Moshe and Aharon's Real Sin, Part #5

Few orders of business:
1: I'm postponing Korach again, this time indefinitely. Writer's block.
2:Today, it's time to dispel a common myth: That the story of Mei Merivah happened in the fortieth year.

The Popular Opinion

במדבר כ׳:י״ג-כ״ד

(יג) הֵ֚מָּה מֵ֣י מְרִיבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־רָב֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּקָּדֵ֖שׁ בָּֽם׃ (ס)... (כג) וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן בְּהֹ֣ר הָהָ֑ר עַל־גְּב֥וּל אֶֽרֶץ־אֱד֖וֹם לֵאמֹֽר׃ (כד) יֵאָסֵ֤ף אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־עַמָּ֔יו כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָבֹא֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עַ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־מְרִיתֶ֥ם אֶת־פִּ֖י לְמֵ֥י מְרִיבָֽה׃

Numbers 20:13-24

(13) These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and He was sanctified in them... (23) And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying: (24) ’Aaron shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against My word at the waters of Meribah.

We know from another source that Aharon's death happened in the fortieth year. Because the two stories are in the same chapter, the theory goes, they take place at the same time.
This is playing of a concept called Semichut Parshiyot, which put an emphasis on juxtaposition. However, there is another story before Mei Merivah! One can also learn from Semichut Parshiyot here to connect it to the section beforehand: The Parah Adumah.

במדבר י״ט:א׳-ט׳

(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ב) זֹ֚את חֻקַּ֣ת הַתּוֹרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר דַּבֵּ֣ר ׀ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֣וּ אֵלֶיךָ֩ פָרָ֨ה אֲדֻמָּ֜ה תְּמִימָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֵֽין־בָּהּ֙ מ֔וּם אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־עָלָ֥ה עָלֶ֖יהָ עֹֽל׃ ... (ט) וְאָסַ֣ף ׀ אִ֣ישׁ טָה֗וֹר אֵ֚ת אֵ֣פֶר הַפָּרָ֔ה וְהִנִּ֛יחַ מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה בְּמָק֣וֹם טָה֑וֹר וְ֠הָיְתָה לַעֲדַ֨ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל לְמִשְׁמֶ֛רֶת לְמֵ֥י נִדָּ֖ה חַטָּ֥את הִֽוא׃...

Numbers 19:1-9

(1) And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: (2) This is the statute of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying: Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer, faultless, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke. (9) And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of sprinkling; it is a purification from sin...

Now, when were the Parah Adumah laws given over to Bnei Yisrael? During the first or early second year, because at the dedication of the Levites (which occured in the early second year), it states:

במדבר ח׳:ז׳

(ז) וְכֹֽה־תַעֲשֶׂ֤ה לָהֶם֙ לְטַֽהֲרָ֔ם הַזֵּ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מֵ֣י חַטָּ֑את וְהֶעֱבִ֤ירוּ תַ֙עַר֙ עַל־כָּל־בְּשָׂרָ֔ם וְכִבְּס֥וּ בִגְדֵיהֶ֖ם וְהִטֶּהָֽרוּ׃

Numbers 8:7

(7) And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

The same hebrew word- chatat- is used both times. Thus, we see that the telling of the Parah Adumah, which is juxtaposed to Mei Merivah, happened in the first couple of years in the desert.

On top of the lack of proof for the popular opinion, there are three solid proofs for the third year theory:
Proof #1: Echoes of Korach
Read through chapters 16-17 of Bemidbar, and then read the first few verses of chapter 20. Anything sound familiar?

במדבר כ׳:ד׳

(ד) וְלָמָ֤ה הֲבֵאתֶם֙ אֶת־קְהַ֣ל יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה לָמ֣וּת שָׁ֔ם אֲנַ֖חְנוּ וּבְעִירֵֽנוּ׃

Numbers 20:4

(4) And why have ye brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, to die there, we and our cattle?

במדבר י״ז:ו׳

(ו) וַיִּלֹּ֜נוּ כָּל־עֲדַ֤ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת עַל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹ֑ר אַתֶּ֥ם הֲמִתֶּ֖ם אֶת־עַ֥ם יְהוָֽה׃

Numbers 17:6

(6) But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying: ‘Ye have killed the people of the LORD.’

a) Accusations against Moshe of killing, or attempting to kill, "the nation/assembly of Hashem."

במדבר כ׳:ה׳

(ה) וְלָמָ֤ה הֶֽעֱלִיתֻ֙נוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם לְהָבִ֣יא אֹתָ֔נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֥וֹם הָרָ֖ע הַזֶּ֑ה לֹ֣א ׀ מְק֣וֹם זֶ֗רַע וּתְאֵנָ֤ה וְגֶ֙פֶן֙ וְרִמּ֔וֹן וּמַ֥יִם אַ֖יִן לִשְׁתּֽוֹת׃

Numbers 20:5

(5) And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.’

במדבר ט״ז:י״ג-י״ד

(יג) הַמְעַ֗ט כִּ֤י הֶֽעֱלִיתָ֙נוּ֙ מֵאֶ֨רֶץ זָבַ֤ת חָלָב֙ וּדְבַ֔שׁ לַהֲמִיתֵ֖נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר כִּֽי־תִשְׂתָּרֵ֥ר עָלֵ֖ינוּ גַּם־הִשְׂתָּרֵֽר׃ (יד) אַ֡ף לֹ֣א אֶל־אֶרֶץ֩ זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֤ב וּדְבַשׁ֙ הֲבִ֣יאֹתָ֔נוּ וַתִּ֨תֶּן־לָ֔נוּ נַחֲלַ֖ת שָׂדֶ֣ה וָכָ֑רֶם הַעֵינֵ֞י הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים הָהֵ֛ם תְּנַקֵּ֖ר לֹ֥א נַעֲלֶֽה׃

Numbers 16:13-14

(13) is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, but thou must needs make thyself also a prince over us? (14) Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards; wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? we will not come up.’

b) The accusation that the people have not been brought to a good land, but instead a barren desert.

במדבר כ׳:ג׳

(ג) וַיָּ֥רֶב הָעָ֖ם עִם־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֵאמֹ֔ר וְל֥וּ גָוַ֛עְנוּ בִּגְוַ֥ע אַחֵ֖ינוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

Numbers 20:3

(3) And the people strove with Moses, and spoke, saying: ‘Would that we had perished when our brethren perished before the LORD!

במדבר י״ז:כ״ח

(כח) כֹּ֣ל הַקָּרֵ֧ב ׀ הַקָּרֵ֛ב אֶל־מִשְׁכַּ֥ן יְהוָ֖ה יָמ֑וּת הַאִ֥ם תַּ֖מְנוּ לִגְוֺֽעַ׃ (ס)

Numbers 17:28

(28) Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of the LORD, is to die; shall we wholly perish?’

c) The association of the Mishkan/'Before Hashem' (a clear reference to the Mishkan) with death.

Proof #2:

במדבר כ׳:ג׳

Numbers 20:3

(3) And the people strove with Moses, and spoke, saying: ‘Would that we had perished when our brethren perished before the LORD!

The people call Korach and his assembly 'Acheinu', 'our brothers, not 'Avoteinu', 'our fathers', proving that they are of the same generation that died out by the fortieth year.

Proof #3:

במדבר כ׳:א׳

(א) וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵל כָּל־הָ֨עֵדָ֤ה מִדְבַּר־צִן֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב הָעָ֖ם בְּקָדֵ֑שׁ וַתָּ֤מָת שָׁם֙ מִרְיָ֔ם וַתִּקָּבֵ֖ר שָֽׁם׃

Numbers 20:1

(1) And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there.

By only giving us the month and not specifying the year, the Torah is telling us that this happens in the next Nisan after the previous stories. It's like if I told you I was going to Israel in January; it means January 2017, not January 2054.
If so, then why wasn't this specified? Because, as we know, the Torah doesn't waste words.
I am astounded by the fact that Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and Ramban all concur that this episode happened in the fortieth year. An internet search yielded only R' Menachem Liebtag as a suggester-- but, as he explains, not even a supporter-- of the third year theory.

If you believe I'm just some fool with a computer, and indeed there is some substance to the parshanim's argument, feel free to click the blue message button on my Sefaria Profile Page.
Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed!