Numbers Chapter 27 - Torah Reading for Pinchas
Verse: 13 and 14
וְרָאִ֣יתָה אֹתָ֔הּ וְנֶאֱסַפְתָּ֥ אֶל־עַמֶּ֖יךָ גַּם־אָ֑תָּה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר נֶאֱסַ֖ף אַהֲרֹ֥ן אָחִֽיךָ׃
When you have seen it, you too shall be gathered to your kin, just as your brother Aaron was.
כַּאֲשֶׁר֩ מְרִיתֶ֨ם פִּ֜י בְּמִדְבַּר־צִ֗ן בִּמְרִיבַת֙ הָֽעֵדָ֔ה לְהַקְדִּישֵׁ֥נִי בַמַּ֖יִם לְעֵינֵיהֶ֑ם הֵ֛ם מֵֽי־מְרִיבַ֥ת קָדֵ֖שׁ מִדְבַּר־צִֽן׃
For, in the wilderness of Zin, when the community was contentious, you disobeyed My command to uphold My sanctity in their sight by means of the water.” Those are the Waters of Meribath-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin.
G-d had forgiven the grumbling people who did not believe they could enter the land, according to the word of Moses. This meant that the people would not die as 1 whole in the desert, but gradually over the next 40 years at the time when their life days would naturally be over. Since Moses was part of the people as a whole, one might mistakenly think that Moses did not enter the land for that reason as well. Therefore, it is specifically mentioned here that Moses died because he had not sanctified G-d's Name at the proper time.
From this we learn that when someone makes a mistake that requires a consequence, it is important that that behavior be described concretely and specifically. Sometimes you see a leader, a teacher, a parent punish a group as a whole. However, not addressing each person individually and naming the undesirable behavior specifically will not lead to behavior change. And that it is also clear to the bystanders that behavior has consequences.
Brought By Angelique Sijbolts
Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.
Sources
Bekhor Shor, Numbers 14:20:1
Shadal on Numbers 14:20:1
Rashi on Numbers 27:13:1
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