Talk about pressure!
In this week's Torah portion, Chukat, we find a particularly fraught moment (Numbers 20:8). God tells Moses, "Take the staff…and give the congregation and their animals to drink." Seems straightforward. But as we learn in Bamidbar Rabbah 19, there's a lot more bubbling beneath the surface than just water.
First, notice that God cares about the animals. Bamidbar Rabbah points out that this shows how much God values the property of the Israelites. It's a beautiful reminder that even the smallest details matter in God's eyes.
But then, the people start to grumble. Surprise, surprise! They gather before the rock, and Moses, exasperated, cries out (Numbers 20:10): “Listen now, defiant ones; will we bring out water for you from this rock?”
The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) paints a vivid picture of this scene. It tells us, drawing a parallel to (Leviticus 8:3) about assembling at the Tent of Meeting, that everyone felt like they were standing directly before the rock, witnessing the miracle. A similar idea is echoed when the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, as we see in (Joshua 3:9). It's like a moment of intense, shared focus.
But here’s where it gets tricky. The Israelites, ever the skeptics, start questioning Moses' motives. “Oh, he knows the good rocks,” they whisper, according to Bamidbar Rabbah. “Let him bring water from this rock, the one we choose!” They challenge his authority and, in a way, God’s power. They think Moses might have some natural ability with rocks, and aren't ready to give credit where it's due.
Imagine Moses' dilemma! If he listens to them, he feels like he’s undermining God. The Midrash references (Job 5:13), "He traps the wise with their craftiness," suggesting that Moses feared being outsmarted, tricked into disobeying God's command. For forty years, he’d been so careful to avoid provoking God's wrath, remembering the oath that only Caleb and Joshua would enter the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 1:35). He was walking a tightrope, constantly aware of the consequences of his actions.
So, what does he do? He lashes out. He calls them hamorim (Numbers 20:10). Now, hamorim is a loaded word. Bamidbar Rabbah offers a whole slew of interpretations: "defiant ones," "fools," "those who teach their teachers," even "shooters of arrows." It's clear Moses is fed up.
He strikes the rock – twice! – and water gushes forth (Numbers 20:11). But according to (Psalms 78:20), the first strike only produced a trickle. Only after the second, angry strike did the water flow freely, even washing away the mockers. Bamidbar Rabbah highlights that Moses ultimately struck the rock God instructed him to, even amidst the chaos. And according to (Psalms 78:15), all the rocks in the area produced water.
And here's the devastating consequence: God tells Moses and Aaron that because they "did not have faith in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel; therefore, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them" (Numbers 20:12).
Why was Aaron included in this punishment? Bamidbar Rabbah presents a powerful analogy: a creditor seizing a borrower's granary takes his neighbor's as well. Moses questions the fairness, asking what Aaron did to deserve this fate. The text then subtly praises Aaron for not complaining. (Deuteronomy 33:8) even refers to Aaron as God's "virtuous one," tested at Masa and Mei Meriva. These places are where their faith was tested.
This story is a tough one. It reminds us that even the greatest leaders are fallible, and that even small acts of impatience or anger can have huge consequences. It forces us to ask: How do we react when our faith is tested? How do we maintain our composure when surrounded by doubt and criticism? And perhaps most importantly, how do we learn from our mistakes and move forward, even when the path ahead is uncertain?
“Take the staff…and give the congregation and their animals to drink” (Numbers 20:8) – from here, that the Holy One blessed be He spares Israel’s property.45This is indicated by God’s concern for their animals. “Moses and Aaron assembled the assembly to before the rock, and he said to them: Hear now, defiant ones; will we bring out water for you from this rock” (Numbers 20:10). “Moses and Aaron assembled the assembly to before the rock” – likewise it says: “Assemble the entire congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting” (Leviticus 8:3).46This is an area too small to hold the entire congregation. It teaches that each and every one saw himself as though he were standing before the rock. Likewise, when they crossed the Jordan, all of Israel entered between the staves of the Ark, as it is stated: “Joshua said to the children of Israel: Come here, and hear the words of the Lord [your God]” (Joshua 3:9). Here all Israel were standing and witnessing the miracles at the rock. They began to say, ‘Moses knows the nature of the rock; if he seeks to [perform a miracle] let him cause water to flow from this one.’47There were those who said: Moses wants to extract water from a specific rock because he knows that from that rock, or from the area of that rock, it is possible to extract water. If he claims that he will miraculously extract water, let him extract it from this rock which we choose. As a result, Moses was in a quandary. [He thought:] If I listen to them, I will void the words of the Omnipresent, and the Holy One blessed be He: “He traps the wise with their craftiness” (Job 5:13). Moses was very cautious all those forty years not to become exasperated with them, because he was afraid of the oath that the Holy One blessed be He took: “If any man among these men…will see” (Deuteronomy 1:35).48God took an oath that from that generation only Caleb and Joshua would enter the Land of Israel. While this implied that Moses and Aaron would not enter, it was not explicit. Therefore, Moses was afraid that even if he only became angry at them he would be included in their punishment. They said to him: ‘Just as you wish to cause water to flow from another rock, cause it to flow from this one.’ He screamed at them: “Listen now, hamorim” (Numbers 20:10). Hamorim has several interpretations: Hamorim –defiant ones; hamorim – fools, as in the cities of the sea, they call fools morim; hamorim – who teach their teachers; hamorim – shooter of arrows: “The archers [hamorim], the men…found him” (I Samuel 31:3); “the archers [hamorim bakeshet]” (I Chronicles 10:3). “Moses raised his hand, and he struck the rock with his staff twice, and a great deal of water came out, and the congregation and their animals drank” (Numbers 20:11). “Moses raised his hand, and he struck the rock” – he struck it once, the rock began dripping scant water, as it is stated: “Behold, He struck the rock so that water trickled [vayazuvu]” (Psalms 78:20), like a zav, who drips drops. They said to him: Son of Amram, this is water for nursing babies or those just weaned. He immediately grew impatient with them and struck it twice. Much water emerged and washed away everyone who had been mocking him, as it is stated: “And streams were flowing” (Psalms 78:20). Nevertheless, Moses did it only from the rock that the Holy One blessed be He had told him. From where is it derived that that rock about which Israel spoke as well as each and every rock that was in that place were producing water? It is as it is stated: “He split boulders…[and gave them drink]” (Psalms 78:15). “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Because you did not have faith in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel; therefore, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them” (Numbers 20:12). Why was Aaron included? It is as it is stated: “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Because you did not have faith in Me.” This is analogous to a creditor who came to take possession of the granary of the borrower, and took his and his neighbor’s. He said to him: ‘If I am liable, what sin did my neighbor commit?’ So too said Moses our teacher: ‘I became impatient; what sin did Aaron commit?’ This is why the verse lauds him:49Lauds Aaron, who did not complain. “Of Levi he said: Your Tumim and Your Urim for Your virtuous one, whom You tested at Masa, [You challenged him at Mei Meriva]” (Deuteronomy 33:8).
