Striking the Rock: What Was Moses' Sin?

9 (Numb. 20:8) “Take the rod... and you shall provide the congregation and their cattle with water”: From here it is shown that the Holy One, blessed be He, is concerned for Israel's wealth. (Ibid., vs. 10) “So Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation before the rock.” And similarly it says (in Lev. 8:3), “And assemble the whole congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” [The verse] teaches that each and every person sees himself as if he were standing at the rock. And so too when they crossed the Jordan, all of Israel fit in between the two poles of the ark, as stated (in Josh. 3:9), “And Joshua said to the Children of Israel, ‘Come closer and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” And it is [also] written (in Josh. 8:33), “All Israel [...] stood on either side of the ark.” Here also all Israel was standing and seeing the miracles which happened at the rock [in front of them]. They began to say, “Moses knows the natural properties of rock. If he wants, he will bring forth water out of this [other] one.” Moses found himself confronted with a dilemma: If he would listen to them, he would disregard the words of the Omnipresent; and the Holy One, blessed be He, (according to Job 5:13) “Catches the wise in their own cunning.” As for the whole of these forty years Moses had been keeping himself from becoming angry with them, because he was afraid of the oath that the Holy One, blessed be He, had sworn (in Deut. 1:35), “Not one of these people from this evil generation shall see [the good land].” They said to him, “Here is a rock. Just as you wish to bring [water] from another rock, you should bring it from this one.” He yelled at them (in Numb. 20:10), “Please listen, you rebels, shall we bring forth [water for you] from this rock.” There are many understandings of “hamorim (rebels).” Hamorim is rebels; hamorim is fools, as in the islands of the sea they call fools, morim. Some say hamorim are those that [inappropriately] instruct their teachers. Hamorim [can also be] arrows, as stated (in I Sam 31:3), “and some of the arrows (morim) struck him, men [with bows]”; (I Chron. 10:3), “those shooting (morim) with the bow.” (Numb. 20:11) “Then Moses raised his hand and struck”: [When] he struck one time, the rock began dribbling a little water, as stated (in Ps. 78:20), “See, he struck a rock, and water trickled out (yazuvu),” like a person with a discharge (zav), in that it dribbles [in] drops. They said to him, “Son of Amram, is this water for nursing children or for babes weaned from milk?” Immediately, he became angry with them, struck it (according to Numb. 20:11) “twice [with his rod], and a lot of water came forth,” and it washed away any one who had been mocking them, as stated (in Ps. 78:20), “streams washed away.” Yet for all that, Moses only made [water] from the rock that the Holy One, blessed be He, had told him. And how do we see that they also brought out water from the rock that Israel had said to him and every rock and stone that was in that place? It is so stated (in Ps. 78:15), “He split rocks in the desert.” Why was Aaron punished? As it states (Numb. 20:12), “But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in Me.’” 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 lauds [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.’”

10 (Numb. 20:12) “Because you did not trust in Me”: Did not Moses say something worse than this? 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, 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.”