וַיַּקְהִלוּ משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶת הַקָּהָל אֶל פְּנֵי הַסָּלַע
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמֹּרִים הֲמִן הַסֶּלַע הַזֶּה נוֹצִיא
לָכֶם מָיִם. וַיָּרֶם משֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ וַיַּךְ אֶת הַסֶּלַע בְּמַטֵּהוּ פַּעֲמָיִם וַיֵּצְאוּ מַיִם רַבִּים וַתֵּשְׁתְּ הָעֵדָה וּבְעִירָם
Bamidbar 20:10-11
Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying:
"Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aharon, and speak to the rock in their presence so that it will give forth its water. You shall bring forth water for them from the rock and give the congregation and their livestock to drink."
Moshe took the staff from before the Lord as He had commanded him.
Moshe and Aharon assembled the congregation in front of the rock, and he said to them, "Now listen, you rebels, can we draw water for you from this rock?"
Moshe raised his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, when an abundance of water gushed forth, and the congregation and their livestock drank.
Hashem said to Moses and Aharon, "Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly to the Land which I have given them.
וַיְדַבֵּר ה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹרקַח אֶת הַמַּטֶּה וְהַקְהֵל אֶת הָעֵדָה אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע לְעֵינֵיהֶם וְנָתַן מֵימָיו וְהוֹצֵאתָ לָהֶם מַיִם מִן הַסֶּלַע וְהִשְׁקִיתָ אֶת הָעֵדָה וְאֶת בְּעִירָםוַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמַּטֶּה מִלִּפְנֵי ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּוַיַּקְהִלוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶת הַקָּהָל אֶל פְּנֵי הַסָּלַע וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמֹּרִים הֲמִן הַסֶּלַע הַזֶּה נוֹצִיא לָכֶם מָיִםוַיָּרֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ וַיַּךְ אֶת הַסֶּלַע בְּמַטֵּהוּ פַּעֲמָיִם וַיֵּצְאוּ מַיִם רַבִּים וַתֵּשְׁתְּ הָעֵדָה וּבְעִירָםוַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי לְעֵינֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָכֵן לֹא תָבִיאוּ אֶת הַקָּהָל הַזֶּה אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָהֶם:
Bamidbar 20:7-12
Moshe and Aharon receive the ultimate punishment - to not complete the mission they started with the exodus from Egypt, to not lead the people of Israel into the land of Israel. The commentators take many different positions as to what action brought about this consequence.
Rabeinu Bechayei explores this issue through the perspectives of several different commentators. looking at what is the essence of the sin of Moshe.
Rashi: Lost Opportunity
Rashi holds that Moshe's sin comes from the word "וַיַּךְ" - "and hit".
Moshe Rabeinu was not commanded to hit the rock, just talk to the rock and that would bring forth water in the name of Hakadosh Barch Hu, as it says "and speak to the rock" (וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע).
The fact that he was instructed to "take the staff" (קַח אֶת הַמַּטֶּה) wasn't to be used for hitting. We've seen that all of the wonders that Moshe did, he had the staff in his hand, as it says
And you shall take this staff in your hand, with which you shall perform the signs.But the sin was in the word "וַיַּךְ" - "and hit", that he hit the rock and didn't speak to the rock like he was commanded "speak to the rock" (וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע), so both Moshe and Aharon were liable for punishment, since both agreed to hit the rock and not speak as commanded.
וְאֶת הַמַּטֶּה הַזֶּה תִּקַּח בְּיָדֶךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה בּוֹ אֶת הָאֹתֹת
Shmot 4:17
For essentially they weakened the power of the miracle. The rock was capable of giving forth water simply by following the command of Hakadosh Baruch Hu to speak to the rock. If they had followed this command, then the name of Hashem would have been sanctified.
They would have said "What about this rock? It can't think or hear, nevertheless it fulfills the words of Hashem, so all the more so ourselves."
But when a hit brings forth the water, this leaves an opening for the doubters and those weak in belief to say that the water came out through clever ways or deceit and not from a simple miracle.
Because of this Hashem said to Moshe and Aharon "Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel" (יַעַן לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי לְעֵינֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), since by speaking alone that would be a Kiddush Hashem.
Rambam: Losing Your Cool
The Rambam focuses on the word "הַמֹּרִים" - rebels - from the phrase "שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמֹּרִים" - "Now listen, you rebels", showing how Moshe let out his anger. From here, we see that anger falls into the category of being a sin. HaKadosh Baruch Hu was particular specifically with Moshe, as a great man, for showing anger in front Klal Yisrael, especially on an occasion when anger was not called for (since the Jewish people's call for water was not out rebelliousness part simply from thirst.)
Likewise to when we vent anger at times when its not called for, and (H"VS) be committing a Chilul Hashem. Really all Moshe's actions should have been reflecting a drive for success both in this world towards a yearning for the world to come. And how does anger come out on Moshe?
This is one of the evil actions that brings evil into the soul, as Hashem said to Moshe and Aharon,
You defied My word at the waters of dispute [Mei Merivah]The Jewish people were very wise, where even the simplest woman was on the level of the prophet Yehezkel Ben Buzi. So when they saw that Moshe himself got angry, no one saw it as a defect.
מְרִיתֶם אֶת פִּי לְמֵי מְרִיבָהBamidbar 20:24
Finally we can say that Moshe's essential sin was displaying anger, for had Hashem got angry at Am Yisrael for demanding water, the instigating event, and then Moshe wouldn't have got angry. Yet, we don't find this to be the case that Hashem got angry on account of demanding water.
Rabeinu Chananel: Lack of Faith
Rabeinu Chananel emphasizes another aspect, concentrating on the word "נוֹצִיא " - "we draw".
This was the way they talked to people, rather than saying "יוציא", they took responsibility on themselves. Even though a minority of Am Yisrael held the belief that since Hashem revealed himself at the rock of Chorev (Har Sinai) while not here, therefore it was Moshe and Aharon, through their cleverness, that were able to bring forth water from the rock and not through Hashem.
We see this in the verse "Since you did not have faith in Me (לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם בִּי לְהַקְדִּישֵׁנִי)" [Bamidbar 20:12] to sanctify Me in their eyes. It was as if you, Moshe and Aharon, lacked faith in Me. This is a language of taking out, about not taking the opportunity to strengthen the faith in their hearts.
Taking Another Look at the Commentators
An understanding of this event in the parshah does not rest upon any one of these commentaries alone.
From Rashi, we see their sin in the action of hitting the rock.
For if speaking had been the only miracle while hitting had not produced water, then hitting would have been clearly for nothing. Yet we saw that hitting the rock did bring forth water, making it every bit as much a miracle as speaking. We even saw how Hashem, himself, told Moshe from the outset, "Take the staff." This couldn't have been said for nothing. The instruction for the staff must have been intended to be used to hit the rock.
From the Rambam we learned the aspect of the sin as anger.
For we could have learned the verse "Now listen you rebels" (שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמֹּרִים) as being a reproach, rather than anger, as we know that Aharon never got angry in his life, his essence was peace as the "Rodef Shalom."
For Rabeinu Chananel, we learn about strengthening faith
For we could have looked at the verse "can we draw water for you from this rock?" (מִן הַסֶּלַע הַזֶּה נוֹצִיא לָכֶם מָיִם) differently. We could have taken the simply meaning to be that Moshe and Aharon were taking the bulk of responsibility upon themselves, and saying to Klal Yisrael "Out of this stone, who would think that we ourselves could have the ability to draw forth water?" Rather it is from Hakadosh Baruch Hu who will amaze you with a miracle!
