B"H

Friday Tammuz 6, 5777 / June 30, 2017

In this week’s Parsha, Chukat, the Torah tells about the passing of Moshe’s sister, Miriam and his brother, Aaron. Miriam was 125 at the time of her passing and Aaron was 123.

After Miriam’s death, the “rock/well,” which accompanied the Jewish people throughout their 40 year journey in the desert and supplied them with fresh water all those years, went dry.

Not having any water to drink, they complained and gathered against Moshe. “Why did you bring us to this desert so that we should die here?

G-d told Moshe, “Take the staff, together with your brother Aaron, you should assemble the congregation. In their presence, SPEAK to the rock and it will produce water..”

Moshe and Aaron gathered the congregation. Moshe was angry at the people. He called them, rebels. As a result of his anger, instead of speaking to the rock as G-d commanded, Moshe HIT the rock. When water didn’t come out, Moshe hit the rock a second time and water came forward.

Our sages say that Moshe’s mistake was a result of his anger. This mistake cost Moshe and Aaron dearly. G-d punished them that they were barred from going into Israel. G-d said to Moshe and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in Me to sanctify Me in the presence of the children of Israel (for you hit the rock instead of speaking to it), therefore you will not bring this congregation into the land…”

Forty years earlier, right after the Exodus, when they didn’t have water, G-d told Moshe to hit the rock. But this time he was to speak to the rock.  

All of Moshe’s pleas to recind the decree didn’t help. Moshe and Aaron died in the desert. In this Parsha we will read about Aaron’s passing. Moshe’s passing is recorded at the end of the Torah. Miriam, Aaron and Moshe all passed away in the span of one year.

Q.Why did G-d tell Moshe to hit the rock forty years earlier and now to speak to the rock?

A. All of this was to serve a lesson to the people. The staff represents “fear” of punishment. One may fulfill G-d’s commandments in one of two ways; As a result of fear or as a result of love for G-d. When Jews first came out of enslavment, they were not yet expected to observe G-d’s commandments out of love for G-d. It was enough if they did it out of fear of punishment, just as the rock gave water as a result of being hit by Moshe. But now, at the end of forty years, as they were ready to enter into Israel, G-d wanted to teach them through the rock, that observing the commandments should be for the love of G-d, not as a result of fear of punishment. This is why G-d told Moshe, to speak, not to hit the rock.  

SHABBAT SHALOM

Montrealcandle lighting time: 8:28 / Shabbat ends: 9:45