Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Chukkat/0/en
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Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Chukat
Great Prophets: Obedient or Independent?
Which prophet is at a higher level: one who is blindly obedient to Hashem in all that he does, or one who takes the initiative to act on his own without seeking Divine approval beforehand?
- In trying to uncover Moshe and Aharon's sin at Mei Merivah, R"Y Albo points to their running to the Tent of Meeting to consult with Hashem rather than immediately quelling the nation's murmurings by invoking a miracle on their own. He claims that this caused a lack of faith in one of the central tenets of Torah, a prophet's power to act above nature.
- What in the text supports this suggestion? Do you agree that going to the Tent of Meeting was problematic? When is consultation the appropriate response to crisis? When is it preferable to take matters into your own hands?
- Can a prophet really bring a miracle on his or her own? What examples from Tanakh might suggest that they can? Are all prophets equal in this regard?
- For elaboration see Moshe's Misstep and Mei Merivah and the opinion of Abarbanel in Moshe's Epitaph – Signs and Wonders.
Sichon and Og: Telling and Retelling
The original description of the conquest of Sichon and Og in Bemidbar differs significantly from Moshe's retelling in Devarim.
- Compare the two accounts and list the differences. Which points appear only in Bemidbar? What details are highlighted in Devarim? What message might Moshe be trying to relay to the nation in retelling the story in the way that he does?
- How does Moshe's message in recounting the battle of Sichon relate to the overall objectives of his historical speech in the opening chapters of Sefer Devarim, and especially in his retelling of the debacle of the spies?1
- Is it problematic to say that Moshe intentionally recasts history to promote an agenda?
- For more, see Battles with Sichon and Og in Bemidbar and Devarim.
Criticizing Moshe
Almost every commentator mines the story of Moshe hitting the rock in Mei Merivah to establish where he erred and why he was punished so severely. As such Moshe is accused of everything from lack of faith (Rashi), to excessive anger (Rambam), and faulty leadership (Avvat Nefesh). Rashi and others further blame him for not sanctifying Hashem's name and causing the nation to doubt Hashem's abilities.
- Bring evidence to support each of the above possibilities. Which do you find most compelling; why? Which of the proposed sins would warrant the harsh punishment received by Moshe?
- Has Moshe displayed any of the above problematic traits or actions elsewhere? Why was he not punished in those instances?
- Though our chapter clearly testifies to Moshe's having erred, thus begging the question of the nature of his mistake, is it problematic to criticize Moshe when no wrong is explicit in the text? Are Tanakh's leaders meant be put on a pedestal, and every seeming fault of theirs to be explained away, or is it fair to view them as regular humans, with failings like everyone else?
- See Moshe's Misstep and Mei Merivah for more.
