A Tale of Two Stories (Beshalach 2/8/25)

A Tale of Two Stories

There are stories that appear more than once in the Torah. Sometimes, this is because the narrative has come a long way and develops differently from the reporter’s perspective. For example, a hero in Judah might be an adversary in Northern Israel. In our parsha, Beshalach, we have an incident that also occurs in the Book of Numbers but with a completely opposite outcome. Why the difference? A new generation.

After the splitting of the Red Sea and the drowning of the Egyptian armies, we are finally free. We can rest without worrying that Pharoah will change his mind and enslave us again. On the other hand, we’re stuck in the middle of a desert!

“The Children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin and encamped in Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.

וַיָּ֤רֶב הָעָם֙ עִם־מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ תְּנוּ־לָ֥נוּ מַ֖יִם וְנִשְׁתֶּ֑ה

The people quarreled with Moses, demanding water.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה עֲבֹר֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם וְקַ֥ח אִתְּךָ֖ מִזִּקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּמַטְּךָ֗ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִכִּ֤יתָ בּוֹ֙ אֶת־הַיְאֹ֔ר קַ֥ח בְּיָדְךָ֖ וְהָלָֽכְתָּ׃

Then God said to Moses, “Pass before the people; take with you some of the elders of Israel, and take along the Staff with which you struck the Nile, and set out.

הִנְנִ֣י עֹמֵד֩ לְפָנֶ֨יךָ שָּׁ֥ם ׀ עַֽל־הַצּוּר֮ בְּחֹרֵב֒ וְהִכִּ֣יתָ בַצּ֗וּר וְיָצְא֥וּ מִמֶּ֛נּוּ מַ֖יִם וְשָׁתָ֣ה הָעָ֑ם וַיַּ֤עַשׂ כֵּן֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְעֵינֵ֖י זִקְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Behold, I will be next to you by the Rock, and you shall strike the Rock and water shall come forth. Moses did so in front of all Israel.”

In our version of this story, Moses is told to hit the Rock to bring forth water.

Thirty-nine years later, the Jews have traversed great distances but are still in the wilderness. Once more, they find themselves needing water.

“The Israelites arrived in the wilderness of Zin on the new moon…

וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה מַ֖יִם לָעֵדָ֑ה וַיִּקָּ֣הֲל֔וּ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹֽן׃

But there was no water for the people. They amassed a complaint against Moses and Aaron. God then told them:

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׃

Take the staff and assemble the community. Then, before their very eyes, speak to the rock to yield its water. Thus, you will produce water for them and their animals.”

וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֖ה מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּֽהוּ׃

Moses took the Staff from before God, as he had been commanded.

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?”

וַיָּ֨רֶם מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־יָד֗וֹ וַיַּ֧ךְ אֶת־הַסֶּ֛לַע בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ פַּעֲמָ֑יִם וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּ הָעֵדָ֖ה וּבְעִירָֽם׃

And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the people and their animals drank.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָה֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ יַ֚עַן לֹא־הֶאֱמַנְתֶּ֣ם בִּ֔י לְהַ֨קְדִּישֵׁ֔נִי לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לָכֵ֗ן לֹ֤א תָבִ֙יאוּ֙ אֶת־הַקָּהָ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי לָהֶֽם׃

And God said to Moses and Aharon, “Since you didn’t believe in me to sanctify me in the eyes of Israel, therefore, you shall not lead them into the Land I have promised them.”

What did Moses do wrong?

God had told him to take the staff. Aren’t staffs for hitting?

Hit the Nile and turn it into blood.

Hit the ground and turn it into lice.

Wave it across the sea and cause it to split.

Hit the rock and bring forth water.

Originally, yes. But, now, after leading the Israelites for 39 years, he was told to take the staff but talk to the rock.

We’re learning that pedagogy, teaching and leadership styles change.

Upon entering third grade, I remember being in mortal fear, for the teacher had a reputation for hitting the kids.

Now, I’m afraid of just hugging a student for fear of being misconstrued.

Some of us may remember being spanked or worse as a child. Most of us don’t replicate that form of chastisement with our children.

We shouldn’t, though, cast aspersions, assuming the previous generations were wrong or didn’t know better. Perhaps that method was the best at that juncture in the world’s development. For an enslaved people who had just escaped physical torment in Egypt, hitting was what they related to.

However, 39 years later, that generation had passed away. This new one grew up eating Manna from Heaven, living in the shade of the clouds of Glory, and learning under Moses’ tutelage. This group didn’t need hitting to be impressed; they just required encouragement and some inspirational words.

The Torah is empowering us to evolve. These stories teach us that change is a natural part of life. We don’t have to do it exactly how they did it in the past.

I remember spending Passover in Monsey when I was a bachur, a young student. This ultra-orthodox family would place a sock on the kitchen faucet to filter out unwanted bread crumbs. I told them I’ve lived 22 years but never seen breadcrumbs come through the faucet. They agreed with me, but in Europe, the water was taken from a well, and sometimes people would get clumsy, and bread would make its way there. So, on Passover, people would filter the water. Therefore, they’re filtering their water to keep up the tradition.

I love that family; nonetheless, I don’t place a sock on my faucet during Passover.

Change is inevitable, and it is often for the best. But we should not judge how things were done in the past. Mindsets were different, and changing people’s thought patterns takes time.

With these two stories, the Torah tells us to be open-minded to change. We certainly need to embrace the past and preserve our noble goals and ideals. The way of achieving these goals, though, may change with time.

As we celebrated Russell Blatt’s thirty years of gifted life after his recovery from heart surgery in his twenties, I mentioned that I greatly value this trait in his leadership. Russell truly respects and honors our past while embracing the need to evolve. As evidenced by these two tales, this is the way for Judaism to grow and certainly for MHJC.

Stay warm,

R’ Neil