וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי. לָמָּה נֶעֱנַשׁ אַהֲרֹן. מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה. לְבַעַל חוֹב שֶׁבָּא לִטֹּל גָּרְנוֹ שֶׁל לֹוֶה, נָטַל שֶׁלּוֹ וְשֶׁל שְׁכֵנוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ הַלֹּוֶה, אִם אֲנִי חַיָּב, שְׁכֵנִי עָנִי מֶה חָטָא. אַף כָּךְ אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אֲנִי הִקְפַּדְתִּי, אַהֲרֹן מֶה חָטָא. לְפִיכָךְ הַכָּתוּב מְקַלְּסוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּלְלֵוִי אָמַר תֻּמֶּיךָ וְאוּרֶיךְ לְאִישׁ חֲסִידֶךָ וְגוֹ' (דברים לג, ח). יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי. וְכִי לֹא אָמַר מֹשֶׁה דָּבָר קָשֶׁה מִזֶּה, שֶׁאָמַר, הַצֹּאן וּבָקָר יִשָּׁחֵט לָהֶם וְגוֹ' (במדבר יא, כב). אַף שָׁם אֵינָהּ אֲמָנָה וְהִיא גְּדוֹלָה מִזּוֹ. וּמִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נִגְזַר עָלָיו שָׁם מִיתָה. מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה. לַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ אוֹהֵב, וְהָיָה מֵגִיס בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּדְבָרִים קָשִׁים וְלֹא הָיָה הַמֶּלֶךְ מַקְפִּיד עָלָיו. לְיָמִים עָמַד וְהֵגִיס בְּמַעֲמַד לִגְיוֹנוֹתָיו. גָּזַר עָלָיו מִיתָה. אַף כָּאן אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ בֵּינִי לְבֵינְךָ, לֹא הִקְפַּדְתִּי. עַכְשָׁו כְּנֶגֶד הָרַבִּים אִי אֶפְשָׁר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי לְעֵינֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: יֵשׁ הֶבֶל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ צַדִּיקִים אֲשֶׁר מַגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הָרְשָׁעִים (קהלת ז, יד). אַתְּ מוֹצֵא כְּשֶׁקִּלֵּל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת הַנָּחָשׁ וְאָמַר לֵיהּ אָרוּר אַתָּה (בראשית ג, יד), לֹא הֵנִיחוֹ לִטְעֹן כְּלוּם. שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ לַנָּחָשׁ לוֹמַר לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ לָאָדָם, לֹא תֹּאכַל. וַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ, אֱכֹל. דִּבְרֵי הָרַב וְדִבְרֵי הַתַּלְמִיד, דִּבְרֵי מִי שׁוֹמְעִין. לָמָּה אַתָּה מְקַלְּלֵנִי. וְלֹא הֵנִיחוֹ לִטְעֹן כְּלוּם. וּמֹשֶׁה הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר, אֲנִי לֹא עָבַרְתִּי עַל דְּבָרֶיךָ, לָמָּה אֲנִי מֵת. יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי לָכֵן לֹא תָּבִיאוּ אֶת הַקָּהָל. מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה. לִשְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים שֶׁלּוֹקוֹת בְּבֵית דִּין, אַחַת קִלְקְלָה, וְאַחַת אָכְלָה פַּגֵּי שְׁבִיעִית. אָמְרָה לָהֶם אוֹתָהּ שֶׁאָכְלָה פַּגֵּי שְׁבִיעִית, בְּבַקָּשָׁה מִכֶּם הוֹדִיעוּ לַבְּרִיּוֹת עַל מָה אֲנִי לוֹקָה, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ, אַף אֲנִי קִלְקַלְתִּי. הֵבִיאוּ פַּגִּין שֶׁבְּיָדָהּ וְתָלוּ עָלֶיהָ וְהִכְרִיזוּ וְאָמְרוּ, זוֹ קִלְקְלָה וְלָקְתָה, וְזוֹ אָכְלָה פַּגֵּי שְׁבִיעִית וְלָקְתָה. אַף כָּךְ אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, הֲרֵי גָּזַרְתָּ עָלַי לָמוּת בַּמִּדְבָּר עִם הַדּוֹר הָרַע הַזֶּה שֶׁהִכְעִיסוּךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כַּמָּה יַמְרוּהוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר יַעֲצִיבוּהוּ בַּיְּשִׁימוֹן (תהלים עח, מ). עַכְשָׁו יֹאמְרוּ הַדּוֹרוֹת, אַף אֲנִי שָׁוֶה לָהֶם. יִכְתֹּב עָלַי עַל מַה נֶּעֱנַשְׁתִּי. לְפִיכָךְ כְּתִיב: יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי. לָכֵן לֹא תָּבִיאוּ. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, מֹשֶׁה, בְּאֵיזֶה פָּנִים אַתָּה מְבַקֵּשׁ לָבוֹא לָאָרֶץ. מָשָׁל לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה. לָרוֹעֶה אֶחָד שֶׁיָּצָא לִרְעוֹת צֹאנוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ, וְנִשְׁבֵּית הַצֹּאן. בִּקֵּשׁ הָרוֹעֶה לִיכָּנֵס לְפַלְטְרִין שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ. אָמַר לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ, יֹאמְרוּ שֶׁאַתָּה הִשְׁבִּיתָ הַצֹּאן. אַף כָּךְ אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, שִׁבְחֲךָ הוּא שֶׁהוֹצֵאתָ שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא וּקְבַרְתָּם בַּמִּדְבָּר, וְאַתָּה מַכְנִיס דּוֹר אַחֵר. עַכְשָׁו יֹאמְרוּ, אֵין לְמֵתֵי הַמִּדְבָּר חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אֶלָּא תִּהְיֶה בְּצִדָּן וְתָבֹא עִמָּהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֵּתֵא רָאשֵׁי עָם וְגוֹ' (דברים לג, כא). לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: לֹא תָּבִיאוּ אֶת הַקָּהָל הַזֶּה, שֶׁיָּצָא עִמָּךְ. (Numb. 20:12:) “But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in Me.’” Why was Aaron punished?97Numb. R. 19:9, end. The matter is comparable to a creditor who came to take the threshing floor of the borrower [as repayment, and] takes his and his neighbor’s. The borrower says to him, “If I am in debt, what is my poor neighbor’s sin?” So too did Moses say to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, “I got angry, [but] what is Aaron’s sin?” Therefore the verse lauds98Rt.: QLS; cf. Gk.: kalos. [Aaron] (in Deuteronomy 33:8), “And of Levi he said, ‘Let Your thummim and urim be with Your faithful one [whom you tested at Massah, with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah].’” (Numb. 20:12:) “Because you did not trust in Me.” Did not Moses say something worse than this?99Numb. R. 19:10. As he said (in Numb. 11:22), “Are there [enough] flocks and herds to slaughter for them; [are there enough fish in the sea to gather for them]?” There also trust was lacking, and [that lack of trust] was greater than this one. So why did the Holy One, blessed be He, not decree death for him there? The matter is comparable to a king who had a friend. Now when in private he displayed arrogance towards the king with harsh words, the king did not become angry with him. [When, however,] he arose one day and was arrogant in front of the legions,100Lat.: legiones. he decreed death for him. So also did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Moses, “When you acted privately with Me, I did not become angry, but now [that you have acted] in public, it is impossible [to overlook your action].” Thus it is stated (in Numb. 20:12), “to sanctify Me in the sight of the Children of Israel.” This text is related (to Ecclesiastes 8:14), “Here is a vanity that occurs in the world: sometimes an upright man is requited according to the conduct of the scoundrel.” You find that when the Holy One, blessed be He, cursed the serpent and said to him (in Genesis 3:14), “You are cursed,” He did not allow him to make any claim. As the serpent could have said in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, “You said to Adam, ‘Do not eat,’ and I said to him, ‘Eat.’ Who does one listen to, the words of the master or the words of the student? [So] why do You curse me?” And he did not allow [Moses] to make any claim [either]. As [Moses] could have said, “I did not transgress Your words. Why should I die?” (Numb. 20:12:) “Because you did not trust in Me, therefore you shall not lead this congregation.” The matter is comparable to two woman that were lashed in court. One had been corrupted (was unfaithful) and the other ate unripe fruit of the sabbatical year. The one that ate the unripe fruit of the sabbatical year said to them, “I plead with you to make known to the creatures why I am being lashed, so that they do not say, that I was also corrupted. [So] they brought the unripe fruit that was in her possession and suspended them upon her and announced and said, “This one was corrupted and was lashed, and that one ate unripe fruit from the sabbatical year and was lashed.” So too Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world,101Numb. R. 19:12. see, You have decreed for me to die in the desert along with this wicked generation who angered You,” as stated (in Ps. 78:40), “How often did they defy Him in the desert and grieve Him in the wilderness.” “Now the [future] generations will say I was like them. Let it be written about me why I came to be punished.” It is therefore written (in Numb. 20:12), “because you did not trust in Me to sanctify Me, therefore you will not bring.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “With what countenance do you want to enter the land?"102Numb. R. 19:13. The situation is comparable to a shepherd who went out to feed the king's flock, and the flock was carried off. [When] the shepherd wanted to come into the king's palace,103Lat. palatium; Gk.: palation. the king said to him, “They will say that you caused the flock to be carried off.” Here also the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “[Would it be] your glory that you are the one who led sixty myriads out [of bondage] and buried them in the desert and are bringing another generation into [the land]. Now they will say, ‘The generation of the wilderness has no share in the world to come.’ Rather be by their side, and come along with them [in the future].” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 33:21), “[for there is an honored lawgiver's portion,] where he came at the head of the people....” Therefore it is stated (in Numb. 20:12), “therefore you shall not lead this congregation,” that came out with you.