Dear Friends,
Circumstances change. Instructions and responses change as well.
In our Torah portion this week, when the Israelites were thirsty from trekking in the desert, God instructed Moses and Aaron to take his staff and approach a rock and order it to bring forth water. Clearly, this would be a mysterious and amazing sight—for who can get water from a rock!? However, Moses, amid anger at the complaints from the Israelites, took his staff and admonished the Israelites, saying, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10) Then, Moses struck the rock twice, and out came copious water.
God would punish Moses for his disobedience and his impulsive anger at striking the rock and disallow him from later entering the Land of Canaan, which would become Israel.
Yet, earlier in Exodus, when the Israelites were then kvetching about thirst, God instructed Moses, “Strike the rock and water will issue from it, and the people will drink.” (Exodus 17:6)
Interesting. In the first case in Exodus, God commanded Moses to strike the rock with his staff so that water would come forth. In the later instance in Numbers, the command was to speak to the rock. Moses struck the rock in both cases and was in compliance the first time but punished following the second occurrence.
Why?
It is uncertain from the biblical text. The only distinction is that God had changed the instruction, though Moses procured water in both situations by striking the rock.
All that is clear is that the situation had changed. The first instance was just after the Israelites had departed Egypt, and both God and Moses were demonstrating their bonafides to the skeptical Israelites. A powerful display of near magical proportion—getting water from a rock by hitting it with a staff—could work wonders. However, by the time we reach the Book of Numbers, both God and Moses have experienced rebellions, warfare, loss, establishing and reestablishing laws, and the people did not need to see a dramatic display of the supernatural. Rather, they needed calm, direct instruction and leadership. Moses was instructed to speak to the rock, but he smote it instead. He reverted to an earlier leadership style, and he was reprimanded for his failure.
In our world, circumstances change. Instructions and responses change as well. Simply because something was done in a certain manner previously is neither license nor guarantee that such holds again for today or tomorrow. We need to be malleable and open-minded—the world is changing swiftly and in myriad ways, day to day.
Let’s learn from Moses. Today’s world may look similar to yesterday’s, but likely, it is vastly dissimilar!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
Circumstances change. Instructions and responses change as well.
In our Torah portion this week, when the Israelites were thirsty from trekking in the desert, God instructed Moses and Aaron to take his staff and approach a rock and order it to bring forth water. Clearly, this would be a mysterious and amazing sight—for who can get water from a rock!? However, Moses, amid anger at the complaints from the Israelites, took his staff and admonished the Israelites, saying, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10) Then, Moses struck the rock twice, and out came copious water.
God would punish Moses for his disobedience and his impulsive anger at striking the rock and disallow him from later entering the Land of Canaan, which would become Israel.
Yet, earlier in Exodus, when the Israelites were then kvetching about thirst, God instructed Moses, “Strike the rock and water will issue from it, and the people will drink.” (Exodus 17:6)
Interesting. In the first case in Exodus, God commanded Moses to strike the rock with his staff so that water would come forth. In the later instance in Numbers, the command was to speak to the rock. Moses struck the rock in both cases and was in compliance the first time but punished following the second occurrence.
Why?
It is uncertain from the biblical text. The only distinction is that God had changed the instruction, though Moses procured water in both situations by striking the rock.
All that is clear is that the situation had changed. The first instance was just after the Israelites had departed Egypt, and both God and Moses were demonstrating their bonafides to the skeptical Israelites. A powerful display of near magical proportion—getting water from a rock by hitting it with a staff—could work wonders. However, by the time we reach the Book of Numbers, both God and Moses have experienced rebellions, warfare, loss, establishing and reestablishing laws, and the people did not need to see a dramatic display of the supernatural. Rather, they needed calm, direct instruction and leadership. Moses was instructed to speak to the rock, but he smote it instead. He reverted to an earlier leadership style, and he was reprimanded for his failure.
In our world, circumstances change. Instructions and responses change as well. Simply because something was done in a certain manner previously is neither license nor guarantee that such holds again for today or tomorrow. We need to be malleable and open-minded—the world is changing swiftly and in myriad ways, day to day.
Let’s learn from Moses. Today’s world may look similar to yesterday’s, but likely, it is vastly dissimilar!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
