Thread by @GREENESJ333

Roger Froikin @rlefraim wrote, "Shabbat Shalom ——-
Parsha Chukat
numbers 19:1–22:1

This is a sad Parsha in many ways. In this Torah portion, God instructs Moses and Aaron regarding the red heifer. Miriam, who is the sister of Moses and Aaron, dies.
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Moses hits a rock to bring forth water rather than speaking to it. At the end of the parsha, Aaron dies.

Of course, there is more to it.

After years of wandering through the desert, the people arrive in the wilderness of Zin. Miriam dies, and
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the people thirst for water. G‑d tells Moses to speak to a rock and command it to give water. Moses gets angry at the complaining people and strikes the stone. Water flows, but Moses is told by G‑d that neither he nor Aaron will enter the Promised Land.
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Aaron dies soon after and is followed in the high priesthood by his son Elazar who he trained.

Moses leads the people in war against the Emorite kings Sichon and Og (who seek to prevent Israel’s passage through their territory) and conquers their lands,
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which lie east of the Jordan River and today are parts of modern Jordan.

So what lessons can we learn from this Parsha?

As I see it, there is one big lesson. When faced with a real problem, whining about it is a waste of energy. Getting angry and
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responding irrationally to those that are whining is counterproductive. And, finally, responsible action to solve problems is the only thing that works.
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Our Sages said that Moshe was banned from entering the land because he disobeyed when he struck the rock in anger at the people. Though Moshe made a mistake to act out in anger, I think his not being allowed to enter the land had a more serious and more important reason.
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For 40 years, Moshe was sort of the father figure of the nation, the judge of last resort, the one to provide solutions to all problems, almost like an absolute monarch with final authority on everything and
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there is a dangerous tendency to start thinking of such important figures almost like gods that one cannot do without.
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But a people who have now been told not to have any other gods, not to be dependent on one hero, one leader, one person seen as closer to HaShem than others, the loss of such a leader with no preparation and alternatives appointed, before entering the land,
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could have led to tragedy. Consider what a tragedy it might have been had Moshe entered the land with the people and then died while they were going through the stressful process of getting their land and organizing their lives.
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The whole enterprise might have been seriously damaged.

Interestingly, Torah is so insistent on not making a man a hero or an idol to follow, that it never mentions any special status for Moshe’s children. Power would not be handed down based on blood.
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Before they entered the land, the new lines of authority had to be established, and they had to be established without expecting Moshe to be the final authority on everything or even as a figurehead or person making decisions as the last resort.
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What we are seeing is the wisdom of the Creator, understanding the creation, and doing what was needed.

One more interesting observation. At a time when wandering was nearing an end, we see Moshe reacting to a situation, in fact losing his temper, and
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striking a rock to bring forth water. The top guy, the infallible leader, the man closest to HaShem, acting in an irresponsible manner, showing a flaw in character.
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The lesson? Don’t worship leaders, do not make them into idols or picture them as infallible. No leader is to be followed unquestionably.

שבת שלום--"
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