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Lehavas David · Parshas Chukas · Maamar ו

Striking or Speaking: The Rock Grows Up Through Torah

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bamidbar 20:8
קַח אֶת־הַמַּטֶּה וְהַקְהֵל אֶת־הָעֵדָה אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל־הַסֶּלַע לְעֵינֵיהֶם וְנָתַן מֵימָיו וְהוֹצֵאתָ לָהֶם מַיִם מִן־הַסֶּלַע וְהִשְׁקִיתָ אֶת־הָעֵדָה וְאֶת־בְּעִירָם
Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and Aharon your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will give forth its water. You shall bring forth water for them from the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.
1“Take the staff and assemble the congregation, you and Aharon your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes.”1
קַח אֶת הַמַּטֶּה וְהַקְהֵל אֶת הָעֵדָה אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע לְעֵינֵיהֶם (כ, ח).
  1. Bamidbar 20:8. ↩
In shortHashem commands Moshe to take the staff, gather the people and speak to the rock before their eyes.
2The Yalkut Shimoni says: “It does not say ‘and you shall strike it.’ He said to them: When a boy is small, his teacher strikes him and teaches him; once he has grown up, he disciplines him with words. So the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe: When this rock was small, you struck it, as it says, ‘And you shall strike the rock.’ But now, ‘speak to the rock’: recite one chapter of Torah over it, and it will bring forth water from the rock.”2 These words are astonishing. How can there be any difference between big and small in a rock, a lifeless thing?
אִיתָא בְּיַלְקוּט שְׁמָעוּנִי (במדבר תשסג) ׳וְהִכִּיתֶם׳ לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אָמַר לָהֶם כְּשֶׁהַנַּעַר קָטָן רַבּוֹ מַכֵּהוּ וּמְלַמְּדוֹ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגְדִּיל בְּדִבּוּר הוּא מְיַיסְּרוֹ, כָּךְ אָמַר הקב״ה לְמֹשֶׁה כְּשֶׁהָיָה סֶלַע זֶה קָטָן הִכִּיתָ אוֹתוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וְהִכִּיתָ בַצּוּר״, אֲבָל עַכְשָׁיו ״וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע״, שָׁנָה עָלָיו פֶּרֶק אֶחָד וְהוּא מוֹצִיא מַיִם מִן הַסֶּלַע. וְהַדְּבָרִים מַפְלִיאִים, דְּמַה שַׁיָּיךְ חִילּוּק בֵּין גָּדוֹל לְקָטָן בְּסֶלַע דּוֹמֵם.
  1. Yalkut Shimoni, Bamidbar §763; Shemos 17:6. The first rock was struck at Refidim, soon after the Exodus. ↩
In shortThe Yalkut says the rock was struck when “small” but must be spoken to now it has grown; but how can a lifeless rock grow?
3We must also explain a note of the Masorah, the traditional record of where words recur in Scripture, that the Baal HaTurim cites on a verse further on: “Moshe and Aharon assembled the congregation before the rock, and he said to them, ‘Listen now, you rebels: shall we bring forth water for you from this rock?’”3 The Masorah notes that the word hamin, a questioning “from,” appears three times. One is here, “from the rock?”; another is Hashem's question to Adam, “Have you eaten from the tree?”; and the third is “from the threshing floor or from the winepress?”4
גַּם יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר הַמְּסוּרָה הַמּוּבֵאת בְּבַעַל הַטּוּרִים בַּפָּסוּק לְהַלָּן (כ, י) ״וַיַּקְהִילוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶת הַקָּהָל אֶל פְּנֵי הַסָּלַע וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמּוֹרִים הֲמִן הַסֶּלַע הַזֶּה נוֹצִיא לָכֶם מָיִם״, הֲמִן ג׳ בַּמָּסוֹרָה, ״הֲמִן הַסֶּלַע״, ״הֲמִן הָעֵץ״ (בראשית ג, יא), וְאִידָךְ ״הֲמִן הַגּוֹרֶן אוֹ מִן הַיָּקֶב״ (מלכים ב ו, כז).
  1. Baal HaTurim on Bamidbar 20:10. ↩
  2. Bereishis 3:11; Melachim II 6:27. In a famine in Shomron, the king of Israel answered a woman who cried out to him: “If Hashem does not help you, from where shall I help you? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?” ↩
In shortThe Baal HaTurim's Masorah links the rock of our passage to the Tree of Knowledge and to “the threshing floor or the winepress.”
4We may explain it this way. We know that when the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He made all of this world serve the tzaddikim and those who serve Hashem. As Chazal said, “The whole world was created only to be a companion to this one.”5 Before the sin, Adam HaRishon truly stood at the full height of this level. He ruled over the whole world, and the world served him, so that all his needs were ready for him without any toil. But once he caused a blemish through the sin of the Tree of Knowledge, this order was spoiled, and it was decreed upon him, “By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread.”6 At the giving of the Torah, though, the world returned to the level of completeness it had before the sin, so a person had no need at all to toil for his livelihood.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ, דְּהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ כִּי בִּזְמַן שהקב״ה בָּרָא אֶת הָעוֹלָם שִׁיעְבֵּד אֶת כָּל הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לְמַעַן הַצַּדִּיקִים וְעוֹבְדֵי ה׳, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (שבת ל, ב) כָּל הָעוֹלָם לֹא נִבְרָא אֶלָּא לְצַוּוֹת לָזֶה, וּבֶאֱמֶת אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן קוֹדֶם הַחֵטְא הָיָה בִּשְׁלֵימוּת הַמַּדְרֵגָה הַזֹּאת, שֶׁמָּשָׁל עַל כָּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ, וְהָעוֹלָם הָיָה מְשׁוּעְבָּד לוֹ לִהְיוֹת מְזוּמָּן לוֹ כָּל הִצְטָרְכוּתוֹ בְּלֹא שׁוּם טִירְחָה. אֲבָל מֵעֵת שֶׁפָּגַם בְּחֵטְא עֵץ הַדַּעַת מִינִּי אָז נִתְקַלְקֵל הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה וְנִגְזַר עָלָיו ״בְּזֵיעַת אַפֶּיךָ תֹּאכַל לֶחֶם״ (בראשית ג, יט), אַךְ בִּזְמַן קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה שׁוּב חָזַר הָעוֹלָם לְמַדְרִיגַת הַשְּׁלֵימוּת כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה קוֹדֶם הַחֵטְא, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ לֹא הָיָה צוֹרֶךְ כְּלָל לִטְרוֹחַ הָאָדָם לְפַרְנָסָתוֹ.
  1. Shabbos 30b. ↩
  2. Bereishis 3:19. ↩
In shortThe world was made to serve the righteous; Adam's sin brought toil, but at Sinai the world returned to completeness, with no need to toil.
5I heard a story to this effect from my holy father and teacher, zt"l.7 Once the Baal Shem Tov, zy"a, had no money for his Shabbos needs. Early on Friday he went and knocked on a man's window, saying that he needed money for the holy Shabbos, and at once he turned and went on his way. The man came out of his house to see who was asking, and was astonished to see him walking away. He called after him, “Why are you leaving? I want to give you what you asked for!” Then the Baal Shem Tov explained to him: every person, when he is created, comes into the world with a flow of blessing. But through sin, when his faith and trust are blemished, he must make a great effort for his livelihood. This is in the spirit of Chazal's words, “I have done evil, and so I have forfeited my livelihood.”8 But one who remains whole in his trust in Hashem needs to do only some small act. And the Baal Shem Tov's trust in Hashem was so great that he needed nothing more than this act.
כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתִּי מכ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה זי״ע שֶׁסִּיפֵּר (מובא בדברי יחזקאל פרשת וישב, ובבעש״ט על התורה פרשת מקץ הגה ז) שֶׁפַּעַם אַחַת לֹא הָיָה לוֹ להבעש״ט זי״ע מָעוֹת לְצָרְכֵי שַׁבָּת, וּבְעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת הַשְׁכֵּם הָלַךְ וְדָפַק עַל חַלּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם אֶחָד, בְּאָמְרוֹ שֶׁצָּרִיךְ הוּא מָעוֹת לְצָרְכֵי שַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ, וּמִיָּד פָּנָה וְהָלַךְ לוֹ הבעש״ט לְדַרְכּוֹ. וְהָאִישׁ כְּיָצְאוֹ מִבֵּיתוֹ לִרְאוֹת מִיהוּ הַמְבַקֵּשׁ רָאָה כֵּן וְתָמַהּ עַל כִּי הוֹלֵךְ הוּא, וְקָרָא לוֹ לָמָּה תֵּלֵךְ הֲלֹא רוֹצֶה אֲנִי לַעֲשׂוֹת מְבוּקָּשְׁךָ. וְלִימְּדוֹ הבעש״ט דַּעַת, כִּי כָּל הָאָדָם כְּשֶׁנִּבְרָא בָּא עִמּוֹ שֶׁפַע בְּרָכָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁעַל יְדֵי הַחֵטְא וּבָזֶה שֶׁאֱמוּנָתוֹ וּבִטְחוֹנוֹ נִפְגָּמִים, אֲזַי צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת הִשְׁתַּדְּלוּת מְרוּבֶּה בִּשְׁבִיל פַּרְנָסָתוֹ, בִּבְחִינַת (קידושין פב, א) הֲרֵעוֹתִי אֶת מַעֲשַׂי וְקִיפַּחְתִּי אֶת פַּרְנָסָתִי, אַךְ מִי שֶׁנִּשְׁאַר שָׁלֵם בְּמִידַּת בִּטְחוֹנוֹ בְּהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ אֵין צָרִיךְ אֶלָּא לַעֲשׂוֹת פְּעוּלָּה כָּל שֶׁהִיא, וּלְפִי גּוֹדֶל מַדְרִיגַת הבעש״ט בְּבִטְחוֹנוֹ בַּה׳ לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ יוֹתֵר מִפְּעוּלָּה זוֹ.
  1. Also recorded in Divrei Yechezkel, Vayeishev, and in Baal Shem Tov al HaTorah, Mikeitz, note 7. ↩
  2. Kiddushin 82a. ↩
In shortThe Baal Shem Tov knocked once and walked on: a person is born with his blessing and toils hard only because sin weakens his trust.
6This lets us understand the words of the Yalkut Shimoni that we cited. Before the giving of the Torah, because of the sin of Adam HaRishon, Bnei Yisrael had to make a greater effort to receive the flow of blessing. So when they came to Refidim and had no water to drink, the Almighty told Moshe, “And you shall strike the rock,”9 and speech was not effort enough. This is the meaning of “When this rock was small”: it refers to the time when Klal Yisrael was at the level of smallness, before the giving of the Torah, and so needed the great effort of striking. But now, after the giving of the Torah, Bnei Yisrael had reached the level of greatness, and the effort of “speak to the rock” was enough. As the Yalkut concludes, “Recite one chapter of Torah over it, and it will bring forth water.” That is, in the merit of the Torah the world serves you, providing all your needs with abundant blessing.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה יוּבְנוּ דִּבְרֵי הַיַּלְקוּט שְׁמָעוּנִי הַנִּזְכָּרִים, כִּי קוֹדֶם קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, אֲזַי מֵחֲמַת חֵטְא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן צְרִיכִים הָיוּ יוֹתֵר לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל בִּכְדֵי לְקַבֵּל שֶׁפַע, וְעַל כֵּן בְּעֵת שֶׁבָּאוּ לִרְפִידִים וְלֹא הָיָה לָהֶם מַיִם לִשְׁתּוֹת נֶאֱמַר לְמֹשֶׁה מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה (שמות יז, ו) ״וְהִכִּיתָ בַצּוּר״ וְלֹא הָיָה דַּי בְּדִיבּוּר בִּשְׁבִיל הַהִשְׁתַּדְּלוּת. וְזֶהוּ מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ ׳כְּשֶׁהָיָה סֶלַע זֶה קָטָן׳, וְהַיְינוּ כְּשֶׁכְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ בְּמַדְרִיגַת קַטְנוּת לִפְנֵי קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, וּלְכָךְ הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לְהִשְׁתַּדְּלוּת גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁל הַכָּאָה. אֲבָל עַכְשָׁיו לְאַחַר קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁהָיוּ כְּבָר בִּבְחִינַת גַּדְלוּת, לָזֶה דַּי בְּהִשְׁתַּדְּלוּת שֶׁל ׳וְדִבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע׳, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמְּסַיֵּים הַיַּלְקוּט ׳שָׁנָה עָלָיו פֶּרֶק אֶחָד וְהוּא מוֹצִיא מַיִם׳, דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁבִּזְכוּת הַתּוֹרָה הֲרֵיהוּ מְשׁוּעְבָּד לַעֲשׂוֹת לָכֶם כָּל הִצְטָרְכוּתְכֶם בְּשֶׁפַע בְּרָכָה.
  1. Shemos 17:6. ↩
In shortThe “small” rock is Israel before Sinai, needing blows; once it grew through the Torah, a chapter of learning made the world provide for it.
7This explains the Masorah well. The rock had to be struck to bring forth water, and here too Moshe and Aharon thought it had to be struck as the first time, as Rashi says.10 All this stems from the need for effort that came with the sin of Adam HaRishon, and that is “from the tree?” But in the time to come the world will return to its completeness, to the state of “The whole world was created only to be a companion to this one,” bound to serve all the needs of Bnei Yisrael. Then the words “from the threshing floor or from the winepress” will be fulfilled: everything will come ready-made. There will be no need to labor at sowing and planting trees, or to do any work or toil. As Chazal said, “In the future, all the barren trees in Eretz Yisrael will bear fruit.”11 For when Moshiach comes, and “the earth will be filled with knowledge,”12 the whole world will serve those who serve Hashem.
וּבָזֶה מְבוֹאָר הֵיטֵב עִנְיַן הַמְּסוּרָה, שֶׁמַּה שֶׁהָיָה צוֹרֶךְ לְהַכּוֹת בְּסֶלַע כְּדֵי לְהוֹצִיא מַיִם, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁסָּבְרוּ שֶׁגַּם כָּאן צָרִיךְ לְהַכּוֹתוֹ כְּבָרִאשׁוֹנָה וְכִדְאִיתָא ברש״י ז״ל (כ, יא), זֶה הוּא מִפְּנֵי הַצּוֹרֶךְ בְּהִשְׁתַּדְּלוּת מֵחֲמַת חֵטְא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, וְזֶהוּ ׳הֲמִן הָעֵץ׳, אַךְ לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא יַחֲזוֹר הָעוֹלָם לִשְׁלֵימוּתוֹ לִהְיוֹת בִּבְחִינַת ׳כָּל הָעוֹלָם לֹא נִבְרָא אֶלָּא לְצַוּוֹת לָזֶה׳, לִהְיוֹת מְשׁוּעְבָּד וּמְשַׁמֵּשׁ לְכָל צָרְכֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָז יְקוּיַּים ׳הֲמִן הַגּוֹרֶן אוֹ מִן הַיָּקֶב׳, שֶׁיְּהֵא הַכֹּל מִן הַמּוּכָן, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה צוֹרֶךְ לַעֲמוֹל בִּזְרִיעָה וּנְטִיעַת עֵצִים, וְלֹא לַעֲשׂוֹת שׁוּם עֲבוֹדוֹת וְטִירְחָא, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (כתובות קיב, ב) עֲתִידִין כָּל אִילָנֵי סְרָק שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיִּטְעֲנוּ פֵּירוֹת, כִּי בִּזְמַן בִּיאַת מָשִׁיחַ אֲשֶׁר תִּמָּלֵא הָאָרֶץ דֵּעָה, כָּל הָעוֹלָם יִהְיֶה מְשׁוּעְבָּד לְעוֹבְדֵי ה׳.
  1. Rashi on Bamidbar 20:11: when speaking to the rock did not bring water, they said, “Perhaps it must be struck as the first time.” ↩
  2. Kesubos 112b. ↩
  3. Yeshayahu 11:9. ↩
In shortStriking the rock goes back to “from the tree”; “from the threshing floor” hints at the future, when the world will again serve Hashem's servants.
8May Hashem grant that we not only expound well but also practice well,13 that we be privileged to have complete trust in Hashem, and so to serve Him “amid an abundance of everything.”14 Amen, may it be His will.
יִתֵּן ה׳ שֶׁלֹּא נִהְיֶה בִּבְחִינַת נָאֶה דּוֹרֵשׁ בִּלְבַד אֶלָּא גַּם נָאֶה מְקַיֵּים, וְנִזְכֶּה לִשְׁלֵימוּת הַבִּטָּחוֹן בַּה׳, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ מֵרוֹב כֹּל, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
  1. The phrase is from Yevamos 63b. ↩
  2. Devarim 28:47. ↩
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we live the trust we teach, and so serve Hashem amid an abundance of everything.
Takeaway

Every person comes into the world with his blessing already waiting for him, and much of the heavy toil we feel we need comes from weakened faith and trust. Klal Yisrael grew up at Sinai, and from then on a chapter of Torah could draw water from a rock. We can bring this into our own efforts for a livelihood, relying on Torah and trust rather than on striking harder, and living the trust we speak about.

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

All of Lehavas David

English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.