated in the same month Moses himself died. But what Haman did not know is that Moses was also born that same month. The irony being that instead of dying, the people would be renewed. This would become a time of rejoicing for the people.



https://www.sefaria.org/Megillah.13b.15-16?lang=bi





Rosh HaShana 11a

Rosh Hashana רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה is the eighth tractate of Seder Moed. The primary focus is the calendar year and the correct reckoning of time in accordance with Scripture.

מַאן דְּאָמַר בְּנִיסָן נוֹלְדוּ — בְּנִיסָן מֵתוּ.

מַאן דְּאָמַר בְּתִשְׁרִי נוֹלְדוּ — בְּתִשְׁרִי מֵתוּ,

    שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:

         ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם

                בֶּן מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה אָנֹכִי הַיּוֹם״,

         שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״,

         וּמָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״ —

          הַיּוֹם מָלְאוּ יָמַי וּשְׁנוֹתַי.

     לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

        יוֹשֵׁב וּמְמַלֵּא שְׁנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים

            מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם מֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ,

        שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֶת מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּא״.


The one who said they were born in Nisan says in Nisan they died.

The one who says they were born in Tishrei says in Tishrei they died.

As it is said:

   “And he said to them,

      ‘I am one hundred and twenty years old today.’” (Dt 31:2)

   As it is not necessary for the verse to say, “today”,

   And what [reason] does the verse say, “today”?

      “Today my days and years are filled.”

 [This is] to teach you that the Holy One, Blessed be He,

      sits and fills the years of the righteous

          from day to day and from month to month.

   As it is said: “The number of your days I will fill.” (Ex 23:26)


https://www.sefaria.org/Rosh_Hashanah.11a.17?lang=bi



Rashi on Deuteronomy 1:3

Rashi is an acronym for Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki. He lived from about 1040 to 1105. Rashi is considered one of the foremost exegetes of the middle ages. He lived long after the Christian liturgical cycles had been established. Rashi has been widely respected for his knowledge of tradition, his expertise in Scripture, and his knowledge and application of rabbinical law. There are two comments he made in his commentary on Deuteronomy that are relevant to our discussion because Rashi shows how thoroughly established the birth day, death day tradition had been.



וַיְהִי֙ בְּאַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה

         בְּעַשְׁתֵּֽי־עָשָׂ֥ר חֹ֖דֶשׁ בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ...

   מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלֹּא הוֹכִיחָן אֶלָּא סָמוּךְ לַמִּיתָה;

   מִמִּי לָמַד?

        מִיַּעֲקֹב, שֶׁלֹּא הוֹכִיחַ אֶת בָּנָיו אֶלָּא סָמוּךְ לַמִּיתָה,

             אָמַר, רְאוּבֵן בְּנִי אֲנִי אוֹמֵר ...

“And it came to pass in the fortieth year,

    in the eleventh month, on the first of the month.”

  He [Moses] teaches that one should not reprove unless one is close to death.

  From whom did he learn?

       From Jacob, who did not reprove his son until he was close to death.

          “He said, ‘Reuben, my son, I have to say …’”



Deuteronomy 1:3 establishes the time of year in which Moses addressed the people of Israel. The eleventh month was later known as Adar. As we have seen in the preceding discussion, the context of Deuteronomy gives enough chronological information.

A discussion on the topic of withholding serious reproof until just before one’s death is found in the opening of Midrash Sifrei Devarim which was composed sometime around A.D. 200.

https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.1.3.1?lang=bi



Rashi’s Commentary on Deuteronomy 31:2

וילך משה וגו', אנכי היום.

      הַיּוֹם מָלאוּ יָמַי וּשְׁנוֹתַי,

   בְּיוֹם זֶה נוֹלַדְתִּי

   וּבְיוֹם זֶה אָמוּת (סוטה י"ג):

And Moses went, etc, “I am … today.”

     Today my days and my hears are full.

   On this day I was born.

   And on this day I die. (see Sota 13)



https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.31.2.1?lang=bi&with=Navigation&lang2=en



The Te Deum in Hebrew

A transcription of the Te Deum as found in The Book of Common Prayer translated into Hebrew, The London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews, 1936. The translation was made by Mr. Czerskier and revised by Rev. A. M’Caul, Rev. M.S. Alexander, and Rev. J.C. Reichardt.

My transcription is from the images of page ג in this volume at

http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/1662/Hrbrew_BCP.pdf

If you find transcriptional errors, please let me know.

Right to Left text formatting seems to work sporadically in blogger. Sorry if this comes out odd.

 

אוֹתְךָ יְהוָֹה מְבָרְכִים אֲנַחְנוּ, אוֹתְךָ מַכִּרִים אֲנַחֲנוּ כִּי אַתּה הוּא הָאָדוֹן.

כָּל־הָאָרֶץ לְךָ מִשׁתַּחֲוָה, אֲבִי־עוֹלָמִים.

אֵלֶיךָ הַכְּרוּבִים וְהַשְּׂרָפִים, קוֹרְאִים תָּמִיד.

קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׂ קָדוֹשׂ, יְהוָֹה צְבָאוֹת.

מִלאׁ כָל־הָאָרֶץ וְשָׁמַיִם, כּבוֹדֶךָ וְתִפְאַרְתֶּךָ.

יְהַלְלוּךָ, חֶבְרַת שְׁלִיחֶיךָ הַנֶּאְדָררִים.

יְהַלְלוּךָ,חֶבֶלנְבִיאֶיךָ הַנִּכְבָּדִים.

יְהַלְלוּךָ מַחֲנֵה הַיְּקָרִים, הַנֶּהֱרָגִים עַל קִדוּשׁ שְׁמֶךָ.

עֲדַת קָדְשְׁךָ בְּכָל־הָעוֹלָם, יוֹדוּךָ.

אוֹתְךָ הָאָב,אֵין קֵץ לִכְבוֹד הוֹדֶךָ.

אֶת־בִּנְךָ יְחִידְךָ, הְָאֱמֶת וְהָנִּכְבָּד.

וְגַם אֵת רוּחַ הַקּדֶׁשׁ, הַמְּנַחֵם.

מָשִׁיחַ אַתָּה הוּא, מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד.

אַתָּה הוּא בֶּן־הָאָב, מֵעוֹלָם עַד־עוֹלָם.

כַּאֲשֶׁר קבַּלְתָּ עָלֶיךָ לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת־בְּנֵי אָדָם, לאׁ מָאַסְתָּ אֶת־רֶחֶם הָעַלְמָה.

כַּאֲשֶׁר נִצַּחְתָּ מַר הַמָּוֶת, פָּתַחְתָּ מַלְכוּת הַשָּׁמַיִם לְכָל־הָמֲַּאֲמִינִים.

אַתָּ יוֹשֵׁב לִימִין אֱלהִׁים, בִּכְבוֹד הָאָב.

מַאֲמִינִים אֲנַחְנוּ. כִּי אַתָּה תָבוֹא לְשָׁפְטֵנוּ.

עַל־כֵּן מִתְחַנְּנִים אֲנַחְנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ, הוֹשַׁע־נָא לַעֲבָדֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר פְּדִיתָם בְּדָמְךָ הַיָּקָר.

אֶת־קְדוֹשֶׁיךָ יִמָּנוּ, בְּהַדְרַת עוֹלָם.

יְהוָֹה הוֹשִׁיעָה אֶת־עַמֶּךָ, וּבָרֵךְ אֶת־נַחֲלָתֶךָ.

וּרְעֵם וְנַשְּׂאֵם, עַד־הָעוֹלָם.

בְּכָל־יוֹם וָיוֹם, נְגַדְּלֶךָ.

וּנְבָרֵךְ שִׁמְךָ, לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

רְצֵה יְהוָֹה לְשָׁמְרֵנוּ הַיּוֹם, מִכָּל־חֵטְא.

חָנֵּנוּ יְהוָֹה, חָנֵּנוּ.

יְהִי־חַסְדְּךָ יְהוָֹה עָלֵינוּ, כַּאֲשֶׁר יִחַלְנוּ לָךְ.

יְהוָֹה בְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי, אַל־אֵבוֹשָׁה לְעוֹלָם.

Saturday, June 22, 2024

Moses' Birth Date and the Fulfilling of Years: Day of Death = Day of Birth?

Articles about the birth date of Christ sometimes state that it was an ancient teaching or understanding that the rabbis and other believed that the righteous died on their birth dates. 

While the claim is often made, I have rarely come across an article which gives a reference to a text that actually states this.

So here is one reference for the claim. It is from the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Kidushin, folio 38a. I have arranged the text to make it easier to read and provided a fairly literal translation and references for the quotations:

תַּנְיָא אִידַּךְ:

            בְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת מֹשֶׁה,

            וּבְשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלַד.

    מִנַּיִן שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת –

        שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיָּמׇת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳״,

        וּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּבְכּוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת מֹשֶׁה בְּעַרְבֹת מוֹאָב שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם״,

        וּכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳״,

        וּכְתִיב: ״מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי מֵת וְעַתָּה קוּם עֲבֹר״

        וּכְתִיב: ״עִבְרוּ בְּקֶרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה וְצַוּוּ אֶת הָעָם

                לֵאמֹר הָכִינוּ לָכֶם צֵדָה 

                            כִּי בְּעוֹד שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעַבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן״

        וּכְתִיב: ״וְהָעָם עָלוּ מִן הַיַּרְדֵּן בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן״,

    צֵא מֵהֶן שְׁלֹשִׁים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים לְמַפְרֵעַ,

    הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר מֵת מֹשֶׁה.


It is taught again

               Moses died on the seventh of Adar,

                and he was born on the seventh of Adar.

From where is this that on the seventh of Adar he died?

As it is stated:

    “And Moses the servant of the Lord died there…” (Dt 34:5)

And as it is written:

    “And the children of Israel mourned Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days.” (Dt 34:8)

And as it is written:

    “And so it was after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord…” (Jos 1:1)

And as it is written:

    “Moses my servant is dead. Now you arise and cross over…” (Jos 1:2)

And as it is written:

    “Pass through the middle of the camp and command the people

        saying: ‘Prepare your provisions for in yet three days you will cross the Jordan…’” (Jos 1:11)

And as it is written:

    “And the people went up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month…” (Jos 4:19)

Go back from them thirty three days
[30 for the mourning of Moses
and 3 for the preparation to cross the Jordan]

thus you learn that it was on the seventh of Adar that Moses died.

וּמִנַּיִן

        שֶׁבְּשִׁבְעָה בַּאֲדָר נוֹלַד מֹשֶׁה –

    שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:

        ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם

        בֶּן מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה אָנֹכִי הַיּוֹם

        לֹא אוּכַל עוֹד לָצֵאת וְלָבוֹא״,

    שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״,

    מָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״הַיּוֹם״?

            מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא 

            יוֹשֵׁב וּמְמַלֵּא שְׁנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם וּמֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ,

        שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֶת מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּא״.

And where does is come from
that Moses was born on the seventh of Adar?

        As it is stated:
“And he said to them:
‘I am one hundred and twenty years old today.
I am not able again to go out or to come in…” (Dt 31:2)

Since there is no need for the verse to say “today”

what [reason does] the verse say “today”?

            This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, 

            sits and fills up the years of the righteous from day to day and from month to month.

        As it is stated: “The number of your days, I will make full.” (Ex 23:26)

 

Some rabbis in the Babylonian Talmud interpreted Exodus 23:26 as teaching that a righteous man would die on his birthday. Moses was given as evidence. Indeed, this fulfillment of days is interpreted as the specific reason Moses used the word "today" at the end of his life in Deuteronomy 31.

You can find the text of Kidushin 38a in the following two references. The Sefaria website reference has a more expansive translation.

Mechon Mamre מסכת קידושין פרק דף לח,א גמרא 

        https://mechon-mamre.org/b/l/l3701.htm

Kiddushin 38a The William Davidson Talmud (Koren – Steinsaltz)
https://www.sefaria.org/Kiddushin.38a.5-6?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Click the image below to view the text, then right click, select open in a new tab and you will be able to enlarge the image for easier reading.