Another outstanding literary analysis of Parashat Hashavua, courtesy of Rabbi Elchanan Samet.
As he explains in the concluding section of the piece, his interpretation of the text corroborates the Rambam’s understanding of Moshe’s error at Merivah.
You can read an abridged version of his essay translated into English here.
So my friend this shabbos came up with an “amazing” answer to this question.
I am hoping you have heard this answer before somewhere.
His explanation goes like this:
The Jewish people were not complaining about the lack of water for selfish reasons. Rather they were complaining that they did not have any water for the purification needed, from comming in contact with a dead body (i.e. Miriam)
Moshe’s sin then, was that he did not have “the benefit of the doubt” torwards the Jewish people and instead thought they were just being a bunch of complainers.
The reasons for this explanation are as follows: 1. There is no seperation between the death of Miriam and the story of the Rock. 2. In all other situations, when the Jewish people complain, even when it is a test, G-d acts in a way which harms the complainers in some way. In this situation G-d does no such thing.
Thoughts?