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B'midbar 20:8 shows that G-d instructs Moshe and Aharon to speak to the rock, and it will bring forth water.

Usually, when G-d instructs Moshe to speak to B'nai Yisra'el he indicates what Moshe should tell them. Here, it doesn't seem apparent what G-d wanted Moshe and Aharon to say to the rock. What's missing? What words were they supposed to say?

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  • Probably something like 'Please give us water'. – Mithical Jul 13 '16 at 18:36
  • They were given the verb form "dabeir," which always connotes a harsher form of speech. More like "Give us water...or else..." – DonielF Jul 17 '16 at 13:43
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Yalkut Shimoni (763) says Moshe was told to learn a perek (mishnah) and the rock would give water. See Alshich for explanation

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The ramban says their chet was they implied the rock should give water because of their instruction, so they should have said to the rock, Hashem says you should give water.

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    Please either edit a link to the source or complete where Ramba"n says this. Also, when you say "instruction" what instruction did Moshe and Aharon actually say? That's not obvious. – DanF Jul 14 '16 at 1:02
  • Friendly reminder ... please edit / link a source. – DanF Jun 27 '17 at 17:00

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