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Parshat Chukat: “Expunged” by Rabbi Ari Kahn
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Delivered 5 Tammuz 5784 / July 11, 2024 Source sheets: https://bit.ly/3WfRyzY www.ouisrael.org facebook.com/ouisrael #OUisrael #torah #judaism #torahlectures #chukat #parshathashavua #parsha
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Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
so here we were minding our own business
in uh the middle safer B midbar which
you know is a nice safe space and then
we have yet another episode and and at
some point it just kinds of feels like
this one episode after the next episode
after the next episode and it's almost
like this same beating of a drum these
reverberations taking place and all of
this General
discontent which is I guess punctuates
the entire book but I think we would be
making a very big mistake to assume that
every single one of these episodes are
all the same that that that essentially
what we have is one group one complaint
because that's just not the case what we
have again starting really with peric
Alf we we find the complaints which are
taking place kind of just goes one par
after the other and we're far from
finished I mean that's also part of the
thing let's really just start and then
as I said I think that we'll get a
little bit more insight because I also
believe that there's something over here
which kind of makes this one different
from all the others I think that there
really is something different over here
and first just deal with the obvious the
consequences the the result which means
instead of this attack on the people
afterwards the attack goes in motion Aon
which means that already tells us that
something is uh completely different um
my favorite title out of any of the
books that I wrote was in The Echoes of
Eden on bamidbar so I called that spies
subversives and other Scoundrels right I
just thought that that really
encapsulate what's the what the entire
book is so now essentially these you
know these despies or these the are
these the subversives or these other
Scoundrels which means essentially just
put them into one of the categories but
as I said I don't I'm not sure how
simple that is and and let's read and
we'll be a little bit careful and then
hopefully something will
emerge and and right away we have the
double language is of a concern if we
had ad by itself we'd be more concerned
B Israel generally sounded like okay and
then that maybe that's our first goto
the first goto is as we are looking in
the book of Bidar we always want to know
who this group is that we're talking
about and Miriam passed away and she was
buried there now in in terms of what I
would call straightforward shot we don't
necessarily at this point know exactly
what you know what the date is you know
where we're up to what what
um we're we're told by
and I'm going to say there's nothing
here to absolutely nothing as far as I
can tell to contradict kazal is that we
are now at the end of the of those 40
years and maybe there's something which
we should pay attention to and that's
another teaching in kazal and we have to
try to figure out what the implications
of that is is that the second teaching
is that during these 38 something years
38 plus years there was no Divine
prophecy which means we have a lack of
communication between condotion during
this time which means essentially you
know you guys got your uh you got your
punishment deal with it and there's not
and there's nothing to to talk about now
that's an incredible background of all
of this because essentially then what
we're dealing with is just I'm not going
to even say aimless wandering because
it's not a question of aimless wandering
it's not even so much the movement which
is important but it's the lack of
obtaining the goal of where we're
supposed to be going to which is really
the issue so the background over here is
this isolation being in the desert not
being where they're supposed to be and
and and there's only one other thing
that happens and that is very slowly
everybody dies out and the the worst or
maybe the best description of this is in
the midash which is quoted by tovot that
every year on tip of they would
everybody would dig Graves and get into
Graves and some would get out and that
would stay in but again let's always be
careful with midrashim this midash does
not necessarily reflect a historical
reality of what took place but it
absolutely I believe encapsulates an
emotional truth about how those people
may have felt they have may may have
felt that they had one foot in the grave
maybe more than that and essentially
they're just biting time until it's over
some saying that really gives a
background now as much as this chapter
right perff begins with the death of
Miriam and now mosha and Aron as we've
noted the midash before and maybe we'll
see somebody who quotes it soon that as
much as they're dealing with their own
personal mourning their own family death
and their own sadness nonetheless does
that make them special and I'm sorry for
putting it like that because isn't
everybody dealing with death isn't that
something which is really to very great
extent permeated the last 38 years which
essentially is not getting to where we
needed to get to death is all around all
kinds of people die and now there is a
another problem so let's continue again
from the
beginning the word by the way is we
we've seen before a good word but but
but but also there there was something
ominous means settling and to be settled
sometimes it's not just that you found a
place that you can physically settle but
also it then reflects again on the
emotional state that you feel a little
bit more settled again exactly it's not
an accident it's the same
word but now notice that we just now
shifted and it could be that that's just
the right way to write it or it could be
that I'm being hyp sensitive but isn't
it interesting that so far we had and
now in one verse we switch to
so now we went and we separated from so
again I'm just pointing this out right
now and what is the significance of all
of this maybe we'll have a chance to get
to but first we have to know
this
Al I don't know if the word Al indicates
some kind of uh an attitude and or or
not but then it
says so as much as it
apparently that would have been still
the now
it's so again just noting from the from
the last P had it said B Isel each and
every time here then I think that we
would have had less of a reason to be
suspicious as to you know who are the
players and who who is doing what but
the shift
here had we only perished
together with our brothers hasem in
front of God now in this short sentence
which again it's very easy to ignore
because we just want to move over
towards the problem and the solution and
then we want to go straight over to what
Moshe does or mosha and Aon do we want
to go straight over to that and deal
with it but nonetheless there there is
what to note here the first thing is the
kind of question that you ask only if
you have an answer and if you don't
you'll say okay that's just an
exaggeration of here but if 38 39 years
have gone by then when they say had we
only died like our brothers did
shouldn't they have said like our
fathers
did which means one of the things in the
background of all of this is that if
indeed this is the new generation if the
chronology really is correct then we're
dealing with the new generation of the
new generation we have a new generation
are acting remarkably the same or
similarly to a previous generation which
also leads us to a moment of uh of
feeling somewhat defeated nothing's
changed nothing's learned right
shouldn't we shouldn't we think that
once you go through difficult
experiences that at least something
should be learned and something should
change but I'm I'm going to note again
that that is nonetheless interesting
again on multiple ways and again first
the obvious and then the more
interesting one the obvious is that they
say a and yes I know that our minds just
tend to to be lazy yes we are
intellectually lazy and then we like to
ignore all of these things and kind of
just kind of make believe yeah right
what difference a it's all the same but
but but it's not I mean and you all know
I'm not overselling this but you know
it's not the same but the second thing
is that had we only died like they died
Hashem hasem is really interesting and
of course if you're going to do this
seriously what should you do you should
now line up every single Rebellion that
is taken place from the beginning of a
midbar and line up and see what exactly
was the terminology that was used how it
was said how they refer to themselves
how they refer to others how they refer
to God which means all along the line
over here there really is something
interesting but without doing that
because as I said we're lazy you do
realize I did do that right but um
someone has to do that and I can't
really make so much fun of you right
what would never thought about yeah but
but you realize you really have to do
that you have to line them all up right
you do I
do
okay that's great I'm a customer I'm a
pain
customer but you you do know in the back
of your heads that this does not sound
familiar I'll just put it like that it
it does not sound familiar to a phrase
that had we only died in front of God is
a little bit different because we know
using God before they had they using God
they you they're mentioning God it's not
the same as oh if we only went back to
Egypt yeah we heard that kind of thing
oh if we only died in the desert we
heard that kind of thing but over here
there really is something which again
I'm going to say sounds qualitatively
different not just qualitative it's it's
religiously significant that they say
had we only died in front of God again
right there without without comparing
and that we we know that there's
something else happening now that's
really going to be the key point that
it's going to help us all the way
through today but let's let's just
make if you have to I
do in other words you said 38 years
you're without Hashem no the question is
what does it mean with god without God
38 years God has been giving them money
every day 38 years there's been the
clouds protecting them meaning God is in
the camp and God is there but God just
has nothing to say I absolutely note
that those 38 years are fascinating in
terms of how one feels you know I think
one of the times I uh I taught this back
about Yakov in bit and I asked you know
you know who's the one who said it's
better to have loved and lost than ever
to have loved at all right you know who
said
that no okay good good good good it's
good it's good good now you have
homework to do and and it was actually
said and it was actually said about a
non-romantic
relationship who's actually said about
somebody said it about his future
brother-in-law cuz he died before the
wedding and he lamented his best
friend's death who was about to marry
his sister and that's all the hints I'm
giving to you right now but it was not
used in a uh if you want I'll tell you
after class
any you could you could and then you
wouldn't need me so I I've used that in
the sense okay what about is it better
to have been a prophet and lose your
prophecy than never to have been a
prophet which means that those feelings
let say Yakov over that time where where
God doesn't speak to him now that's
really interesting to compare that large
chunk of time where Yosef isn't here
omel is not whole God doesn't speak to
yob over those years and now you know
everything's incomplete we're not where
we should be and God doesn't speak to
mosha over these years but again
essentially there's nothing to say
there's just nothing to say at this
point meaning there's nothing to say I'm
saying I I know I know that that's hard
but now you flip that around and you
went too far cuz you said oh God's not
with them well God is with them he just
doesn't say anything there's a very big
deal by the way
and that way and that may he does he
does and that make and that may make it
worse that may make it
worse she gives you don't talk to each
other okay I'm I'm not getting between
the two of you I say you could talk it
over but maybe not yeah yes I didn't say
there's no
reaction why are you going so why are
you working so hard why you even
listening to him there's there there's M
every day there's clouds every day this
poly water most of the days which is
actually our problem but again don't
overstate it God is go there are
revealed miraculous Supernatural events
taking place on a daily basis and he's
saying oh God is not with
us me but he's not talking to me I'd be
more concerned if he said he's talking
to
you okay guess I shouldn't anything but
no but but nonetheless there there is
this there is this angst there's this
heaviness of of again those revealed
Miracles am I displaying silence well
enough wa silence okay let let's let's
continue now a moment after saying had
we only died in front of God they double
down on that
theem so now now what's you call Hashem
the people of God so if I now had to
again you can do your homework if you
want line up all of the rebellions of
the desert and we're going to give them
points for the god quotient right God
Consciousness so for the in terms of
rebellions these people are pretty good
right
continue so you know had we only died
with our brothers in front of God by the
way what's the reference
don't answer me now but what's the
reference what are they referring to
secondly why did you take the
congregation of God out to the desert
which is really
interesting because it's because who
actually took them out you know
right well maybe there was a but
but mosha does the plagues but why did
you take the at Kalem and again Double
Down double Downing on this God
quotient and why have you taken us to
this bad
place it is not a place of planting a
place of figs or or grapes or
pomegranates and there is no water to
drink now they're actually making a
claim over here but leave it for a
second so now we again we so far we've
had B is we had we've had and now we
have the kahal they actually referred
them to
kahal and now God reveals so yeah God is
there the question will be the speaking
and now we have it I'm saying yes this
is particularly interesting and
significant if God has not spoken a 308
and now now God speaks they de hasem
elar so note God could have spoken in
front of everybody but that really was a
one-time thing and they actually asked
no don't do that anymore that's a little
much God could have spoken to Moshe and
Aon but God speaks to
Moshe
mosar and God refers to them as which is
altering as much as the term Brothers is
used before now we have term Brothers
used a little differently in the same
section we know these are
brothers and speak to the Rock in front
of their eyes and it will give its
water and you will get water out from
the
Rock and you'll give them to drink they
and their and their flock and if we were
going back and think
so kind is going to remind us of RKA
it's remind us of yov and so on
good hasem so now it's also interesting
the hasem over here should be paralleled
to that other hasem other Lem is that
they our brothers died in front of God
now he takes the staff from of and that
was done in the appropriate
wayal open Salah and they gathered mosha
and Aon the community in front of the
rock V
and Mos speaks and
says listen you rebellious
people from this rock will we be able to
extricate
water M lifts up his
hands and he hits the rock
twice and a great deal of water comes
out now right it goes to Iram and their
and their flock and if we were to have
stopped here without bothering reading
any fur further it's possible that our
conclusion would have or should have
been that this was a success people need
water people get water God speaks that's
also really important God speaks after
of not speaking and uh everything is
good everything worked out well
unfortunately the continuation is that
God speaks again and now to
both because you did not believe in to
sanctify me in front of the eyes of the
children of Israel and now by the way
we've we've gone back to B Israel which
is really where we
started you're not going to bring this
community to the land which I've given
to them which means the story is going
to continue the promise will be kept
it's just that you're kind of being
edited out of the story which is a
little hard a little
harsh and this is the Waters of strife
if you will because B Israel they
strived with God now that's really
interesting because I would the
conclusion should have been oh this is
the waters where mosha messed up or Aon
messed up no this is where the people
strived with God vesham and they were
Sanctified there so there is obviously a
lot to say now the the first part is as
I've been reading it I've already been
dropping hints left and right and all
over so I I hope you picked up at least
some of them here um the other thing is
is that we do know that the commentaries
and K for matter have a great deal of
difficulty with this section trying to
figure out so again why don't we stop a
couple verses back there and everything
worked out well but instead we have this
catastrophic situation whereby the
consequences are such that the people
move on but mosha doesn't and this is
really the end of mosha and aon's career
so I'm going to suggest some things
which I I've not seen clearly have not
seen anybody say in a clar but but
there's nothing as far as I can tell
which is just fundamentally you know
where in the world did you get that from
it's all going to be quite obvious and
it's all going to be you know
essentially just shot in what we're
reading so let's then give me a couple
minutes and we'll try to uh to work all
of this out and to try to make sense of
this and to figure out you know what it
is that that happened or what it is that
uh that didn't happen so again first
thing we can note that when it
says the people so there was a there was
there a contrast
between and and the complaints here what
we found is on the one hand it
says and scares us a little bit
but so the could have negative
connotations including well if you want
we can see mean there's a lot of
discussion among commentaries exact
because it's obvious to note that
there's these differences here
sometimes will be a RVE so just just say
that and get that out of the way so is
this a situation where the complaining
actually comes from the edge of the camp
and by the way that takes you us very
close to what happens in peric Alf with
Theon and and so on and although obvious
not obviously but there are nonetheless
differences on the other hand there's
something else over here that should
have reminded us of of another episode
and that is
in hey again we still have to deal
with
the and and if we start searching where
those that kind of terminology was used
I think we'll end up finding you know
something interesting so give me a
couple seconds on that but it's the turn
of phrase that happens right afterwards
when they say that you know were here in
the desert but you didn't take us right
right we're not in a place of of
planting so therefore even the real
complaint of the water which seems to be
real and IM and immediate right all of
that was in P so that should remind us
of a couple things one I I can read to
you of of a description later
on in sa you don't have this in front of
you of per I'm really focusing
on but if we if I go back a little bit
more God says
remember those 40 years in the desert
right and this was really a time it's
described here of a time of being tested
which is interesting I'm going to skip a
little bit it makes reference to the m
you gave M that no one ever heard of or
knew about before and then it continues
and it
says God is going to bring you to a good
land now notice the focus on water
streams Waters in the
deep water which emerges all
over and that of course is this major
description of erel but this was
actually mentioned earlier in a place
that you should have remembered because
it was more recent and that would have
been by the spies that when the come
back in Source
two why is it
called so what fruit was it that they
brought back ask bring fruit from the
lands of Israel so what fruit do they
bring back so they bring
back and now you look at the complaint
that they have here where it says that
which means essentially
what is yeah so as I said that to me is
absolutely clear and manifest in front
of you which means and by the way let's
also not be fooled by something else
when people complain actually absolutely
don't be fooled by this and not only
don't be fooled by this don't do it when
people complain and especially this
could be a sign of of Despair Andor
depression is that suddenly everything
right comes on you at once which means
you don't have to necessarily deal with
each and every one of these problems
right now but that that sense of being
overwhelmed because one thing happened
now everything else suddenly becomes
this concern as well and then you have
to take a deep breath and say okay let's
prioritize what is most important what
is most right extreme what can I deal
deal with right now which means it's not
everything right now but that's the way
that we complain We complain and just
bring everything out right all things so
over here it is possible that this
complaint is coming from multiple
directions but one thing which we
shouldn't Miss and that is the echo of
the not just the morlum but the
consequences of the morum which means
had that not happened we already be in
Israel if we be in Israel then
everything again it's nice to imagine
that everything would be solved but
we're not in Israel and we're not in a
place of and what do they focus on
specifically so here you see this
wonderful example of hisorical memory
right something which they would have
been raised with by the way we don't
know exactly who they are yet that they
would have been raised with and that is
this memory of by the way it does make a
difference if they were there or not we
pass on memories to our kids that they
but they may have been there which is a
little more interesting but we pass on
this memory of the day that they came
back and they came back with the grapes
and with the figs and with the
pomegranates and all that but now we
don't have them which means that feeling
of lack for something that you think
that you should have had it's not again
it's not just some you know why don't we
have bananas right who cares about no
offense good for potassium and whatever
but who no no this is very specific as I
said you can't miss this unless you miss
this and then if you missed it then you
missed it but you can't you you can no
longer miss it right you can no longer
miss this cuz this is this this is
really this is really quite but there's
something else that I think is really
much more Central and much more more
important and then as we continue and I
want to continue and I want to make some
uh some progress all of this is going to
become very very clear and very very
obvious and it's going to end up being
the solution to all of this but first
note that when we look at the dialogue
over here okay if we had to break it
down over here we had the complaining
which may be from one or two or three
different groups but okay once again we
have different terms being used but
there is some complaining there taking
place we then have God coming into the
story with instruction then we have MO
doing what it is that he does but the
difference between the various sections
which I'm going to again say this this
should be obvious and I've already
pointed it out and that is that they
speak of God and Moshe doesn't so let so
let's let let's just be very very clear
and make sure that we see it again is
that it
says okay again what that is i' still
like to come back and consider
that which means again they have God
Consciousness now what I did the first
time we went around this is I said right
on our first pass through I said oh
compare this to all the other episodes
and now I'm saying something else don't
compare with all the other okay compare
with all the episodes keep that in mind
because that's going to be important but
there's something else over here and the
something else is when you look at Moshe
what it is that he did so MOS God gives
mosha some instructions and people get
very very hyperfocused did he follow
instructions he not follow instructions
and so on what was exactly the problem
over here so now without as I said just
straight off shot a difference here
between what was said initially by the
people and what is said by Moshe mosha
gathers together vom and he says
them and then he lifts up his hand
strict it twice and I'm going to ask you
once again what is missing in moshe's
response and the answer is God so over
here you now have a really interesting
interaction whereby the quote unquote
Sinners are talking about God and the
quote unquote Prophet is talking I mean
I I don't really mean to be you know
pejorative in any sense I'm just say
it's even worse is that the prophet who
heard the word of God neglects to
mention God while the people that he's
talking to have mentioned God and just
know notice this disconnect over here
and the rest of what I'm going to do
today is to convince you that this
really is the issue and it isn't said
and that's part and and that and that's
going to be part of the problem over
here is that there was God Consciousness
by the way you can say a negative sense
but we don't know what to do with this
oh we only died in front of God because
despite everything else do you want to
start thinking about that who died in
front of God well not of you died in
front of God who else died in front of
God the 250 people died in front of God
and who else di meaning in front of God
is something which is far more
interesting it what exactly does this
mean and yes go back to n every time
their death is mentioned it always says
they died in front of God and we don't
know what to do with that and they're
saying listen we're already going to die
you know we should die in front of God
and now we're let and and seriously
we're perplexed at this point because we
don't know exactly what it is and then
they say this you know these are the
people of God and the people of God
really should be in the land of God we
really should be in the place the land
of Israel and we're not with which means
they're pointing towards and by the way
they put all the blame on Moshe and
perhaps mosha and Aon which means
they're accusing them of malpractice but
they seem to have the faith which means
now we go back and say okay do they
realize that God is giving them
breakfast every day yes do they realize
that God has been protecting them yes
and therefore the lack of the
communication which is taking place has
that been something which they find
absolutely devastating I don't know how
to answer that but it doesn't sound it
sounds that no this is not the same
necessary neily as the previous
generation it's not necessarily the same
as everything that we've seen prior to
this because there seems to be a bit
more of this God Consciousness and just
the sign off that God gives at the end
over here it says again for the end of
Source
One and that's also perplexing what
about our own how do he get involved in
this you did not either trust in me
enough believe in me enough in order to
sanctify me in front of you heard my
emphasis in front of the eyes of the
children of Israel back
to
emphasis which means yes they strived
with and they struggled with God by the
way that's really important because you
can also struggle and say is god with us
or not think about the difference
between
this time when they're asking for water
and the previous time they're asking for
water in the previous time water does
right is god with us or not that's how
that section ended up is god with us or
not and here they don't question God
being with us they're saying motion like
what's going on over here which means if
you're now going to say hold it have we
gained anything over the 40 years what's
the answer yeah yeah we we we have which
means I'm not trying to paint them in a
light of being 100% their person and
motion AR not terrible I did not say
that but I am pointing at is if we're
going to go back and you notice I just
now made it a little bit broader till
I've been saying let's compare this to
all the other episodes in B midbar and
now I said okay let's go back and
compare it to an episode you know early
on in Schmo and there's another episode
in scho that we're going to compare to
soon and you don't know yet what that is
you don't see it coming but there's
another episode that we're going to have
to go back to schmoe for and as of right
now suddenly we come to this
materialization that things are not as
simple as perhaps we thought when we had
begun so let us try to proceed a little
bit um if you look
at source number three now there's
something over here which is a little
bit troubling and that is and it's not
going to bother you at all so don't
worry about it being
troubling it's going to be troubling
again soon as we move on there'll be a
second occasion of this but this won't
bother you cuz you'll say know we're
just following the chronology and
therefore we don't care at all about
things which are perhaps thematically
connected we then move on right
afterwards we move on right we're still
in per till now if you look source to
one
was so now we're up to
per right this is right
afterwards notice the again right so you
realize now that there's something else
going on with the Brotherhood here
you know all the stuff and he starts
telling a little bit about the P you
know experience we went down to Egypt we
were there for a while and Egypt
Egyptians and our lives really
tough all fascinating by the way you
took us out no no it's really
interesting that was part of the
complaint just now right why did you
take us out of Egypt and Moses go tell
them you know it was God who took us out
but also notice another thing and we've
pointed this out before our Cole yov and
Y is quite prominent over here and Moshe
is stressing we have this K Yakov and
the other thing was this undercurrent of
the malim ino's whole life I mean malim
there m there going up and down on the
ladder and Mal there at the end he has a
dream he sees he
sends he has this fight with the and I
also Al you know I've told you before
that I suspect that the night before
yako fights with asa's angel I kind of
suspect that angel fights with yakov's
Angel which is really you know maybe
significant here in terms of him saying
you know this Angel helped us in a
little bit of uh of passive aggression
over there and then let us pass through
right we're not going to drink at
all may and and and you also realize
part of the background you know family
complexity and difficulties why is this
their land because they're not in the
land of Israel why they land of Israel
because Asa left the land of Israel he
left it for yob and you can imagine like
the feelings coming back right brothers
that don't get along imagine the
feelings coming back you know we left
the land of Israel now you have to
course through our land like just go to
your go around this way go meaning why
are you bothering us instead of the
sense of Brotherhood and Yakov was
trying mosha over here was trying to
sell it by saying that there was a
historical debt the historical debt was
the Brit ban aarum and somebody had to
take respons possibility and you didn't
want to do it and we went down to Egypt
we lived up to that now we're going to
the land of Israel and let us pass
through and uh they don't go for it at
all and and also we're not going to
we're not going to drink I mean the
water is this also important part of all
this no you can't me be you got you like
it you're not going to pass by over me
it's like you're gon to be stepping on
me if you do that it's very strong
language I'm gonna go channeling the
inner ASV the ad of ASV I'll come to you
with the sword so yakob saying the voice
and ASV saying the the the voice not a
reality show he's saying it's the voice
it's the K Yakov and he's saying it is
the Y of asov and we're going to come
after you but then
notice so again you wouldn't notice this
we can read this 100 times maybe the
99th you'll get it but I G as I said I
gave you
enough no we're GNA just go in a
straight way we're not going to bother
you
if we do drink your water which said we
W drink your
water we'll pay you for
it so mosha sent this message with the
whole story old Jewish history and the
people say listen just let us course
through we'll pay for anything that we
do much more pragmatic much more down to
earth let's you know you'll be saving us
some time saving us you know we want to
get get F of Israel which is actually
part of this whole thing from the
beginning and uh and the response
doesn't work but did you notice the
difference between the two here Moshe
speaks of God and the people don't it's
not there there's no God in this and and
I can get this I can understand this why
you bothering the people of Edom all
about God stop stop talking in this way
just be be pragmatic talk in a regular
way about people doing business how do
you do business you don't start telling
Bible stories when you want to do
business and over here Moses telling
Bible stories and they're saying listen
let's be much more practical but um but
that's really interesting because not
that long ago previous episode they were
speaking about God and I told you that
there is a theme going on over here but
first let pause a moment and let's take
let take a look at the at the n
Froman gave his daily
class it made it into a book and I
sh uhuh uh just one second one second go
go go go back one second one second
before there's something else that
happens then sorry let's go back and do
this in sequence right after this
negotiation not working moshe's Divine
negotiation as it were which mentioned
in God and the people's practical much
more down toe negotiation doesn't work
then we continue and it says
right you have B
notice very similar to what we had
before so I told you this not not going
to bother you at all because this is the
right sequence doesn't bother you
meaning this is really the after this is
the other shoe dropping this is the
aftermath of the previous episode but we
something in the middle that was told
here now again you're going to tell me
this is the chronology and I'm going to
say to you and if it were told together
if ain's death was told together then
you'd say yeah it's thematically
connected which me you would have had me
either way I mean it it wouldn't have
made that much of a difference how you
tell the story and indeed there are
other stories told in B midbar who which
are told thematically and are not
necessarily told chronologically and
everyone would agree with it including
the ran there's no there's no question
about that but nonetheless Aron's death
is not told yet but again I'm I'm going
to say it you're not bothered by this
but what it's but it's described
why so what exactly does that
mean because here God is doubling down
saying oh what did you do you oh p and
we's looking and saying well that's
interesting and just kind of wonder what
that means so on that P in Source number
four the NV
comments and he
says now I have to pause a second
because then it's now gave us a great
deal of information but we have to go
backwards a second and notice what we
also may have missed the first time
around back in Source number one pos
Zion God speaks by mosar instructions to
mosha
easy singular to mosha mosha is
instructed to
take m is told to take the M
continue is
Rob him they're both supposed to speak
so anybody who's going to be troubled
and say hold it what did Aon do wrong
right people should ask that what did
Aon do wrong he didn't do anything and
what's the answer exactly is
that exactly EXA exactly one second and
it it gets a little bit better than that
because notice that that's
VI instead what does it say as we move
forward over there
which means there's a lot of singular
but there was one thing that was plural
and that is that it's mosha and Aon
together are there supposed to be doing
something now the NV is wants to try to
you know to unpack that what is it that
they were supposed to say so he now
calls it Torah and Torah is really
interesting and I don't know you know
what exactly this means what is it that
they were supposed to say um Torah it's
easy and although this is totally not
absolute Torah would be easier for me to
connect to mosha perhaps would be easier
to connect to Aon aod there the co
although we find mosha praying enough
times so I'm I'm not I don't feel
strongly about this either way but I
nonetheless love this comment of the NV
but perhaps let's keep something else in
mind and that is that we should be
reminded
of back by the burning bush back by the
snare where mosha keeps on saying no I
can't do this it's not me they're not
going to believe me and they're not
they're going to say God didn't speak to
you and when Aon is appointed as moshe's
spokesperson I'm going to read it to you
again it's not open in front of you it's
per and starting with
y right right right there that's a
problem
a Moshe and God is angered at Moshe now
you have to ask yourself a question so
what is the implications of that anger
is that anger going to make any kind of
an impact does it make any kind of
impression does it do anything in the
physical world in the spiritual World
genuinely say God was angry that's not
good God is angry so what happened God
angry what are the repercussions of
that he can speak
again all that sounds great iron is
coming he's happy all meaning the first
half of the PK is really scary and the
second half of the p is oh ir's coming
you know life is
good you're going to speak to him and we
going to put words in his
mouth I'll be with your mouth and with
his
mouth I'm going to tell you what to
do and he's going to speak to the people
and you're going to be for him some kind
of
Master now do you realize how ironic
that is now yeah you never thought about
that
before and there you're going to go and
you know do the signs and yes there's a
lot to discuss here whose staff it was
was it mosha staff or Aon staff do you
realize how many elements over here are
really important including maybe most
importantly is God's anger so now if
somebody were to find for me some kind
of a comment or a mid oh God's anger it
emerges over here by the by the The Rock
and that should not be that should not
be I didn't look by the way but of
course that shouldn't be a surprise
because now you realize that that that
there is indeed a connection and
therefore Aon has been chosen primarily
before anything else he was chosen to
speak and over here
specifically God says VI over here back
in par valid in scho he said I'm going
to tell you what to say and the two of
you are going to say and the two of them
didn't say so therefore again without
working really really hard I'm going to
say it again that
aon's mosha speaks and there's a problem
with what he says and Aon doesn't speak
and that once again takes us back to
this comment of the NV whereby the NV is
telling us that they were supposed to be
some kind of debor of Torah and and he
notes he says one second
and he goes and and he notes the
difference in the plural and the
singular let's just go back three lines
from the bottom right after
the right you didn't create the
sanctification he didn't do anything
by the way go back to the
words P would be in terms of speaking
why are you dying now because you did
not speak by the Maya which sounds more
or less what the NV just now told us
which again did we miss that the
first 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 years of Our
Lives did did did we miss that and the
answer is yeah I guess we did but I mean
look at when you look at the words in
the and you say wow I mean he's actually
reading it into the words so now let's
continue um the next couple of sources
which uh you're you're going to probably
have to deal with yourselves because I
don't really want to go through all of
them now
um is Right Source five he's focusing
back on had we only died with our
brothers
to he's saying that's the whole
generation it's just the whole
generation that died well he doesn't
really answer the question but what we
are going to see is that various
commentaries are going to interpret this
differently um if you
note last week in korak there you have
the words him right at the very end this
was this um
really dire
verse this is the end of the of the of
the section there
shuuuu and that is the echo that we're
still hearing and we only perished with
them by the way that would be korak and
datu and then the 250 and the
14,700 right and all these people are
are dying Rashi that I'm not get to that
much
also he
says so he de over here doesn't mean
literally it means a plague means that
we died with the plague and again it's
being much more generic The Source
number eight told to Yak is one of these
underrated commentaries one of the
important things about number eight it's
he is Caro he was the uncle and the
surrogate father of rosf caro I think
his father died when he was around four
years old and he was raised by RAB Caro
and first of all he quotes that midash
which which is horrific in terms of that
mosha and Aon are mourning right now for
their sister that this takes place
during the Shiva this takes place at
that point and again I've said it before
so we we'll note that he then goes in a
little bit and he's the one who
identifies like downward it's bolded the
second
half essentially saying you know what in
the world is going on why did we follow
you out you know we thought you know we
thought that you know we just won the
lottery and and and look how bad things
have been going on and uh why did we not
end up where we supposed to be meaning
what happened to the bour you know we
thought we were going someplace which
really would be interesting is that we
now can actually claim as well that a
couple of times it's the a of R that's
right when they leave SII the a of RAV
are the ones who were complaining and
that then impacts Amel as well
essentially they want immediate
gratification and they can't take these
long-term processes the children of
Israel need unfortunately that's been
our history is that we we are we have
patience for the long run for the long
ride and it's it's their outward
influence which causes us to feel
anxiety because they're saying why not
do what's happening which by the way
takes you right back to what happened
and was placed right there in the middle
and that's the Yakov asov the or Israel
Edam thing that Edom is right there and
and ASA was the one I'm going to die
this moment and why we going to die that
moment because I don't have any food and
now Amel you know are feeling that we're
going to die because we don't have any
food we've been acting like ASF instead
of acting like yob well where is that
coming from well that's coming from the
a of so that's really interesting that
right afterwards mosha tries to correct
the historical mistake we went down to
Egypt and we were slaves and we cried
out to God we which means there there
was something fascinating which is
taking place especially now in light of
what we saw from the nav and that is
that mosha didn't mention God at that
point now he is mentioning God but
unfortunately right afterwards the
people don't mention God when they're
talking to Edom they now you could say
they're talking to Edom on their level
but as I said to you there's something
worse which is coming up so you have to
give me another second to get there yeah
you would think you would think you
would think that uh listen it's good to
have a RVE because then you already have
someone to blame for your
problem
okay let's let's continue
he he again C The cleak Source number
nine he says again the problem is the 40
years in the
desert but the question is why now the
pmia source number 10 he is again it's
the teacher one of the teachers of
the so he says something really
interesting and we're not getting into
all the points that he raises but what
he says is just to read it from the
beginning
so he explains why it's
Brothers they were alive during they
were alive let's say they were 15 16 17
years old they were alive at the time of
the XA because it was only people from
20 and above who died and therefore
younger people there's something else
then that maybe also we need to uh pay
attention to but but again just to read
really get it in um in Source number 11
of her says it's all the people died in
the desert and that was in front of God
I think he over you can read it I think
he overstates it overplays it he wants
say anybody who died over the 40 years
was in front of God but but the NV we're
back to the NV again in Source 12 he
says that reminds me of the 250 people
who in in essence really were like Nadu
and they really were like kote and
essentially they're saying if you're
going to die die already then why not
die in a holy way rather than die but
there's another Point here and I want to
just go back to the a for a moment um
who were those 250 people or or who were
the
14,700 so I just I I have no way of
proving this other than the word a over
here is because if he's and I love the P
again first of all noting that it says
instead of a you know our parents is
interesting but let's just play with
that and extend that and maybe just a
turn to phrase and maybe I'm overstating
this but what if meaning what kind of
people are uh are filling up all the
protests it's essentially young people
whose frontal lobe has not developed yet
right that no no no no offense to any of
them okay offense to all of them but but
essentially you have a great deal of of
idealism and ideology and not as much
pragmatism and essentially you know they
think that they understand everything
because totally motivated by ideology
and they think that we're all fools and
don't understand the world properly
because look at all the disadvantage of
having a developed frontal lobe so
doesn't it make so much more sense the
250 people running and it's an absurdity
do we ever see people protesting in
absurd protests right do I need to give
examples of this I mean again how much
absurdity no but when you get focused on
some kind of absurd ideology you just
run straight ahead what about now saying
by the way again I'm saying all of this
based on the word brothers that these
people are now older but it was their
brothers it was young people who were
the main casualties of those episodes
and now they're saying you know if we
only died for these great ideological
purposes instead of just dying because
we ran out of water and saying there was
something to be there's something
honorable about what they went through
so I'm going to say it again it really
makes things maybe a little more current
maybe too current but it makes things a
lot more interesting but I didn't get to
my main point so now let me get there
finally Source
13 all the places they're going
and are known and they're tra all the
places they're traveling and then we
suddenly shift dramatically if you don't
notice
it are known we just went to poetry why
in the world why in the world would just
throw a poem in the middle of this just
like continue continue it goes
on
who and by the way why are we mentioning
this now so all of you argued before
that we're just going in chronological
order why in the world do we just now go
backwards to talk about the and then it
tells
us and it goes this whole song about the
and all that and so
on and we continue the story can we have
you know we're not going to drink your
water we have our water and so on and
that gets us towards the end of the par
the conquest begins we capture parts of
mayard and everyone lives happily ever
after and L until next week's para
but now this is really interesting
because this is being told now and this
is clearly the after clearly yes even
though it's clear you can have people
debating this point but clearly this is
it's the same bear does everybody agree
no the ran says oh this is called I'll
shame that Bear right but it does make a
difference this is the same this is the
same
bear this is this is the it says it
right in the P
before gather people together I'm going
to give them water and then the people's
response is aashir so aashir is really
good it's really great except what will
I ask you to do at this point I'll ask
you to compare this aashir with the
previous aashir and what's
missing
God leading into this you
write and here you have a beautiful
poem ecstasy because of a miracle that
took place water came out of a rock how
wonderful it is that water
there and they forgot to mention one
thing they forgot to mention one thing
and that is God which means something
really did not work out so now we'll go
backwards and say what is it they were
supposed to do they were which means the
people are talking about God mosha
doesn't now look what happens afterwards
and God and God says you're going to be
punished because you did not sanctify me
right you did not sanctify me which
means they should have continued the
discussion about God instead they
removed God from The Narrative and then
God removes them from the narrative
which means it's not only us who can
edit right God also has some editing
tools where mosa and Aon are then
removed but now you look at the next
couple of episodes and that's what I'm
saying each one by itself would not mean
all that much yeah mosha told us the
whole story of going down to Egypt and
coming out we scream to God and the
people said you know leave God out of it
again we don't it's it's subtle and we
don't notice it cu because we're not
looking for it but the people just we
just pass through and we'll pay for it
but there was no God in their discussion
mosha doesn't talk about God so what are
we going to talk about God why is the
mosha talking about God and again there
various
attempts of those who've noticed it I'm
not even going to go so far and to say
that everybody uh noticed this point the
sperno is one who does uh make at least
some note of this it kind of puts them
in an impossible situation by the way
let's look at the Russian source
19 right the very end the very end of
19 which means now moshe's gone mosha is
gone God is gone and he doesn't explain
all that much but that should be enough
for us to uh to realize which means when
mosha brings down the water are any of
the people going to fall for this and
say oh Moshe must be God no Jews are
very good I think I've told you once
that I read an article about Jerusalem
syndrome and in Herzog you can find
people you know filed filled with maybe
lots of places you can find people
filled up with this but it said that but
the article said that the non-jews who
come and then have this ecstatic
experience they tend to think that
they're God and the Jews who go crazy
think they're Messiah which means crazy
Jews still know they're not God right if
you can make God into a man so then you
become a man and you can become God but
for they they know that they know that
Mo they know that Moshe is not God they
which means but something happened to
their belief system over here and that's
what God essentially says that that you
that you did not again what's the exact
phrase that he uses over
here later on
in what it's going to say is right the
end ver 23 at the
end is
it's meaning you took me out of the
narrative so I'm going to say it again
all the these are obvious all that I
added today was was again on the one
hand looking at this in terms of all the
other rebellions taking this and looking
back in terms of the earlier time the
episode with the rock and the water
looking over here about how these people
are speaking about God but Moshe doesn't
then n p putting us finger art and
saying that but they should have said
something they and our as well which
means that there should have been God
not just Consciousness in the back of
their minds God need to be mentioned
over here please God bring water to the
PE to your people please God take care
of and then maybe say aashir together
then sing together as a response but
there was no god mentioned there's no
aashir and then we realize okay maybe we
could have missed that whole thing with
adome the King okay they don't mention
God but now you realize afterwards in
the Shir that they say how in the world
do you say a Shir and God is not in that
Shir which means it sounds really good
okay now they sang and now they thank
God except for one problem maybe but one
okay and I would love to believe that
they're singing this to God but you
realize that there's something which is
missing and how did that happen and that
God points to mosha and Ain says look
what you did look what you did you took
God out of the story and they're a
little gunshine now they're looking over
the shoulders can we mention God can we
not mention God is this a safe space do
we talk about God over here do we not
talk about God over here which means
motion not talking about God but by the
way leaders right you do something
you're in trouble you don't do something
you're in trouble you say something you
don't say something either way people
are going to interpret this but that's
what's really interesting OB and I'll
say it again everything I said today I
think isot I think every single word of
this isot am I capable of convincing
myself that this isot 100% but um but
there was nothing here which is being
forced into the text it's all there
staring at you and the question is that
when you see 1 2 3 4 and then you say
okay let's read this together and then
suddenly the chronology makes sense
bringing in that other story motion
trying to fix this a little bit bring
God back in but the people they don't
they're gunshine the people now don't
talk about God in all of this and that's
what God says you didn't speak about God
right that something was missing over
here and now at least we hopefully
realize what was missing and I know that
people like to say that okay that the
they're such a high level they're being
judged for something so small because we
tend to trivialize this and turn this
into some kind of a big game of Simon
Says and oh God didn't say hit the rock
and therefore that no it's not the point
of hitting the rock yes that would
that's what happened that's not that's
not the problem the problem is what God
Said is a problem and God says what the
problem is is that and that's also great
how all the various you know
attempts to understand just read the
words what God says and you can't move
away from
that so whatever you say has to fit into
those words and then the various other
times including the MAA the MAA is
what's ma ma is taking something Divine
and turning to something which is non-
divine or using something Divine for
your own personal service and they
removed something Divine over here what
did they remove They removed God which
means that's the MAA which took place
over here