Parshat Balak - Quarrelsome Waters - Alternative
by Rabbi Lobel

After the death of Miriam, Moses’ older sister, the Jewish people lost their miraculous traveling well; due to Miriam’s great righteousness, the well satisfied Israel’s daily water needs for nearly forty years in the desert. (See Rashi, Numbers 20:2) Without water, Israel quarreled with Moses, “Why have you brought G-d's people to this wilderness to die, us and our animals?” (Numbers 20:4)

G-d commanded Moses and Aaron to take the staff and gather all the Children of Israel in front of the Rock and then declare that G-d would bring forth water from the Rock. (See Nachmandies, Numbers 20:8) Moses and Aaron gathered all the Jewish people and proclaimed, “Listen oh rebellious ones, from this rock can we bring forth water?” Moses then hit the Rock twice and an abundance of water came forth.

Subsequently, G-d punished Moses and Aaron by forbidding then from entering the Promised Land “because you (Moses and Aaron) did not believe in Me (G-d) to sanctify My name in the eyes of the Jewish people.” (Numbers 20:12) This episode became known as the “quarrelsome waters”.
As Nachmanidies explains, (Numbers 20:8) the Torah does not state Moses and Aaron’s mistake. How did they not sanctify his name? Nachmanidies, following the Tosafist Rabeinu Chananel (see also Da'as Zekeinim), says Moses could have given even greater praise. Instead of saying “From this rock can We bring forth water?” Moses should have said, “From this rock G-d will bring forth water.” Moses’ actual statement could have given the impression that He and Aaron were the ones bringing forth water from the Rock. By possibly implying that he and Aaron played a part in the miracle, Moses diminished G-d’s role and was therefore guilty of not sanctifying G-d’s name to the fullest degree.

From here we can see the greatness of Moses by the severity to which G-d held him accountable. Moses did sanctify G-d’s name. His only mistake was to use a rhetorical device rather than state explicitly that G-d alone would perform the miracle. Yet, an action that would be considered a great mitzvah for any of us was held against Moses as a serious error. For forty years, Moses led the Jews through the desert and to the Promised Land but he would not be allowed to enter the land. The Jews were forgiven for all their trespasses against G-d, from the golden calf to Korach’s rebellion, but Moses was not forgiven for this one tiny transgression.

G-d does not expect us to rise to Moses’ level but to learn from him. Only a person of such extraordinary greatness, humility, and love could ever properly be called “our teacher”.