Commento su Esodo 17:6

והכית בצור AND THOU SHALT SMITE THE ROCK — It does not say here “thou shalt smite על הצור”, upon the surface of the rock, but בצור, right into the rock — from this it follows that the rod must have been composed of a kind of hard material the name of which is sapphire, and the rock was split by it (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 17:6:2).

BEHOLD, I WILL STAND BEFORE THEE THERE UPON THE ROCK IN HOREB. Since the wonder with the water in this place was now to become a permanent feature as long as they would be in the wilderness, as our Rabbis have said,⁴⁴¹See above, Note 436. this was why the Divine Glory was revealed upon it at this place, just as it says concerning the manna, And in the morning, then ye shall see the Glory of the Eternal,⁴⁴²Above, 16:7. since it remained a continuous wonder.

והכית בצור ושתה העם, this will teach them that the staff is not an instrument which performs certain functions naturally, being unable to change its functions. It will show you that the staff is an instrument carrying out the will of its owner. This is why it can be used to perform opposing functions on different occasions.

הנני עומד לפניך, "I will be standing there before you, etc." The word לפניך refers to the place Moses was standing on when G'd spoke to him, whereas the word שם immediately afterwards refers to the rock. G'd emphasised that the whole earth is filled with His glory on a permanent basis and that He does not have to change location. However, there are sites where His presence is more manifest than in others. Alternatively, the degree in which G'd manifests Himself in certain locations is determined by the preparation that location has undergone in order to be a site fit for G'd to reveal Himself.

הנני עומד לפניך, “behold, I shall stand before you, etc.” seeing that the miracle which was about to occur was one that would be part of their daily experience for the length of time they would be in the desert, similar to the miracle of the manna, it was appropriate that just as the miracle of the descent of the manna was introduced with a visible manifestation of G’d’s glory, so this miracle too should be introduced by a similar visible manifestation of G’d’s glory.

הנני עומד לפניך שם על הצור בחורב, “here I shall stand in front of you there by the Chorev (mountain).” This rock at Refidim was the same rock which we encounter almost 40 years later at Kadesh. This was also the source of the well of Miriam which traveled with the Israelites through the desert during all those years (compare Bamidbar Rabbah 1,2). The very word הנני used by G’d prior to the rock erupting in a well was the same as that used by G’d prior to releasing the manna from heaven. Just as the manna became a daily feature for the remainder of their trek through the desert until Moses’ death, so the well which appeared here for the first time became the Israelites’ constant companion at least until the death of Miriam. Furthermore, just as the giving of the manna had been preceded by a revelation of G’d’s glory (16,7), so the miracle of the rock erupting as a well was also preceded by a revelation of the glory of G’d seeing it was an ongoing miracle just as was that of the manna (compare Nachmanides).

בחורב, והכית בצור, although the people were encamped at Refidim, Moses went all the way to Mount Sinai to produce water.

והכית בצור, “strike at the rock!” the Torah did not say that Moses was to strike “on the rock,” i.e. על הצור. This proves that the staff was made of an extremely hard material, sanpiryon. It would not be broken on impact with the rock.