Among the
ongoing sources of tension for our son is the fact that he is frequently picked
on by the older sister closest in age. Frequently he points out that the oldest
sister picks on the younger sister and then the younger sister picks on him,
the youngest brother. Usually this statement of the obvious occurs while tears
are running down his face and he just wants to unleash his anger, his
frustration and his hurt upon her in such a way that she wouldn’t dare to pick
on him again. He figures that if he
could just physically beat her up once, that would be the end of his problems
with his sister. I smile to myself, and
tell him, that he could hit her, he could beat her up, but then I have to get
involved, I will get angry, and then there will be some serious punishments
doled out. I then remind him that I don’t want to dole out serious punishments.
I would rather watch the ball game. I offer another suggestion, “try not to act
like the little brother and be aware of those times when your sister might
think that you are being annoying and then don’t be, or better yet, try not to
respond to her since she just wants to get a rise out of you. “ While he
understands all the words, he is not quite mature enough and self aware enough
to put those words into practice. We have even set up signals for him so he
then knows that he should just walk away without displaying anger or hurt and
hang out with me or his mom.
This
Shabbat we read from Parsha Chukkat. Chukkat begins by telling us the Law for
the Red Heifer. The Priest who prepares the mixture of water and Red Heifers burnt ashes will render the entire nation spiritually
pure, but he will become impure from the mixture. 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 test of faith in the
Wilderness. 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). Instead of following instructions, Moshe succumbed to his anger
and hit the rock with his staff. Indeed water came out, the people drank, but
Moshe and Aharon were punished. Aharon died and Moshe learned that he would not
be able to enter into Eretz Canaan.
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.
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. 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. We can either engage or alienate. Within our
families, parents are role models for their children. Older siblings are role
models for younger siblings. As our son is finding out, sometimes the younger
siblings can also be role models for their older siblings.
Peace,
Rav
Yitz
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