Someone to read Numbers: 20:1-13 (p883)
Examine the punishment - too harsh or justified?
[Related question: what is the reason for the punishment?]
Too Harsh
Context - crisis of spies; rebellions (personally directed toward Moshe); death of Miryam
Need to justify and defend himself; emotional resources at a low
(ג) וַיָּ֥רֶב הָעָ֖ם עִם־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֵאמֹ֔ר וְל֥וּ גָוַ֛עְנוּ בִּגְוַ֥ע אַחֵ֖ינוּ לִפְנֵ֥י ה׳׃(ד) וְלָמָ֤ה הֲבֵאתֶם֙ אֶת־קְהַ֣ל ה׳ אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה לָמ֣וּת שָׁ֔ם אֲנַ֖חְנוּ וּבְעִירֵֽנוּ׃
(3) The people quarreled with Moshe, saying, “If only we had perishedwhen our brothers perished before Adonai!(4) Why have you brought Adonai's congregation into this wilderness for us and our beasts to die there?
Linguistic connections between people's statements here and in Korah's rebellion
(ה) וְלָמָ֤ה הֶֽעֱלִיתֻ֙נוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם לְהָבִ֣יא אֹתָ֔נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֥וֹם הָרָ֖ע הַזֶּ֑ה לֹ֣א ׀ מְק֣וֹם זֶ֗רַע וּתְאֵנָ֤ה וְגֶ֙פֶן֙ וְרִמּ֔וֹן וּמַ֥יִם אַ֖יִן לִשְׁתּֽוֹת׃
(5) Why did you make us leave Egypt to bring us to this wretched place, a place with no grain or figs or vines or pomegranates? There is not even water to drink!”
Special nerve after people just refused to go into the land where they were presented with just these things!
(ח) קַ֣ח אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֗ה וְהַקְהֵ֤ל אֶת־הָעֵדָה֙ אַתָּה֙ וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֧ם אֶל־הַסֶּ֛לַע לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם וְנָתַ֣ן מֵימָ֑יו וְהוֹצֵאתָ֨ לָהֶ֥ם מַ֙יִם֙ מִן־הַסֶּ֔לַע וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֥ אֶת־הָעֵדָ֖ה וְאֶת־בְּעִירָֽם׃
(8) “You and your brother Aharon take the rod and assemble the community, and before their very eyes order the rock to yield its water. Thus you shall produce water for them from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their beasts.”
Mention of staff; staff actually used in parallel story (Ex. 17:1-7)
Justified
(י) וַיַּקְהִ֜לוּ מֹשֶׁ֧ה וְאַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַקָּהָ֖ל אֶל־פְּנֵ֣י הַסָּ֑לַע וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ הַמֹּרִ֔ים הֲמִן־הַסֶּ֣לַע הַזֶּ֔ה נוֹצִ֥יא לָכֶ֖ם מָֽיִם׃(יא) וַיָּ֨רֶם מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־יָד֗וֹ וַיַּ֧ךְ אֶת־הַסֶּ֛לַע בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ פַּעֲמָ֑יִם וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּ הָעֵדָ֖ה וּבְעִירָֽם׃ (ס)
(10) Moshe and Aharon assembled the congregation in front of the rock; and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?”(11) And Moshe raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the community and their beasts drank.
Commentators:
Spoke ill of the people
Rashi - Not following orders (hit instead of spoke). Suggestion, might reflect insufficient faith in God.
Misrepresenting God - if we can't trust his representation of God's words and instructions, how can we trust Torah?
Ibn 'Ezra - (mystical tinge, mentioned obliquely) miracles happen through being in a spiritual state of oneness with God in the moment they are happening; no longer there; that is why he hit the rock and nothing came out - he had to hit it twice.
Similarly, he was given instructions by God - instead of fulfilling them first, he gives his own commentary. His actions and speech are not one with God's.
Uses position to try to justify and reinforce his status rather than fulfill duty - game-changing moment for him as leader
(נא) עַל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר מְעַלְתֶּ֜ם בִּ֗י בְּתוֹךְ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּמֵֽי־מְרִיבַ֥ת קָדֵ֖שׁ מִדְבַּר־צִ֑ן עַ֣ל אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־קִדַּשְׁתֶּם֙ אוֹתִ֔י בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃(נב) כִּ֥י מִנֶּ֖גֶד תִּרְאֶ֣ה אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְשָׁ֙מָּה֙ לֹ֣א תָב֔וֹא אֶל־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י נֹתֵ֖ן לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (פ)
(51) for you both broke faith with Me among the Children of Israel, at the waters of Meribath-kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, by failing to sanctify Me among the Children of Israel.(52) You may see the land from a distance, but you shall not enter it—the land that I am giving to the Children of Israel.
(א) וַיַּ֨עַל מֹשֶׁ֜ה מֵֽעַרְבֹ֤ת מוֹאָב֙ אֶל־הַ֣ר נְב֔וֹ רֹ֚אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֣י יְרֵח֑וֹ וַיַּרְאֵ֨הוּ ה׳ אֶת־כָּל־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֶת־הַגִּלְעָ֖ד עַד־דָּֽן׃(ב) וְאֵת֙ כָּל־נַפְתָּלִ֔י וְאֶת־אֶ֥רֶץ אֶפְרַ֖יִם וּמְנַשֶּׁ֑ה וְאֵת֙ כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ יְהוּדָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיָּ֥ם הָאַחֲרֽוֹן׃(ג) וְאֶת־הַנֶּ֗גֶב וְֽאֶת־הַכִּכָּ֞ר בִּקְעַ֧ת יְרֵח֛וֹ עִ֥יר הַתְּמָרִ֖ים עַד־צֹֽעַר׃(ד) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה׳ אֵלָ֗יו זֹ֤את הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֠שְׁבַּעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֨ם לְיִצְחָ֤ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹב֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לְזַרְעֲךָ֖ אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה הֶרְאִיתִ֣יךָ בְעֵינֶ֔יךָ וְשָׁ֖מָּה לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹֽר׃(ה) וַיָּ֨מָת שָׁ֜ם מֹשֶׁ֧ה עֶֽבֶד־ה׳ בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מוֹאָ֖ב עַל־פִּ֥י ה׳׃(ו) וַיִּקְבֹּ֨ר אֹת֤וֹ בַגַּיְ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מוֹאָ֔ב מ֖וּל בֵּ֣ית פְּע֑וֹר וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֥ע אִישׁ֙ אֶת־קְבֻ֣רָת֔וֹ עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃(ז) וּמֹשֶׁ֗ה בֶּן־מֵאָ֧ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֛ים שָׁנָ֖ה בְּמֹת֑וֹ לֹֽא־כָהֲתָ֥ה עֵינ֖וֹ וְלֹא־נָ֥ס לֵחֹֽה׃ ... (י) וְלֹֽא־קָ֨ם נָבִ֥יא ע֛וֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כְּמֹשֶׁ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ יְדָע֣וֹ ה׳ פָּנִ֖ים אֶל־פָּנִֽים׃(יא) לְכָל־הָ֨אֹת֜וֹת וְהַמּוֹפְתִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר שְׁלָחוֹ֙ ה׳ לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לְפַרְעֹ֥ה וּלְכָל־עֲבָדָ֖יו וּלְכָל־אַרְצֽוֹ׃(יב) וּלְכֹל֙ הַיָּ֣ד הַחֲזָקָ֔ה וּלְכֹ֖ל הַמּוֹרָ֣א הַגָּד֑וֹל אֲשֶׁר֙ עָשָׂ֣ה מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(1) Moshe went up from the steppes of Moav to Mount Nevo, to the summit of Pisgah, opposite Jericho, and Adonai showed him the whole land: Gil'ad as far as Dan;(2) all Naphtali; the land of Ephraim and Menasheh; the whole land of Judah as far as the Western Sea;(3) the Negev; and the Plain—the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Tzo'ar.(4) And Adonai said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ‘I will assign it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not cross there.”(5) So Moses the servant of Adonai died there, in the land of Moav, at the command of Adonai.(6)He buried him in the valley in the land of Moav, near Bet-Pe'or; and no one knows his burial place to this day.(7) Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated....(10) Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moshe—whom Adonai singled out ("knew" + sexual sense), face to face,(11) for the various signs and wonders that Adonai sent him to display in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his courtiers and his whole country,(12) and for all the great might and awesome power that Moshe displayed before all Israel.
Compassion and intimacy:
- God physically shows him the land
- Midrash on "died at the command/at the mouth of God":
- בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה נְשָׁקוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְנָטַל נִשְׁמָתוֹ בִּנְשִׁיקַת פֶּה
- דברים רבה יא:י
- God buries Moshe
- "Knew him face to face" - sexual intimacy
Moshe is spared - gets to see through God's eyes rather than through the people's tumultuous history
Dies in an experience of closeness and intimacy with God
-> God's actual response to Moshe's faltering is to draw him closer, which also means further from the people and further from this world
Though Moshe is the greatest prophet, he is imperfect.
In order to fulfill his mission, he needs God and needs to keep turning his perspective as close as possible to God's perspective, even when faced with fear, exhaustion, and grief.
Reminder to us of what that call to leadership is.
Reminder that our strength comes from openness and intimacy, especially with God.
Last, a reminder of the compassion and support that are available for us even when we fail.