Honesty in the Service of Hashem

Rabbi Reuven Mann

The Theme of Death and Purification

This week's Parsha, Chukat, focuses to a large extent on the subject of death. The opening section deals with the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer) which is indispensable in the process of securing purification from contact with a corpse. Although today we cannot attain ritual purity due to the absence of the Temple, this does not present a practical Halachic (Jewish legal) issue in our times.

The Enigmatic Sin of Moshe and Aharon

The Parsha recounts the death of Miriam and her brother Aharon. The third member of this illustrious family, Moshe Rabbenu commits the sin for which he was barred from leading the Bnei Yisrael (Children of Israel) into Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel). The Torah describes the transgression in very harsh terms and attributes to Moshe and Aharon a lack of trust in Hashem and a failure to sanctify Him in the eyes of the Jewish People.

However, if we look at the actual account, it is difficult to see where they erred. When the people arrived in the Wilderness of Tzin there was insufficient water for humans and animals. The people were very agitated and rose up to complain. But they uttered some terrible things. They said:

“And if only we had perished as our brethren perished before Hashem! Why have you brought the Congregation of Hashem to this wilderness; to die there, we and our animals? And why did you bring us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place;? — not a place of seed, or fig, or grape, or pomegranate; and there is no water to drink!” (BaMidbar 20:3-5)

In response to the need for water, Hashem commanded Moshe to take his staff and together with Aharon gather the entire people:

“And speak to the rock before their eyes, that it shall give forth its waters. You shall bring forth for them water from the rock and give drink to the assembly and to their animals.” (BaMidbar 20:8)

It would appear that Moshe and Aharon then did what they were told. When the nation was gathered around the rock, Moshe addressed them and said,

“Listen now, O rebels, shall we bring forth water for you from this rock? Then Moshe raised his arm and struck the rock with his staff twice; abundant water came forth and the assembly and their animals drank.” (BaMidbar 20:10-11)

Rashi’s Explanation and Its Complexity

According to Nechama Leibowitz, there are no fewer than twelve different interpretations as to what the sin consisted of, among the major commentators. The classic understanding expressed by Rashi is that Moshe was instructed to speak to the rock which would produce water in response to his words, and not to strike it.

Rashi explains (BaMidbar 20:12):

“To sanctify me – Had you [Moshe] spoken to the rock, and it had brought forth water, I would have been Sanctified in the eyes of the people, for they would have said: ‘If this rock – which doesn’t speak nor hear, and has no need for sustenance – fulfills the Word of G-d, how much more so must we!'”

It seems, according to this, that the objective of this miracle was not just the practical one of providing water, but, additionally, to teach a lesson about the absolute necessity of fulfilling the Word of Hashem. This is because hitting the rock instead of speaking to it, while it brought forth water, was deemed to be a failure to properly carry out Hashem’s instructions.

The demonstration, according to Rashi, rests on the comparison between inanimate objects and humans. Of course, no one believes that the rock has a mind and willfully decides to follow G-d’s instructions. But it meant that Hashem’s Will relates to everything in Creation. There is no detail that is beyond the scope of His Knowledge, which is absolute. Furthermore, His Will sustains everything that is in existence. If that is the case with mere rocks how much more so does His Will relate to very complicated beings like humans, who have great needs and are dependent on Him for their wellbeing. How much more so is it vital for us to live in line with His Will?

I have always found Rashi’s profound explanation difficult to comprehend from a practical perspective. Rashi seems to be saying that the sin of Moshe consisted in his deviating from the command of Hashem to speak to the rock instead of hitting it. But why would Moshe, the faithful servant, not do exactly what he was told? Time and again the Torah repeats that Moshe constructed every aspect of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) exactly as Hashem had instructed without instituting any change, however slight, of his own. What motive would he suddenly have to hit the rock when it was G-d’s Will that he should speak to it?

Contextual Analysis of Moshe’s Error

I would like to present a possible explanation of this incredible Peshat (explanation). One must say according to this idea that Moshe had a mistaken understanding of what Hashem wanted him to do. Hashem had told him to take the special staff with him, and this indicated that he was to use it. Hashem said “And speak to the rock...” The Hebrew preposition ‘El’ can mean ‘to’ or ‘at,’ potentially causing Moshe to misunderstand Hashem’s command.

Thus, it is possible to understand that Hashem wanted Moshe to speak to the people when they were gathered by the rock and not that Moshe was to speak to the rock. According to this understanding of the instructions, Moshe proceeded to speak to the people by the rock and then use the staff he had been instructed to bring along to hit the rock and thus bring forth water.

Still the question persists, what would cause Moshe who otherwise had the most precise understanding of Hashem’s words to err in this case? In my opinion, we must look at the context in which this error occurred. This story takes place in the fortieth year of their stay in the Wilderness. The period of punishment for the sin of the spies had concluded. It was now time to move on to the long awaited entry and conquest of the land Hashem had promised to the Avot (Patriarchs).

However, just at that time the people, due to the absence of water, broke out in excessively bitter complaint and actually accused Moshe of bringing them out of Mitzrayim (Egypt) in order to die in the Wilderness. This clearly had an effect on Moshe and aroused his fears that they would not be worthy to inherit Eretz Yisrael or to courageously fight for it. This caused him to deliver a speech of rebuke to them, at the rock. He believed that this is what they needed at the time, and interpreted the Prophecy of Hashem to be in line with his own sense of how it was necessary to proceed at this point. However, he was clearly mistaken, for this was not the appropriate understanding of what Hashem had actually commanded.

The sin of Moshe, in my opinion, was not that he deliberately refused to execute faithfully Hashem’s instructions, but that he became confused as to what he had been told to do. He did not approach the Nevuat Hashem (Prophecy of G-d) with a totally clear mind, but instead, brought to it his underlying worries about the state of Klal Yisrael (The Congregation of Israel). Because he cared so deeply about the success of their national mission, which would begin with the conquest and settlement of Canaan, he was mistaken in his interpretation of Hashem’s words. And this caused him to err.

The Ethical Lesson: Honest Torah Study

There is a lot we can learn from this story, even though we are exceedingly far from the level of Moshe Rabbenu. It underscores the importance of accuracy in understanding the Will of Hashem which has been revealed in His Torah. Our task is to study it carefully and honestly, and not search for explanations that are rooted in our personal desires and agendas.

Scrupulous honesty, objectivity and careful adherence to Hashem’s Will as it has been conveyed in His Torah and transmitted via the genuine Baalei HaMesorah (Masters of the Oral Law) is the sine qua non of spiritual growth and perfection.

May Hashem grant us the humility to study His Torah with a clear mind, guiding us to obey and serve Him. Shabbat Shalom.