Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
When Benei Yisrael complain about being thirsty, God tells Moshe and Aharon to speak to a rock, and it will bring forth water. Moshe hits the rock, water rushes out, and Benei Yisrael drink. But God is not pleased. Moshe and Aharon receive a painful punishment: They will not live to lead Benei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael.
What went wrong? What exactly was the sin here, and why did it deserve such a severe punishment?
- Read the story carefully (Bemidbar 20:1-13). What clues can you find? Try to build an argument based on evidence from the text.
Many פַּרְשָׁנִים (parshanim, commentators) offer different answers to these questions. Here are two.
הַחֵטְא הוּא אֲמָרָם "נוֹצִיא לָכֶם מָיִם" (במדבר כ:י)וְרָאוּי שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ "יוֹצִיא ה' לָכֶם מָיִם."
The sin was saying, “Shall we get water for you?” (Bemidbar 20:10). They should have said, “Shall God get water for you?”
- How does Ramban’s explanation fit with God’s statement at the end of the story (Bemidbar 20:12), יַעַן לֹא־הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי לְעֵינֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (because you failed to sanctify Me in Benei Yisrael’s eyes)?
וְחֶטְאוֹ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם הוּא שֶׁנָּטָה לְצַד אֶחָד מִן הַקְּצָווֹת מִמַּעְלָה מִמַּעֲלוֹת הַמִּדּוֹת - וְהוּא הַסַּבְלָנוּת - כַּאֲשֶׁר נָטָה לְצַד הָרַגְזָנוּת בְּאָמְרוֹ "שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמּוֹרִים" (במדבר כ:י).
דִּקְדֵּק עָלָיו הַשֵּׁם שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אָדָם כָּמוֹהוּ כּוֹעֵס לִפְנֵי עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין רָאוּי בּוֹ הַכַּעַס...
Moshe’s sin was that his behavior tilted away from the balance of patience he should have had. He tilted toward anger when he said, “listen up, you rebels” (Bemidbar 20:10).
God held him to a high standard because it was not fitting for a person of his greatness to be angry when anger was inappropriate…
- How does Rambam’s explanation fit into the story? Especially when you read 20:8, do you notice whether God expresses anger at the people?
- How do Ramban and Rambam help us understand the story better? How do they compare to other explanations you were able to think of?
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