Parashat Chukat: The Sin of Anger

Rav Yosef Tzvi Rimon

Founder & Chairman, JobKatif

 

In Parashat Bamidbar, chapter 20, Moshe Rabbeinu hits the rock and is punished because of it.  Because he didn’t create the kiddush Hashem that he was supposed to create, neither Moshe nor Aharon were allowed into Israel.

Many explanations are given about Moshe’s sin. Of course we don’t look for the “sins”, but we do seek to learn from these things how to be better people.

The Rambam (Maimonides) explains that Moshe’s anger is dually problematic. First, it is a problem of Moshe’s character. Secondly, his anger made the nation think that G-d was angry at them, which was incorrect.  According to the Rambam, Moshe and Aharon’s sin was that it damaged the nation’s understanding of G-d’s character, In actuality, G-d is compassionate and consoling.  He was not angry at the people.

The Maharal, (14^th c, Germany) in his Gur Aryeh sees the sin differently.  ”Know that the sin of Moshe and Aharon…was that what they did was done through anger, and whoever does a mitzvah though anger…this is not done faithfully. For one who truly believes and trusts G-d, only has joy and happiness, which is the root of faith; who believes and trusts Him, with security and happiness. But there is no faith with anger.”

Faith brings a person to happiness, and confidence to do G-d’s way in the world. The angry person shows a defect in his faith. When a person is angry, he shows that things have not gone as he thought they would, the way he wanted them to work out. A person who trusts G-d is at peace, and able to contain things that do not work out according to his own simple understanding of things. He needs to check and find out how to fix things, and how to act better, but he will not do this through anger.

Anger hurts almost every one of us. We should find strength from this parasha, and try to build character traits that will bring us far away from anger. When we strengthen our faith, and reduce our anger, we bring wholeness, happiness and peace of mind.

Shabbat Shalom!