This week’s Torah portion Hukkat The Law spans nearly the entire 40 years of wanderings in the Wilderness of Sinai. It begins with the law of the holy cow, the red heifer whose ashes provide purification after contact with death. This is one of those laws whose meaning is not obtainable to human intelligence but is to be observed because this is the will of God.
Next comes the death of Miriam, older sister of Moshe Moses, a prophetess in her own right. Upon her death there is no water. Midrash – the ancient rabbinic commentary, records that it was in the merit of Miriam that a well of water accompanied the Children of Israel throughout their wanderings in the wilderness. It was only after her death that her powerful spiritual presence could be fully appreciated.
The people, in their desperate thirst for water, for themselves and their cattle, turn against the remaining two siblings, the leaders, Moshe and Aharon Aaron, challenging the wisdom of leaving Egypt. Moshe and Aharon leave the assembled people and fall on their faces at the entrance to God ’s Holy Abode on earth, the Tent of Meeting.
God, does not express anger at the people and gives specific instructions:
“Take the staff and assemble the community, you and Aharon your brother; you are to speak to the boulder before their eyes so that it gives forth its water; thus you are to bring out for them water from the boulder; that you may give drink to the assembly and to their cattle.” Numbers 20: 8
The instructions from God sound simple enough: Take the stick, assemble the community and talk to the rock before their eyes so that it gives forth its water. But the instructions are different than the last time there was this type of problem. Then Moshe was told to hit the rock and water would come out. This time what does Moshe actually do?
“So Moshe took the staff from before the presence of God, as he had commanded him. And Moshe and Aharon assembled the assembly facing the boulder: He said to them: Now listen, you rebels, from this boulder must we bring you out water? And Moshe raised his hand and struck the boulder with his staff, twice, so that abundant water came out; and the community and their cattle drank.” 20:9-11
God’s response is immediate: God said to Moshe and to Aharon: Because you did not have trust in me to treat me as holy before the eyes of the Children of Israel, therefore: you (tow) shall not bring this assembly into the land that I am giving them!” 20:12
There have been many interpretations throughout the ages as to what was the sin of Moshe that was so serious as to warrant the punishment of not going into the land. Was it the violence of action, hitting the rock rather than talking to it? Was it the violence of speech – addressing the people as rebels? All of us, even a very great leader such as Moshe, can make mistakes, especially under pressure.
Moshe in addressing the people, tells the people to listen. But it is he who did not listen fully to God’s words. When under attack we can find it difficult to listen to the other. What we may actually hear is what is inside our own infuriated heart. A key to holiness is to remain in listening mode to the other even when there is provocation to anger. The other person may have a legitimate point mixed in with the provocations. Can we hear all that we need to hear? Can we hear fully before judging and blaming the other, as justified as that may seem to be?
Here was a marvelous opportunity, in front of the entire assembled people, to show the greatness of God: that nonviolence can bring salvation to the people. Moshe missed out. But from this incident we can all learn.
The Torah concludes this chapter: “Those were the waters of quarreling, where the Children of Israel quarreled with God, and He was hallowed through them.” 20:13 Through their example and their punishment, we learn a lesson: Hear what God is saying to us and hear the other.
May we all have a Shabbat in which we listen to God and to the other with circumcised ears and circumcised hearts – to hear what is actually being said, both the words and between the words.
Shabbat Shalom,
Shaya Kelter