Sources from essay by Rabbi Jan Katzew, PhD in The Mussar Torah Commentary
Death is the dominant theme in Parashat Chukat. The portion is a pivot point, a transition from the generation that experienced negative liberty (freedom from Egyptian slavery) to the generation that would experience positive liberty (freedom to worship God in the land of promise). Miriam the prophet and Aaron the priest die, and Moses learns that he will also die in the wilderness because of his impulsive act of defiance, an act of chutzpah against God.
-Rabbi Jan Katzew
-Rabbi Jan Katzew
(א) וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵ֠ל כׇּל־הָ֨עֵדָ֤ה מִדְבַּר־צִן֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב הָעָ֖ם בְּקָדֵ֑שׁ וַתָּ֤מׇת שָׁם֙ מִרְיָ֔ם וַתִּקָּבֵ֖ר שָֽׁם׃ (ב) וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה מַ֖יִם לָעֵדָ֑ה וַיִּקָּ֣הֲל֔וּ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹֽן׃ (ג) וַיָּ֥רֶב הָעָ֖ם עִם־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֵאמֹ֔ר וְל֥וּ גָוַ֛עְנוּ בִּגְוַ֥ע אַחֵ֖ינוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃ (ד) וְלָמָ֤ה הֲבֵאתֶם֙ אֶת־קְהַ֣ל יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה לָמ֣וּת שָׁ֔ם אֲנַ֖חְנוּ וּבְעִירֵֽנוּ׃ (ה) וְלָמָ֤ה הֶֽעֱלִיתֻ֙נוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם לְהָבִ֣יא אֹתָ֔נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֥וֹם הָרָ֖ע הַזֶּ֑ה לֹ֣א ׀ מְק֣וֹם זֶ֗רַע וּתְאֵנָ֤ה וְגֶ֙פֶן֙ וְרִמּ֔וֹן וּמַ֥יִם אַ֖יִן לִשְׁתּֽוֹת׃ (ו) וַיָּבֹא֩ מֹשֶׁ֨ה וְאַהֲרֹ֜ן מִפְּנֵ֣י הַקָּהָ֗ל אֶל־פֶּ֙תַח֙ אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ עַל־פְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֵּרָ֥א כְבוֹד־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ {פ}
(ז) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ח) קַ֣ח אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֗ה וְהַקְהֵ֤ל אֶת־הָעֵדָה֙ אַתָּה֙ וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֧ם אֶל־הַסֶּ֛לַע לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם וְנָתַ֣ן מֵימָ֑יו וְהוֹצֵאתָ֨ לָהֶ֥ם מַ֙יִם֙ מִן־הַסֶּ֔לַע וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֥ אֶת־הָעֵדָ֖ה וְאֶת־בְּעִירָֽם׃ (ט) וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֖ה מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּֽהוּ׃ (י) וַיַּקְהִ֜לוּ מֹשֶׁ֧ה וְאַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַקָּהָ֖ל אֶל־פְּנֵ֣י הַסָּ֑לַע וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ הַמֹּרִ֔ים הֲמִן־הַסֶּ֣לַע הַזֶּ֔ה נוֹצִ֥יא לָכֶ֖ם מָֽיִם׃ (יא) וַיָּ֨רֶם מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־יָד֗וֹ וַיַּ֧ךְ אֶת־הַסֶּ֛לַע בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ פַּעֲמָ֑יִם וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּ הָעֵדָ֖ה וּבְעִירָֽם׃ {ס}
(ז) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ח) קַ֣ח אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֗ה וְהַקְהֵ֤ל אֶת־הָעֵדָה֙ אַתָּה֙ וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֧ם אֶל־הַסֶּ֛לַע לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם וְנָתַ֣ן מֵימָ֑יו וְהוֹצֵאתָ֨ לָהֶ֥ם מַ֙יִם֙ מִן־הַסֶּ֔לַע וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֥ אֶת־הָעֵדָ֖ה וְאֶת־בְּעִירָֽם׃ (ט) וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֖ה מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּֽהוּ׃ (י) וַיַּקְהִ֜לוּ מֹשֶׁ֧ה וְאַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַקָּהָ֖ל אֶל־פְּנֵ֣י הַסָּ֑לַע וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ הַמֹּרִ֔ים הֲמִן־הַסֶּ֣לַע הַזֶּ֔ה נוֹצִ֥יא לָכֶ֖ם מָֽיִם׃ (יא) וַיָּ֨רֶם מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־יָד֗וֹ וַיַּ֧ךְ אֶת־הַסֶּ֛לַע בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ פַּעֲמָ֑יִם וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּ הָעֵדָ֖ה וּבְעִירָֽם׃ {ס}
(1) The Israelites arrived in a body at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there. (2) The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron. (3) The people quarreled with Moses, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished at the instance of יהוה ! (4) Why have you brought יהוה’s congregation into this wilderness for us and our beasts to die there? (5) Why did you make us leave Egypt to bring us to this wretched place, a place with no grain or figs or vines or pomegranates? There is not even water to drink!” (6) Moses and Aaron came away from the congregation to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The Presence of יהוה appeared to them, (7) and יהוה spoke to Moses, saying, (8) “You and your brother Aaron take the rod and assemble the community, and before their very eyes order the rock to yield its water. Thus you shall produce water for them from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their beasts.” (9) Moses took the rod from before יהוה, as he had been commanded. (10) Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock; and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” (11) And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the community and their beasts drank.
He has sealed his faith and fate in just one verse, and perhaps in just a single word. Common wisdom may be that Moses's decision to strike the rock twice led to his ultimate demise. However, in this case, common wisdom is not Rabbinic wisdom. The Sages argue that rather than Moses's act of physical anger, his word of chutzpah, of impudence, of arrogating human authority to divine action, does him in. His fateful word is "we" – "Shall we get water for you out of this rock?" (Numbers 20:10). Moses, the same person Torah characterizes as the most humble person on earth, takes credit that is not his to take. In this respect at least, Moses is not unique— then or now. Humility and chutzpah, which on their surface appear to be on opposite ends of the moral scale, reside within the same person. Indeed, they reside within every person.
Chutzpah at its worst claims power that humans do not possess. By saying "we," Moses commits idolatry. He substitutes himself (and Aaron) for God, and he learns a painful, yet vital lesson that is as timely as it is timeless. We are not God. We are powerful. We can give and take life. We are co-creators of our world. However, when we claim to be responsible for actions that are beyond our control or even our influence, we imitate Moses and exhibit the vice of chutzpah.
-Rabbi Jan Katzew
Chutzpah at its worst claims power that humans do not possess. By saying "we," Moses commits idolatry. He substitutes himself (and Aaron) for God, and he learns a painful, yet vital lesson that is as timely as it is timeless. We are not God. We are powerful. We can give and take life. We are co-creators of our world. However, when we claim to be responsible for actions that are beyond our control or even our influence, we imitate Moses and exhibit the vice of chutzpah.
-Rabbi Jan Katzew
Chutzpah is that quality enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan.
-Leo Rosten, The Joys of Yiddish
-Leo Rosten, The Joys of Yiddish
The Rabbis noted that the yetzer hara, often translated as "evil inclination," is not always
evil-that is, it is actually necessary for acts of procreation, building, and inventions; chutzpah, especialy in moderation, is good, even redemptive. "According to
Rav Nachman, chutzpah, even when it is toward God, is worthwhile." Rav Nachman
cited the case of Balaam, the pagan diviner, who was told by God not to go with Balak and his entourage (Numbers 22:12). Balaam refused to accept God's command, and due to his resistance, God relented. Balaam ended up accompanying Balak, yet he invoked God's blessing of the Children of Israel. Chutzpah is not necessarily wrong in Parashat Chukat either. The people's complaint that they have no water is both a chutzpadik rebellion and an entirely reasonable plea: after all, they are without water! Chutzpah is multifaceted and capable of being a vice and a virtue at the same time.
-Rabbi Jan Katzew
evil-that is, it is actually necessary for acts of procreation, building, and inventions; chutzpah, especialy in moderation, is good, even redemptive. "According to
Rav Nachman, chutzpah, even when it is toward God, is worthwhile." Rav Nachman
cited the case of Balaam, the pagan diviner, who was told by God not to go with Balak and his entourage (Numbers 22:12). Balaam refused to accept God's command, and due to his resistance, God relented. Balaam ended up accompanying Balak, yet he invoked God's blessing of the Children of Israel. Chutzpah is not necessarily wrong in Parashat Chukat either. The people's complaint that they have no water is both a chutzpadik rebellion and an entirely reasonable plea: after all, they are without water! Chutzpah is multifaceted and capable of being a vice and a virtue at the same time.
-Rabbi Jan Katzew
How are we supposed to know when chutzpah is a vice and when chutzpah is a virtue? For cogent responses, we need to look within us and between us. Looking within involves examining intention and reflection. What is motivating our chutzpah? Are we grandstanding and taking credit for work that is not of our own design? Mussar practice
involves looking within and looking around; chutzpah is an intrapersonal trait, and it is also an interpersonal trait. We can find chutzpah within us and also around us. Looking between us involves considering the impact of our chutzpah on other people–our family and our neighbors as well as the strangers among us. Are we taking up a cause that may not benefit us directly, but will give voice to someone who has been silenced? Our moral integrity, that is, our soul, is at stake. When we are chutzpadik (when we exhibit chutzpah), we should look inside us and ask, "Why am I doing this?" We should
look around us and ask, "Who is benefiting from my chutzpah?"
Moshe Rabbeinu is indeed our teacher when we learn from his example of chutzpah that has gone too far; and yet, we can also learn from Balaam that chutzpah has its place, an honorable place, in our moral repertoire. "Any virtue [including chutzpah] carried to an extreme can become a vice."
-Rabbi Jan Katzew
involves looking within and looking around; chutzpah is an intrapersonal trait, and it is also an interpersonal trait. We can find chutzpah within us and also around us. Looking between us involves considering the impact of our chutzpah on other people–our family and our neighbors as well as the strangers among us. Are we taking up a cause that may not benefit us directly, but will give voice to someone who has been silenced? Our moral integrity, that is, our soul, is at stake. When we are chutzpadik (when we exhibit chutzpah), we should look inside us and ask, "Why am I doing this?" We should
look around us and ask, "Who is benefiting from my chutzpah?"
Moshe Rabbeinu is indeed our teacher when we learn from his example of chutzpah that has gone too far; and yet, we can also learn from Balaam that chutzpah has its place, an honorable place, in our moral repertoire. "Any virtue [including chutzpah] carried to an extreme can become a vice."
-Rabbi Jan Katzew
Questions to Ask
-
When has chutzpah served you well? When has chutzpah served you ill? How do you understand the distinction and its rationale?
-
Does chutzpah need to be cultivated or curbed in our culture? Why?
-
Jews in general and Israelis in particular are often stereo- typed as chutzpadik. When might "Jewish (or Israeli) chutzpah" be utilized for good? How might it be a response to our history?
-
Does God's punishment, causing Moses to die before entering the Land of Israel, fit Moses's crime of chutzpah? Explain.