We were away on a mini vacation. We had a simcha in New Jersey which allowed us to spend Shabbat and Sunday morning with some of our cousins. When we arrived in Teaneck, we had several hours before Shabbat. Our cousin had promised to take her young children to the local firehouse, and we decided to tag along. My children had been to firehouses as part of school field trips, but this was a little different. We had a chance to spend some time with the captain of the firehouse, a big strapping guy of Irish descent who was probably a little younger than me. He was someone’s husband, and he was a father. This seemed to be a very important quality for my children. The kids asked him about the fire trucks, about the equipment. He even put on all his equipment including mask and air tank. The kids had a chance to hold the hose and spray water from it as if they were putting out a fire. I had a few moments to speak the captain and asked him about his experience during 9/11. Teaneck is located just across the George Washington Bridge maybe 10-15 miles from New York City. The captain explained that he was there, he like so many other braved the infernos and help put them out. He like so many other firemen also participated in the search and rescue mission after the towers came down. As he began to speak and share his story with me, my children gathered around both of us and just listened. I began to well up. When he finished sharing with us that horrible day and the days and weeks afterwards; it was time for us to leave and get ready for Shabbat. As we said good-bye, and thanked the captain, my children asked me if this man was a hero. I said yes, this man and many like him are heroes. My daughter thanked the Fire captain, and offered the following statement. “You’re wife and children must be very proud to know that you are a hero. Thank you for being a hero and keeping people safe.”
This Shabbat we read from Parsha Chukkat. Chukkat begins by telling us the Law for the Red Heifer. A Chok is a statute for which there is no logical reason. Unlike a Mitzvah, which is a commandment, and for which reasons and rationale may abound in order for the Mitzvah to make sense, a Chok is simply taken on faith. Unlike a Mishpat, which is a judgment that comes from a specific case/decision, a Chok is seemly plucked out of the air and there is no thought given to decisions. The Chok concerning the Red Heifer is that the individual Priest who prepares the mixture that will render the entire nation spiritually pure, will himself become impure from the mixture. However the Parsha continues the theme of Chukkat following the statute of the Red Heifer. A brief narrative concerning the death of Miriam, the lack of water and B’nai Yisroel’s resulting anxiety and lack of faith leads to the issuance of another Chok. Moshe and Aaron don’t know what to do; so God tells them: Kach et HaMateh v’Hakhaeil Et Ha’Edah Ata v’Aharon Achicha v’Dibartem El HaSela L’Eineihem V’Natan Meimav V’Hotzeitah Lahem Mayim Min HaSela V’Hishkita et HaEidah v’Et B’Iram – Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: Take the staff and gather together the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes that it shall give its waters. You shall bring forth for them water from the rock and give drink to the assembly and to their animals (Num. 20:8). This statute was directed at Moshe and Aaron. There was no apparent logic or reason for it. The Torah text offers a very simple explanation of Moshe’s sin and ensuing punishment. After striking the rock twice, water came out from the rock, and the assembly drank. God explains the reason for the harsh punishment. Ya’an Lo He’ehmantem Bi L’Hakdisheine L’Einei Bnai Yisroel Lachein Lo Taviu et HaKahal Hazeh el Ha’Aretz asher Natati Lahem: Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Children of Israel, therefore you will not bring this congregation to the Land that I have given them (Num. 20:12). The most humble man, who had the closest relationship to God, receives perhaps the most hurtful of punishments for a moment of weakness.
Certainly, it is possible to question the punishment as too severe for what transpired. Why does Moshe need to take the rod, the same rod he used to touch the Nile in order to begin the plague of blood? The last time God issued a command about drawing water from a rock; Moshe was commanded to strike the rock (Ex. 17:6). Why pick up the rod if he wasn’t going to use it? Now, without warning God has changed the way Moshe was to draw water from the rock. Now without warning of the punishment if Moshe fails to heed the directive, Moshe is unable to fulfill his mission and bring B’nai Yisroel into Eretz Canaan. The Parsha concludes with Bnai Yisroel defeating the Amorites and temporarily dwelling on the planes of Moav, on the Eastern side of the Jordan River.
Our commentators offer a variety of explanations for this apparently harsh punishment. Rashi explains that Moshe’s fall from the pedestal of “the Hero” because he hit the rock rather than speak as he was commanded. Rambam explains that Moshe’s error was the fact that he was incredibly angry with the people. Since Moshe is a direct emissary of God, the people mistakenly thought that God was mad at them as well when that was not the case. In this Parsha we are never told that God is angry at Bnai Yisroel. Rabeinu Chananel explains that the mistake was the fact that Moshe and Aharon had used the phrase HaMin HaSelah HaZeh Notzim Lachem Mayim – Shall we bring forth for you water from this rock?” The phrase suggests that Moshe and Aharon had forgotten that God was going to bring forth the water, not Moshe and Aharon. The statement intuits that Moshe was elevating himself above God. Instead Moshe should have rhetorically asked if God will bring forth water for you…. The Midrash Tanchuma and Abarbanel explain that Aharon and Moshe already fell from their heroic pedestals. Aharon had not yet been punished for his involvement in the episode of the Golden Calf and Moshe initiated the episode of the spies. God had never commanded Moshe to send spies. The Chiddushei HaRim explains that Moshe and Aharon’s failure and reason for punishment has to do with speaking to the Rock L’Eineihem – before their eyes – before the people. For the Chiddushei HaRim, Moshe’s ultimate shortcoming was that he wasted an opportunity to teach this new generation, this generation that was not familiar with slavery, nor familiar with life in Egypt, nor directly experienced the miracle of the Exodus.
While we may disagree with severity of Moshe’s punishment, perhaps we can appreciate why God could no longer support Moshe as the leader to bring Bnai Yisroel into Eretz Canaan. For God, leading Bnai Yisroel means serving as a role model. For God, being a leader, indeed, being heroic means possessing the strength, the courage and the faith to sanctify God when all reason, and context suggests that do so is ludicrous or even life threatening. For God, being a leader, engaging in heroic behavior means bringing others, family, community, or an entire people closer to a meaningful relationship with God. Most of us do not sit in such positions of authority. Most of us are not leaders of industry. Most of us are not role models for society at large. However, within our families, parents are role models for their children. Older siblings are role models for younger siblings. Within our community, we are all role models for other members of the community. We all are presented opportunities to draw other members into the community or to push members out of the community. The captain of the Teaneck Fire Department not only had the opportunity to act heroically on numerous occasions, including 9/11; he has the opportunity to teach children and adults what it means to act heroically and to lead through both word and deed. We can either engage or alienate. We can be honestly warm and friendly or we can speak Lashon Harah behind a person’s back. Depending upon what we do, we will either create a community that is vibrant, observant, thoughtful, and warm. Moshe, the greatest teacher, prophet, and transmitter of law and theology missed a glaring opportunity to teach Bnai Yisroel. When such a person with vast amounts of power and responsibility miss a sacred opportunity to teach, to explain and create an opportunity for the common folk to draw closer to God, then we can understand the harshness of the punishment. Hopefully my children now can begin to understand that leadership and heroism sometimes is as much the fulfillment of a Chok as it is the fulfillment of a Mitzvah.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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