2021/5781

In this week’s Parashah, after Miriam died, the people were complaining that they didn’t have any water to drink. Then follows the famous story of Moshe Rabbeinu hitting the rock instead of speaking to it. The water still flowed from the rock but Moshe disobeyed Hashem, and because of that, Hashem forbade Moshe Rabbeinu to lead us into Israel or even enter Israel at all. But so what? He hit the rock instead of speaking to it. What’s the big deal?

For starters, this is not the first time Moshe drew water from a rock. It’s the third time Moshe had to do this. The first time was at Marah when Hashem told Moshe to throw a bitter branch into the water to make it sweet. The next time, Bnei Yisrael was at Refidim and Hashem told Moshe to hit the rock with his staff so that water would come out. Having done this twice before, one would think that Moshe would know what to do. However, when Hashem tells Moshe “Kach Et HaMateh VeHakhel Et Ha’Eidah Atah Ve’Aharon Achicha VeDibartem El HaSela Le’Eineihem VeNatan Meimav,” “You and your brother Aaron take the rod and assemble the community, and before their very eyes order the rock to yield its water” (BeMidbar 20:8). As previously stated, Moshe uses the staff to bring out the water, instead of following Hashem’s instructions and speaking to the rock. But is this really what Hashem meant in his instructions?

Rashi says those were His instructions. However, the Ibn Ezra discusses this query. He points out that the word “VeDibartem” could be translated in multiple ways. The simple translation is “and speak to it”. However, one could translate the phrase to mean “and strike it”. Based on the second translation, Moshe didn’t disobey Hashem, so what did Moshe do wrong? There are those that say that Moshe hit the rock twice when he was told to hit the rock once. The Ibn Ezra, supported by a Midrash of Chazal, thinks that because he spoke to Bnei Yisrael before fulfilling Hashem’s instructions when Moshe said, “Shim’u Na HaMorim, HaMin HaSela HaZeh Notzi Lachem Mayim,” “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” (BeMidbar 20:10), he was punished. 

There are many other opinions on this issue. The Abarbanel believes that this sin wasn’t the reason for the punishment, rather it was because Moshe sent the spies. The Rambam believes that Moshe’s sin was his anger, as displayed when he calls Bnei Yisrael “Morim” (ibid). Since Moshe couldn’t control himself, he was punished. Finally, the Ramban’s reasoning is that hitting the stone wasn’t an issue because Hashem said, “Kach Et HaMateh,” “take the rod” (BeMidbar 20:8). The actual sin was Moshe saying “Notzi,” “we” (BeMidbar 20:10). In context, the word implies that Moshe believed this miracle came from both himself and Aharon, but not Hashem. Moshe’s belief that he and Aharon were capable of doing this miracle was the reason he was punished. 

All of these answers would make the crime fit the punishment. Whether it was because he hit the rock when he should’ve spoken to it, or it was because of any of the other given reasons, any one of them would be a sufficiently significant sin to warrant not being allowed to enter into Israel, let alone lead us into our beloved Eretz Yisrael.