A Second Look At Moshe's Sin | Rabbi Neil Winkler | July 3 2025

So I want to give a a little an introduction I suppose um I hopefully see especially because I started this late um to show to leave this class uh it'll probably take us at least two uh chances to go through really what I want to tell you about uh and uh Oh yeah, I got I got 12 13 p pages here. Yeah. Okay. Um we're beginning safe bimbar. I'm going to start with that introduction and safer bimidbar uh is of course the fourth book of the five books of Moses and uh we are told there the time. It's it is not uncommon for us to find out the dates when things happen especially in the Torah less common in the especially in a lot you don't always get the specifics of timing there in the Torah it's not uncom common common but it isn't necessarily ly uh common. So here in the beginning of midbar we are given that when this uh happened it happened in the we're told in theash the very first um year the first day of the second month it says yeah so we have that I think in the first it says I gave the whole thing uh no I'm sorry that's not in the first thing this is uh um this is my introduction to it yeah so it's in the first day of the second month second month is first day of course is first day of the but it's in the second year second year is I guess second year when it's counted from the beginning of nas of Nissan So, we're talking about basically a year and two weeks after the the um release the exodus from Egypt because there in the middle of Nissan they are left out of they are they are freed from slavery right it's two weeks of Nissan and then comes and and so a year later this is when the book of Midvar is being written And um even though it begins with that, we find that it's not the first event. And that's something very uncommon. If it gives you a a date, you figure the next time they're going to give you a date is after that. And that's not what happens here. In fact, when we go we go eight chapters, eight eight inbar, it begins um in the beginning of the midbar of the counting of the uh the census of the entire people, the entire nation. It goes uh into also it connects to the building of the Mishkan which although it starts in Schmote it goes through the sacrifices of then in Bidbar of the jobs of the of the Levim who are going to serve in the Mishka. It goes into that the relighting of the of the manora that you know about that and so on. And finally in the ninth chapter it now starts a a different section of the midbar but fascinatingly and here you'll find it in the first um source it says here you see in the English uh that um the it was in now the same second year but it's in it's in the first uh day of the first month which is Nissan which is a month before. So this this is now a month before when this the the bidbar started the book starts. We now have this event and we are told here uh that about the um eventually it's it's that and uh then it goes on and still in the second month but I'm I'm it still is I'm sorry. It seems in this but we go then from chapter nine to chapter 20. So we assume it's something on the second year and you see something absolutely fascinating because you see chronologically um we already have changed things. We start it's the second month of the second year then to go back to the first month of the year and what happens is that um the first 14 chapters to peral in the inbar is completely events that took place in the second year and the last 17 chapters from 20 to 36 all take place in the 40th year. The three in middle uh chapters that of Zion that is the 15th, 16th and 17th, we have no dating for that. So we really don't know where it is and the and the whether it's and Ramban all are are discussing uh all are discussing where might it happen for example the story of Korak there's a whole discussion where did it happen right after uh the sec in the second year after the uh the VM uh got their places in the Mishkan and the kohanim what they should do and then kox complained how come the kohhanim have it and we don't have it and the others were saying kohhanim what about the firstborns how about you know so they say it's there others say no no no no it happened later on when are you going to complain they complain maybe it was after uh ah after the sin of the uh moral when god tells them okay you're going to die in the desert That's when they started to complain because and that's a good reason. That's why they said we want to go back to Egypt. All of this changes. We don't know. But we do know that the year the 20th um chapter, which is what we're going to be discussing now. Here we have a fascinating thing and we see that in the um this is finally I'm sorry the first first um first the first source and the first source now we find something very interesting. This is the story that we're going to be going into and that is of course the uh sin shall we say of of Mosher Abenu. Um would it be easier for you? Are you working over here over here? Because we can always go in here now. It's okay. Are you okay? Okay. say to them. Okay. Any rate, so look at this first source and I give it to you in English also. We're now in the 40th year. The 40th year already. No, somehow 38 years have dissolved. We're now in the 40th year in the desert. And what do we find here? Very interesting. Uh I won't give to you the whole thing but because it's too long for to read it out but it's very simply that the people of Israel complained for a lack of water. Well, I heard that before and it happened of course in one two three times. Two time two three times and now it happens in the 40th year again. So strange it is that this whole gap say it's also the there's no time where we see that and God spoke to Moses right that is we always have find that everywhere you know where we don't have it we don't have it from this time all the way until the end of that for for 38 years they say God was angry at go was angry with Israel and therefore he never speaks to Moshe at this 10. Anyway, so now what happens is there was no water and they complained and if you see the very beginning of um the whole congregation came to the wilderness of sin in the first month they camped in Kadesh. Miriam died there and and buried there and there was no water for the congregation. And so they assembled against Moshe, against Aaron and they argue with Moshe saying, "Had we just died when our brethren did but why have you brought us to to brought why have you brought Hashem's nation into this wilderness to die there? we and our cattle. Why did you take us out of Egypt? To bring us to this evil place. It's not the a place of seed or figs or vines or pomegranates. Nor is there any water to drink. Well, Moshe and Aaron go from the assembly to the go to the door of the t they go to Oh, they fall upon their faces and Hashem's glory appears before them. So, that's what happens. It sounds very very very um close to what happened in the Magbar in that in the first year in the desert. They had no water. They claimed to go we have to go back to Egypt and why did you do this for us? But if you look carefully and we're not going to jump into this right away, but it's something to keep in mind when we discuss here about the sin. Note that here and and I'll be tr truthful to you. It's first hitting me very strongly right now. When they complain now to Moshe and Naro when they complain and they had that they have no water and and they said nor you promised to take us to a land flowing with milk and honey. You didn't do that did you? You promised we will we'll get you know. So you fine there was a punishment. We didn't get punished because we're still alive here in the 40th year. Our parents did and but there's nothing here. It's still all desert. No, there's nothing here. Nothing. So, it's a difficult thing. But they say something else. They didn't say, "Why did you take us here?" Look at what it says in the English. He says, he said, um, why have you brought Hashem's nation into the wilderness? They refer to themselves as God's chosen nation. I find that very powerful. In effect, they said, "It's not God's fault. It's your fault. God didn't take us here. You must have done that, right?" Um, why? Right. Uh, why did you take us out of Egypt? Now, what did God take us out of Egypt? It seems now that there's not a complaint against God, but rather against them. We are God's nation. We know that. But if we're God's nation, we shouldn't be in this position. And what they also say, which I find again when you're playing with the words a little differently than what they were, notice over here that also they say when they say uh um why did you take us out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It wasn't why did we have to leave Egypt. It was did you take us out of Egypt to bring us to this place? That's what they were really saying. And in that way it's very different than the complaints of the first gear. It is basically you didn't take us out of Egypt just to bring us here. Okay, we have to be in the desert. Why you have there is a place where we have no water. We have nothing here. You're the leaders. God wouldn't have told you to do I don't think that God didn't have to. We shouldn't have to. and the reaction of Moshe and Aaron. They go to the Oel Moed, which is where God usually speaks to Moshe and um and they fall to their faces. Now falling to the faces is something which I almost understand when I read it in this cape that before they enter oh homo they're going to bow down before they enter into perhaps having a conversation with God. But that's not what they didn't say and they and they bow down. They fell to their faces. What do you think falling to the faces is to the leaders here? When what what does that mean to you say oh my god they fell to their faces? It means what? Embarrassed. You think because they were embarrassed and they're sorry about it or what? Nothing to say because they don't know what to do. Exactly. They have nothing to say. What do you want from me? Because because it's a lack of it's ungratefulness, lack of appreciation. All of it is correct. They realized they couldn't but it is almost a throwing up of hands saying I've had it. We don't know what to do. It's amazing that they didn't but we haven't gotten to that yet. I'm giving beforehand. I'm giving them. You're jumping ahead. And tell me, did they get into the proest course to Jordan? Not yet. We're not doing that now. Right now, this is the pred This is Yeah. Beforehand. Okay. Um Okay. Yeah. The death of Miriam happens before this. That's I didn't put this here in the um it happened before this. Yes, indeed. You're probably thinking of that. That's why it's is it coincidental that suddenly they had no water after 38 years they never had no complaint and now they had no water. Yes. I'll say yeah Miriam died and we all know that Miriam's greatness and righteousness is why God had granted the gift of having the the the the air whatever you want to call it. So and that's why there's not but we're putting that aside. I'm looking at this right now. They seem to be they throw their hands up. What What are we going to do? Just fell down. Collapse. They haven't done anything. Moshe has provided. God has provided. Moshe probably they fell on their faces because Hashem has provided up to this point. Yeah. The frustration. Wait. I'll show you. You'll see. You'll be provided. Good. There's no toe at all. I would see it something else. Let me show you why we could see this. What happened the last time this happened? And look now at the second source here at Marra in year number one when they had no water and that was really tough because they were first going into the desert as after the splitting of the sea and they were first getting into the desert and they had no water. when that happened. Look what it says there in source number two. Um, did I have the Yeah, good. The English helps you get this first said when they came to Mara, they could not drink the waters of Mara because they were bitter. Therefore, it was called Mara. It's one of the great understatements in the Torah. And the people murmured against Moshe, saying, "What shall we drink, and he cried to Hashem, and God showed him a tree uh and cast it into the waters?" Or in the next chapter of the 17th chapter, all of Israel journeyed from the the wilderness of sin in stages according God's command. They encamped in Midm and there was no water for the people. the second time in the same parha. And so the people argued with Moshe said, "Give us a more water so that we must drink." And Moshe said, "Why argue with me? Why are you testing God?" So the people thirsted there for water. Murmured against Moshe, saying, "Why did you brought us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and cattle?" Almost exactly the same thing it says here. Why am I taking these? Did he fall to his faces there? They complained they had no water. There was no water. Did he say it fall to his face? No. Not the first time, not the second time. So I asked Jan, "What happened here?" What happened? His sister died. And obviously it was hard for him. So he didn't have the patience because he went on to hit the ground. That's an interesting approach. Good. We see nothing. It doesn't say he cried over the loss of his of his of sister of of Miriam. I'm trying to remember there. In fact, when Aaron died, we see that in the last uh para of you know m it gives us actually the day when Aaron died. It doesn't give us the date of the yard sight of Moshe. But we do get the yard site of Ara the first day of Av. Fitting, right? And the beginning of Av. Okay. And they all and the people cried and mourned. Mo Moshe dies. We don't get the exact date, but again, and all the people cried and mourned. When Miriam died, no mention of mourning or crying. So, I'm not I'm not going to go into why I think I don't know. I could give answers. I'm not going to because that's not what I'm looking to do with her. But the idea that oh, he was so upset about the death of Miriam. Maybe, maybe not. There's no mention there that they mourn for her at all. But any rate, um people don't really like loud opinionated women. She wasn't loud. The only thing she did was sang praises to God. Otherwise, he was very quiet. Yeah. Now, um but the fourth point is this was a surrender. Moshe C says that's it. I've had it. And that he didn't have before. Now, we can answer that. Yeah. Well, you know, after 40 years, no, it's getting a little frustrating. But on the hand, after 38 years, I'm no complaints. After 38 years, we don't find Yes. We had coach and stuff like that, but nothing. Um, no. We we've seen Moshe react for example when I show you um of is this I tell no uh we've seen that Moshe react to the complaint with harsh words against the people. Um we've seen respond by immediately praying to God, God help me do something. Um we've even had seen him in the past falling to his face when with Gatan and Avi Rama with Korak also the rebellion. Yeah. Um and also when they had to enter the um the land of Israel, the Moragim also they fell to their faces. These were rebellions. These are very bad, right? But never did he surrender as he did here because of a lack of water. that never ever happened and here it does. So it has to be something and if it's something that in the end as we know has caused a punishment for Moshe, it must have been something that God wasn't that happy with. Is it written there or not? Let's see. That's why I'm saying you know uh a second look or at Moshe's sin. I'm going to give this class I believe uh this I mean tomorrow night in that's tomorrow night Shabbat in my I'm going I'm calling it little different from this I'm calling it whose fault was it sins who was to blame yeah so no I give it um Shabas so um anyway Okay. What happens here? God does indeed appear to them. They fall to their faces. God says got to help them out. And he gives us specific specific things what these should be done. He gives Moshe a almost five basic things of what he should do. and they would have the water. And when you see that, um, well, I haven't got that here. Let me see if I have it here. Uh, we see first of all, he says the following. And this is part of the is it the first or the second? [Music] Yeah, this is part of the first source. There we see in the second paragraph there you see where it says Hashem spoke to Moshe. He said to him one take the mad rod gather the congregation you and Aharon speak to the rock before their eyes in front of them so that it give forth water. and you will take the water and provide the congregation with and their cattle with drink with water. Basically, five things to do. A B CDE E. Now, we know that Moshe gets punished here. Let's see what he did that was wrong. Okay, so we have to go this number one. Let's see what does go Moshe do. Well, look at again the same source on number the fourth line ninth puk ninth verse. You want it? Okay. So Moshe took the rod from before Hashem. He took his mate. What did God say? Take your mate. Okay. Followers. Good faith. Okay. He did number one he said he took the mate um as he command as he was commanded one that's and Moshe and Aharon gathered the people before the rock that was number two he said gather the people to the rock good and Moshe lifted up his hand and smokeote the rock with his rod twice was that right or wrong no he was supposed to he was told and speak to the rock. So it seems um and uh water will come forth and and water did come forth and the congre and the congregation and their cattle had something to drink. So out of the five things seems he did four of them correctly and one incorrectly. And that is why um most people say, "Well, that's the problem." And God says it too, not really, but God seems to indicate the problem. And that we find, and this is very, very important in the 12th um and again the 12th verse. And Hashem said to Moshe in Hebrew it says very simple because you did not believe in me. It seems how does it say here? Because you Yeah, it says believe in me. I'm going to play with these words. Anyway, that's what it seems to be saying because you did not believe in me and thereby to sanctify me in my name before Israel. Then you will not lead this nation into the land that I have given them. Right? Hey m maybe that's why these these are the waters known as the waters of mir meaning of argument you know um hashem where god where the people you know argue with hashem and he was sanctified by them it's a little strange right he just said you didn't sanctify me it's a very strange thing so we have the this the the skele skeleton of what happened, what they did, and what they didn't do. And God's response that's saying because of this, you will not say you won't go into Egypt, into the land. What does it say? He said, bring them. You will not leave them or bring them into the land. But can they go into the land? Well, he didn't say not because exactly at this point it would seem he's saying yeah you could stand in the 15th row in the back but you can come in you just can't leave them in low. It didn't say where it comes in in the punishment to the moraglin where it says you shall not go into the land here it says you will not bring them into the land. You're saying it didn't say he won't go. It just says he say we will not bring them into the land or he did not even say you will not go with them into the land. It just says you won't bring them into the land which seems if you look at it very carefully to be saying well it means you will not you know lead them into the land. You know, you certainly able to go there, find a nice place, a little house there with a pool and you know, it does it seems that no say that means the same thing. Huh? Then who was God talking to? He's talking to Moshe and Aaron. Oh, and and said you will not you plural will not be able to lead them into the land. Okay, which means Mo Aaron's son may be Elazar will become the Cohen God and Moshe and somebody else will become the leader Yoshua whatever right but that's not the majority view I mean most people say well he means he can't go into the land and he didn't go into the land obviously so that's why so there I have built the skeleton you know but to fill in that skeleton to be able to say, "Well, let's see what it could be." Because, yeah, it's easy to say he shouldn't have hit a a rock. But between you and me, a man who for 40 years has led a people and did miracles for them and took them out and put through all of this difficult time. So, he'd be a little angry. He hit a rock and therefore God said, "That's it. You can't go any." It's a little severe, one would imagine. So let's Okay. Exactly. Gilbert and Svin agrees. Therefore, we should next time go in and let's see how else we can see these and what else they might be saying uh before we jump to the assumption that it had to be that. And I believe we'll be able to open our eyes to something different if we are able to see this. If we're able to understand better what perhaps was underlying all of this and perhaps it was not just that one little thing and maybe there are other things and we'll see that next time. Okay, good. 11:15 11:15 there's no other class I think is Rabbi not here I think he's gone for two weeks which means I will be here next week all this time also 10:30 what was today was 10:30 or 10:15 wait today was 10:30 or 10:15 10:30 Okay. So, I have more time. Okay. Good. Good. Good. 10 minutes over. You're right. Right. I'm I'm afraid. No, I don't know if I'm sure is coming at 10:30. You know, but he's not. Oh, okay. Fine. Good. Good. Good. So, we have time. All right. That's great. Thanks. So now let's see um if we can go on and see well what else might have been the problem. Um now besides the hitting thing hitting Iraq Iraq instead of speaking to it there are other discussions and other opinions who say other things did that weren't very good. If you look for example when he angrily speaks to the people and he says to them listen to me you rebels moim are le rebels the first time you spoke harshly to them oh no come on we're talking about Mosha here he yelled at him a lot of times um but mo here it means rebels which I trying not to tell that the fact that it also means teachers. But anyway, um Rashi points out that here Mim he says is also um rel related to the Greek word which he means morons that they're rebels and they're fools. Again, don't you tell teachers that I'm a teacher, you know. Um but a rebel when you're rebelling against Mosha, you're a fool, you know, Mos read the Rashi says that. Anyway, um so the fact that he got angry was but too angry and calling them Morim rebels we'll see is crucial. Um or others say you're right. The sin wasn't so terrible. But when you're Mosher Raenu, you got to want you got to watch it. You can't you can't step a little bit out of the thing. God expects much more from Sadikim, which is why I've tried as much as possible not to be at Sadi. I don't want God to get angry with me, you know. But sadik God does judge the righteous with a different uh shall we say uh justice system. He expects one who is closest to God. But more than that he expects Mosher Rabenu who talked to God who spoke to God to be far more careful. So these are the other reasons that why um he has been you know people have said he was being um punished in such a way. But between you and me the reason why we have oh a bunch of different reason because not any of them are really fully fully satisfied that you know for that type of punishment. Okay. Um, and then there comes a little bit of an opening that seems very different from the whole story. And that we find in the beginning of the para of which is the beginning of the where Moshe mentions his sin that he wouldn't be allowed to enter and um in the third in the third source maramak we read the Hebrew of the Torah. And um Mos asked God, I I pleaded with God and I said, "Hashem, please let me go into the land." You know, um but God said very clearly, he said, um he said, "No, I'll talk don't talk to me about this anymore." and he says the following um there in the third I'm sorry the third source you see verse but Hashem was angry with me for your sake and would not listen to me and he said that's enough don't talk to me about it again anymore One word which should be rattling in our brain. Moshe says, "And God got angry." Limma for your sake. Because of you. Your sake. I didn't do something so wrong. It was because of you. whether for your sake or because of what you did because of your behavior. That's never said here at the God never says to Moshe, I got to punish you because of them. Now, the simple answer is yeah, if it weren't for the fact that they were screaming and yelling and maybe he wouldn't have lost his his patience and he wouldn't have had to hit Iraq or call Iraq. So, it's your it's your fault. But, Lan doesn't really mean that. It means for your sake, right? Um, and Rashi picks up on it right away. And Rashi says, he says, "No, means not because of you, but as I explained, it means for your sake. It's for you that I'm not going in." Um, and if that weren't enough, I don't have it as a source, but there's a source we find in Peruv where there we see that um that the people of Israel got angry at me. This is over here. and Moshe and it made went bad for Moshe for you. the same thing that we see in that we didn't see in the story inbar we got um not not because of them but for you for your sake huh you'll get to that that's absolutely I believe that's the main reason yes we'll get to that yes but for your sake he's not going to do it so now we get something very very interesting Um Moshe asks God to allow him to lead into Erit Israel and it's made a while after the sin. It's in the same year but it wasn't right away. Um and it was after Israel had defeated the um theim west and the war against melad it was after it was months after any sin was committed by Israel. is after that and um by the way and Kazal saying it right away that's why motion now says okay you let me defeat Sikhon and Og which he does and ogue after all were considered perhaps part of Israel was it really part of Israel it's a can see here. Maybe I'll give it to you here. Is that part of the of the No. No. Why was the defeat of let's say what I just said the was more unique and perhaps more powerful and more important than their defeat of let's say Amale or the defeat of the who come in that we're going to read in today's ink this week's para. What was unique about the The Jews, Israelites defeat of Sikhon and Og. What did they do after defeating them? What did What did the Israelites do after defeating? They settled the land. They moved in there and they built and it says that they settled there. This Ruven did this and this the tribe did this before they even crossed the Ardan. Moshe sees that God allowed them to not only defeat the enemy, but now he said, "Okay, settle. It's yours now. Settle it." God. So Moses says, "Oh, God maybe sent his he changed his mind because they're settling here in their land. This, I guess, is part of Erit Israel." God changed his mind. So God, please let me go in now because I started with the job. So it's understandable why he now says this. Huh? Half of them put on one side and half put seven on. Okay, that was what they had. We learned that afterwards that that happens after the except for Manasha that happens that request to stay there and not go that happens a little later, right? But at at the time now it could be in the story uh when it tells them that they settled this and this it could have been after that but it was it's put there as if it happened immediately after the the conquest of that area. Either way, Moses saw this as a possible, oh, God's changing his mind, man. God God's nice.