Parshas Chukas - One Strike and You're Out!

Thoughts on The Parsha

Parshas Chukas

One Strike and You're Out!

וַיִּקַּח משֶׁה אֶת הַמַּטֶּה מִלִּפְנֵי ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ: וַיַּקְהִלוּ משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶת הַקָּהָל אֶל פְּנֵי הַסָּלַע וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמֹּרִים הֲמִן הַסֶּלַע הַזֶּה נוֹצִיא לָכֶם מָיִם: וַיָּרֶם משֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ וַיַּךְ אֶת הַסֶּלַע בְּמַטֵּהוּ פַּעֲמָיִם וַיֵּצְאוּ מַיִם רַבִּים וַתֵּשְׁתְּ הָעֵדָה וּבְעִירָם: וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל משֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי לְעֵינֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָכֵן לֹא תָבִיאוּ אֶת הַקָּהָל הַזֶּה אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָהֶם

“Moshe took the staff from before Hashem, as He had commanded him. Moshe and Aharon gathered the congregation before the rock and he said to them, “Listen now, 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. 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 that I have given them.'”

-Chukas 20:9-12

Rashi¹ informs us that the ever-flowing well of water which the Jews had in the desert for forty years was there only through the merit of Miriam. Therefore, when Miriam died, the waters ceased . At that point, the Jews immediately swarmed Moshe and Aharon complaining that they were going to die of thirst in the desert and it would have been better had they remained in Mitzrayim. Moshe and Aharon davened (prayed) to Hashem on their behalf and Hashem told Moshe to take his stick and gather everyone in front of a rock and then speak to it to bring water forth.² However, as the passuk (verse) describes, Moshe struck the rock instead of speaking to it and for this slight deviation in Hashem's commandment, he was punished by not being able to be a part of the culmination of all his efforts as the leader, bringing the B'nei Yisroel into Eretz Yisroel.

It is so hard for us to understand how it could be that despite everything Moshe rabbeinu did leading B'nei Yisroel through the midbar (desert), that Hashem not allow him to enter Eretz Yisroel because of a seemingly small misunderstanding. The Ohr Hachaim³ compiles a list of ten explanations to try to understand what Moshe did wrong. He first brings the opinion of Rashi⁴ that Moshe's mistake was that he hit the rock as opposed to speaking to it. He then brings the opinion of the Ibn Ezra who maintains ins that the sin was not in the hitting of the rock as opposed to speaking to it, but rather that Moshe's mistake was not having the proper kavanah (focused thoughts) when he hit the rock which required him to have to hit it a second time. Another possibility is that leaving aside his kavanah, Moshe should have only hit it once and definitely not twice. Another possible explanation is that perhaps the sin of Moshe was that he did not sing a shirah (song of praise) on the event of water flowing from the rock. And the list goes on. Each explanation in the Ohr HaChaim's compilation is essentially a slightly different form of Moshe rabbeinu barely sinning. So what did he do that was really so bad?

The Kli Yakar⁵ points out that no matter which approach one takes, the fundamental mistake Moshe rabbeinu was punished for was not as much about what he did, but rather what he could have done. Had Moshe rabbeinu spoken to the rock and the rock would have just listened and brought forth water – a tremendous kiddush Hashem would have been made. At that moment a kal v'chomeir would have been lodged into the minds of everyone present that if this rock, which is just a rock, listens and obeys the commands of Hashem so diligently, so much more so must we who have brains and the ability to think, be wary to carry out the commandments of Hashem meticulously. Moshe's hitting the rock instead of speaking to the rock allowed only for a watered-down⁶ version of this logic to be learned from and therefore he was severely punished.

If we stop to think about this, it is absolutely mind-boggling. It is true that Moshe hit the rock instead of speaking to it, and perhaps it is even true that that watered-down the potential lesson that could have been learned. However, there is no doubt that a tremendous miracle occurred in the presence of the whole nation. They saw an incredible feat occur before their very eyes. Certainly it boosted their belief in Hashem and motivated them to listen better to Hashem and Moshe. So why indeed was Moshe punished so severely?

We see from this episode the severity of not achieving our fullest when it comes to making a kiddush Hashem. It is true that even with Moshe hitting the rock, tremendous lessons could be learned, but Moshe could have done more to publicize kavod shamayim, and he neglected to do so.

It is no secret that the summer is a very challenging time in terms of keeping our standards. For some, it is a free-for-all time when all the restrictions of the year fall away and we have the opportunity to do things we would never be caught dead doing in our own communities or yeshivos. For others, it may not be a free-for-all, but yet may still be a time where although standards are kept, they are not necessarily kept as high. We must remember, though, that the term kiddush Hashem means more than just not acting like an animal in public. Moshe's punishment for not creating as much a kiddush Hashem as he could have, occurred at a time when a tremendous kiddush shamayim was made. Kiddush Hashem is relevant in our behaving properly and being careful with the way we speak, dress, and act in front of the world, in front of the community where we spend the summer, in front of the new friends we make who do not even necessarily know where we are personally holding to be able to judge us, and even in private. As banim l'makom, we must be careful with the ways we conduct ourselves all year-round.

May Hashem help us and all of k'lal yisroel not only stay away from chas v'shalom causing a chilul Hashem, but to even help us maintain the proper standards of kiddush shamayim. With such a zechus, may we experience of summer of ultimate kiddush Hashem with the arrival of mashiach and the third Beis Hamikdash, instead of mourning in galus for the destruction of the first and second Batei Mikdashos.

1Rashi Bamidbar 20:2

2Bamidbar 20:8

3Bamidbar 20:8

4Rashi Bamidbar (20:11)

5Bamidbar 20:8

6Excuse the pun