We read in our Parasha, the awesome decree at Mei Meriba:(20:12-13)’Hashem said to Moshe and Aaron:’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.’
The Torah earlier related the sequence of events that led to this decree:(20:7-11)’Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying:’Take the staff and gather together the people..and speak to the rock before their eyes and it shall give its waters’.
Sadly, aggravated by the people, instead of speaking to the rock, ‘Moshe struck the rock with his staff twice; abundant water came forth and the assembly and the animals drank.'
Immediately thereupon, the decree was pronounced.
Rashi comments:’To sanctify Me’: Had you spoken to the rock, and it given its waters, I would have been sanctified in the eyes of all of the people, who would say:’ this rock which does not speak, and does not hear, and does not require sustenance, obeys the command of Hashem, all the more so, should we.’
Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler expounds:’Many explanations are offered in the Midrashim and by the early commentators, regarding these events at Mei Meriba, and the difference between striking the rock, and speaking to it, that it give its waters.
‘My father’ - Rav Ahron Kotler - ‘noted that in the piyut praying for rain, we say:’He struck the rock, and waters came out’ - and the piyut concludes:’in the merit of his righteousness, give us water.’
‘This suggests that the deed of striking the rock, was a great merit that was worthy to be a credit for our people, for the generations - as had it been a גנאי: a wrongful act, it would not have been mentioned in the piyut at all.
‘My father added: the fact that the rock gave its waters when struck, proves that the striking was also part of the command, of:Speak to the rock’, as, had it not been, the striking would have had no effect, and no waters would have come forth.
‘Therefore the striking was also a מעשה מצוה: a commanded act, which had the merit of sanctifying Hashem’s Name - and in its merit, water came forth, even though they were punished for the absence of speaking.
‘From the early commentaries, it is clear that the whole conduct of the generation of the desert, from the time of their exodus from Egypt, was to found and instill the roots of Emunah in the world as a whole - and in Israel in particular.
‘True, this is the case at all times and in all situations - but at this time, this conduct was revealed openly to all - in the exodus, at Matan Torah, and throughout the forty years wandering in the desert.
‘Once they entered the Land, this changed, and this conduct was concealed from then on, and the task of man was to elevate himself and his thinking, to recognize that all that occurs, is by השגחה פרטית: Divine Providence, in all generations and at all times.
‘Since the foundation of the conduct of the generation of the desert was the revelation of the root of Emunah in the world, the significance of an event such as water sprouting from a rock, is of great importance- it being not simply a ‘one time event’ limited to that occurrence, but of relevance to strengthening Emunah for generations.
‘Had Moshe spoken to the rock, and commanded it to give of its waters, because that was the Will of the Creator, it would have strengthened in the eyes of all who had assembled, and seen it, the belief in Divine Providence, and pointed, as with a finger, that the whole existence of Creation is only by the Will of the Creator.
‘True, the act of the rock giving of its waters, when struck, was a sanctification of the Name and the strengthening of the foundation of Emunah - but of a far lesser level than if it had resulted from speaking, and, consequently, so too, the level of Bnei Israel, all of whom saw it.
‘This led to the decree, that ‘Moshe and Aaron not bring this congregation into the Land that I gave them’, as from then on Bnei Israel would be unable to elevate themselves to the level of Moshe and Aaron, who could therefore not be the ones who would bring them into the Land.’
Rav David Hofstedter adds:’It would seem that the punishment that was meted out for this transgression - that they not enter the Land - was not only in the nature of punishment for the transgression, but also mainly an instruction that all the miracles which were performed, were only from the hand of Hashem - and thereby would be strengthened the Emunah and belief of Bnei Israel in their Creator, as had Moshe entered the Land, Bnei Israel might have come to err, and to think that he was the one who performed the miracles on their entry into the Land.’
The Kli Yakar elucidates that the importance of the events at Mei Meriba, are in the instilling of Emunah, in the people.
He expounds:’’יען לא האמנתם בי להקדישני: Because you did not believe in Me..’: it does not say לא אמנתם: which would allude to the Emunah of Moshe and Aaron themselves’ - but האמנתם: which is causative, referring to the belief of others - causing others not to believe, as they will say that the waters came forth due to the force of being struck by Moshe’s staff.
‘This led to a weakening - instead of a strengthening - of Emunah, and this is the meaning of יען לא האמנתם בי להקדישני בעיני בני ישראל:’’Because you did not cause Me to be sanctified in the eyes of Bnei Israel’.
Rav Moshe Sternbuch offers a different understanding of Moshe’s motive in striking - instead of talking to the rock, stating: Moshe, the faithful shepherd of his flock - Bnei Israel - was concerned that, should he cause the rock to give its waters, by the power of the Divine Word, it would lead to a danger of accusations against Bnei Israel, as by miracles resulting from the Divine Word, the level and the expectations of Israel, would be commensurate , and perhaps they would not be able to measure up.
‘Following their several falls in conduct in the desert and the episode of the golden calf, Moshe chose to cause the waters to come forth by more natural means - and not the awesome Divine word - but by striking the rock with his staff, he did not expose them to being required to measure up to the higher level.
‘However, as Hashem is demanding of those closest to Him - holy tzadikim like Moshe and Aaron - to a hair-breadth, despite they acting out of their concern for their flock, there was still an element of transgression, as - to the contrary - they should have sanctified the Divine Name in the presence of all the people, in the most elevated manner, to strengthen the level of the people and their Emunah in Hashem.’
An intriguing gemara (Shabbat 97.) aids our understanding of our subject:
’Reish Lakish said:’One who casts aspersions on a blameless man, is afflicted in his body.
‘The Gemara says’ - Moshe said to Hashem, at the flaming bush -‘And they will not believe me..’ ‘that Hashem had charged him,’but it was revealed before Hashem that they would believe, Hashem saying to Moshe:’They are believers, the sons of believers, whereas you, your fate is not to believe - they are ‘believers’, as it says:’And the people believed’, that Hashem had charged Moshe, ‘the sons of believers’, as it says of Avraham:’And he believed in Hashem’.
‘Your end is not to believe’, as it says’ - in our parsha -‘Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify My Name’.
‘’Where was Moshe afflicted?’ - we read in Parashat Shemot, that, after casting doubts on the Emunah of Israel, he was afflicted by leprody, of his hand.
Can this Gemara be understood literally? Could it be that Moshe - whom Hashem called ‘the most faithful member of His household’, indeed not believe in Hashem - as brought from our parsha?
The Chatam Sofer provides the answer: Moshe was doubtful that - after their long exile in Egypt - they were still believers, and this - if so - would be due to the failure of Avraham - ‘the father of believers’ - to instill belief in them, which would still endure.
‘Hashem answered Moshe: this is an unjustified attack on Avraham, who did indeed instill Emunah in his descendants, who were truly ‘believers the sons of believers’.
‘But you - Moshe - you are destined - in our Parasha - to cause the Emunah of Bnei Israel, to be weakened.’
In brief: the Gemara, in talking of Emunah, is to be understood as alluding to causing belief - as we brought earlier.
To further feed our souls, let us note that the events we are delving into, are alluded to in another Parasha: in Parashat Ha’azinu (32:51-52) where we read:’Be gathered to your people..because מעלתם : you trespassed against Me among Bnei Israel at the waters of Meribath-Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not sanctify Me among Bnei Israel. For from a distance shall you see the Land, but you shall not enter there, into the Land that I give to Bnei Israel.’
Rashi expounds the word מעלתם as he did the words לא קדשתם אותי; ‘did not sanctify Me’, in our Parasha: על אשר מעלתם: trespassed against Me’, as: caused to trespass against Me’; and the words:’לא קדשתם אותי, which follow here, as: ‘causing that I not be sanctified’.
Mizrachi -on this Rashi - adds
:’Midrash Sifri, expounds:’You caused the people to rebel against Me and that I not be sanctified in their presence, as had you done as I commanded and ‘spoken to the rock’, and it would have given of its water without being struck, the Name of Heaven would have been sanctified more, as Bnei Israel would have said:’This rock obeys the mitzvah of Hashem, how mich more should we?
‘Then they would not have crossed My Word - not that Moshe and Aaron trespassed and themselves did not sanctify, but that they caused this, and the Torah therefore called them מועלים: trespassers who did not sanctify.’
Abarbanel also invites us to note the change in the reason given for the decree in this parasha - compared to the one given in Parashat Chukat - ‘trespassing’, as compared to ‘not sanctifying’ - and concludes:’The two expressions are used interchangeably, and bear the same meaning,’
A parting gem from Rav Aryeh Leib Heiman:’it appears to me that, nevertheless, Moshe’s words:’They will not believe me’, had an effect, on the level of the Emunah of Bnei Israel, in Egypt - as our Sages teach us a fundamental principle: our words have an effect.
‘The Maharza’v elucidates;’As the words came out of his mouth - that they would not believe - there was a need for the signs he performed’ - meaning: words which are uttered by a person - how much more so, when the utterer is Moshe - can lead to the words materializing, even if this be contrary to logic.
‘We learn this from Avraham, as as a result of he saying: ’I and the lad will return to you’, led to the cancellation of the decree, and Yitzchak, too, returned alive, from the Akeida.
‘On the other hand, the Yalkut says that because Moshe said: הן לא יאמינו לי: They will not believe me’, Hashem informed him of his nearing death, with the very same word:הן קרבו ימיך למות’ (Ha’azinu 31:14).