פרשת חקת
"ויך את במסלע במטהו" כ' | י'א
“And He smote the rock with his staff.”
Rashi explains that the ‘sin’ of Moshe Rabbeinu was that he smote, rather than spoke to the rock to obtain water for the Yidden.
What was the significance of speaking rather than smiting the rock?
HaGaon Rabbi Moshe Feinstein Zt”l explains that the Torah is compared to water, and a rock is symbolic of an individual having difficulty in understanding the Torah. Had Moshe Rabbeinu brought forth water from the rock through speech, the Yidden would have deduced that just as the rock could produce water through speech alone, so too, perseverance with disseminating Torah to one who has difficulties in comprehending will eventually achieve results.
About the Author: Rabbi Yisroel Meir Rubinfeld
Rabbi Rubinfeld has been in the field of Torah education for over 3 decades and serves as an Executive School Consultant for Torah Umesorah. He provides an array of services to schools across North America, including teacher and principal mentorship, school and curricula evaluations, professional development and parent education.
Rabbi Rubinfeld's expertise includes classroom management and discipline, effective instruction, bullying, cultivating sensitivity in the classroom, impulse disorders (such as ADHD and ODD), and balancing the educational needs of mainstream and special needs children in the classroom.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is the also the founder and director of Torah Umesorah's Lilmod U'Lilamed department which provides professional development for teachers and principals throughout the year.
Rabbi Rubinfeld is a talmid of the distinguished Yeshivos of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, the Mirrer Yeshiva in Yerushalayim and Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood.