Solving the Mei Meribah crisis - by talking or smiting

Parshah and its realization - for Parshah Chukat, 5783

Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald

How do you deal with a serious national crisis? The governmental system tends to act to solve it the 'easy' way, by using the governmental tools at its disposal, of enforcement through force and authority. Although they may solve the problem by doing so, it will be a temporary external solution and not a substantial one. It is assumed that over time the crisis may re-emerge. The better way is to give a real answer to the problem that caused the crisis. Many times the answer is precisely on the consciousness level.

In our Parasha it is mentioned the 'Mei Meribah' (Quarrel Waters), a serious crisis which resulted in Moshe and Aaron being condemned not to enter Eretz Israel. The commentators differed over the question of what was Moshe and Aaron’s sin, and each challenged the other's interpretations. This question is exacerbated due to the severity of the punishment.

The most common explanation among all is Rashi's interpretation according to the Sages, in which Moshe was ordered to solve the crisis by talking to the rock, so that it would bring out water. And he hit the rock twice:

'יען לא האמנתם בי להקדישני' - ארבע חטאות כתובין כאן: 'לא האמנתם', 'לא קידשתם', 'מעלתם', 'מריתם'. 'לא האמנתם' - שלא אמרתי לכם להכות והכית אותו. ו'לא קידשתם' לעיני כל ישראל - להוציא להם מים מכל סלע שרוצים. ''מעלתם - אמרת המן הסלע הזה. 'מריתם' – 'ודברתם אל הסלע' - שנה עליו פרק אחד. ועברת על דברי"

“Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity - four sins are mentioned here: You did not trust, you did not affirm My sanctity, broke faith with Me, and disobeyed My command. You did not trust- I did not say to hit and you hit. You did not affirm My sanctity- to give them water from any given rock. Broke faith with Me- You said from this rock? Disobeyed My command-You did not talk to the rock. You transgressed My commands” (Yalkut Shimoni On Torah 764). Rashi explains that there was a deliberate intention and an important Divine message for which they were commanded specifically to speak to the rock:

להקדישני. שֶׁאִלּוּ דִּבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע וְהוֹצִיא, הָיִיתִי מְקֻדָּשׁ לְעֵינֵי הָעֵדָה, וְאוֹמְרִים מַה סֶּלַע זֶה שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר וְאֵינוֹ שׁוֹמֵעַ וְאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְפַרְנָסָה מְקַיֵּם דִּבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, קַל וָחֹמֶר אָנוּ:

To Sanctify Me — For had you spoken to the rock and it had brought forth water I would have been sanctified before the whole congregation, for they would have said: What is the case with this rock which cannot speak and cannot hear and needs no maintenance? It fulfils the bidding of the Omnipresent G-d! How much more should we do so? Therefore ye shall not bring in. (Rashi Bamidbar 20:12).

"והיה אם כן המכוון ממנו ית' בזה הענין לעורר בם דעת ותבונה על יוקר וחשיבות דבור האלקי בצוויו אליהם"

"And it was therefore His intent in this matter to arouse in them understanding, and knowledge about the value and importance of G-d's word in his commands to them" (HaKtav VeHaKabala ibid 8).

However, the Ramban challenged him, so why was he commanded to take the rod? And why is the miracle in speech greater than the hitting?

"כי מאחר שצוה קח את המטה יש במשמע שיכה בו! ואלו היה רצונו בדבור בלבד מה המטה הזה בידו?! וכן במכות מצרים שאמר (שמות ז טו): 'והמטה אשר נהפך לנחש תקח בידך', והוא להכות בו, ולפעמים יאמר: 'נטה את ידך', ורצונו לומר להכות במטה, כי הכתוב יקצר בדבר הנשמע. ואין הנס גדול בדבור יותר מההכאה, כי הכל שוה אצל הסלע!" (רמב"ן שם).

“For since G-d had commanded Moshe: Take the rod, it implied that he should smite [the rock] with it, for had He only wanted that he should speak to it, what was [the point of] this rod in his hand? Similarly, in the [case of the] plagues of Egypt where He said, and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thy hand it was in order to smite with it; and sometimes He said, Stretch forth thy hand [with thy rod], when the meaning is: “to smite with the rod,” since Scripture writes briefly when the subject-matter is self-understood. Moreover, the miracle [involved in the rock giving forth water] is no greater if [accomplished] by speech than by smiting, for as far as the rock is concerned both are equal”. (Ramban ibid)

It should be noted that Rashi has two principles:

1-. Speech is actually intended for the people of Israel to see and understand how it has the power to change. Even if the object of change is a hard rock that is hard to crack.

2-. The nation of Israel will have קַל וָחֹמֶר [the rule of how much more…]. If the rock “listens” to Hashem’s words, how much more do we have to listen to Hashem’s commandments.  According to Rashi, this intention was not achieved when instead of speaking there was a smiting.

The ‘Mei Meribah’ crisis occurs when the people of Israel are in the Zin desert in the fortieth year, facing Edom, at the entrance to the Land of Israel. The water problem is a real existential crisis that requires a solution, but the path to this solution is also intended to bring about a change of attitude towards the future, to deal with future crises. To this end, a fundamental change must be brought about in the consciousness of the people of Israel.

In the water crisis in מַסָּ֖ה וּמְרִיבָ֑ה Massah and Meribah “Quarrel Trial” , by the exodus from Egypt, Moshe was ordered to bring the water out of the rock by striking it with a rod! This was a continuation of the sequence of miracles performed by Moshe with the rod, which began already at the time of the burning  bush, and then with signs which he did before Pharaoh, and in the ten plagues, in the opening of the Red Sea, and in the war of Amalek.

The 'rod' is carried by leaders and expresses the leadership. The change through 'hitting' expresses - that the change is imposed immediately and by force. That is, at this stage the solution of the crisis and the requested changes should be made immediately in the desert by force, regulation and enforcement of the existing reality. But now, in the fortieth year, during the water crisis in the ‘Mei Meribah’, while the people of Israel are preparing to enter the Land of Israel, G-d commands Moshe to act in a different way. Although it is a miracle and he is ordered to take the rod with which he performed the miracles, G-d unequivocally instructs him that the solution and change must take place through the power of speech. To show that a new era is beginning, in which the changes in reality and the solution to crises will be made in a fundamental way, from the root, and this will be done by speaking!

Such deep changes will last a long time. However, they do not happen immediately and require patience.