Dvar Torah for Parshat Chukat

In this week's parshah Hashem (God) commanded Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our teacher) and Aharon (Aaron) the Kohein to speak to the rock in order to provide water for the Jews (Numbers 20:8). This is in distinction to the command Moshe Rabbeinu received shortly after the Jews left Egypt. Then Hashem said to hit the rock (Exodus 17:6).

Rebbe Nachman once gave the following parable:

A king sent his son to a faraway land to study. The prince returned to his father's palace thoroughly versed in every branch of wisdom.

Once the king gave his son instructions to take a certain huge, heavy stone, like a millstone, and bring it to the top floor of the palace. On account of its being so huge and heavy the prince could not even lift the stone. He was very upset that he could not fulfill his father, the king's request.

He was upset for awhile, until the king explained to him what he had intended. 'Did you think I would ask something so difficult of you"to pick up the stone as it is?! Even with your wisdom, could you possibly do it?! That's not at all what I had in mind. What I wanted you to do was take a sturdy hammer and strike the rock, smashing it into little pieces. Then you would be able to take the rock to the top floor.Ó

The Rebbe explained that Hashem has commanded us to 'lift our heart with our hands to God in HeavenÓ (Lamentations 3:41). But our heart is a 'heart of stoneÓ (Ezekiel 36:26), a very heavy stone! There is no way of raising it up to Hashem except by taking a hammer and breaking and smashing the heart of stone! Then we will be able to raise it.

The hammer is speech!

We must hammer away at our hearts with words of prayer; Tehilim (Psalms) and hitbodedut (secluded prayer, using one's own words). Rashi comments (Exodus 17:6) that Moshe's hammer/staff was able to penetrate rock and break it. We have the Rebbe's guarantee that our words can do the same. We just have to keep wielding the hammer till it happens.

agutn Shabbos!
Shabbat Shalom!