The Secret of the Staff and the Snake: Why Did Moshe Strike the Rock?
Lesson No. 20 | Lesson 1: (Continued from No. 19) Thursday morning, Parshas Chukas, 1 Tammuz 5755 - after the prayer
Moshe Rabbeinu prepared for forty years for the test at Mei Merivah (the Waters of Dispute), but at the moment of truth, he struck the rock with the side of the snake instead of speaking to it. Based on the Zohar and the Arizal, this article reveals the secret of the staff, which had two forms, and teaches why no wisdom will help during a time of testing—only complete bitul (self-nullification).
The holy Zohar comments on the verse:
"Take the staff and gather the assembly, you and Aharon your brother, and speak to the rock"
The Zohar asks: What is the meaning of "and speak"? The Zohar explains that the intention is: you shall speak to that snake. Hashem was warning Moshe to be careful that the staff should not turn into a snake, as it did during the first striking of the rock.
Moshe's staff had two forms: one side was a staff, upon which the Ineffable Name of Hashem was engraved, and the other side was a snake. When the Jewish people would sin, the staff would turn into a snake, to show them that despite their sins, miracles were being performed for them. But now, at Mei Merivah, the Jewish people were on the spiritual level of complete tzaddikim (righteous individuals) without sin. Therefore, Hashem commanded Moshe to use the side of the staff, which is entirely mercy, and not the side of the snake.
The Secret of the Staff Created at Twilight
This staff was created on the eve of Shabbos at twilight, and it was passed down from Adam HaRishon (the First Man) onwards until it reached Yosef HaTzaddik. When Yosef's possessions were plundered, Yisro took the staff, fled, and planted it in his courtyard. No one was able to uproot it until Moshe Rabbeinu arrived and pulled it out.
Rabbi Yosi explains that when Hashem said to Moshe at the Splitting of the Red Sea:
"And you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and split it"
The meaning of "and stretch out" is to incline the staff to the side that did not have the snake engraved on it. Hashem told him: "Direct it with the side that is not the snake, which is entirely mercy, and in this way, the sea will split." And indeed, Moshe directed it to the side of the Ineffable Name.
The Sin of Mei Merivah and the Secret of the Sin of Adam HaRishon
At Mei Merivah, Moshe Rabbeinu became confused because the Jewish people gathered and shouted at him, and instead of using the side of the Ineffable Name, he struck the rock with the side of the snake.
The holy Arizal in Sefer HaLikutim (Shaar HaPesukim) explains an awesome secret: The sin of Moshe Rabbeinu at the rock is literally the sin of Adam HaRishon. By striking with the side of the snake, he brought back into the world the sin of the Primordial Serpent and all the spiritual impurity of the snake.
King Shlomo said regarding this: "The way of a snake upon a rock." The entire sin of Moshe at Mei Merivah was because he struck with the side of the snake. If Moshe had struck with the side of the Name of Hashem, everything would have been fine and the Jewish people would have immediately entered the Land of Israel.
He Catches the Wise in Their Craftiness: The Preparation for the Test
The Yalkut Shimoni describes how they attacked Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe knew through Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration) that his time of testing would be connected to water. The astrologers also prophesied that Moshe would be struck through water.
For forty years, Moshe Rabbeinu prepared for this moment. He guarded himself, waited for the test, and feared it. But the Midrash says regarding this:
"He catches the wise in their craftiness"
When a test arrives, no wisdom will help. A person thinks he can deal with tests using his wisdom, but the truth is that only prayers, supplications, and complete *bitul* (self-nullification) can save him. Moshe was lacking just a hairsbreadth more of prayer, just one more drop of bitul, in order to pass the test successfully.
The Series of Miracles and the Missed Opportunity
When they arrived at the rock, the Jewish people began to rebel. They saw that Moshe was searching for a specific rock (Miriam's well) and said to him, "If you are acting according to Hashem, draw water for us from any rock! After all, you were a shepherd in the desert for forty years; you certainly know of underground springs hidden beneath the rocks."
When Moshe struck the rock, the water burst forth furiously and washed away anyone who disputed him. Yet the people still did not believe, claiming it was a natural phenomenon.
Immediately, honey began to flow from the rock. The Jewish people said, "Perhaps bees made a hive there over the course of a thousand years." Oil began to flow. They said, "Perhaps Bedouins hid a reservoir of oil there."
Hashem saw that they still lacked emunah (faith), and a blazing fire began to emerge from the rock. Only then, when they saw sparks of fire, did they say, "Now we believe that this is from Heaven."
But by then, it was too late. The impurity of the primordial serpent returned to the world, and even drops of blood began to seep from the rock, demonstrating the terrible impurity that had descended.
The Midrash concludes: After all this, it was still possible to rectify the situation. If the Jewish people had sung a song of praise at that very moment, everything would have been forgiven, and the complete Geulah (Redemption) would have arrived speedily in our days.
Part 1 of 4 — Lesson No. 20