- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Chukat
1356
The absence of Moshe will also strangely enough also force such a hard choice to be made. As long as Moshe is alive the Jewish people place all of their trust in him. Nothing to worry about, Moshe will save us from our enemies and even from God’s justice. Living in the desert is not so bad as long as Moshe remains with us. The manna falls from heaven in his merit and he always delivers water to us - and even meat on demand - if we complain strongly enough. Moshe’s presence amongst the Jews turns unfortunately into a hindrance for their progress in maturation and self-reliant independence. Moshe’s transgression in this week’s parsha - hitting the rock to draw forth water instead of speaking to it - may appear to be minor in our eyes, unworthy of the severe punishment meted out to him for this act. But the overall picture and the effect of Moshe on his people points to the necessity for his no longer leading the people. There are interests that weigh heavily in favor of Moshe and his continuing leadership. But there is a far-seeing and general interest of the nation as a whole that somehow overcomes Moshe’s own personal interest. Thus this week’s parsha that relates the final judgment of Moshe as seen in this type of perspective allows us a greater insight into the Torah’s lessons and policies.

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