הִנְנִ֣י עֹמֵד֩ לְפָנֶ֨יךָ שָּׁ֥ם ׀ עַֽל־הַצּוּר֮ בְּחֹרֵב֒ וְהִכִּ֣יתָ בַצּ֗וּר וְיָצְא֥וּ מִמֶּ֛נּוּ מַ֖יִם וְשָׁתָ֣ה הָעָ֑ם וַיַּ֤עַשׂ כֵּן֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְעֵינֵ֖י זִקְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Narito, tatayo Ako sa harap mo roon sa ibabaw ng bato sa Horeb; at hahampasin mo ang bato, at lalabas mula roon ang tubig, at iinom ang bayan.” At gayon nga ang ginawa ni Moises sa paningin ng matatanda ng Israel.
Sha'arei Orah
Now, you may ask, “If their question was proper, why then were they punished?” Know that had they not asked in a contentious and belligerent way (Masah u’Merivah-מסה ומריבה),99The first part of the verse states, “He called the place Massah u’Merivah-מסה ומריבה, because of the contention-Reev-ריב of the children of Israel, and because of their test-Nasotam-נסתם of HaShem-יהו״ה saying, ‘Is HaShem-יהו״ה amongst us or naught?’” but in a nice and pleasant way, their question would have been proper. However, because they asked with harshness, they were accosted by the guard dog100This is a euphemism for Amalek, as indicated by the very next verse (Exodus 17:8), “Amalek came and battled Israel in Rephidim.” who is the first of the accusers and prosecutors, as it states,101Numbers 24:20 – Amalak was the first nation to attack the Jewish people upon their exodus from Egypt, without any reason and completely unprovoked. “The first of the nations is Amalek.” For,102Proverbs 30:19 “The way of a snake-Nachash-נחש is upon a rock-Tzur-צור,” whereas before this incident it stated,103Exodus 17:6 “Behold! I shall stand before you by the rock-Tzur-צור in Chorev.” That is, they took hold of a place of harshness by asking their question in a harsh way, saying, “Is there-HaYesh-היש HaShem-יהו״ה within us or naught-Ayin-אין?”