In order to get something, in order to ask G-d for something, we need to entreat G-d from a place of mercy, and not, G-d forbid, not as a reward for our good deeds. Asking for something as a reward for our good deeds is like stealing something by force. This is not the way to make a request. Our prayers need to be a supplication, like someone who is asking for a free gift. This is the message of this week’s parsha.
This week’s Torah portion is parshat “Chukat.” There are many topics covered in this parsha, and among them is the story of Moses hitting the rock instead of speaking to it and bringing forth its waters to sanctify G-d’s Name. Moses and Aaron were punished for this act and were judged not worthy to enter into the land of Israel. This will be the focus of our discussion this week.
First, we will go over what happened in the parsha, and afterwards, we will try to understand the meaning of the incident, why Moses and Aaron were punished for it, and how these matters apply to each and every one of us, because we know the narratives of the Torah is not mere stories, but rather a form of instruction and guidance for us all.
First, we will describe the progression of the events as the Torah describes them: “The entire congregation of the Children of Israel arrived at the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people settled in Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there” (Numbers 20:1). The Nation of Israel arrived at the Zin Desert after the generation of the desert died as a punishment for the Sin of the Spies as was related in parshat Shalach. There, the sister of Aaron and Moses, Miriam, in whose merit there was water available for the Nation of Israel, passed away (Ta’anit 9a). The nation was thirsty for water and began to complain: “The congregation had no water; so, they assembled against Moses and Aaron” (Numbers 20:2). G-d commanded Moses and Aaron to gather the congregation and to speak to the rock so that they could draw out water for the people: “And G-d said to Moses, ‘Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and your brother Aaron, 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” (Numbers 20-:7-8).
But here something went wrong. The rock got mixed up with other rocks, and when Moses began to speak to the rock, it didn’t bring forth water. Moses thought that perhaps he might need hit the rock to draw out the water as was previously the case in parshat Beshalach: “Behold, I shall stand there before you on the rock in Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, and the people will drink; Moses did this before the eyes of the elders of Israel” (Exodus 17:6). Moses lifted up his staff and hit the rock twice: “Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff. A huge amount of water poured out, enough for the community and their livestock to drink” (Numbers 20:11).
However, G-d was angry that they beat the rock and did not speak to it, since G-d’s name would have been clearly sanctified if they had talked to the rock instead of hitting it. G-d turned to Moses and Aaron: “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, you shall therefore not bring this assembly to the Land which I have given them.” And the Torah continues: “These are the Waters of Strife, where the Israelites argued with G-d, and He was sanctified through them” (Numbers 20: 12-13).
Let’s look at this story in light of one of the wonderful teachings of Rebbe Nachman:
(Note: These concepts are deep, but they will be explained in a simpler manner later on with regard to how they apply to everyone.)
There are wonderful explanations and innovations in the Torah, and there is one holy soul who brings down all of these new Torah insights. All commentators on the Torah receive their insight and understanding from this holy soul. Whoever wants to bring down and reveal new insights on the Torah and explain them to others needs first to draw down the passionate words which are like fiery coals, because all the Torah’s words are like fire, as it is written: “Is not My word like fire?” (Jeremiah 23:29). These words are drawn down from the “Upper Heart,” as in the verse: “Tzur levavi – the rock of my heart” (Psalms 73:26). In Hebrew, the word “tzur” means “rock.” Thus, “the rock of my heart” signifies the “rock” of the “Upper Heart,” which has an abundance of the waters of Torah which need to be opened up so that they can flow out. This is similar to what we see in nature: a rock (or practically, a layer of rock) may be full of water but it needs something to enable the waters to flow out.
However, in order to draw out and reveal the Torah innovations from the rock (“tzur”), one first needs to awaken the “Upper Heart” by speaking, i.e., through prayer, in order to arouse mercy and enable the abundance to flow down. In other words, prayer and entreaty, i.e., petitions and supplications for mercy, arouse the “Upper Heart” which contain all the Torah explanations, as it is written, “Inscribe them upon the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 3:3). And in this way, the rock will open. This is the stone, the “Upper Heart,” and it will bring forth abundant waters as the verse says, “He opened the rock and its water flowed” (Psalms 105:41), which is referring to the waters and explanations of Torah.
G-d was angry that they beat the rock and did not speak to it, since G-d’s name would have been clearly sanctified if they had talked to the rock instead of hitting it.
When the tzaddik draws down and reveals Torah insights, he must connect himself in his prayers to the people who are listening to his Torah class, because then it turns into a communal prayer, about which it is said, “Behold G-d is great and will not despise” (Job 36:5). This means that such a prayer will be accepted above. With such a connection, the soul of the student also has a part in the words of Torah. The more people who are listening, the greater the honor of G-d is, and the more abundance is drawn down. This causes new Torah insights increase exponentially.
In addition, due to the connection between the soul of the tzaddik and the souls of those who are present when he is giving a lesson, and due to the good in the tzaddik, the evil in the souls of those who are listening is subjugated. The good deeds of the tzaddik are “the staff of your might,” and are able to expel the powers of evil, as in the verse: “The staff of your might the Lord will send from Zion to rule in the midst of your enemies” (Psalms 110:2). This means that “the staff of your might,” which are the good deeds, is what annuls the opposition and also the enemies. It is as if there were an enemy powerfully approaching with a strong staff who succeeded in conquering him. In our context, when the tzaddik draws down his good deeds, that is, the “staff of [his] might,” he subdues the evil in the souls who are connected to him with the new Torah insights that he reveals, as was mentioned previously.
Now we will go a step further. When the tzaddik wants to reveal new Torah insights, he should not use “the staff of [his] might,” his strength which is the aspect of his good deeds to reveal his Torah insights. “The staff of [his] might” is necessary only to subjugate the evil that is in the souls of those listening to him, but G-d forbid he should use his good deeds to apply pressure and force the revelation of Torah insights. Again, Torah insights should only be drawn down with words of submission and entreaty as a free gift, with requests for mercy and supplications like one who is requesting a free gift and not in a way which attempts to draw down by force (Likutei Moharan I, 20).
Now we will return to our parsha and see how the story is interpreted:
G-d said to Moses: “Take your staff and assemble the congregation…and speak to the rock in their presence and call forth its water” (Numbers 20:8). The staff symbolizes the governance and power of the tzaddik through his service and his tremendous efforts to serve G-d, as well as his power to subdue both spiritual and physical enemies. Moses was supposed to gather the entire congregation and connect with their souls and then he was supposed to draw down new Torah insights and explanations through his talking to the rock, “the Upper Heart,” with pleas for mercy and supplications.
When our teacher Moses struck the rock, he supposedly did not use the staff of his strength—his good deeds—to subdue the evil in the congregation, but rather he used his good deeds in prayer, that is, he combined and activated his merits from his prayers to draw down new Torah insights. Instead of asking for an influx of Torah insights only as a free gift, he asked in the merit of his good deeds and thus he “forced” the Holy One, blessed be He, with his prayer.
Talk to the rock, “the Upper Heart,” with pleas for mercy and supplications!
The meaning of the verse in the parsha, “Since you did not have faith in Me to sanctify Me” (Numbers 20:12), is not that, G-d forbid, Moses and Aaron had a flaw in their faith, but rather that if they had merited to pray an appropriate and complete prayer, then they would have also fixed the faith of the nation Israel, because prayer is an actual expression of faith, as was recounted in the war with Amalek, when Moses raised his hands in prayer, “And his hands were faith” (Exodus 17:12). But since they were not equal to the task and “diminished” the sanctification of His Name, they were sentenced to die and thereby sanctify G-d and increase faith through their deaths. Rashi comments on the words “and He was sanctified through them” that “Moses and Aaron died because of them. When God judges His holy ones, He is feared and sanctified by mankind” (Rashi on Numbers 20:13).
These teachings are indeed sublime. In the words of Rabbi Natan on this Torah: “This awesome Torah reaches the highest heights,” but Rabbi Natan then explains that this teaching can apply to everyone.
Everyone has an aspect of new Torah insights. Yes—each and every one of us. How is this? It is because the main point of studying the Torah is that a person should fulfill what he learns. The concept of “Torah insights” has several meanings. Even when a person wakes up with an increased desire to study Torah as if it were something new to him and takes it upon himself to fulfill it, this is also called a Torah innovation. This is especially true of those who merit to actually reveal new Torah insights, and this is its ultimate fulfillment.
When a person wants to innovate a Torah insight or become renewed through his Divine service, on one hand, he should use “the staff of his strength” to subdue the evil, and on the other hand he should turn to the Creator and beg Him that he will give him as a free gift the ability to draw down Torah insights, but only through pleading and submission, like a poor person at the door requesting nothing more than a free gift, and not like a thief that comes intending to use his strength to steal something that is not his, as if he was its true owner.
When a person wants to merit to new Torah insights, in every sense that we have mentioned, there is another who comes and wants to join in this celebration. We are of course speaking here about the Evil Inclination, who is the greatest thief, as our sages said: “Is there a greater thief than this?!” (Midrash Bereshit Parsha 54). He comes under the guise of demanding justice: “How dare you immerse yourself in holiness and learning bearing in mind your previous behavior?!” Against this claim, we should hold on to “the staff of our strength” and to believe in ourselves and our goodness and subdue the evil that wants to prevent us from connecting to good. On the other hand, one should never use “the staff of one’s strength” in regard to the Holy One, blessed be He, to demand He grant us spiritual achievements that we have not earned, G-d forbid. For that, we must behave with total submission before the Creator, and we should only beg with humble supplications and requests: “Please, G-d, have mercy on me, and bestow upon me Your kindness and mercy. Shine Your face towards me that I should merit to receive spiritual enlightenment, and that the gates of understanding and Torah insights will be opened before me, and please help me, in your mercy, that I will enjoy success in learning Torah and be able to draw down Torah insights from the “Upper Heart” which are good and worthy.”
(Based on Likutei Halachot, Gezeila, 5)
