TORAH PORTION
1
Sinai Hospital's
Prenatal Exercise and Education Program
announces a new session July 18 through August 22
The course includes:
• Gentle exercise
• Relaxation & breathing
• Posture & body mechanics
• Abdominal muscle strengthening
• Pelvic floor muscle strengthening
• Prenatal & postpartum comfort
Classes are held Wednesday evenings at the Sinai Health Center,
6450 Farmington Road, West Bloomfield.
Any healthy woman in her 12th-32nd week of pregnancy may enroll
with her obstetrician's consent.
For registration information call 493-6086.
Remember, taking care of yourself is taking care of your baby!
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Great Privileges Bring
Important Obligations
RABBI IRWIN GRONER
Special to The Jewish News
T
his week's Torah por-
tion contains a diffi-
cult passage that has
puzzled interpreters of the Bi-
ble throughout all the cen-
turies. The Hebrew people,
journeying through the
desert, complain of thirst.
They cry out, "Why did you
make us leave Egypt to bring
us to this wretched place,
where there is not even water
to drink!"
God tells Moses to gather
the people around a great
rock. He commands him to
speak to and bring forth
water from it. When the peo-
ple assemble, Mose berates
them, "Listen, you rebels,
shall we then bring forth
water for you from this rock?"
Moses raised his hand and
struck the rock twice. Out
came copious water. Moses
then hears the divine decree
of an immediate and decisive
punishment. "Since you
didn't believe in Me enough to
affirm My sanctity in the
sight of the children of Israel,
you, Moses and Aaron, will
not be privileged to lead this
multitude into the land that
I have given them."
Why so grievous a punish-
ment for so minor an offense?
The great vision that Moses
had dreamed about, the en-
trance into the Land of Ca-
naan, was to be denied him.
For what reason?
Commentators struggle
with this question. Rashi
declares that Moses' sin was
that he struck the rock in-
stead of speaking to it, and
that therefore, the will of the
Almighty was not fulfilled.
Somehow, the explanation
seems inadequate.
Another commentator, the
Akedat Yitzchok, concedes
his inability to explain.
Maimonides delcares that
Moses' sin was his anger.
Moses spoke to the people and
said, "Hearken unto me, you
rebels." "The great leader,"
Maimonides said, "should not
have given way to anger?'
Ibn Ezra sees the fault of
Moses and Aaron as fear of
the people. Before Moses
spoke to God, he and Aaron
fled before the anger of the
people. Because they lacked
faith, they were fearful; this
was their sin.
We see a great diversity of
opinion as to what brought
Irwin Groner is senior rabbi
of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek.
about the penalty that Moses,
who had led the children of
Israel out of Egyptian bon-
dage, would not lead them in-
to the land of Canaan.
But all of the commentators
address a common theme.
Moses' real offense was not
that he struck the rock in-
stead of speaking to it. His
transgression was in his %-
motivation, attitude and in-
ner response. He was impa-
tient and exasperated, evinc-
ing at that moment deficien-
cy in his faith in God and love
of his people. When he turn-
ed to them and said "Listen
to me, you rebels," he
demonstrated his disdain and
contempt of those whom he
was to elevate and guide.
When he said, "Shall we draw
water for you from this rock?"
his words intimated skep-
ticism of God's power.
Shabbat Chukat:
Numbers 19:1-22:1,
Judges 11:1-33.
The question remains.
Granted this was a display of
impatience, anger and doubt,
but it was a brief episode.
Should Moses be denied the
attainment of his life's goal
for this offense? Should this
lapse of Moses from his usual
standards of patience, faith
and inner strength be so har-
shly punished? Was the sin
really so grievous? Other men
sinned more and suffered less.
But in asking the question
a second time, we have im-
plicitly answered it. Tb other
men, anger and impatience
could be forgiven, but not
Moses. Others could utter
harsh words under provoca-
tion and achieve forgiveness,
but not Moses. Others could
burst forth in a rage of denial
and skepticism, but after sup-
plication, once more win favor
from God, but not Moses.
Common faults can be
forgiven common men, but
Moses was a most uncommon
man. Because of his
preeminence, he was expected
to stand head and shoulders
above others in conduct and
character. He was a divine
messenger, speaking in the
name of the Almighty.
Therefore, his exalted respon-
sibility and high privilege
should have been matched by
equally great powers of
restraint, patience and
forgiveness. -
This truth speaks not only
to Moses but to all of us. He
who enjoys a privilege has a
commensurate responsibility.