| ‘The Israelites arrived in a body at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron. The people quarreled with Moses, saying,Why have you brought the LORD’s congregation into this wilderness for us and our beasts to die there?...God spoke to Moses, saying, “You and your brother Aaron take the rod and assemble the community, and before their very eyes order the rock to yield its water. Thus you shall produce water for them from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their beasts.”Moses took the rod from before the Eternal, as God had commanded him. Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock; and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?”
And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the community and their beasts drank.’ ( Numbers 20:1-11)
God then punished Moses by forbidding him to enter the Promised Land. Why was he punished so harshly? There are many commentaries on this, but I’d like to suggest that Moses showed a lack of anavah, a deep lack of humility in this incident.
How?
Right before he struck the rock, he called out to the people, ‘Shall we get water for you out of this rock?’ He did not say, ‘God will bring water out of this rock.’ By doing so, he put himself and Aaron as the ones who would deliver the water. He acted as if God had nothing to do with it. Moses portrayed himself and Aaron as the miracle workers. They put themselves on par with God. They took the place of God, when God truly deserved the credit.
There is a strong value within Judaism called ‘Bshem amro’, in his/her name. This means that we don’t claim someone else’s idea as our own. We give credit where credit is due. Moses did not do this. He took credit for the miracle, and pretended he had powers he didn’t have.
Ignoring God’s role in the miracle is bad enough. But he seems to have believed in his own PR. He seems to think that he actually has the power to bring forth water. Moses seems to have grown from someone who thought he had nothing to offer, to an accomplished, albeit stressed leader of a people. But then he went too far. He became someone who thought he could do anything, even be God.
The Mussar middah of anavah means that we have a balanced awareness of our strengths and ways we need to grow. When we think more of our talents, and not enough about our need to improve, we become arrogant. When we act like we are God, then we need to be reminded that we are human just like everyone else.
We have limitations and those need to be acknowledged.
Moses did not achieve his dream of entering the Promised Land. But hopefully, his journey through his life from this point on was more balanced, more respectful of God and others, and he continued to live up to his potential to be a strong, honest, brave mensch (human being.)
This Shabbat, may we find anavah by admitting our failings, and celebrating our achievements.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Marcia Plumb |
