Zera Shimshon Parshas Va'Yelech

And Hashem said to Moshe, (Vayeilach, 31, V 16) “Behold, you will lie with your forefathers, but this people will rise up and stray after the idols of the foreigners of the Land in whose midst they shall be coming, and they will forsake me and annul my covenant that I have sealed with them”. 

We need to understand what Moshe Rabainu’s passing has to do with Klal Yisroel straying and serving the idols, as it seems that the Passuk is clearly attributing their straying to his death. 

We can’t explain the connection by saying that Klal Yisroel would never have “strayed after the idols of the foreigners of the Land” while Moshe Rabainu was still in their midst, because we find that many times Klal Yisroel did stray from the proper path and did sin even when Moshe was still alive. 

There is something else that seems difficult to understand. We find that Hashem told Moshe as follows; “Behold, your days are drawing near to die; summon Yehoshua and both of you shall stand in the Ohel Moed and I shall instruct him”... And Hashem said to Moshe; “Behold, you will lie with your forefathers...”. It would clearly seem that Hashem told Moshe to summon Yehoshua because He wanted to instruct Yehoshua, but the 

Passuk goes on to say; And Hashem said to Moshe, and only after Hashem concluded talking to Moshe did He begin to talk to Yehoshua. What we need to understand is, why didn’t Hashem first tell Moshe what he wanted to tell him and only afterwards tell him to call Yehoshua? Seemingly, Hashem wanted Yehoshua to hear Him telling Moshe “Behold, you will lie with your forefathers, and the people will rise up and stray after the idols etc.”. Why was it important for Yehoshua to hear this? We can explain all of this with a Gemara in Eirachin 32 where the Gemara says as follows; - Ezra Prayed to abolish the evil inclination for idolatry... and that is why the Verse is severe toward Yehoshua... it is understandable why Moshe did not pray to have the evil inclination for idolatry abolished because he did not have the Merit of Eretz Yisroel but Yehoshua who did have the Merit of Eretz Yisroel why did he not Pray for this? 

According to this we can understand why Hashem told Moshe, very explicitly and in the presence of Yehoshua, ”you are about to lie with your forefathers”, and hence will not be entering Eretz Yisroel, which is why you won’t be able to Pray on behalf of Klal Yisroel, and without your Prayers “the people will rise up and stray after the idols of the foreigners of the Land in the midst of whom they shall be coming”. All this was said to Moshe in front of Yehoshua, so that Yehoshua should realize and understand that because he will merit to enter Eretz Yisroel, it will be up to him to Pray for the abolishment of the evil inclination for idolatry.