Bamidbar 20:12-13 במדבר כ׳:י״ב-י״ג

יען לא האמנתם בי. גִּלָּה הַכָּתוּב שֶׁאִלּוּלֵי חֵטְא זֶה בִּלְבַד הָיוּ נִכְנָסִין לָאָרֶץ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ עֲלֵיהֶם כַּעֲוֹן דּוֹר הַמִּדְבָּר שֶׁנִּגְזַר עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנְסוּ, כָּךְ הָיָה עֲוֹן מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן; וַהֲלֹא "הֲצֹאן וּבָקָר יִשָּׁחֵט" (במדבר יא, כב) קָשָׁה מִזּוֹ? אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁבַּסֵּתֶר, חִסֵּךְ עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב, וְכָאן שֶׁבְּמַעֲמַד כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא חִסֵּךְ עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב מִפְּנֵי קִדּוּשׁ הַשֵּׁם:

Because you did not believe in Me. Scripture reveals that if it had not been for this single sin, they would have entered the land, so that it would not be said of them: ”Like the transgressions of the rest of the generation of the desert, against whom it was decreed not to enter the land— so was the transgression of Moshe and Aharon.” But was not [the transgression implied in the verse] “will sheep and cattle be slaughtered”? worse than this? Still, because it was said in private, Scripture was compassionate with him, but here, where it was in the presence of all of Israel, Scripture was not compassionate with him, because of the sanctification of the Name.

להקדישני. שֶׁאִלּוּ דִּבַּרְתֶּם אֶל הַסֶּלַע וְהוֹצִיא, הָיִיתִי מְקֻדָּשׁ לְעֵינֵי הָעֵדָה, וְאוֹמְרִים מַה סֶּלַע זֶה שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר וְאֵינוֹ שׁוֹמֵעַ וְאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְפַרְנָסָה מְקַיֵּם דִּבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, קַל וָחֹמֶר אָנוּ:

To sanctify me. For, if you had spoken to the rock and it had brought forth water, I would have been sanctified in the eyes of the community. They would have said: “Now this rock, which can neither speak nor hear, and does not require sustenance, fulfills the word of the Omnipresent. How much more should we do so.”

לכן לא תביאו. בִּשְׁבוּעָה, כְּמוֹ "וְלָכֵן נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְבֵית עֵלִי" (שמואל א ג'), נִשְׁבַּע בִּקְפִיצָה שֶׁלֹּא יַרְבּוּ בִתְפִלָּה עַל כָּךְ:

Therefore, you will not bring. This was said as an oath, like “Therefore, I swore to the house of Eili.” He swore precipituously, so that they would not engage in lengthy prayer.

המה מי מריבה. הֵם הַנִּזְכָּרִים בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר; אֶת אֵלּוּ רָאוּ אִצְטַגְנִינֵי פַרְעֹה, שֶׁמּוֹשִׁיעָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל לוֹקֶה בַמַּיִם, לְכָךְ גָּזְרוּ (שמות א') "כָּל הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד הַיְאֹרָה תַּשְׁלִיכֻהוּ" (סנהדרין ק"א):

They are the waters of dispute. They are the ones mentioned elsewhere. Pharaoh’s astrologers saw them, [seeing] that the saviour of Israel would be smitten through water. Therefore, they decreed that “every boy who is born must be thrown into the river.”

ויקדש בם. שֶׁמֵּתוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן עַל יָדָם; כְּשֶׁהַקָּבָּ"ה עוֹשֶׂה דִּין בִּמְקֻדָּשָׁיו הוּא יָראוּי וּמִתְקַדֵּשׁ עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר "נוֹרָא אֱלֹהִים מִמִּקְדָּשֶׁיךָ" (תהילים ס"ח), וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר "בִּקְרֹבַי אֶקָּדֵשׁ" (ויקרא י'):

He was sanctified through them. Since Moshe and Aharon died because of them. When the Holy One, Blessed is He, administers judgment against His holy ones, He is feared and sanctified by mankind. Similarly, it says, “You are awesome, God, from Your sanctuaries.” Similarly, it says, “I am sanctified by those close to Me.”