The Mystery of the Chok and the Mystery of the Rock
In this week’s parsha, the Ma’or VaShemesh develops two fascinating ideas.
First, in his introductory piece about Parah Adumah, he suggests that even those commandments whose reasons seem clear and understandable ultimately contain depths that remain hidden from us. What appears revealed and accessible is, in a deeper sense, still beyond complete human understanding.
In the main piece, he turns to one of the Torah’s great mysteries: Mei Merivah and Moshe’s encounter with the rock.
Most commentaries focus on Moshe’s actions and ask what exactly his mistake was. The Ma’or VaShemesh asks a different question: why were Bnei Yisrael so focused on Miriam’s rock?
His answer offers a profound lesson about faith, leadership, loss, and our tendency to confuse the channels through which blessing arrives with the true source of the blessing itself.
Wishing everyone a peaceful and meaningful Shabbat.
Re the Nispach:
I reference it in the footnotes of the piece but you can decide whether to include it or not.
Use this source sheet for Chukat and this additional source sheet for further exploration of Mei Merivah, complete with footnoted sources and a concise, footnoted bio of R. Kalonymus Kalman Epstein (Ma’or Va-Shemesh) to enjoy this teaching at your own pace, perfect for self-learners.
Prepared by Rabbi Shalom (Saul) Orbach
The Ma’or Va-Shemesh is a classic Hasidic commentary on the weekly portions and festivals by R. Kalonymus Kalman Epstein of Kraków (1751-1823). A foremost later disciple, and for years the Shamash, of R. Elimelech of Lizhensk, he emerged after his rebbe’s passing as a leading figure in the fourth generation of Chassidut and of Polish Hasidism. His Torah blends close reading of the Psukim with mystical depth, emphasizing Dvekut, heartfelt prayer, joy, and sanctifying the everyday, with a hallmark leadership ethic: the tzaddik sweetens judgment into mercy and draws people close.