(ז) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ח) קַ֣ח אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֗ה וְהַקְהֵ֤ל אֶת־הָעֵדָה֙ אַתָּה֙ וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֧ם אֶל־הַסֶּ֛לַע לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם וְנָתַ֣ן מֵימָ֑יו וְהוֹצֵאתָ֨ לָהֶ֥ם מַ֙יִם֙ מִן־הַסֶּ֔לַע וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֥ אֶת־הָעֵדָ֖ה וְאֶת־בְּעִירָֽם׃ (ט) וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֖ה מִלִּפְנֵ֣י ה' כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּֽהוּ׃ (י) וַיַּקְהִ֜לוּ מֹשֶׁ֧ה וְאַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַקָּהָ֖ל אֶל־פְּנֵ֣י הַסָּ֑לַע וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ הַמֹּרִ֔ים הֲמִן־הַסֶּ֣לַע הַזֶּ֔ה נוֹצִ֥יא לָכֶ֖ם מָֽיִם׃ (יא) וַיָּ֨רֶם מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־יָד֗וֹ וַיַּ֧ךְ אֶת־הַסֶּ֛לַע בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ פַּעֲמָ֑יִם וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּ הָעֵדָ֖ה וּבְעִירָֽם׃ {ס} (יב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ יַ֚עַן לֹא־הֶאֱמַנְתֶּ֣ם בִּ֔י לְהַ֨קְדִּישֵׁ֔נִי לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לָכֵ֗ן לֹ֤א תָבִ֙יאוּ֙ אֶת־הַקָּהָ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי לָהֶֽם׃ (יג) הֵ֚מָּה מֵ֣י מְרִיבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־רָב֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־ה' וַיִּקָּדֵ֖שׁ בָּֽם׃ {ס}
(1) The Israelites arrived in a body at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there. (2) The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron. (3) The people quarreled with Moses, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished at the instance of the LORD! (4) Why have you brought the LORD’s congregation into this wilderness for us and our beasts to die there? (5) Why did you make us leave Egypt to bring us to this wretched place, a place with no grain or figs or vines or pomegranates? There is not even water to drink!” (6) Moses and Aaron came away from the congregation to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The Presence of the LORD appeared to them. (7) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (8) “Take [singular] the rod and assemble [singular] the community, you and your brother Aaron and both of you talk to the rock before their very eyes, and the rock will give its water, and so you [singular] shall produce water for them from the rock and provide [singular] drink for the congregation and their beasts.” (9) Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as He had commanded him. (10) Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock; and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” (11) And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the community and their beasts drank. (12) But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you both did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, therefore you both shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them.” (13) Those are the Waters of Meribah—meaning that the Israelites quarrelled with the LORD—through which He affirmed His sanctity.
(23) At Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, (24) “Let Aaron be gathered to his kin: he is not to enter the land that I have assigned to the Israelite people, because you both disobeyed my command about the waters of Meribah. (25) Take Aaron and his son Eleazar and bring them up on Mount Hor. (26) Strip Aaron of his vestments and put them on his son Eleazar. There Aaron shall be gathered and die there.” (27) Moses did as the LORD had commanded, they ascended Mount Hor in the sight of the whole community.
~ What seems to be the part of Aharon in the story? What seems to be Moshe's part? Pay attention to the plural/singular verbs.
~ Who is speaking on verse 10?
(12) The LORD said to Moses, “Ascend these heights of Abarim and view the land that I have given to the Israelite people. (13) When you have seen it, you too shall be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron was. (14) For, in the wilderness of Zin, when the community was contentious, you disobeyed My command to uphold My sanctity in their sight by means of the water.” Those are the Waters of Meribath-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin.
(50) You shall die on the mountain that you are about to ascend, and shall be gathered to your kin, as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his kin; (51) for you both broke faith with Me among the Israelite people, at the waters of Merivat-kadesh in the wilderness of Tzin, by failing to uphold My sanctity among the Israelite people. (52) You may view the land from a distance, but you shall not enter it—the land that I am giving to the Israelite people.
~ Why are Moshe and Aharon being denied entry into the land according to the simple meaning of the text?
~ When does this happen, in the arc of the story? Whom is Moshe calling "hamorim", the rebels?
~ In personal terms, what are the losses of Moshe, just before and just after this story?
(1) כל העדה THE WHOLE CONGREGATION — all of them perfect, and destined to enter the promised land, for among them there was not even one of those upon whom it had been decreed that they should not enter the land, because those who were to die in the wilderness had already ceased to exist, and these belonged to those about whom it is written, (Deuteronomy 4:4) ‘[But you who did cleave to the Lord your God] are all of you alive this day” (Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 14)
~ Who is this generation? Does the speaker on verse 10 have reason to call them "rebels"?
~ How is the moment we get close to Torah in the synagogue, nowadays, marked by this Rashi?
וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה קַח אֶת הַמַּטֶּה וְגוֹ' וְהִשְׁקֵיתָ אֶת הָעֵדָה וְאֶת בְּעִירָם. מִכָּאן שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חָס עַל מָמוֹנָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וַיַּקְהִילוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶת הַקָּהָל אֶל פְּנֵי הַסֶּלַע. מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד רוֹאֶה אֶת עַצְמוֹ עוֹמֵד עַל פְּנֵי הַסֶּלַע. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, וְאֶת כָּל הָעֵדָה הַקְהֵל אֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד (ויקרא ח, ג). וְכֵן כְּשֶׁעָבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן, נִכְנְסוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּין שְׁנֵי בַּדֵּי הָאֲרוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל גְּשׁוּ הִנֵּה וְשִׁמְעוּ אֶת דִּבְרֵי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (יהושע ג, ט). וּכְתִיב: וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹמְדִין מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה לָאֲרוֹן (שם ח, לג). אַף כָּאן, כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹמְדִין וְרוֹאִין נִסִּין שֶׁבַּסֶּלַע. הִתְחִילוּ לוֹמַר, יוֹדֵעַ מֹשֶׁה חֹק הַסֶּלַע הַזֶּה. אִם הוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ, יוֹצִיא לָנוּ מַיִם מִזּוֹ. נִמְצָא הָיָה מֹשֶׁה עוֹמֵד בְּסָפֵק, אִם שׁוֹמֵעַ לָהֶם, נִמְצָא מְבַטֵּל דִּבְרֵי הַמָּקוֹם. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, לוֹכֵד חֲכָמִים בְּעָרְמָה (איוב ה, יג). לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה מֹשֶׁה מְשַׁמֵּר עַצְמוֹ כָּל אוֹתָן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה שֶׁלֹּא לְהַקְפִּיד כְּנֶגְדָם, שֶׁהוּא מִתְיָרֵא מִן הַשְּׁבוּעָה שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אִם יִרְאֶה אִישׁ בָּאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה הַדּוֹר הָרַע הַזֶּה (דברים א, לה). אָמְרוּ לוֹ: וַהֲרֵי סֶלַע. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאַתָּה רוֹצֶה לְהוֹצִיא מִסֶּלַע זוֹ, תּוֹצִיא מִזּוֹ. צָוַח עֲלֵיהֶם, שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמּוֹרִים הֲמִן הַסֶּלַע. מַהוּ הַמּוֹרִים. שִׁיטִין הַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בּוֹ. הַמּוֹרִים, סַרְבָּנִים. הַמּוֹרִים, שׁוֹטִין. שֶׁכֵּן בִּכְרָכֵי הַיָּם קוֹרִין לְשׁוֹטִין, מוֹרִים. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: הַמּוֹרִים, שֶׁמּוֹרִים אֶת מְלַמְּדֵיהֶן. הַמּוֹרִים, חִצִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּמְצָאֻהוּ הַמּוֹרִים אֲנָשִׁים בַּקָּשֶׁת (ש״א לא, ג). וַיָּרֶם מֹשֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ וַיָּךְ. הִכָּה פַּעַם אַחַת, הִתְחִיל הַסֶּלַע נוֹטֵף מַיִם מוּעָטִים, הוּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הֵן הִכָּה צוּר וַיָּזוּבוּ מַיִם (תהלים עח, כ), כְּזָב שֶׁנּוֹטֵף טִיפִּים. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: בֶּן עַמְרָם, הַלָּלוּ הַמַּיִם לְיוֹנְקֵי שָׁדַיִם אוֹ לִגְמוּלֵי חָלָב. מִיָּד הִקְפִּיד כְּנֶגְדָן וְהִכָּהוּ פַּעֲמַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּךְ אֶת הַסֶּלַע בְּמַטֵּהוּ פַּעֲמַיִם, וְיָצְאוּ מַיִם רַבִּים, וְשָׁטְפוּ כָּל מַה שֶּׁהָיָה נָתוּן כְּנֶגְדָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּנְחָלִים יִשְׁטֹפוּ (שם). וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה אֶלָּא מִן הַסֶּלַע שֶׁאָמַר לֵיהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁאַף עַל אוֹתוֹ סֶלַע שֶׁאָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עָלָיו וְכָל סֶלַע וּצְרוֹר שֶׁהָיָה בְּאוֹתוֹ מָקוֹם הָיוּ מוֹצִיאִין מַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יִבְקַע צוּרִים בַּמִּדְבָּר (שם פסוק טו). מֹשֶׁה כְּבָר הָיָה בְּיָדוֹ אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ, עַל שֶׁשָּׁתְקוּ וְלֹא אָמְרוּ שִׁירָה, לָכֵן נִתְפְּשׂוּ.
(Numb. 20:7-8:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses saying, ‘Take the rod... and you shall provide the congregation and their cattle with water.” From here it is shown that the Holy One, blessed be He, is concerned for Israel's wealth. (Ibid., vs. 10:) “So Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation before the rock.” [This verse] teaches that each and every person saw her/himself as if s/he were standing at the rock. And similarly it says (in Lev. 8:3), “And assemble the whole congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” And so too when they crossed the Jordan, all of Israel fit in between the two poles of the ark, as stated (in Josh. 3:9), “And Joshua said to the Children of Israel, ‘Come closer and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” And it is [also] written (in Josh. 8:33), “All Israel [...] stood on either side of the ark.” Here also all Israel was standing and seeing the miracles which happened at the rock [in front of them]. They began to say, “Moses knows the natural properties of rock. If he wants, he will bring forth water out of this [other] one.” Moses found himself confronted with a dilemma: If he would listen to them, he would disregard the words of the Omnipresent; and the Holy One of Blessing (according to Job 5:13) “catches the wise in their own cunning.” As for the whole of these forty years Moses had been keeping himself from becoming angry with them, because he was afraid of the oath that the Holy One of Blessing had sworn “Not one of these people from this evil generation shall see [the good land].” They said to him, “Here is a rock. Just as you wish to bring [water] from another rock, you should bring it from this one.” He gave a command to them (in Numb. 20:10), “Please listen, you rebels, shall we bring forth [water for you] from this rock.” What is the meaning of “hamorim (rebels)?” There are many understandings of it. Hamorim is rebels; hamorim is fools, as in the islands of the sea they call fools, morim. Some say hamorim are those that [inappropriately try to] instruct their teachers. Hamorim [can also be] arrows, as stated (in I Sam 31:3), “and some of the arrows (morim) struck him, men with bows.” (Numb. 20:11:) “Then Moses raised his hand and struck.” [When] he struck one time, the rock began dribbling a little water, as stated (in Ps. 78:20), “See, he struck a rock, and water trickled out (yazuvu),” like a person with a discharge (zav), in that it dribbles [in] drops. They said to him, “Son of Amram, is this [enough] water for nursing children or for babes weaned from milk?” Immediately, he became angry with them, struck it (according to Numb. 20:11) “twice [with his rod], and a lot of water came forth.” Yet for all that, Moses only made [water] from the rock that the Holy One of Blessing had told him. And how do we see that they also brought out water from the rock that Israel had said to him and every other rock and stone that was in that place? It is so stated (in Ps. 78:15), “He split rocks in the desert.” Moshe already had his [sin] in his hand; because [the Children of Israel] were silent and did not sing praise, they were [also] caught.
~ What is the midrash hinting at, in terms of connection with the episode of the spies?
~ Are people open to see the miracle?
~ Is the "sentence" that Moshe and Aharon receive of not entering the land a punishment for hitting the rock?
~ What did Israel fail to do?
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתָּה עֹבֵר הַיּוֹם אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן (דברים ט, א), הֲלָכָה אָדָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁשּׁוֹתֶה מַיִם לִצְמָאוֹ אוֹמֵר בָּרוּךְ שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ, רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן אוֹמֵר בּוֹרֵא נְפָשׁוֹת רַבּוֹת וְחֶסְרוֹנָם, רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי בּוֹא וּרְאֵה כָּל הַנִּסִּים שֶׁעָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא עֲשָׂאָן אֶלָּא עַל הַמַּיִם, כֵּיצַד, עַד שֶׁהֵן בְּמִצְרַיִם עָשָׂה לָהֶם נִסִּים בַּיְאוֹר, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק הָיוּ הַמִּצְרִיִּים וְיִשְׂרָאֵל הוֹלְכִין לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִן הַנָּהָר, הַמִּצְרִי שׁוֹתֶה דָּם וְיִשְׂרָאֵל שׁוֹתֶה מַיִם, וּכְשֶׁיָּצְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם לֹא עָשָׂה לָהֶם נִסִּים אֶלָּא עַל הַמַּיִם, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיד, ג): הַיָּם רָאָה וַיָּנֹס, מַה רָאָה רַבִּי נְהוֹרַאי אָמַר שֵׁם הַמְפֹרָשׁ רָאָה חָקוּק עַל הַמַּטֶּה וְנִקְרַע. רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אָמַר כִּבְיָכוֹל יָדוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רָאָה וְנִקְרַע, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים עז, יז): רָאוּךָ מַיִם יָחִילוּ. בָּאוּ לְמָרָה כְּשֶׁעָלוּ מִן הַיָּם וְהָיוּ הַמַּיִם מָרִים, עָשָׂה שָׁם לָהֶם נִסִּים, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות טו, כה): וַיּוֹרֵהוּ ה' עֵץ וגו'. בַּסֶּלַע עָשָׂה לָהֶם נִסִּים בַּמַּיִם, מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כ, ח): וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע וגו'. בַּבְּאֵר עָשָׂה לָהֶם נִסִּים וְאָמְרוּ שִׁירָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כא, יז): אָז יָשִׁיר יִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר לָהֶם משֶׁה הֱווּ יוֹדְעִין כָּל נִסִּים שֶׁעָשָׂה לָכֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֹא עָשָׂה אֶלָא עַל הַמַּיִם, וְאַף בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁתַּעַבְרוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן לִירַשׁ אֶת הָאָרֶץ עָתִיד הוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת לָכֶם נִסִּים בְּמֵי הַיַּרְדֵּן.
Listen Israel you are crossing the Jordan today (Deuteronomy 9:1). This is the halacha: a person who drinks water to satisfy their thirst blesses "shehakol nihya bidvaro" "that all was made through His word." Rabbi Tarfon says "bore nefashot" "Creator of all lives and their needs." The rabbis say: come and see! All the miracles that the Holy One of Blessing did for Israel were done only over water. How so? While they were in Egypt God made miracles for them with the Nile, as Rabbi Itzchak said that when the Egyptians and the Israelites went to drink water from the river the Egyptian would drink blood and the Israelite, water. And when Israel left Egypt, the Holy One made miracles only over water for them. How is that? As it is written "the sea saw and fled" (Psalms 104:3). What did it see? Rabbi Nehorai said: it saw the Explicit Name of God carved in the staff and split itself. Rabbi Nechemiah said - as it were [the sea saw] the hand of the Holy One and split itself, as it is written "the waters saw You and convulsed" (Ps. 77:17). When they arrived at Marah, when they came up from the Sea of Reeds, God made miracles for them, as it is written "Hashem showed him a piece of wood " (Exodus 15:25). At the rock God also made miracles with water, as it is written: "and you both will speak to the rock" (Numbers 20:8). At the well God made miracles and they sang a song, as it is written "then Israel sang." Moshe said to them: Know that all the miracles that the Holy One of Blessing did for you were only done over water, and even when you cross the Jordan to inherit the land God will make miracles for you in the Jordan waters.
~ How is the verse of Halel (Hayam Ra'ah vayanos) connected to our story?
~ How is water connected to the miracles?
Tractate Kallah (“Bride”) is one of the minor tractates of the Talmud. It is written in the style of the Mishnah but its composition is older than the Talmud itself. Scholars place its composition around the 8th century. It discusses marriage, intercourse, and chastity, discourages male masturbation and other sexual behaviors.
הקורא פסוק משיר השירים ועשאו כמין זמר וכן הקורא פסוק מדברי תורה בבית המשתאות שלא בזמנו מביא מבול לעולם מפני שהתורה חוגרת שק ועומדת לפני הקב״ה ואומרת רבש"ע עשאוני בניך ככנור המנגנים בו ליצים. אמר לה בתי בשעה שהן שמחים מה יהיו עושים אמרה לו רבש״ע אם תלמיד חכם הוא יעסוק בתורה ובלימוד ובמעשים טובים ובאגדות ובעלי מקרא במקרא ובעלי משנה במשנה בהלכות הפסח בפסח ושל עצרת בעצרת ושל חג בחג. העיד ר״ש ואמר כל הקורא פסוק בזמנו מביא טובה לעולם [שנאמר] (משלי טו) ודבר בעתו מה טוב.
One who recites a verse from the Song of Songs rendering it as a [secular] song, and similarly whoever recites a verse from the Torah unseasonably at banqueting tables, causes the Flood to come upon the world; because the Torah clothes herself in sackcloth, stands before the Holy One of Blessing and complains, ‘Sovereign of the universe! Your children have made me as a harp with which jesters play’. To this God replies, ‘My daughter, when they rejoice what should they do?’ She replies: 'Sovereign of the Universe! If one is a scholar one should occupy oneself with Torah, study and good deeds and ’agadot; let students of Scripture occupy themselves with Scripture; students of Midrash and Mishnah with the laws of Passover on Passover, the laws of Atzeret on Atzeret and the laws of Sukot on Sukot!' R. Simeon testified and said: Whoever reads a verse in its season brings good to the world, as it is stated, And a word in due season, how good is it! (Proverbs 15:23)
Kisse Rachamim was written by Hayyim Joseph David Azulay aka the Chida, between 1768 and 1792 CE. The Chida was born in Jerusalem on 1724 and died in Livorno, Italy on 1 March 1806.
Whoever reads a verse in its season brings good to the world, as it is stated, And a word in due season, how good is it! - We can be particular and explain that one brings good to the world from the word "mah"/how good, since the word mah is superfluous, and so we can explain "how good" as "how great is Your goodness" - and it is this expansion that brings good to the world.
סוד מביא טובה לעולם. פירוש שמיחד קבה"ו כי מ' נקראת טובה ומביא להתיחד עם קב"ה שנקרא עולם כמו שכתב רבינו האר"י זצ"ל בפירוש בעשרה מאמרות נברא העולם שנאמר ודבר לשון זיווג כמו ראוה מדברת בעת"ו מה שם מ"מ טוב יסוד וא"ש ההי"ב ודוק כי קצרתי:
The secret of "brings good to the world" - the explanation is that the person [who reads the verse in its season] unites the Holy One of Blessing and the Shechinah, because mem is called "good" and [the person] brings [the Shechinah] to unite with the Holy One of Blessing that is called World, as the Ariz"l has written in his commentary regarding the ten sayings with which the world was created that "to speak" is an expression of marital union, as in "she was seen speaking" (Ketubot 1:8)... and deepen yourself into this, because I restrained myself.
The Rock!—His deeds are perfect, Yea, all His ways are just; A faithful God, never false, True and upright is He.
And because of the "erev rav" [mixed multitude] Israel was exiled, since it is written "And Adam was expelled". Adam is obviously Israel. And Moshe, because of them, was expelled from his place and did not merit to go up to the land of Israel. And because of them he transgressed the order of the Holy One of Blessing and hit the rock, that he struck it and did not speak to it, "you shall speak to the rock" - and they caused it. And with all this, the good thought of the Holy One of Blessing was combined into deed, that he (Moshe) did not receive them and give them the sign of circumcision were it not to cover the nakedness of his father. And the Holy One of Blessing said to him: "I will make from you a people, greater and more powerful than them" (Numbers 14:12). And because of them God said "whoever sinned against Me - I will erase from My book" (Exodus 22:23), since they are from the seed of Amalek, about whom it is written "erase the seed of Amalek" (Deuteronomy 25:19). And they too caused the breaking of the two tablets of Torah.
Let's get symbolic here - becoming a tzadik is never through force or violence
ספרי כ"ק אדמו"ר ה"צמח צדק" > אור התורה > במדבר כרך ג > פרשת חקת > קח את המטה > תתכ
קיצור. צור אב"א אתכפיא זהו ע"י הכאה, פב"פ אהבה בתענוגים צדיק, זה אינו ע"י הכאה כ"א ע"ד מקדש ד' כוננו ידיך ועמ"ש מענין ההפרש בין כשהמ' מקבלת מבחינת אחוריים ובין כשמקבלת פב"פ בבה"ז פ' אחרי דע"ז תאנא אתעברת ה' עילאה כו' עד ענין ואיש כי יקח אחותו חסד הוא.
Ohr HaTorah, Numbers vol. 3, Chukat, Take the staff, 820
Summary. Rock is the Father. Bending is through striking. Face to face is love through pleasure. Tzadik - this is not through striking, but through "the Temple of Hashem, Your hands established it", and through the issue of the separation between when the mem receives with the aspect of behind, and when [the mem] received with the aspect of "face to face", in the Zohar parashat Acharei regarding this "when the upper hey etc [is impregnated through loving kindness] etc. through this you can also understand "when a man takes his sister, it is chesed."
(ליקוטי אמרים ד"א ע"ב)
When you begin to pray, as soon as you utter the words "Adonai Sefatai Tiftach, God, open my lips" - in this moment the Shechina adorns you and speaks through you. If you truly trust that it is the Shechina speaking these words, surely great dread and fear will fall upon you. Even the Holy One, in a way, constricts God's being and dwells with you. This is as it says (Song of Songs 2:9) "Peeking through the lattice," - these are the letters, which are chambers, and you journey from one chamber to the other, and in each chamber you are judged whether you are worthy to enter. If you would notice that you are being judged at every instance when a foreign thought enters your mind, you would certainly pray with fierce attunement. But sometimes you forget that you are being judged.
(14) Therefore the Book of the Wars of the LORD speaks of “…Waheb in Suphah, and the wadis: the Arnon (15) with its tributary wadis, stretched along the settled country of Ar, hugging the territory of Moab…” (16) And from there to Be'er, which is the well where the LORD said to Moses, “Assemble the people that I may give them water.” (17) Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well - sing to it - (18) The well which the chieftains dug, Which the nobles of the people started With maces, with their own staffs. And from Midbar to Mattanah, (19) and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, (20) and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the country of Moab, at the peak of Pisgah, overlooking the wasteland.