Rabbi Mordechai Kraft - Today We Must Speak!

in this week's partial parishes we have a story which may be one of the most difficult to understand perhaps and to that I'm referring to the story where Shem commands Moshe to speak to Iraq and let it bring forth its water emotion instead of speaking hits the rock it does produce a miracle water comes forth but the result of it is that Moshe has denied access to the land of Israel how do we understand the story what's the essence of it what's the difference between hitting and speaking and why does it matter a miracle was produced in either way and not only that 39 years ago there was a water shortage for freedom and Moshe was told to hit a rock that produced water he thou itself to speak to Iraq and by not speaking and hitting Hashem says no Moshe you can't come into the land connection just for a little background we know this is now the 39th year of the desert we're about to enter that final for instance little year the 40th year and The Well of Nerium it dries up the world that accompanied us for 39 years the miraculous spring that sustained millions of people in the desert it's no longer there it rise and there's as obvious panic and it comes to motion they say we need water so she says okay motion take your staff but the BART them Allah's name of speak to a stone and let it bring forth its Waters in that language nothing's name of let it bring forth something that it possesses interesting language speak and allow it to bring forth something that it has now in the Panic we Moshe can't identify the right Stone it's not so clear something happens he tries speaking it doesn't work and he goes back to the old way he hits and a miracle happens but hashem's response is motion you lost an opportunity to sanctify my name you didn't trust me like these Shady Lane Israel you didn't trust me in there if you lost the opportunity to bring an enormous condition so Rashi says the people would have understood a stone that doesn't need shell stone that has no needs yet there's something inside of it that instinctively wants to do the will of a ship how much more so we we need Hashem and of course there's something inside of us that wants to the will of hashemah which is a part of this thought you lost the opportunity to teach that and not only that it says that had Moshe taught that I say to speculate and say that the Jewish Nation would have been on such a high level there never would have been a destruction of the first temple one thousand years later it was a lost opportunity but what opportunity was lost so understand that we really have to think a little bit about what's the difference between hitting and speaking see hitting forces change you want a child to do something yeah you're not active asking a child to to make a decision to go inside themselves and decide what's right you need to force the change somehow and in many ways perhaps we could say the desert was a hit because of open Miracles the man the well the fire the cloud hashem's appearance and harcina open miracles on the open Miracles will respond but we're not necessarily responding freely responded because there is no other choice and maybe the generation that came out of Egypt needed that after 210 years of age up to 86 Years of Slavery we need in fact obviousness of hashem's presence to be to understand clearly what's right and that had to be the foundational idea that generation needed and to teach and give it over but the new generation we know that that the Covenant land of Israel you had to you could not have been over 20 when you left Egypt so people coming in now are going to be people born in the desert people under 20. and now we're going to a land of Israel where Hashem is going to hide and one has to find Hashem in a different modality what is to listen to words and go inside oneself and think about what what heard type what to do it has to come from within ourselves and now Moshe has an opportunity to teach those should teach the people when you speak to a stone a stone that doesn't need Hashem but there's something inside of it that intuitively wants it to what's right and the people would see that you'll understand something so precious about themselves there's something inside of me that wants to do something right and that's the fuel that's the ammunition that we need to withstand tests in this world into to face this world with all of its its headedness want to do what's right that they can look inside myself and know there's something that will come out if I'll just touch it the right way and the methodology of speech if all the teacher gives over an idea a parent give us all for an idea or we give over an idea to ourselves and we touch something inside of ourselves that we know wants to do what's right that's the opportunity that Marshall lost a stone possesses that it would have produced the water and lots of this main off which means that something is almost like we're decided what to do I think she was giving it the allowing it to make that decision so to speak but the lesson learned would have been a stone doesn't need a shame how much money of course we want to do what's right that's my nature that's my essence we learned that about ourselves we would have been a different Nation inability to to give that over taught Hashem may be something about Moshe or Moshe by himself Moshe you were a teacher for the desert but you could force instant growth but the new world of Israel demands patience it demands giving an over idea letting a student work on that idea that's a different type of relationship it takes time patience and the courage to wait Moshe you're a wonderful teacher for the desert but this now is in the world and for that reason Eric's Israel May frustrate you perhaps we should take this lesson to Heart understand the world is such where we need words we need to give over inspiration and we have to understand that when we give our inspiration there's something inside the heart of every human being wants to do the will of issue something that wants to connect and if we give over those words we know there's a well of water ready to come out Sam should bless us to be able to give those words that inspire to know what to say say it in the right way and have the patience to wait and perhaps the same way give those words over to ourselves speak to ourselves and be confident that we have it inside of ourselves that our core if we want to do what's right and by knowing that about ourselves that will give us the strength to succeed by doing such we should be a nation that will rebuild the Temple I mean