Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Chukkat/0/he

נושאים לשולחן שבת – פרשת חקת

Great Prophets: Obedient or Independent?

Which prophet is at a higher level: one who simply follows Divine orders, or one who takes initiatives without prior consultation with Hashem?

• In trying to uncover חטא משה ומי מריבה at Mei Merivah, ספר העיקריםר' יוסף אלבו, ספר העיקרים ד':כ"באודות ר' יוסף אלבו 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 חטא משה ומי מריבה, מעשי נביאים בלי צו מפורש מאת ה', and the opinion of Abarbanel in ייחודו של משה – האותות והמופתים.

Sichon and Og: Telling and Retelling

The original description of the conquest of Sichon and Og in Bemidbar differs markedly from Moshe's retelling in Devarim.  See מלחמות עם סיחון ועוג בבמדבר ובדברים.

• 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 Sefer Devarim which prompts him to retell 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 to his retelling of the debacle of the Spies?¹
• Is it problematic to say that Moshe intentionally recasts history to promote an agenda?

Criticizing Moshe

Commentators mine almost every word of the story of Moshe hitting the rock in חטא משה ומי מריבה to establish where he erred and why he was punished so severely.  Thus, Moshe is accused of everything from lack of faith (רשב"םבמדבר כ':י'אודות ר' שמואל בן מאיר) to excessive anger (רמב"םשמונה פרקים פרק ד'אודות ר' משה בן מיימון) and faulty leadership (Avvat Nefeshאוות נפש, פירוש על ראב"ע במדבר כ':ח' (מוגה ע"פ ציטוט חלקי בפירוש שד"ל)).  רש"יבמדבר כ':י"א-י"באודות ר' שלמה יצחקי and others further blame him for not sanctifying Hashem's name and causing the nation to doubt Hashem's capabilities.

• Bring evidence to support each of the above possibilities.  Which is most compelling and why?  Which of the proposed sins would warrant the harsh punishment received by Moshe?
• Does Moshe elsewhere manifest any of the above problematic traits?  Why was he not punished in those instances?
• Though the chapter clearly testifies to Moshe's having erred, is it problematic to suggest specific criticisms of Moshe's leadership which the text does not make explicit?  Should we place Moshe on a pedestal and attempt to explain away any perceived fault, or is it legitimate to attribute to him some human failings?²

See חטא משה ומי מריבה for further discussion.

עוד...

לעוד נושאים בפרשה, ראו: רשימת נושאים – פרשת חקת.

¹ For a comparison of the story of the spies in Bemidbar and Devarim and how the differences shed light on Moshe's messages to the new generation, see סיפור המרגלים בבמדבר ובדברים.

² Some similar issues come up in the study of the stories of the Avot.  See for example: הכנסת שרי לסכנה במצרים, גירוש הגר וישמעאל, מכירת הבכורה – עסקה הוגנת?, and Yaakov's Taking of the Blessing.