קח את המטה והקהל את העדה אתה ואהרן אחיך ודברתם אל הסלע לעיניהם ונתן מימיו והוצאת להם מים מן הסלע
"Take the staff and gather together the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes that it shall give its water"
But what did Moshe actually do?
It seems from the following verses that Moshe did not follow instructions and made some mistakes.
ויקהלו משה ואהרן את הקהל אל פני הסלע ויאמר להם שמעו נא המרים המין הסלע הזה נוציא לכם מים? וירם משה את ידו ויך את הסלע במטהו פעמים ויצאו מים רבים
"Moshe and Aaron gathered the congregation before the rock and he said to them "Listen now, You rebels, shall we bring forth water for you from this rock?" Then Moshe raised his arm and struck the rock with his staff twice, and abundant water came forth"
a) Hashem told him "gather the assembly" and he gathered the "congregation."
b) Hashem told him to speak to the rock, yet he decided to hit the rock.
c) Moshe called them "rebels"
d) Moshe when saying to them "shall we bring forth water for you from this rock?" made it seem like he had the ability to bring water from the rock, and should have instead said "only Hashem can bring water from a rock" The Torah then states that Hashem told both Moshe and Aaron
"יען לא האמנתם בי להקדישני לעיני בני ישראל לכן לא תביאו את הקהל הזה אל הארץ אשר נתתי להם"
"Because you didn't believe in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Children of Israel, therefore you will not bring this congregation to the Land that I have given them."
It was after this incident that Hashem decreed that Moshe & Aaron would not enter Eretz Yisrael.
Much ink has been spilled trying to make sense of what actually happened and what it was exactly that triggered Hashem to deny Moshe & Aaron entry into Eretz Yisrael, since it is not explicit in the verses.
Why did Hashem ask Moshe to take the stick and speak to the rock, which could have confused anyone?
In fact way back in Parshas Beshalach in the city of Refidim, when the Jews were complaining about lack of water, Hashem tells him to take his stick and hit the rock. Isn't understandable that Moshe would be confused?
In fact the Ramban says Moshe didn't get punished because he hit the rock instead of speaking to it as Rashi suggests, because hitting the rock and getting water was still a great miracle. According to the Ramban Moshe's hitting the rock did not diminish the miracle one iota?
The Ramban adds that the fact that Hashem didn't allow Moshe to enter the Land couldn't be because Moshe called the Jews "rebels," and it couldn't be because of Moshe's statement that it made it seem like he had the ability to bring water from the rock, and should have instead said "only Hashem can bring water from a rock" The Ramban goes in a very lengthy pilpul trying to get to the bottom of what really happened?
The Ohr Hachayim Hakodosh is perplexed as well and quotes 10 different reasons from a variety of Rishonim on what exactly occurred and also goes into a very lengthy explanation.
I want to suggest that the answer of what went wrong is in Moshe's last words to the Bnei Yisrael in Parshas Ve'eschanen days before his petirah.
Moshe seems to complain and states:
ויתעבר ה' בי למענכם "But Hashem became angry with me because of you!" (Rashi's translation)
It seems from these four words, that the reason that Moshe couldn't enter Eretz Yisrael was because of something that the Bnei-Yisrael did and had nothing to do with what Moshe did or said at Mei Merivah.
But we know that Moshe was not a complainer and especially not to Klall Yisrael, so what changed here?
It could possibly be that Moshe was not complaining at all but stating a fact. He simply said that he couldn't be the one to bring Klall Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael because of who they were. (this is not how Rashi learns this verse).
Let me explain.
The incident at Mei Meriva where Moshe hit the rock instead of speaking to it took place in the 40th year, just months before they would enter Eretz Yisrael. The older generation had already died in the desert because of the sin of the meraglim, and Klall Yisrael now, was a brand new generation who lived entirely on miracles.
They had heard about how Moshe brought plagues on the Egyptians, Krias Yam Suf, they didn't actually experience it. To them Moshe was more than "rabbeinu," to them Moshe was like a G-d! What they experienced in the here and now in the desert was a total miraculous existence and all thanks to Moshe!
When they heard Moshe Rabbeinu at Mei Merivah stating: "shall we bring forth water for you from this rock?" It basically confirmed to them that if Moshe only wished, he, Moshe, could bring water from a rock. When they saw that instead of gathering an "assembly" like Hashem instructed, Moshe instead invited the entire "congregation" to witness the miracle that was about to occur they were convinced that he could possibly also be a "deity."
Study the words that Hashem used when telling Moshe that he would not enter Hashem says
לכן לא תביאו את הקהל הזה אל הארץ "therefore you will not bring this congregation to the Land" You gathered the "congregation" instead of the "assembly" as I instructed, so now you won't bring the "congregation" into Eretz Yisrael. Moshe had an opportunity at Mei Meriva to set the record straight that all miracles are from the One Above, but he failed in his mission, that's why Hashem told him:
"יען לא האמנתם בי להקדישני לעיני בני ישראל לכן לא תביאו את הקהל הזה אל הארץ אשר נתתי להם"
That is why Moshe told them days before his demise ויתעבר ה' בי למענכם "Hashem wouldn't allow me to enter because of you" Because if I would be the one to bring you into Eretz Yisrael, you would eventually make me into a deity, into a G-d, and therefore "Hashem won't even allow you to know where I am buried. "
There is only One G-D and He is the one that brings water from a rock, He is the One who smote the Egyptians and split the sea. The older generation that knew Moshe when he was growing up in the house of Paro would never have thought to make him into a G-D! They knew that even though Moshe was the greatest prophet that ever lived, he was still human.
This should be a lesson for all of us, no rebbe or Rosh Yeshiva are Gods, they are all human and make mistakes. All these civil wars in Ger, Satmar, Viznits, Bobov, Sadegera, Ponovitz, etc are all about the mighty shekel and as Oin Pen Peles's wife told Mr. Oin... "no matter who wins this machlokas, be it Moshe or be it Korach, you will still be Mr. Oin! This is a message to the followers of these mere humans. No matter who wins, you will still have to go and punch a clock the next day, to bring parnassa into your homes.
All those running to R' Shayele Krestirer or to the graves of other rabbis and spending huge amounts of money that go straight into the coffers of the grandchildren of the those who brutally murdered our grandparents should learn the message of Moshe Rabeinu Z'l ... He was human after all and we have no clue where he is buried!
The Gerer Rebbe is not G-d, R' Chaim Kanievsky wasn't G-d, and R' Yoel Teitelbaum wasn't a G-d! They are all prone to make mistakes and are not perfect. Once we realize and internalize this message we will be on our way to bring Mashiach speedily in our days. Amen!
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