"To be a teacher in the right sense is to be a learner.  I am not a teacher, only a fellow student."  (Soren Kierkegaard)

• Home
• Professional Staff
• Board of Directors
• Calendar
• Ritual Events
• Education
  • Religious School
  • Adult Education
• Auxiliary Organizations
  • Youth Groups
  • Old Enough To Know Better
  • 50 is the New 30
  • Sisterhood
  • Men's Club
• Tikkun Olam
• Cemetery
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Donations & Payments
• Beth Sholom News
• Contact Us

A FEW PRE-SHABBAT WORDS FROM RABBI AARON

The Fateful Blow

God said to Moses,  "Take the staff; you and your brother Aaron gather the people together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink." Moses took the staff from the Lord's presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed forth, and the community and their livestock drank. God said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."

God decreed that Moses and Aaron would not enter the Promised Land. This punishment has challenged readers through the ages. With all their sacrifices upon behalf of this rebellious community, why did God see fit to punish our leaders so harshly? Right before the confrontation at the waters of Merivah and Masa, Miriam had passed away. The midrash writers creatively connected the dots: Miriam was all about water. She watched over her little brother as he floated in his basket on the Nile. She led the Israelite women in a dance of gratitude when the waters of the Red Sea covered over the Egyptian oppressors. A well miraculously followed her as the people trekked through the wilderness. When she died, the well dried up. Surely her loss was a terrible blow to Moses and Aaron. Why such a harsh divine judgement? 

Perhaps it can be gleaned from the tone with which Moses addressed the hostile crowd: "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" Up until this point, Moses had kept his cool; now his anger shows. His words almost feel taunting. God might have decided that the burdens of leadership had finally broken the backs of Moses and Aaron, and that, while there were a few vital tasks remaining - it was time to prepare a new leader for tasks which demanded a fresh spirit. Leaders are often challenged with burnout, the feeling that their efforts aren't yielding fruit, that they're drying out. Moses might have been tempted to tell God that he could use a lot more backup. For the rest of us, God is tougher to reach, and the demands of the Israelites...well, they can be overwhelming. If Moses is striking out in frustration - it's because of so much tension that been building over the long haul. What should we expect from a human being?

 "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" Another take: By insinuating that he and Aaron were bringing about the miracle of the water gushing forth - and by driving the suggestion home through striking the rock, Moses failed spectacularly. The mission was to sanctify God before the people by speaking to the Rock. The people had an ongoing struggle with belief in God. in their minds, Moses was the Man who could Deliver. His actions at the waters of Meriva and Masa further undermined God's Will - to teach the Israelites to open their hearts to trusting God.

Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed forth, and the community and their livestock drank. Take 3: This handy staff of Moses; it swallowed the snakes of Pharaoh's magicians, it brought down the awful plagues, it parted the waters of the sea. Did Moses somehow fall under the spell of the staff? Was he forgetting that God was the source of wonders and that the staff was just a dramatic prop? Perhaps we should view God's decision to have Moses and Aaron speak rather than strike as a critical piece of the puzzle. God wanted the Israelites - and their leaders - to grow beyond the reliance upon the magic wand, and upon the dramatic gesture of the charismatic leader. God wanted the nation's leaders to model this new understanding.

Personally, I cannot pretend to read the text objectively. I root for Moses. God's wisdom - perhaps it is beyond question, but it's hard not to feel that the punishment is unfair. I get mad at God. But, what's fair? All this came with the job, fair or not. Still, at the end of the day - it's not only God who is teaching us important Torah. Moses and Aaron - through their human shortcomings - remind us that only God is perfect. People lose their direction, they become confused, they are ensnared by the passion of the moment, they fall short. ...They? I certainly should say We! We need to cultivate rachmones [rachmanut if you need to pronounce the word like an Israeli or a Sephardi], compassion for our flawed leaders, for each other, for ourselves. 

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Aaron