The Secret of the Staff and the Snake: Why Did Moshe Strike the Rock?

Lesson No. 20 | Lesson 1: (Continuation from No. 19) Thursday Morning, Parashas 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 holy 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 absolute nullification (bitul).

The Holy Zohar 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 does not turn into a snake, as it did during the first striking at the rock in Tzur.

Moshe's staff had two forms: one side was a staff, upon which the Explicit Name of Hashem was engraved, and the second 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 completely righteous individuals (tzaddikim gemurim) 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 the first Shabbos at twilight (bein hashmashos). It was passed down from Adam HaRishon onward until it reached Yosef HaTzaddik. When Yosef's possessions were plundered, Yisro took the staff, fled, and planted it in his courtyard. No man was able to uproot it, until Moshe Rabbeinu arrived and uprooted it.

Rabbi Yosi explains that when Hashem said to Moshe at the Splitting of the Red Sea (Krias Yam Suf):

"And you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and split it"

The meaning of "and stretch out" (unteh) is to tilt the staff to the side that does not have the snake engraved on it. Hashem told him: "Direct your intention with the side that is not of the snake, which is entirely mercy, and thus the sea will split." And indeed, Moshe directed his intention to the side of the Explicit Name.

The Sin of Mei Merivah and the Secret of Adam HaRishon's Sin

At Mei Merivah, Moshe Rabbeinu became confused because the Jewish people gathered and shouted at him. Instead of using the side of the Explicit 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 exactly 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 (zuhama) of the snake.

King Shlomo said regarding this: "The way of a snake upon a rock" (Mishlei 30:19). 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 Havayah (the Tetragrammaton), 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 hour 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. Yet, the Midrash says regarding this:

"He catches the wise in their craftiness" (Iyov 5:13)

When a test arrives, no wisdom will help. A person thinks he can deal with tests using his own wisdom, but the truth is that only prayers, supplications, and absolute nullification (bitul) can save him. Moshe lacked 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 reached the rock, the Jewish people began to rebel. They saw that Moshe was looking for a specific rock (the Well of Miriam) and said to him: "If you are acting according to Hashem's word, bring forth water for us from any rock! After all, you were a shepherd in the desert for forty years; you surely know of underground springs hiding beneath the rocks."

When Moshe struck the rock, the waters burst forth in a rage and washed away everyone who had disputed him. But the people still did not believe, claiming it was merely 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 already too late. The spiritual impurity of the snake had 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 (Shirah) at that very moment, everything would have been forgiven, and the Geulah (Redemption) would have come completely and speedily in our days.

Part 1 of 4 — Lesson No. 20

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