JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was joined by Israel’s two chief rabbis and several scholars for a Bible study session.

The Tuesday afternoon session centered on why God did not allow Moses to enter the land of Israel, found in Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12.

The Tanach Study Circle is a tradition from the days of former Prime Ministers David Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin that was revived by Netanyahu and held in cooperation with the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. It is dedicated in memory of Sara Netanyahu’s late father, Shmuel Ben-Artzi.

“Moses our Teacher could not enter the Promised Land and we are here in his merit and in the merit of the struggle of our people to be here, the inheritance of our ancestors, and we welcome every moment. It is a very great privilege to read this great book and know that we are realizing what the Almighty commanded our people,” Netanyahu said at the start of the study session.