Moses鈥檚 Misstep: Words Not Deeds
With the loss of both Miriam and Aaron, Parashat Hukkat marks a liminal and tragic point in the Israelite wanderings toward the Land of Israel. In the aftermath of Miriam鈥檚 death, however, a dearth of water strikes the Israelites. They cry out in great thirst, and God turns to Moses, giving him explicit instructions for solving the people鈥檚 misery. Moses must take his rod and speak to a rock. Counter to these directions, Moses strikes the rock, and water pours forth. Moses is then severely punished by being barred from Israel. The exegetical query that has and continues to plague Bible commentators is that of identifying the precise transgression that leads to this severe decree against Moses. A parallel story appears in Exodus 17. And there Moses indeed strikes the rock, leading us to believe that his misstep in this week鈥檚 parashah must be something other than 鈥渉itting鈥� the rock. What is the precise crime that warrants such a dramatic punishment?
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch identifies one possibility among many. He writes,
At God鈥檚 command, Moses took the staff again in his hand out of the Sanctuary where it had reposed for nearly forty years, and with this badge of his mission coming from God, he assembled the nation. But when, after nearly forty years, he saw himself directed to the people with the staff of God again in his hand, the staff which nearly forty years ago he had required for the people as testimony and credential of his mission (see Exodus 4:1鈥�15), it hurt him grievously to think that in all these forty years, and with all that he had done in those forty years, he had still not won the confidence and trust of his people, and in the bitterness of these feelings he forgot his orders, and spoke, instead of quietly addressing the rock, words of deep reproach to the people (calling them ha-morim, 鈥渞ebels鈥�), and in passionate agitation struck the rock鈥攚hereupon water in abundance gushed forth and satisfied the thirst of the people and their animals. (Commentary on Numbers, 368鈥�9)
Hirsch鈥檚 explanation is insightful. He pins Moses鈥檚 offense on his growing impatience with the Israelites. Quite beautifully, Hirsch gives us a sensitive window into the soul of Moses鈥攖he angst with which he has wrestled as well as how his leadership has been pushed to its limits by Israelite behavior. For Hirsch, it is because Moses speaks to the people in a denigrating and harsh way (calling them 鈥渞ebels鈥� in Numbers 20:10) that, ultimately, he must pay the high price of not entering the Promised Land.
Joseph Bekhor Shor, the medieval exegete from France, adds his own complementary insight by highlighting the second half of Numbers 20:10: Moses鈥檚 transgression lay not in calling the Israelites rebels but in saying to them, 鈥淪hall we get water for you from this rock?鈥� instead of 鈥淪hall God bring forth water from this rock?鈥� By substituting himself and Aaron in the place of God, he gave the impression of diminishing God鈥檚 role in this miracle.
May we learn to respect others through polite language (even in moments of anger and impatience), and may we always be cognizant of God鈥檚 creative and miraculous role in the world.
The publication and distribution of A Taste of Torahare made possible by a generous grant from Sam and Marilee Susi.
