** Join DailyGiving.org - donate $1 a day and make a huge difference for so many deserving charities! ** Welcome to the Lelamed Weekly Dvar. Please forward it forward... _______________________________________________ In Parshat Chukat the Jews complained about the lack of water again, Moshe was instructed to speak to the rock and water will come forth, but Moshe famously hit the rock instead. The punishment for “not having faith to sanctify G-d…” was that Moshe was not allowed to enter the land of Israel (20:12). However, the very next Passuk says that G-d was sanctified through the water (20:13)?! It’s also worth trying to understand why the punishment for Moshe’s actions fits his action. One possible answer is that Moshe had an opportunity to use words to explain to the people why complaining about the lack of water wasn’t a productive exercise and that they should instead focus on asking G-d for water directly. That would have prioritized words over actions, something the Jews would need to appreciate when moving into their land. When Moshe himself chose action over words when dealing with the rock, it was confirmed that his skill set wasn’t what the Jews needed as they entered their new home. The lesson was that although action speaks louder than words, communication should always be our first option. _______________________________________ Quotation of the week: “The best apology is changed behavior."