Parshat Chukat 5769

Rabbi Ari Kahn

To Truly Believe

After the death of Miriam a crisis developed in the camp;

there was no water to drink:

‫במדבר פרק כ‬
‫(א) וַיָבֹאו בְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל כָל הָעֵדָה מִדְבַר צִן בַחֹדֶש הָרִאשון וַיֵשֶב‬
‫(ב) וְלֹא הָיָה מַיִם לָעֵדָה‬:‫הָעָם בְקָדֵש וַתָמָת שָם מִרְיָם וַתִקָבֵר שָם‬
‫(ג) וַיָרֶב הָעָם עִם מֹשֶה וַיֹאמְרו לֵאמֹר‬:‫וַיִקָהֲלו עַל מֹשֶה וְעַל אהֲרֹן‬
‫(ד) וְלָמָה הֲבֵאתֶם אֶת קְהַל ה’ אֶל‬:’‫וְלו גָוַעְנו בִגְוַע אחֵינו לִפְנֵי ה‬
‫(ה) וְלָמָה הֶעֱלִיתֻנו‬:‫הַמִדְבָר הַזֶה לָמות שָם אֲנַחְנו ובְעִירֵנו‬
‫מִמִצְרַיִם לְהָבִיא אֹתָנו אֶל הַמָקום הָרָע הַזֶה לֹא מְקום זֶרַע ותְאֵנָה‬
:‫וְגֶפֶן וְרִמון ומַיִם איִן לִשְתות‬
1. Then the People of Israel, the whole congregation,
came into the desert of Zin in the first month; and
the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there,
and was buried there. 2. And there was no water for
the congregation; and they gathered themselves
together against Moshe and against Aharon. 3. And
the people quarreled with Moshe, and spoke, saying,
'and would that we had died when our brothers died
before God! 4. And why have you brought up the
congregation of God into this wilderness, that we and
our cattle should die there? 5. And why have you
made us come out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil
place? This is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines,
or of pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.
Bamidbar 20:1-5

Rabbinic tradition connects the death of Miriam with the

sudden lack of water in the camp: The miraculous well
that followed them in the desert and supplied their needs
was in the merit of Miriam; with her death, the water
ceased.

‫במדבר רבה (וילנא) פרשת במדבר פרשה א סימן ב‬

‫ א) ותמת שם מרים ותקבר שם ומה כתיב אח"כ‬,‫ כ‬,‫והבאר בזכות מרים מה כתיב (במדבר‬
‫ ב) ולא היה מים לעדה‬,‫(במדבר כ‬

1
 And the well was due to the merit of Miriam. For what
does Scripture say? And Miriam died there, and was
buried there (Bamidbar 20, 1). And what is written
after that? And there was no water for the
congregation (Bamidbar 20, 2). Midrash Rabba
Bamidbar 1:2

The water shortage served as the impetus for yet another

confrontation between the Jewish People and Moshe. Their
litany of complaints had by this point become a familiar
chorus. Over the years, they had demanded meat as well
as water, complained about the Manna, complained about
leaving Egypt, complained about being in the desert, even
complained about the Land of Israel. Unfortunately, this
latest complaint does not surprise us. Yet in all previous
episodes, their complaints were answered in one of two
ways: either their wishes were fulfilled, or the People were
punished. In this new incident, a third outcome is
introduced: Moshe and Aharon are severely punished.

‫במדבר פרק כ‬
‫(י) וַיַקְהִלו מֹשֶה וְאהֲרֹן אֶת הַקָהָל אֶל פְנֵי הַסָלַע וַיֹאמֶר לָהֶם‬
‫ (יא) וַיָרֶם מֹשֶה‬:‫שִמְעו נָא הַמֹרִים הֲמִן הַסֶלַע הַזֶה נוצִיא לָכֶם מָיִם‬
ְ‫אֶת יָדו וַיַךְ אֶת הַסֶלַע בְמַטֵהו פַעֲמָיִם וַיֵצְאו מַיִם רַבִים וַתֵשְת‬
‫ ס‬:‫הָעֵדָה ובְעִירָם‬
‫(יב) וַיֹאמֶר ה’ אֶל מֹשֶה וְאֶל אהֲרֹן יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶם בִי לְהַקְדִישֵנִי‬
‫לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל לָכֵן לֹא תָבִיאו אֶת הַקָהָל הַזֶה אֶל הָארֶץ אֲשֶר‬
’‫ (יג) הֵמָה מֵי מְרִיבָה אֲשֶר רָבו בְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל אֶת ה‬:‫נָתַתִי לָהֶם‬
‫ ס‬:‫וַיִקָדֵש בָם‬
10. And Moshe and Aharon gathered the
congregation together before the rock, and he said to
them, Hear now, you rebels; must we fetch you water
out of this rock? 11. And Moshe lifted up his hand,
and with his rod he struck the rock twice; and the
water came out abundantly, and the congregation
drank, and their beasts also. 12. And God said to
Moshe and Aharon, Because you did not believe in
me to sanctify me before the eyes of the People of
Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation
into the land which I have given them. 13. This is the
water of Merivah, because the People of Israel strove

2
 with God, and He was sanctified in them. Bamidbar
20:10-13

Moshe cannot lead these people into the Land of Israel

because of a lack of faith in God; Rashi stresses that had it
not been for this sin Moshe would have entered the Land.
On its own, Rashi's comment here would have been
somewhat perplexing: Rashi goes to great lengths to
stress that this particular sin, and no other, is the cause of
Moshe's ultimate exile. Had he not hit the rock, Moshe
would have entered the Land of Israel. In Rashi's view, the
Torah includes the rationale for Moshe's punishment in
order to forestall any conjecture that Moshe was guilty of
the same sin as the rest of his generation - the sin of the
spies.1

The Midrash seems to address this same problem from a

slightly different perspective: It is Moshe himself who asks
that the nature of his sin be spelled out in the text,
recorded for all posterity.

‫דברים רבה (וילנא) פרשה ב‬

‫ד"א מהו לאמר אמר לפניו רבש"ע תכתב חטייה שלי לדורות … כך אמר משה‬
‫רבש"ע תכתב חטיה שלי לדורות שלא יהיו ישראל אומרים זייף משה בתורה או‬
.‫אמר דבר שלא נצטווה וידעו שלא היה אלא על המים הרי בעת ההיא לאמר‬
So Moshe said before God: ' Let my actual sin be
written down for future generations that Israel may
not say, "Moshe falsified something in the Torah." or,
"he spoke something which he had not been
commanded"; and they shall know that it was merely
because of the water [that I was punished].’ This is
the force of the words, AT THAT TIME, SAYING.
Midrash Rabba Dvarim, 2:6

Moshe chose transparency and accurate reporting over

revisionism. He feared that cynical readers in future
generations might suspect that the Torah is less than
accurate, a whitewashed account penned by his own hand
1
See Rashi Bamidbar 20:12
‫רש"י על במדבר פרק כ פסוק יב‬
‫ גלה הכתוב שאלולי חטא זה בלבד היו נכנסין לארץ כדי שלא יאמרו עליהם כעון שאר דור המדבר‬- ‫(יב) יען לא האמנתם בי‬
‫ והלא (במדבר יא) הצאן ובקר ישחט קשה מזו אלא לפי שבסתר חסך‬.‫שנגזר עליהם שלא יכנסו לארץ כך היה עון משה ואהרן‬
:‫עליו הכתוב וכאן שבמעמד כל ישראל לא חסך עליו הכתוב מפני קדוש השם‬

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and not the Hand of God. He hoped to leave no room for
suspicions that he had corrupted the Torah itself,
embellished or edited the Word of God; he wanted the
record to reflect that his only sin was in the matter of the
Waters of Meriva, the "Waters of Strife".

Ironically, despite this plea, the precise nature of Moshe’s

sin is a question that has been answered in various ways,
a topic that has become confused and confusing. On the
one hand, there are abundant explications of the “Waters
of Strife” incident, each proposing different motivations or
understandings of Moshe's sin.2 On the other hand,
despite the unequivocal statement by God Himself in
these very verses attributing this incident as the cause of
Moshe's punishment, other sources point to different
episodes in Moshe’s life to explain the seemingly harsh
decree.

The Mechilta of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai, a very ancient

source, cites a much earlier episode in Moshe’s life as the
cause of Moshe's banishment: As the Jewish People
languished in slavery, God appeared to Moshe and tasked
him with leading the people to freedom; Moshe demurred.
Only after being asked numerous times, Moshe half-
heartedly acquiesced:

‫שמות פרק ד‬
:‫(יג) וַיֹאמֶר בִי אֲדֹנָי שְלַח נָא בְיַד תִשְלָח‬
And he said, O my Lord, send, I beseech you, by the
hand of him whom you will send. Shmot 4:13

It was this belated, halfhearted response that caused God

to foreswear Moshe's entry to the Land.3 While it seems
2
See comments of the Ohr Hachaim who lists ten different opinions regarding Moshe’s sin.
‫אור החיים על במדבר פרק כ פסוק ח‬
‫ וקודם שנעמוד על פשטן‬,‫ ותרתי בה לאור באור החיים‬,‫(ח) קח את המטה וגו' ויקדש בם פרשה זו רבו עליה כל מפרשי התורה‬
‫ וראיתי שנאמרו עשרה דרכים בענין‬,‫ אשר היה סיבה לגזירתו‬,‫של כתובים נקדים להבין מה היתה שגגתו של משה בענין זה‬
:‫ והן הנה בקצרה‬,‫בדברי מפרשי התורה‬
3
Mechilta of Rav Shimon Bar Yochai 3:8
)‫מכילתא דרבי שמעון בר יוחאי פרק ג פסוק (ח‬
‫משלו משל למה הדבר דומה למלך שהיה לו עבד והיה אוהבו אהבה גמורה (ו)בקש המלך לעשותו אפטרופוס שלו להיות‬
'‫מפרנס בני פלטין של מלך מה עשה (אותו) המלך תפס את העבד בידו והכניסו לבית גנזיו והראהו כלי כסף וכלי זהב אבני‬
‫טובות ומרגליות וכל מה שיש לו בבית גנזיו ומאחר כן הוציאו והראהו אילנות גנים ופרדסים וקרפיפות וכל מה שיש לו‬
‫ אמ' לו המלך הואיל‬.‫ לאחר כן כבש העבד את ידו ואמר איני יכול לעשות אפטרופוס להיות מפרנס בני פלטין של מלך‬.‫בשדות‬
‫ כך כבש‬.‫ולא היית יכול לעשות אפטרופוס למה הטרחתני כל הטורח הזה וכעס עליו המלך וגזר עליו שלא יכנס לפלטין שלו‬

4
difficult to reconcile this opinion with the explanation
given by God regarding the “Waters of Strife”, this
commentary is not unique in its apparent contradiction of
the text. In fact, Rashi himself offers an alternative
motivation in comments on an earlier episode,
contradicting both the text of our present parsha and his
own comments on that text! The incident in question is
Moshe's dialogue with God in Egypt: Moshe delivers God's
message to Pharoh, but the situation seems to worsen
rather than improve. Moshe then questions God:

‫שמות פרק ה‬
‫(כב) וַיָשָב מֹשֶה אֶל ה’ וַיֹאמַר אֲדֹנָי לָמָה הֲרֵעֹתָה לָעָם הַזֶה לָמָה‬
‫ (כג) ומֵאז בָאתִי אֶל פַרְעֹה לְדַבֵר בִשְמֶךָ הֵרַע לָעָם‬:‫זֶה שְלַחְתָנִי‬
‫ ]פרק ו[ (א) וַיֹאמֶר ה’ אֶל מֹשֶה עַתָה‬:ָ‫הַזֶה וְהַצֵל לֹא הִצַלְתָ אֶת עַמֶך‬
‫תִרְאֶה אֲשֶר אֶעֱשֶה לְפַרְעֹה כִי בְיָד חֲזָקָה יְשַלְחֵם ובְיָד חֲזָקָה‬
‫ ס‬:‫יְגָרְשֵם מֵארְצו‬
22. And Moshe returned to God, and said, Lord, why
have You done evil to this People? Why have You sent
me? 23. For since I came to Pharoh to speak in Your
Name, he has done evil to this People; neither have
You saved Your People at all. [Chapter 6] 1. And God
said to Moshe, Now shall you see what I will do to
Pharoh; for with a strong hand shall he let them go,
and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his
land. Shmot 5:22,23 6:1

Rashi comments on the words “now you shall see,”

implying that Moshe will see the fall of Pharoh, but will not
live to see the fall of the kings who occupy Israel.4 The
implication is that Moshe's fate had already been sealed in
Egypt, long before the Exodus, long before the incident at
Meriva. This seems to contradict Rashi’s own commentary
on our current parsha, discussed above: Was Moshe
punished for striking the rock, or for his complaints about

‫ נשבע לו הקב"ה שלא יכנס לארץ ישראל שנא' לכן לא‬.‫הקב"ה למשה ששה ימים ובשביעי אמר לו שלח נא ביד תשלח‬
.)‫תביאו וגו' (במ' כ יב‬
4
See Rashi Shmot 6:1
‫רש"י שמות פרק ו פסוק א‬
‫ ואחר כך אמרתי‬,‫ לא כאברהם שאמרתי לו (בראשית כא יב) כי ביצחק יקרא לך זרע‬,‫ הרהרת על מדותי‬- '‫(א) עתה תראה וגו‬
,‫ ולא העשוי למלכי שבעה אומות‬,‫ העשוי לפרעה תראה‬.‫ לפיכך עתה תראה‬,‫ ולא הרהר אחרי‬,‫לו (שם כב ב) העלהו לעולה‬
:‫כשאביאם לארץ‬

5
the progress of liberation from Egypt, some 39 years
earlier?

Among those who offer alternative reasons for Moshe's

punishment is Moshe himself! While recounting the events
of the sin of the spies, Moshe says:

‫דברים פרק א‬
‫ (לה) אִם‬:‫(לד) וַיִשְמַע ה’ אֶת קול דִבְרֵיכֶם וַיִקְצֹף וַיִשָבַע לֵאמֹר‬
‫יִרְאֶה אִיש בָאֲנָשִים הָאֵלֶה הַדור הָרָע הַזֶה אֵת הָארֶץ הַטובָה אֲשֶר‬
‫ (לו) זולָתִי כָלֵב בֶן יְפֻנֶה הוא יִרְאֶנָה וְלו‬:‫נִשְבַעְתִי לָתֵת לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם‬
)‫ (לז‬:’‫אֶתֵן אֶת הָארֶץ אֲשֶר דָרַךְ בָה ולְבָנָיו יַעַן אֲשֶר מִלֵא אחֲרֵי ה‬
:‫גַם בִי הִתְאנַף ה’ בִגְלַלְכֶם לֵאמֹר גַם אתָה לֹא תָבֹא שָם‬
34. And God heard the sound of your words, and was
angry, and swore, saying, 35. Surely not one of the
men of this evil generation shall see that good land,
which I swore to give to your fathers, 36. Save Caleb
the son of Yefuneh; he shall see it, and to him will I
give the land that he has trodden upon, and to his
children, because he has wholly followed God. 37.
Also God was angry with me on your account, saying,
You also shall not go there. Dvarim 1:34-37

Not only does Moshe recount his own punishment within

the context of the punishment of the spies, he blames the
People for his harsh sentence. This was the very
conclusion that Rashi wished to avoid, yet Moshe seems
quite clear in associating his own exclusion from Israel
with the sin of the spies and the People's reaction to it.
This same association is echoed at a later juncture, when
Moshe prays for the punishment to be rescinded. When his
prayers are rebuffed, he once again points an accusing
finger.

‫דברים פרק ג‬
‫ (כד) אֲדֹנָי ה’ אתָה הַחִלותָ לְהַרְאות‬:‫(כג) וָאֶתְחַנַן אֶל ה’ בָעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר‬
‫אֶת עַבְדְךָ אֶת גָדְלְךָ וְאֶת יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה אֲשֶר מִי אֵל בַשָמַיִם ובָארֶץ אֲשֶר‬
‫ (כה) אֶעְבְרָה נָא וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת הָארֶץ הַטובָה‬:ָ‫יַעֲשֶה כְמַעֲשֶיךָ וְכִגְבורֹתֶך‬
‫ (כו) וַיִתְעַבֵר ה’ בִי לְמַעַנְכֶם‬:‫אֲשֶר בְעֵבֶר הַיַרְדֵן הָהָר הַטוב הַזֶה וְהַלְבָנֹן‬
:‫וְלֹא שָמַע אֵלָי וַיֹאמֶר ה’ אֵלַי רַב לָךְ אל תוסֶף דַבֵר אֵלַי עוד בַדָבָר הַזֶה‬
‫(כז) עֲלֵה רֹאש הַפִסְגָה וְשָא עֵינֶיךָ יָמָה וְצָפֹנָה וְתֵימָנָה ומִזְרָחָה ורְאֵה‬
‫ (כח) וְצַו אֶת יְהושֻעַ וְחַזְקֵהו‬:‫בְעֵינֶיךָ כִי לֹא תַעֲבֹר אֶת הַיַרְדֵן הַזֶה‬
‫וְאמְצֵהו כִי הוא יַעֲבֹר לִפְנֵי הָעָם הַזֶה וְהוא יַנְחִיל אותָם אֶת הָארֶץ אֲשֶר‬
‫ פ‬:‫ (כט) וַנֵשֶב בַגָיְא מול בֵית פְעור‬:‫תִרְאֶה‬

6
 23. And I pleaded with God at that time, saying, 24.
Almighty God, you have begun to show Your servant
Your greatness, and Your mighty hand; for what god
is there in heaven or on earth, that can achieve Your
works and Your might? 25. I beg You, let me go over,
and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that
goodly mountain region, and the Levanon. 26. But
God was angry with me for your sakes, and would not
hear me; and God said to me, Let it suffice you;
speak no more to Me of this matter. 27. Get up to the
top of Pisgah, and lift up your eyes westward, and
northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold
it with your eyes; for you shall not go over this
Jordan. 28. But charge Joshua, and encourage him,
and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this
people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land
which you shall see. 29. So we remained in the valley
opposite Beth-Peor. Dvarim 3:23-29

A careful reading shows that Moshe isn’t blaming them as

much as saying that he must stay on the other side of the
Jordan for their sake. The Midrash notices this nuance and
explains:

‫דברים רבה (וילנא) פרשה ב‬

‫ אמר לו הקב"ה למשה אם אתה נקבר כאן אצלן‬,‫ט כי לא תעבור את הירדן הזה‬
‫בזכותך הן באין עמך …כך אמר לו הקב"ה למשה אם נקבר אתה אצלם במדבר הן‬
‫באים בזכותך ואת בא בראשם שנאמר (דברים לג) וירא ראשית לו וגו' ויתא ראשי‬
.‫עם‬
9. FOR YOU SHALL NOT GO OVER THIS JORDAN (3,
27). God said to Moshe: 'If you are buried here, near
those [who died in the wilderness], then they will
enter the land for your sake [at the time of
Resurrection]…' Similarly, God said to Moshe: 'Should
you be buried near those who died in the wilderness,
they will enter the land for your sake, and you will be
at their head, as it is said, 'And he chose a first part
for himself, for there a portion of a ruler was
reserved; and there came the heads of the people
(Devarim 33, 21). Midrash Rabba Dvarim, 2:9

7
Moshe is not the only one to provide a retrospective of his
crime and punishment. When the time for Moshe to die
arrives, God speaks:

‫דברים פרק לב‬

‫(מט) עֲלֵה אֶל הַר‬:‫(מח) וַיְדַבֵר ה’ אֶל מֹשֶה בְעֶצֶם הַיום הַזֶה לֵאמֹר‬
‫הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶה הַר נְבו אֲשֶר בְאֶרֶץ מואב אֲשֶר עַל פְנֵי יְרֵחו ורְאֵה אֶת אֶרֶץ‬
‫(נ) ומֻת בָהָר אֲשֶר אתָה עֹלֶה‬:‫כְנַעַן אֲשֶר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל לַאֲחֻזָה‬
‫שָמָה וְהֵאסֵף אֶל עַמֶיךָ כַאֲשֶר מֵת אהֲרֹן אחִיךָ בְהֹר הָהָר וַיֵאסֶף אֶל‬
‫(נא) עַל אֲשֶר מְעַלְתֶם בִי בְתוךְ בְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל בְמֵי מְרִיבַת קָדֵש מִדְבַר‬:‫עַמָיו‬
‫(נב) כִי מִנֶגֶד תִרְאֶה אֶת‬:‫צִן עַל אֲשֶר לֹא קִדַשְתֶם אותִי בְתוךְ בְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל‬
‫ פ‬:‫הָארֶץ וְשָמָה לֹא תָבוא אֶל הָארֶץ אֲשֶר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל‬
48. And God spoke to Moshe that same day, saying,
49. Go up to this Mountain Avarim, to Mount Nevo,
which is in the land of Moav, that is opposite Yericho;
and behold the land of Canaan, which I give to the
People of Israel for a possession; 50. And die in the
mount where you go up, and be gathered to your
people; as Aharon your brother died in Mount Hor,
and was gathered to his people; 51. Because you
trespassed against me among the People of Israel at
the waters of Merivat-Kadesh, in the wilderness of
Zin; because you did not sanctify me in the midst of
the People of Israel. 52. Yet you shall see the land
before you; but you shall not go there to the land
which I give the people of Israel. Dvarim 32:48-52

Here the reader is offered a unique perspective. God

Himself speaks, and explains why the narrative unfolds as
it does: Moshe will die in exile due to the sin at the
“Waters of Strife”. How can there be any further
discussion, any alternative interpretation? Twice God
speaks in the Torah about the death of Moshe, and in both
instances it is related to the “Waters of Strife”; all other
commentary is nullified, pointless – even presumptuous.

Our assumption must be that Moshe and the later

commentaries knew full well what crime God Himself
associated with this punishment; the verses of the Torah
were as at least as familiar them as to they are to us.
Surely, then, our task is to find the relationship between
the various perspectives on Moshe's punishment, the
common denominator between each explanation of

8
Moshe's crime. Only such a common thread can explain
why more than one interpretation – God's interpretation –
exists.

In describing Moshe's sin here in Parshat Chukat, God

raises two distinct objections: “ma'altem bi - you
trespassed against Me”, and “you did not sanctify Me”.
The language in the Book of Devarim used to describe the
same sin is different: “Because you did not believe in me
to sanctify me in the eyes of the People of Israel”. Both
verses speak of a missed opportunity to sanctify God's
Name, but it is the charge that Moshe did not believe in
God which is particularly frightening. If Moshe, who stood
alone with God on Mount Sinai, who spoke to God "face to
face", whom God Himself described as the most loyal to
Him of any of His servants, doesn’t “believe” in God, what
chance do the rest of us have of achieving "belief"? How
can the entire nation possibly believe if even Moshe was
found lacking? Perhaps this problem may relate to a
different incident regarding Moshe's faith: When Moshe
was first told of the mission that God intended for him,
Moshe questioned the belief of the entire nation. Moshe
tries to avoid his own destiny; he stalls, he declines the
appointment to the role of savior of the Jews – and he
expresses reservations about the ability of the slaves to
believe.

‫שמות פרק ד‬
‫(א) וַיַעַן מֹשֶה וַיֹאמֶר וְהֵן לֹא יַאֲמִינו לִי וְלֹא יִשְמְעו בְקֹלִי כִי‬
:’‫יֹאמְרו לֹא נִרְאה אֵלֶיךָ ה‬
1. And Moshe answered and said, 'But, behold, they
will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they
will say, God has not appeared to you. Shmot 4:1

Apparently Moshe thought that these people, who had

been abused and enslaved, had lost hope. He assumed
that they had lost faith in their own redemption, in the
possibility that a redeemer was sent by God. Moshe
underestimated the People of Israel. This was the reason
he was less than enthusiastic about accepting the position
of redeemer; he feared that the mission was doomed to
failure because the people had lost faith. Not only was

9
Moshe questioning the people, he was questioning the
educational and spiritual accomplishments of their
forefathers. The doubts he had about their continued
commitment to the Covenant implied that Avraham and
Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivkah, Yaakov Rachel and Leah had
failed, as parents and grandparents, to instill their own
belief in their children and grandchildren -- belief that
could withstand exile and slavery, that could transcend
geographic distance from the Holy Land, belief that would
allow them to enthusiastically accept the redeemer when
he finally arrived. 5

The Talmud says that God defended the People against

Moshe’s accusation:

‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף צז עמוד א‬

‫ דכתיב (שמות ד) והן לא יאמינו לי‬,‫ החושד בכשרים לוקה בגופו‬:‫אמר ריש לקיש‬
‫ הן מאמינים בני‬:‫ אמר לו‬.‫ וגליא קמי קודשא בריך הוא דמהימני ישראל‬,'‫וגו‬
;'‫ דכתיב (שמות ד) 'ויאמן העם‬- ‫ הן מאמינים‬.‫ ואתה אין סופך להאמין‬,‫מאמינים‬
‫ שנאמר (במדבר‬- ‫' אתה אין סופך להאמין‬.'‫בני מאמינים (בראשית טו) 'והאמין בה‬
.'‫כ) 'יען לא האמנתם בי וגו‬
Resh Lakish said: He who entertains a suspicion
against innocent men is bodily afflicted, for it is
written, [And Moshe . . . said,] 'But they will not
believe me'; but it was known to the Holy One,
Blessed be He, that Israel would believe. Said He to
him: They are believers, [and] the descendants of
believers, whereas you will ultimately disbelieve.
They are believers, as it is written, "and the people
believed"; the descendants of believers: "and he
[Avraham] believed in God." You will ultimately
disbelieve, as it is said, "[And God said unto Moshe

5
See comments of the Chatam Sofer Talmud Bavli 97a
‫א‬/‫ספר חתם סופר על מסכת שבת דף צז‬
'‫ פי‬.‫ אמר ריש לקיש החושד בכשרים לוקה בגופו דכתיב והן לא יאמינו לי וכו' ויאמן העם בני מאמינים‬,‫יען לא האמנתם בי‬
,‫דמה שחשד משה רבינו ע"ה שישראל לא יאמינו אין זה חשד על ישראל כי מהיכי תיתי יאמינו אי לא היו מקובלים מאבותיהם‬
‫ וע"ז אמר לו הקב"ה אתה אין סופך‬,‫אך החשד נגע באבות הקדושים שלא ציוו בניהם אחריהם והתקיעו האמונה בלבותם‬
‫להאמין כי חלילה שמרע"ה לא האמין אלא שע"י הכאת הסלע לא גרם לקדש השם שיאמינו ישראל נמצא נכשל הוא באותו‬
:‫דבר עצמו שחשד האבות‬

10
 and Aharon,] 'Because you did not believe in me.'6
Talmud Bavli Shabbat 97a

Moshe casts aspersions on the faith of the Jewish People,

but he does not stop there.

Why have you sent me? 23. For since I came to

Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to
this people; neither have you saved your people at
all. [Chapter 6] 1. And God said to Moshe, Now shall
you see what I will do to Pharaoh.

By this point, Moshe has reluctantly accepted the task; he

begins to work toward redeeming the Jewish People, but
there are setbacks. Moshe questions God, questions the
mission on which he has been sent, and questions his own
place in the larger picture. Moshe was faced with his first
real setback, and once again he suspects that the people
will lose faith. If before his mission began he thought the
people had no faith, he reverted to this same mindset;
now he fears that due to the reversal of fortune the people
again would not continue to believe. Rashi notes the
'superfluous" word 'now': Moshe would see victory over
Pharoh, but he would not see the ultimate, future victory
in the Land of Israel.

Much later, in the Book of Devarim, Moshe explains that

his own death is part and parcel of the generation of the
spies: "Also God was angry with me for your sakes
(biglalchem), saying, 'You also shall not go there'." Dvarim
1:34. Was this, or was this not, the reason Moshe was
punished? In fact, the answer is – yes and no. The sin of
the spies might not have had anything to do with Moshe's
death, were it not actually one and the same as his earlier
sin: breach of faith. The sin of the spies caused the People
of Israel to lose faith in their destiny. It caused a setback
6
Rav Zadok in Ohr Zarua Lazadik section 7, asserts that this Moshe's negativity was due to the
influence of his adoptive mother Bitya, and his father –in- law Yitro.
‫ אות ז‬- ‫ספר אור זרוע לצדיק‬
)‫ וכן מורה מצה שנקרא בזוהר (ח"ב קפ"ג ע"ב‬.‫זה מצד יחוסם שמצד זה שורשם טוב וקדוש וכמו שנתבאר לעיל כמה פעמים‬
'‫ ל"ט) כי לא חמץ כי גורשו וגו' וגם צידה לא וגו' רק האמינו בה‬,‫מיכלא דמהימנותא רצה לומר אמונה כמו שנאמר (שמות י"ב‬
‫ ואמונה מצד ירושת היחוס כלשון חז"ל מאמינים בני מאמינים [ואתה אין סופך להאמין מצד לשון הרע שדברת על‬.‫שיפרנסם‬
‫ וכנודע שכנסת ישראל‬.] ‫ והחסרון מצד בתיה שגדלתו ויתרו חמיו‬.‫בני זה מורה חסרון ביחוס כנ"ל לכך אין סופך להאמין‬
:‫נקראת אמונה וכמו שכתבתי במקום אחר על ואמונתך בלילות‬

11
on the route of their march to the Promised Land, a
reversal of the process of redemption – not unlike the
manner in which Pharoh's defiance of Moshe's message
increased the slaves' burden. The path to redemption
seemed longer, the fulfillment of the dream eluded their
grasp just when it was in sight.

When Moshe relates his punishment to the sin of the

spies, he is, in fact, taking a longer view of the
circumstances: Had the spies not led the people astray,
his own sin would not have taken on such weight. Had the
route to the Promised Land not become so long and
circuitous as a result of the sin of the spies, the People
would have entered the Land of Israel without ever having
stopped at Meriva; Miriam would not have died on the 40-
year trek that never was, and the water source would
never have run dry. There would have been no sin at the
rock of Merivat-Kadesh. Had the People of Israel never
been infected by the spies' faith-shaking report, Moshe's
own breach of faith would have seemed an isolated,
forgivable lapse. Only when this malady of faith is seen to
have spread through the nation, Moshe's sin is seen as
part of a far more widespread phenomenon, a defining
spiritual flaw of the entire generation that perished in the
desert. A careful reading of the verses in Devarim reveals
this very claim in Moshe's interpretation of his
punishment: “But God was angry with me (lma'anchem)
for your sakes, and would not hear me; and God said to
me, Let it suffice you; speak no more to me of this
matter.”

Moshe's proper place of rest was in exile, with the

generation he led out of Egypt, with the people he had
personally committed to leading to the Promised Land. If
they weren’t going, neither could he. Only at the End of
Days will he finally lead them to the Promised Land.7

7
Chizkuni Dvarim 3:26
‫חזקוני על דברים פרק ג פסוק כו‬
‫ אמר הקב"ה למשה אם אתה עובר בארץ יאמרו מה שנגזר על דור המדבר שלא ליכנס לארץ היינו‬- ‫)כו) ויתעבר ה' בי למענכם‬
‫לפי שאין להם חלק לעולם הבא ואם תכנס לארץ בתפלתך יאמרו לא חש משה אלא על עצמו אלא תיקבר אצלם ותביא עמך‬
.‫לעתיד היינו ויתא ראשי עם‬

12
The idea of emuna - belief - may be related to Moshe's sin
and his punishment in more ways than we had realized.
The Netziv's comments on our parsha highlight one very
important aspect of Moshe's sin that we might otherwise
have overlooked: In general, the Netziv understands the
main theme of the Book of Bamidbar as being the shift
from supernatural existence to natural existence: God's
relationship with the Jewish People, from the moment
Moshe appeared before Pharoh, through the period of the
plagues, the Redemption, the splitting of the sea, and
throughout their sojourn in the desert, was supernatural.
God's involvement in Jewish history was direct, explicit,
unmistakable; the People of Israel were sustained by
miraculous means. As they approached their final
destination, the relationship with God would necessarily
change: the people were being prepared for life in their
own land, a life of natural existence.8 The Netziv sees
Moshe's sin in this larger context. Moshe's leadership up to
this point had also been supernatural. He was the agent of
God's direct involvement in the day –to- day existence of
the nation. At the point that their supernatural water
source was no longer available, the Jewish People stood to
learn a vital lesson, and it was Moshe who was meant to
teach it to them. It was time to make the shift to a more
natural way of life, to a more permanent method of
fulfilling their human needs. The Jewish People were
meant to learn how they should behave in a situation of
distress, in a crisis that threatened their physical
existence. Their supernatural water source would not
accompany them into the Promised Land; how, then, were
they to proceed into this new era?

The instructions Moshe received were very specific: Take

the staff with which all of the miracles were performed,
but do not use it. Do not resort to the supernatural. Begin
to teach the People the power of speech – the power of
prayer. Teach them that as individuals and as a nation,
they have the ability to have a "natural" relationship with
God, through prayer. Moshe was instructed not to hit the
rock, but rather to teach the people to pray, as the

8
See introduction of Netziv to Bamidbar

13
farmers would one day when they enter the Land and are
faced with drought.

‫העמק דבר על במדבר פרק כ פסוק יב‬

‫ לא היה העונש שימותו במדבר שא"כ לא היה משה מתפלל‬.'‫לכן לא תביאו וגו‬
‫ שבשביל שלא הראו לישראל הדרך‬.‫להחל שבועת ה' אלא הגזירה היה מדה במדה‬
‫ ובמ"א כתיב על אשר‬.'‫ לא תביאו וגו‬.‫להתנהג בא"י בעת עצירת גשמים וכדומה ע"כ‬
‫ והכונה כאן שעשה‬.'‫מעלתם בי מעילה הוא שנוי בדבר ה' כמש"כ בספר ויקרא כ"ו מ‬
‫משה נס ושנוי בהליכות הטבע בעת שלא היה הרצון בכך וזה נקרא מעילה כמו‬
‫שנענש רבא בעת שעשה נס שלא ברצון ה' כדאיתא בתענית פ"ג והיה נזוף מחמת זה‬
:‫כדאי' בחולין דף קל"ג א‬

It is in this context that the Netziv explains the use of the

word me'ila “trespass” (Dvarim 32:51) in God’s description
of the sin: The purpose of the episode was to teach the
people to pray, to instill within their hearts more emuna
(faith) in God in times of need. Instead, Moshe
“misappropriated” the miracle, and gave the impression
that it was his own stature as a prophet which brought the
desired results. Rather than wean them off their
dependence on supernatural sustenance, hitting the rock
reinforced the people's dependence on Moshe and the
miracles he facilitated. He misappropriated the emunah of
the nation.

The opportunity that Moshe missed was no trifling matter;

the lesson that Moshe was meant to teach is one of the
most basic tenets of Judaism, and one of the most critical
tools for life in the Land of Israel. As an agricultural
society, the nation will need belief, above all else. Indeed,
the Jewish view of the symbiotic relationship of the
Children of Israel and the Land of Israel is this very fine
line of emunah: the line between natural existence as a
farming society on its land - and faith in the supernatural,
in God's involvement in our history. It is the belief of the
farmer that the tremendous investment of time and toil
will bring results, but that the results of this physical,
natural labor are dependent on God's "investment" in the
process. In this sense, agriculture is a wonderful metaphor
for all of Judaism; as the Talmud teaches, agriculture is
related to faith.9 We work as hard as we can – yet still
9
See Tamud Bavli Shabbat 31a
‫א‬/‫תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף לא‬
‫אמר ריש לקיש מאי דכתיב והיה אמונת עתיך חוסן ישועות חכמת ודעת וגו' אמונת זה סדר זרעים‬

14
recognize the need to lift our ours heavenward and pray
for rain. This was the lesson that was to have been taught
at Meriva. This was the lesson Moshe did not teach when,
instead of “speaking” to the rock, lifting his voice in a
prayer for physical sustenance, he reverted to the "desert
mentality" and struck with his staff, bringing one more
miracle like all the others the nation had seen in the
desert.

The Land of Israel is hardwired for belief; it is a land which

requires its inhabitants to look heavenward. Unlike Egypt,
Israel has no overflowing rivers to sustain life. All of its
water, its life-source, comes from above.

‫דברים פרק יא‬

‫(י) כִי הָארֶץ אֲשֶר אתָה בָא שָמָה לְרִשְתָה לֹא כְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם הִוא‬
‫אֲשֶר יְצָאתֶם מִשָם אֲשֶר תִזְרַע אֶת זַרְעֲךָ וְהִשְקִיתָ בְרַגְלְךָ כְגַן‬
‫(יא) וְהָארֶץ אֲשֶר אתֶם עֹבְרִים שָמָה לְרִשְתָה אֶרֶץ הָרִים‬:‫הַיָרָק‬
‫(יב) אֶרֶץ אֲשֶר ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ דֹרֵש‬:‫ובְקָעֹת לִמְטַר הַשָמַיִם תִשְתֶה מָיִם‬
‫ ס‬:‫אֹתָה תָמִיד עֵינֵי ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָה מֵרֵשִית הַשָנָה וְעַד אחֲרִית שָנָה‬
10. For the land, which you enter to possess, is not as
the land of Egypt, from where you came out, where
you sowed your seed, and watered it with your foot,
as a garden of vegetables; 11. But the land, which
you are going over to possess, is a land of hills and
valleys, and drinks water from the rain of the skies;
12. A land which God your God cares for; the eyes of
God your God are always upon it, from the beginning
of the year to the end of the year. Dvarim 11:10-12

The Land of Israel is therefore the perfect partner for the

People of Israel who are also “hardwired” for belief. As the
Sfat Emet teaches, the Forefathers were successful in
instilling faith. If we look at a fellow Jew and the faith is not
evident, if they seem distant from belief and far from
tradition, we must not be quick to judge, for the
Forefathers transmitted something so durable and
powerful that belief in God is deep inside the soul of every
Jew. In the words of the Sfat Emet, "just as the ways of
God are often beyond man's comprehension, the way of

Resh Lakish said, 'What is meant by the verse, "and there shall be faith in thy times, strength, salvation,
wisdom and knowledge?" Faith refers to the Order of Seeds.

15
the Jewish soul is often impenetrable to the casual
observer."10

In Judaism, belief in God is axiomatic. The Rambam insists

that belief in the Jewish People is equally axiomatic.
Though these two foundations of Judaism may be
obscured by the tribulations of human history, they will
ultimately be revealed in their full force in the Messianic
Age. Indeed, the clear and unmistakable affirmation of
these parallel foundations of Judaism is the very definition
of the Messianic Age: The Messianic redemption is defined
as a period in which God's involvement in our personal
and collective lives becomes clear, unmistakable,
immediately obvious to each and every one of us. The
process of this future redemption, the ultimate
redemption, is actuated by the return to emunah: Jews will
return to God, will find the belief which is all too often
hidden deep within.

‫רמב"ם הלכות תשובה פרק ז הלכה ה‬

‫ וכבר הבטיחה‬,‫כל הנביאים כולן צוו על התשובה ואין ישראל נגאלין אלא בתשובה‬
‫תורה שסוף ישראל לעשות תשובה בסוף גלותן ומיד הן נגאלין שנאמר והיה כי יבאו‬
'‫עליך כל הדברים וגו' ושבת עד ה' אלהיך ושב ה' אלהיך וגו‬

Moshe's sin was the failure to establish the ongoing

dialogue of faith between the People and God. The irony is
so sharp, the tragedy so human: Moshe had suspected
that the People of Israel lacked emunah; he had cast a
shadow of doubt on the founding Mothers' and Fathers'
success in instilling emunah in the following generations.
Now it was Moshe's turn to teach emunah – and he missed
the opportunity. Years earlier, when Moshe questioned
Jewish belief, he questioned the efficacy of the tradition of
belief passed on from the Forefathers. When he hit the
rock instead of speaking to it, he forfeited his role as the
10
Sfat Emet Vaera 5663
]‫ שנת [תרס"ג‬- ‫ פרשת וארא‬- ‫שפת אמת ספר שמות‬
‫ פי' בנ"י יש בכחם‬.'‫ואיתא בגמ' שהקב"ה השיב לו בנ"י מאמינים בני מאמינים ואתה אין סופך להאמין דכ' יען לא האמנתם כו‬
‫ ובאמת כמו‬.‫ אבל הם בני מאמינים‬.‫ ואפי' שבגלות אין יכולין להוציא מכח אל הפועל זו האמונה‬.‫מושרש האמונה בכח האבות‬
‫ כמו כן צריכין להאמין בבנ"י אפי' שנראין כעורין‬.‫שצריכין להאמין בהקב"ה אף שאין יכולין להבין הנהגה הנעלמת של הקב"ה‬
‫ וגם במאמר יען לא האמנתם כו' להקדישני‬.‫ ולכן התרעם עליו הקב"ה שהי' לו להאמין בבנ"י‬.‫ושחורין כמ"ש שחורה אני ונאוה‬
‫ לפי שהמרו את‬.‫ הי' ג"כ רק חסרון אמונה בבנ"י שסבור שלא יוכלו לקבל זו ההנהגה שנצטוה ודברתם אל הסלע‬.‫לעיני בנ"י‬
‫ וכן גם עתה אע"פ שלא שמעו אל משה מ"מ הדיבור נכנס בהם בכח‬.‫ אבל הי' צריך להאמין שהחטא רק במקרה בבנ"י‬.‫רוחו‬
‫ וע"ז‬.'‫ וגם צירף ראשי בית אבותם כמ"ש במד‬.‫ והם יקבלו מן אהרן‬.‫שצירף הקב"ה מעשה אבות וצירף אהרן שיקבל ממשה‬
‫ שהקול בא לבנ"י בכח ההרים והגבעות שהכין להם הקב"ה ברחמיו עצות שיוכלו‬.‫נאמר קול דודי כו' זה בא מדלג על ההרים‬
:‫לקבל הדברים‬

16
conduit of this belief to the next generation. In both
instances, the sin is the same: When Moshe saw the
redemptive process stall, or regress, he didn’t think the
people could continue. He didn’t think they had enough
faith. When the sin of the spies overshadowed their faith,
Moshe again thought that they didn’t have the faith to
continue.

God disagreed. God believes in the Jewish People. He

knew that we could enter the Land, that we would have
the emunah to lift our hearts and voices heavenward, to
remember that God is involved in our lives through the
natural processes of history – and to pray. And when we
do, God will answer. For our part, we must not lose sight of
the faith that is our legacy, our very identity: faith in God,
and faith in His People.

‫אנחנו מאמינים בני מאמינים‬

‫ואין לנו על מי להישען‬
‫אלא על אבינו‬
‫שבשמיים‬

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