And from the wilderness to Matana [literally “gift”] (Num. 21:18)
Our Sages commented: He who makes himself a “wilderness,” that is, works at refining his character until his own ego is as ownerless as the unclaimed land of a wilderness, will be truly worthy of receiving the precious gift of the Torah.
And when a serpent had bitten any man, and he looked up at the serpent of copper, and lived (Num. 21:9)
The serpent has two diametrically opposed qualities: It can wind, and it can also heal. A person who is learned in Torah should also possess the same two characteristics--and know when each is appropriate. Moses, the greatest scholar who ever lived and who embodied only goodness and mercy, alluded to this in the first wonder he performed for Pharaoh when his staff turned into a serpent: A person must know when power and strength must be shown. (Degel Machane Efraim)
And he hit the rock with his staff (Num. 20:11)
Chasidic philosophy explains that the dor hamidbar, the generation of Jews which left Egypt, was considered to be on the spiritual level of dibur, or “speech” (both words share the Hebrew root daled, bet, resh). The generation of Jews which entered the Land of Israel was on the spiritual level of deed, for they involved themselves in the practical mitzvot which could only be done after they left the wilderness. This, therefore, is one of the reasons Moses hit the rock with his staff and did not merely speak to it to bring the water forth--he recognized that a physical action was most suited to the needs of the generation of Jews he then led. In truth, however, he should have tried to elevate them to the higher level of speech. And this is why he was punished by G-d. (Lubavitcher Rebbe)
