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2) - Rabbi's Message
Perhaps the most well-known passage in the Parshah tells of the fateful events at the Waters of Merivah ("Contention" - Numbers 20:2-13). Moshe, still in mourning for his sister, is confronted by the younger generation of Israelites who complain of thirst and harsh desert conditions, as their parents had done. Moses' harsh reaction his people's thirst and anguish lead to a painful reprimand from the Holy One:
Moshe's words and actions there display impatience with his people and an inability to display before them his faith in the Holy One. Moshe, therefore, must share the fate of their parents, the generation that experienced slavery, liberation and the encounter at Mt. Sinai, but has perished during the 40 years of wandering in the desert; like them, Moshe's life will must end before this new generation of Israelites crosses the Jordan and enters the Promised Land - despite his 40 years of devotion and leadership. This divine decree would continue to perplex and disturb Jews studying this story in every generation. But is there justice and wisdom in this decision, after all?
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Yechiel
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