Although our Parsha is perhaps best known for the Mitzvah of the red heifer, we learn of the deaths of Miriam and Aharon. Aharon’s death (and Moshe’s later) is precipitated by the incident with the rock at Mei Merivah, the waters of dispute when they were commanded to speak to but instead struck the rock. Rabbeinu Bachye brings several explanations from classical commentators to explain why Moshe and Aharon had to die after this deed, but dismisses most of these.
He suggests we are looking at the event incorrectly, as though Israel was naive and foolish and needed Moshe and Aharon to teach them Hashem could bring water out of a rock. After all, Hashem had been bringing water out of the rock for forty years at this point! Rather, the mechanism by means of which the miracle was performed was important because of what they were meant to teach to the Jews. This connects to an idea the Rambam taught, that they lost their temper (8:4). Rabbeinu Bachye disputes this and says everything we know about Moshe and Aharon testifies against the idea that they would become enraged. But this same staff had been used in the past to express the “anger” of Hashem, or specifically His attribute of judgment by which the wicked are punished.
Moshe and Aharon spoke to the Jews out of (justifiable) frustration with their ingratitude and lack of trust in Hashem. Yet, this was not the message Hashem had commanded them to give. At this moment, Hashem instructed them to speak to the rock because He wanted to make a different point. As they stand ready to enter the Land and claim their inheritance, Hashem wanted the Jews to know He would always be there for them and He is as reliable as this rock that produces water.
In fact, Rabbeinu Bachye points out that the language used to refer to the rock – tzur - is often used to refer to Hashem, including when He revealed Himself to Moshe at Har Sinai. The crime of Moshe and Aharon was not something they committed themselves, but it was a failure to prevent an inappropriate belief in the Jews, an indirect outcome for which they were responsible. They failed to sanctify Hashem because of their lack of belief.
Certainly, Moshe and Aharon’s belief in Hashem was not insufficient! Rather, in this moment of the nation’s rebellion they wavered in their belief in the Jewish people, and in Hashem’s willingness to redeem the Jews out of mercy, when they so richly deserved the power of judgment and punishment. Moshe and Aharon’s crime was that they revealed to the Jews an avenging G-d of might, when what Hashem wanted was to be seen as a loving companion for His people. This distinction was indispensable for the inheritance of the Land and because Moshe and Aharon would not or could not establish it, they were deemed unsuited to bring this about.
