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Drash for Shabbat Chukat By Andy Iventosch - June 22, 2007 Parashat Chukat is one of the most important parshiot in the Torah due to the incident of the waters of Meribah at Kadesh. This occurs when Moses fails to proclaim God’s sanctity when he gets the water from the rock sealing his (and Aaron’s) fated demise before entering the promised land. Both Aaron and Miriam die in this parasha. According to Midrash, Miriam’s death leaves the Israelites without water due to the disappearance of her legendary movable well that had followed them throughout the Exodus. Also, included in this parasha is the ritual law for the unblemished red heifer, the remarkable crafting of the copper serpent by Moses, the intriguing mention of the long lost "Book of the Wars of the Lord", and it concludes with the continued treacherous march through enemy territories despite negotiations to prevent hostilities. Moses strikes the rock twice to obtain water for a restive migrant population of Israelites. Responding to their thirst and accompanying discontent, Moses angrily says, "Listen you rebels shall we get water for you out of this rock?" (Numbers 20:10) Immediately Moses is chastised by Adonai who states, "Because you did not trust in Me enough to affirm my sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the Land that I have given them" (Numbers 20:12). This certainly seems a harsh judgment and penalty after Moses’ faithful service to God. Although the Torah states the reason for Moses’ fate two more times, this did not prevent the Rabbis from further speculation. One example from midrash is Moses’ neglect of informing Zipporah and her sisters at the well that he was a Hebrew, not an Egyptian, thereby preventing his entrance to the Promised Land. What really is Moses’ crime? Nachmanides (Ramban) who cites Moses’ momentary lack of trust in God (among other reasons) regards this question as "one of the great secrets of the mysteries of the Torah". Was it Moses’ implication that the water only came from him and Aaron? Was it his perceived anger? Is this miraculous delivery of water from the rock not unlike an aliyah only without the blessings? Moses approaches the bima which is the rock, yet he neglects the bracha, he momentarily leaves out God. The water often symbolizes the Torah, the flow of divine knowledge. Moses has been surrounded by rebels and rebellion; the unhappy report of the spies in parashat Shelech Lecha and the monumental rebellions in parashat Korach, both with accompanying plagues as vengence. Was Moses’ crime a temporary loss of faith, his own rebellion against the Israelites and his duty to an exasperated God? Although it seems contradictory, perhaps when Moses closed his "undimmed eyes" it was a reprieve, a relieving of duty to be gathered to his kin on the other side of the Jordan. Shabbat Shalom.
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