Shabbat Forshpeis
A Taste of Torah in Honor of Shabbat
PARSHAT HUKAT/BALAK
MOSHE'S CUMULATIVE MISTAKE
JULY 11-12, 2003 / 12 TAMMUZ 5763
In this week's portion God tells Moshe
(Moses) that he would not have the privilege of leading the Jews into Israel. God makes this decision after Moshe brings forth water from the rock. (Numbers 20:1-13) What precisely did Moshe do wrong to elicit such a harsh decree from God?
Rashi insists that it is clear. Moshe did not follow directions. While God told Moshe to speak to the rock, (verse 8) Moshe hit it. (verse 11)
Others disagree, insisting that God never said to speak to the rock in the first place. He rather told Moshe to speak about the rock. In fact Ibn Ezra suggests that Moshe did have the right to hit the rock once but his mistake was that he did so twice, as the text records. (verse 11)
Rambam and Ramban, however, see Moshe's mistake not in his actions, but in the words he utters just prior to striking the rock. For Rambam, Moshe's misstatement was that he referred to the people as rebels (ha-morim). (verse 10) Displays of anger by leaders often bring out the worst in others, rather that bringing out the best.
For Ramban, Moshe's error was his declaration that it was he and Aaron who would bring forth the water (notzi). (verse 10) This statement left the impression that the miracle of water coming from the rock came from Moshe and Aaron alone - not from God. This was a serious mistake, especially bearing in mind that the Jews often confused Moshe with God. In other faith communities, leaders become God (i.e. Jesus, Mohammed); not so in Judaism. As great as Moshe was he was human.Unintentionally, Moshe's declaration may have sent a mixed message to the Jewish nation.
Another thought comes to mind.When Moshe hits the rock, the Torah tells us, "va-yakh et ha-selah-and he hit the rock. (verse 11) The only other time in the Torah that a similar phrase appears is another time in Moshe's life. When Moshe kills the Egyptian for smiting the Jew, the Torah states "va-yakh et ha-Mitzri- and he smote the Egyptian. (Exodus 2:12)Indeed, some suggest that Moshe overreacted by killing the Egyptian - because he, raised in the palace of the Egyptian king, surely could have stopped him with less force. For taking this life unnecessarily, it could be suggested that he should have been ruled out immediately as a prospective leader of the Jewish people.God however, gives Moshe a reprieve.Only when Moshe hits the rock and again uses too much force is the gift of the reprieve obviated.In and of itself, hitting the rock was a negligible miscue.However, it is viewed as a cumulative wrong when linked to Moshe's killing of the Egyptian.
The message: Leaders must be very careful with the power invested in them. Even in this final leg of the trek through the desert, when entering the land of Israel was so close, Moshe was denied the ability to see his dream realized. He is disqualified, to dramatically teach him and everyone, that God can use his power as He wishes - others, even Moshe, the prophet of prophets, cannot.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Avi Weiss
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