Parshat Chukat and the Need to Inspire

Chapter 20 in the Book of Numbers tells a by now familiar story of the Jewish people complaining to Moshe, and bemoaning their condition. The impetus this time is a lack of water, and in the first verse of this chapter, the Bible hints at a connection, explored further in commentaries and Midrashim, between the death of Miriam and the water shortage. Putting aside the question of why there was no water, the people "assemble against Moshe and Aharon," (20:2) quarrel ("vayarev" 20:3) and, similar to past complaints where they said, "we would have been better off dying in Egypt", they wistfully declare "If only we had expired in front of Hashem" (20:3) possibly referring to the most recent plagues surrounding last week's story of Korach and his followers. Kill me, already, in other words -- anything but this. They conclude, "And why did you bring us up from Egypt to bring us to this bad place? It's not a place of seed and fig and vine and pomegranate, and there's no water to drink." (20:5)

It's time for Moshe to act and in verse 8, Hashem tells Moshe precisely what to do. The rest of the story is pretty well known. Hashem told Moshe to gather the people and his brother Aharon, to "take/pick up the staff" (20:8) but to solve the problem by "speak[ing] to the rock" (20:8), assuring Moshe that the rock would then "give its water." (20:8)

Instead of speaking to the rock, Moshe spoke to the people, and spoke harshly, calling them "rebels" (morim, 20:10). He then "lifted his hand and struck the rock with his staff" (20:11) and while "much water came out" (20:11) the mission was far from a success.

God responds immediately. Both Moshe and Aharon will be punished dramatically: neither will be allowed to lead the Jewish people into the land of Israel -- lo taviu et hakahal hazeh el ha'aretz asher natati lahem, in the Hebrew text.

How do we understand this? Is it a pure punishment, expressing God's anger? Is it a more practical expression of the fact that something about the current leadership simply isn't working? It's also interesting because the tail end of the Jews' complaint in verse 5 -- "And why did you bring us up from Egypt to bring us to this bad place? It's not a place of seed and fig and vine and pomegranate..." -- so clearly evokes the language and imagery we normally associate with the land of Israel, a place of milk and honey. Perhaps the failure, or at least part of the disconnect that Moshe was having with the Jewish people was that they were expecting the desert to already be like the land of Israel. I don't mean this literally, but one layer of meaning may circle around this notion. Moshe managed miracles but, perhaps, not expectations. If this is the case, the punishment could in part be ironic as well. Okay, Moshe and Aharon, says God, if you all think this is already the Land of Israel, no need for the two of you to go any farther and actually shlep the rest of the way!

Now, though, let's see what the rest of the same verse says about God's reason for this punishment; if not explaining the choice of punishment per se, it sheds light on God's anger or disappointment.

Moshe and Aharon are punished "...ya'an lo heh'amentem bi l'hakdisheini l'einei b'nei Yisrael."

Most translations** understand this to mean "because you (plural, both Moshe and Aharon) did not trust in me, to make me holy before the eyes of the children of Israel." (20:12)

The suggestion implicit then is that there was some lack of emunah (beief/faith/trust) on Moshe's part, presumably in thinking that he needed to hit the rock when he had been told that speaking would suffice (perhaps a contemporary analogy might be someone repeatedly clicking a mouse or computer icon instead of patiently waiting for the promised resut to occur).

There is another explanation, in many ways, more beautiful as well as being more true to the original Hebrew text. Moshe and Aharaon had strong belief in Hashem and, says Rav Sa'adia Ga'on, their faith was not at issue.

The words "lo heh'amantem" are Hiphil, causative form, and mean "you did not cause the Jewish people to believe in me," your short cut made the miracle less impactful, and left the people less inspired.

That is why the sin was so severe, and the leaders did not lead, because to lead is to inspire; they had an obligation to bring the Jewish people closer to God, and they blew the opportunity.

I love this thought for several reasons, but I also love the way it reflects what secondtablet.com is all about.

There are two tablets.
We need to focus on our relationship with both man and God.
We should we be careful to ensure that neither tablet/set of responsibilities comes at the expense of the other.

But here's the kicker and the fun and fascinating overlap: sometimes our most sacred obligation to our friends is to inspire them and bring them closer to God's words and God's work.

When we share this gift, we share ourselves. By letting people know what we believe and why, and exposing the beauty of God and the Jewish tradition, we make the world a better place.

Our rabbis assure us that "Words that come from the heart, enter the heart."

So open your heart, and mouth. Tell someone about a mitzvah you find meaningful, a nice thought you heard, a story you treasure.

Their hearts will open in turn. Through your words, even a heart of stone, like the actual stone in this week's portion, will shoot forth water, leaving those you care about alive and vigorous. In doing so, we can create, you can create, a world of overflowing blessings.




End Notes:

**See, for example, Soncino's Hertz Chumash which translates "Because ye believed not in me, to sanctify...."; Samson Raphael Hirsch who understands, ""Beacause ye had no confidence in Me to sanctify...."; and Aryeh Kaplan's The Living Torah: "You did not have enough faith in Me to sanctify...." Kaplan includes a footnote citing Saadia (as well as Ralbag): "You did not work to make [the Israelites] have faith...."