Chukat: He Didn’t Hit it
Eschew Violence
In this week’s Parsha we read the astounding story of Moses and the rock. We all know the story; G-d instructed Moses to speak to the rock, but instead of speaking to the rock he hit it.
Why didn’t Moses hit the rock?
I would like to offer a possible perspective on this issue. Moshe did not have it in his nature to hit the rock. It was Moshe’s nature to lead by words, to entice, to cajole, to encourage and even to rebuke but never to hit.
To hit is to resort to violence out of sheer desperation. To hit is to allow your anger to get the better of you. To hit is to be destructive instead of constructive. To hit is to submit to the animal within and allow it to dominate. As humans and as Jews we are capable of more.
Remember: one destructive deed can destroy a hundred constructive words but one carrot accomplishes more than ten sticks.
