Moshe hits the rock: Hashem instructed Moshe to take the staff and gather the people, and Aaron, and speak to the rock in front of them, and it will give water to them and their animals. Moshe did as Hashem instructed him, and he took the staff from before G-d. Moshe and Aaron gathered the nation before the rock and he chastised the Jewish people saying, “Listen rebels, will this rock give forth water for you?” Moshe lifted his hand and he hit the rock twice with his staff and a lot of water came out, and the congregation and their animals drank.
Hashem admonishes and punishes Moshe and Aaron: Hashem told Moshe and Aaron that because they did not believe in Him, and sanctify Him before the Jewish people, they will not enter into the Promised Land. This episode is called Mei Meriva as this is the area where Bnei Yisrael fought with Hashem and He was sanctified through them.
Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.
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