Parashat Chukat
In this week's Parsha, when Miriam dies, the well of water which accompanied the Children of Israel in the wilderness in her merit ceases to do so, leaving Klal Yisrael complaining of thirst. In response to this, Hashem commands Moshe and Aharon: "Take the staff and gather together the Assembly, you and Aharon your brother. And you shall speak to the rock before their eyes, and it shall give its waters." [Bamidbar 20:7-8]. Then, "Moshe raised his arm and struck the rock with his staff twice." [ibid 20:11].
Hashem is angered that Moshe hits the rock instead of following His specific instruction to speak to the rock. "Hashem said to Moshe and Aharon: Because you did not believe in me to sanctify me in the eyes of the Children of Israel, therefore you will not bring this congregation to the land which I have given them." [ibid 20:12]. Here, Rashi explains that Hashem is saying, "Had you spoken to the rock, and it would have brought forth water, I would have been sanctified before the eyes of the Assembly, and they would have said 'Just as this rock, which neither speaks nor hears and does not need sustenance nevertheless fulfills the will of Hashem, how much more so should we fulfill His word.'" [Rashi, ibid].
At first glance, this seems difficult to understand. When Moshe hits the rock, it still brings forth water. Given that the Children of Israel do not know that Hashem commanded Moshe to speak to the rock, surely, whether Moshe hits the rock or speaks to it, they see the rock produce water and deduce that if a rock obeys Hashem, how much more so should humans obey Him. What is the special significance of speaking to the rock? Why can't the same message come across though hitting it?
Last week, in Parshat Korach, Korach and his followers were unwilling to accept that the Shechinah spoke through Moshe, and that Moshe's instructions to the Children of Israel were really Hashem's instructions. In our parsha, Klal Yisrael may learn from Moshe's action of hitting the rock that they are obligated to listen to Hashem but they would not deduce from this that Moshe was the transmitter of the divine word in this world. Perhaps Hashem wanted Moshe to speak to the rock so that Klal Yisrael would understand that they are obligated to serve Hashem, from an act that resulted from Moshe's speech, thus correcting the mistake of Korach and his followers and reasserting Moshe's position as the emissary of Hashem.
This can serve to remind us of the importance of having faith not only in the words of Hashem, but also in those of Moshe and our sages. Pirkei Avot begins with a statement of the authority of Moshe – "Moshe kibel Torah m'sinai" and passed it on, all the way down to the rabbis of later generations, entrusting them with that authority as well. In a world where we are rapidly losing respect for the instruction of the rabbis of long ago, as well as for our leaders today, it is vital for us to internalize this lesson.
May we all strive to heed the advice of our wise leaders and we should then merit seeing the coming of Moshiach when we will hear Hashem's word directly once again.
Shabbat Shalom
Naftali Kassorla
