Kabbalah sobre Números 20:35

"And Sarah's life was" Of all the women in the world, why is Sarah the only one whose death is mentioned in Torah? Rabbi Chiya answered, This is not so, for it is written, "And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Efrat" (Gen. 35:19), "and Miriam died there" (Num. 20:1), "and Deborah, Rivkah's nurse, died" (Gen. 35:8) and "the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife died" (Gen. 38:12).

"And Avram took Sarai his wife" (Gen. 12:5). Here, "took" means that Abraham persuaded her to come with soft words, because a man cannot take his wife to another country without her agreement. Similarly, it is written, "Take Aaron" (Num. 20:25) and "Take the Levites" (Num. 3:45). This is why "And Abram took"; he persuaded her with words, telling her how evil were the ways of their generation. Therefore it is written, "And Abram took Sarai his wife."

If you say that it is written of Miriam, "And Miriam died there, and was buried there" (Num. 20:1) (This was written) only to show that Yisrael sinned. Yisrael had no water there without Miriam, and (her days and years) were not specified when describing her death, as was done for Sarah.

"And the Egyptian had a spear in his hand" (2 II Samuel 23:21). This refers to the rod of Elohim that was delivered into his hand. As it is written, "With the rod of Hashem in my hand" (Ex. 17:9). And this is the same rod that was created at the twilight of Shabbat eve and was engraved with the Holy Name by a holy shaping. And with this rod Moses committed the sin of smiting the rock, as is written, "And he smote the rock with his rod twice" (Num. 20:11). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Moses, I have not given you My rod for this purpose; by your life, from henceforward, it will not be in your hands any more."

"And, behold, I will bring the flood of waters upon the earth" (Gen. 6:17). Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion with the verse: "These are the waters of strife, wherein the children of Yisrael strove with Hashem and He was sanctified by them" (Num. 20:13). This is not the only place where the children of Yisrael strove with Hashem. Why does the text say "waters of strife" here, but not at any other place? These waters in particular are the waters of strife, for they gave strength and power to the Prosecutor. There are sweet waters and bitter waters. And there are pure and mucky waters. And there are waters of peace and of strife, That is why (it is written): "These are the waters of strife, wherein the children of Yisrael strove with Hashem". As they drew upon themselves that which they should not have (drawn, i.e. the Sitra Achra, also called the waters of strife) and they were defiled by them. And this is why it is written, "and He was sanctified by them."

And because of the "erev rav" [mixed multitude] Israel was exiled, since it is written "And Adam was expelled". Adam is obviously Israel. And Moshe, because of them, was expelled from his place and did not merit to go up to the land of Israel. And because of them he transgressed the order of the Holy One of Blessing and hit the rock, that he struck it and did not speak to it, "you shall speak to the rock" - and they caused it. And with all this, the good thought of the Holy One of Blessing was combined into deed, that he (Moshe) did not receive them and give them the sign of circumcision were it not to cover the nakedness of his father. And the Holy One of Blessing said to him: "I will make from you a people, greater and more powerful than them" (Numbers 14:12). And because of them God said "whoever sinned against Me - I will erase from My book" (Exodus 22:23), since they are from the seed of Amalek, about whom it is written "erase the seed of Amalek" (Deuteronomy 25:19). And they too caused the breaking of the two tablets of Torah.

... upper rock / tsur dil`eyla