Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Mga Bilang 20:8

The above will help you understand why the sages when formulating our benedictions and mentioning the attributes of Hashem and Elohim in the benedictions we recite have at the same time not employed the grammatical formula we would have expected such as אשר קדשתנו במצותיך וצויתנו, “You have sanctified us and You have commanded us,” but have insisted on the formula “who has sanctified us and who has commanded us” in the third person. The reason is that the words ברוך אתה, “blessed are You” at the beginning of the benediction refer to the words מלך העולם in a later part of the benediction. This is an attribute more familiar to us by the name תפארת. It is a reference to a certain emanation and it is this emanation (the attribute it represents) which “has sanctified us and commanded us.” It is this emanation which is the repository of G’d’s commandments to us. You will find what I have said confirmed in the Sefer Habahir item 184 who queries אשר קדשנו במצותיו instead of אשר קדשתנו וצויתנו? The answer given is that all the commandments are found in two worlds. In His great Mercy G’d has given them to us in order to sanctify us so that we will merit to establish a claim to the hereafter, the עולם גדול, in the here and now. Thus far the quote from the Sefer Habahir. From there you can conclude that the relationship between the Shechinah and the people of Israel is not one based merely on the need of the common Israelite, but that it is a reciprocal relationship also satisfying a need of the celestial forces represented by the Shechinah. Seeing that the glory of the tetragram and all it stands for is disseminated by the attribute כבוד, “glory, honour,” whenever this occurs an additional element of Holy Spirit is added to the Shechinah. This is why a prayer (Psalms 104,31) such as יהי כבוד ה’ לעולם ישמח ה‘ במעשיו, makes sense. The meaning of these words is: “the glory of G’d is enhanced to the emanation עולם when the attribute we know as the tetragram has occasion to rejoice in the deeds of its creatures.” This means that every Israelite has the potential to strengthen or, G’d forbid, to “weaken” certain attributes of G’d by his deeds or lack of them. This idea is expressed succinctly in Deut. 32,18 as צור ילדך תשי, literally: “You neglected the Rock that begot you;” according to Kabbalists this means: “when Israel neglects the Torah, it weakens the power of the Torah.” A verse conveying a similar sentiment is Psalms 60,14 באלו-הים נעשה חיל, “we can perform valiant deeds which enhance Elohim.”
The attribute of כבוד which we have spoken about is expressed in our verse by the words וידבר אלו-הים, “The One who spoke was the One who both writes and gives, i.e. hands over what He has written.” It is the same attribute we find referred to in Exodus 32,16 והמכתב מכתב אלו-הים הוא, “and the writing was the writing of Elohim.” When we read in Exodus 31,18 ויתן אל משה וגו’, the unnamed subject is the same Elohim who did the writing on the Tablets. The reference is to the word אלו-הים which appears at the very end of that verse. It was also this attribute of G’d which Moses (Deut. 33,12) referred to when he described Benjamin as ידיד ה’ ישכון לבטח עליו, describing that while this attribute rested on the Holy Temple, Benjamin and the entire Jewish people would dwell securely. Moses singled out Benjamin as the Holy Temple would be built on his tribal territory. This attribute was also referred to as פי י-ה-ו-ה, in Exodus 17,11 at al. This expression, i.e. “The mouth of the tetragram” means that the instructions emanated from an attribute outside the core of Hashem.
It was the attribute described as פי ה’ which Moses and Aaron sinned against in Numbers 20,12 when instead of having spoken to the rock Moses struck the rock. G’d spelled this out when He said לא האמנתם בי ...אשר מריתם את פי, “you did not believe in Me....you rebelled against פי. (Numbers 20,24) I shall explain this in greater detail when we discuss that event.
You will now be able to understand the meaning of the word צור when this word refers to an aspect of G’d. We have verses such as הצור תמים פעלו, “the Rock, His works are perfect” (Deut. 32,4). Another verse of that category is Deut. 33,12: צור ילדך תשי. A third word featuring the word צור occurred in Exodus 17,6 הנני עומד לפניך שם על הצור בחורב; I will explain the last verse in detail in connection with Numbers 20,8 [where only the word סלע is mentioned in contrast with the word צור in Exodus 17,6 Ed.].

While living in the wilderness they [experienced God’s] glorious manner⁹Middas Tiferes translated here as “glorious manner” refers to how the Jewish Nation’s daily affairs transcending nature, evoked an admiration from the nations of the world as to the spiritual heights of the Children of Israel and their special bond with God. See Ha’amek Davar on Ex. 28:2 explaining that the special clothing of the High Priest elicited kavod (honor) and tiferes (glory), a recognition from the masses of his spiritual greatness and his worthiness of being a Merkava DeShechina. Merkava DeShechina which is referenced below refers to those individuals or groups of people who attain spiritual heights to the extent they are considered as if they support the Divine Throne, with no intermediary existing between them and the Divine Presence. For a further explanation of the Netziv’s understanding of Merkava DeShechina and how those possessing this trait experience worldly affairs transcending nature, see Darkhah Shel Torah, part 3, chapter 3. In Kabbalistic sources Moses was at an even greater spiritual level, being the single human to rise to the level of Tiferes to become the “bridegroom of the Shechinah,” (see the Introduction to Volume One of The Zohar, Pritzker Edition; pages L-LI). “march to the right of Moses,”¹⁰See Is. 63:12, "Who made His glorious arm march at the right hand of Moses." i.e. totally transcending nature; whereas in the Land of Israel their affairs accorded with nature, concealing the providence of God’s Kingdom, may He be blessed. This transformation began during the fortieth year of their being in the wilderness, as we explained in the parasha of Chukas.¹¹See Num. 20:1, “The entire congregation of the children of Israel arrived at the desert of Zin in the first month, and the people settled in Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.” The Netziv comments that the understanding of this verse accords with the Ibn Ezra, who states that “in the first month” refers to the first month of the fortieth year of their travels in the wilderness. The significance of this date was to make known the time of Miriam’s death and to note the start of the period that their affairs would align with nature. This understanding explains the basis of their complaint, “Why have you taken us out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place for seeds, or for fig trees, grapevines, or pomegranate trees, and there is no water to drink” (Ibid. 20:50). Were they not sustained for 40 years prior to that in a wilderness absent of any type of fruit tree etc.!? Rather, they began to experience a gradual diminution of the glory of God’s miracles and thus began to complain, due to their discomfort and fear of having to depend on God’s sustenance being cloaked in the workings of nature. With this transformation to the way of nature did the Nation of Israel wage war against the Canaanites¹²Num. 21:1-3. The Canaanite king of Arad gained courage to wage war against Israel upon discovery that they scouted out the land and were thus not waging war in a miraculous manner, as stated, “he heard that they had come by the route of the scouts.” and Sichon.¹³Num. 21:21-30. The king Sichon was similarly encouraged to wage war against the Israelites, as they requested permission to pass through his land, thus seeming to demonstrate they could not miraculously defeat their enemies. [For this reason] the staff no longer remained consistently in the hand of Moses except for circumstances of special need, as we have explained ad loc.¹⁴When Moses was directed to cause the rock to bring forth water, Num. 20:8 states that God told Moses to “take the staff,” which implies that the staff was no longer consistently in his hands. The staff symbolized God providing Moses authority to act on God’s behalf in a miraculous manner (see Ha’amek Davar on Ex. 4:17).

"If you had spoken..." This implies that their sin was in not speaking to the rock, whereas in the reading of Beha'alotecha (Numbers 11:22), Rashi wrote 'which is worse, this statement (Could enough flocks and herds be slaughtered to suffice them? Or could all the fish of the sea be gathered for them to suffice them?”) or "Hear now, you rebels..." which implies that their sin was in saying 'hear now you rebels'? (This is the difficulty which the Re'em noted.) One might say that Rashi wasn't being specific there when he cited their statement of 'hear now you rebels,' but rather quoted the beginning of the incident when really his point was what came at the end (when they struck the rock.) Furthermore, is it really true that their sin began with saying 'hear now you rebels?' If they had not become angry, they never would have made any mistake at all. This is just as Rashi explains in a different incident in the reading of Matot (Numbers 31:21) when Moshe becomes angry with the commanders of the army. In reality, when one knows the truth they will recognize that these two transgressions - the declaration 'hear now you rebels' and striking the rock twice - are actually one sin. Since many are confused in their attempts to explain this matter, unable to clarify the truth of the transgression, it is necessary to explain. Know then that the sin of Moshe and Aharon is just as it is written in the verse "Because you did not believe in Me enough to affirm My sanctity ..." (Num. 20:12) The fact that they struck the rock twice, despite the miracle which was being done for them, is itself is a loss of faith because they acted out of anger. One who fulfills God's commandments in an angry way, as they did by declaring 'hear now you rebels' and striking the rock, especially when such a miracle is being done for them, has no faith. Faith means that one who trusts in God feel only joy. The meaning of faith is that one believes in God, trusts in him, and with that trust comes joy. Where there is anger, there is no faith. The fact that Moshe struck the rock twice indicates his lack of trust and faith, and thus he was angry. It is a well known phenomenon that one who lacks a wholeness of faith and trust in God, is plagued by anger and pain. When God told Moshe to bring water out of the rock, he and Aharon should have done this in faith, because God does such miracles for Israel. Then they would have seen what trust in God can do for creation. Moshe and Aharon should have strengthened and renewed themselves with an even greater faith and trust, then they would have acted in joy over the great miracle which God was going to do. It was fitting to renew their faith and trust, to add to their faith and trust, and it was fit that they be joyful. Do not say that they were simply angry at the children of Israel, that is not a real challenge, because with faith comes joy, not anger. Therefore what was lacking here was faith. That is why the verse says "Because you did not believe in Me enough to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel..." If they had acted in faith, taking joy in God's command (because faith always brings joy as one trusts in the goodness of God) this would have been a sanctification before all Israel, teaching them that one should have faith and trust in God that he does the miraculous. And behold, both acts - the declaration of 'hear now you rebels,' and striking the rock - are the opposite of faith. This is why you will find that sometimes our Sages say that the sin was in striking the rock twice, and sometimes in declaring 'hear now you rebels,' because they are one thing. At the moment when God did for them such a miracle, they should have grown in their faith and trust, and with that faith and trust there is no place for anger.

ונצלתם render it as the Targum does: and ye shall empty out Egypt. Similar are: (Exodus 12:36) “And they emptied out (וינצלו) Egypt”; (Exodus 33:6) “And the children of Israel stripped themselves (ויתנצלו) of their ornaments” The נ in it is a root-letter. Menachem ben Seruk placed it (this word ויתנצלו) in section צ (taking the root as צל not as נצל) together with, (Genesis 31:9) “And God took away (ויצל) your father’s cattle”, and with, (Genesis 31:16) “which God hath taken away (הציל) from our father”, but his view cannot be sustained. For if the נ is not a root-letter, then seeing that it (the word ונצלתם) is vowelled with Chirik, it cannot be used in the sense of “and ye shall do something” (the active voice, which is required here since את מצרים can only be the object of the verb), but in the sense of “and ye shall have something done to you” (the passive — “Niphal”), as (Deuteronomy 28:63) “And ye shall be plucked up (וְנִסַּחְתֶּם) from off your land”; (Leviticus 26:25) “and ye shall be given (וְנִתַּתֶּם) into the hand of the enemy”; (Leviticus 17) “And ye shall be smitten (וְנִגַּפְתָּם) before your enemies”; (Ezekiel 22:21) “And ye shall be melted (וְנִתַּכְתָּם) in the midst thereof”; (Jeremiah 7:10) “And ye say, נִצַּלְנוּ” — which expresses the idea “we have had something done to us” (the Niphal: we have been delivered). Then again, every נ which sometimes appears in a word and sometimes is omitted, as e. g. the נ of נוגף and נושא and נותן and נושך, when the word expresses the sense “and ye shall do something” (the Kal), it is pointed with vocal Sheva (חטף a “snatched” sound), as, for instance, (Genesis 45:19) “and ye shall bear (וּנְשָׂאתָם) your father”; (Numbers 32:29) “And ye shall give (וּנְתַתֶּם) them the land of Gilead”; (Genesis 17:11) “And ye shall circumcise (וּנְמַלְתֶּם) the flesh of your foreskin”. Consequently I am of the opinion that this letter נ which is vowelled with a Chirik is one of the root letters, and the grammatical form of the noun of the same root is נִצּוּל which is of the strong (dageshed) forms, just as דִּבּוּר and כִּפּוּר and לִמּוּד. When, in the case of verbs formed from these roots one expresses the idea of “and ye shall do something” (active voice) the נ has the vowel Chirik (i. e. it is the Piel conjugation), as (Numbers 20:8) “And ye shall speak (וְדִבַּרְתֶּם) unto the rock”; (Ezekiel 45:20) “And ye shall atone (וְכִּפַּרְתֶּם) for the house”; (Deuteronomy 11:19) “And ye shall teach (וְלִמַּדְתָּם) them unto your children”.