Moshe will conduct a KWL chart activity with the class about the story of Moshe hitting the rock. For the K section, students will share what they already know about the story from prior learning. Moshe will cluster the information on the board. For the W section, students will write questions they have about any contradictions in the K section or anything else about the story. For the L section, the class will collaborate to discuss what they have learned together and fill in their individual charts. Moshe hopes this activity will help the students gain an accurate understanding of the story.

1. 1
KWL Chart – I will conduct a KWL chart for the class about background knowledge the class has of
Moshe hitting the rock. Everyone will have their own KWL chart, and the K and L sections we will
do as a class (they will record our class notes on their own personal charts), while the W section will
be filled out by the student alone. For the K section, I will ask them if any of them have learnt the
story, and if they can share the details they remember. I will be jotting the details on the board,
and when a student comments on something they have learnt, I will either ask them where they
learnt that, and/or to prove their point. We will then cluster the information into categories, so
that it becomes clearer what know about this story. To begin the W section, I will point out any
contradictions that were stated in the K section (ex. if 1 student remembers Moshe hitting the rock,
while another remembers Moshe speaking to the rock). I will tell them we should all be interested
in resolving these contradictions, so that we have a clear understanding of the story. I will then tell
the class to take 3 minutes to write down whatever questions they have regarding the story.
Although the article made it seem like the L section should be completed by the individual without a
class discussion, I think it would be more beneficial for the class to collaborate and do it together. I
would want to make sure that they have learnt that which I want them to learn and that they have
the correct information. As a class, we can also raise questions that one person may have that is
unanswered, while other students may be able to help fill in the missing information. I will ask
them to fill in our class notes for L on their individual sheets, and I will collect them after the
exercise.

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3. 3
Jumping Ahead to Chapter 20
1. Where were they and what specific group of Bneiyisrael was there? ________________
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1. The entire congregation of the
children of Israel arrived at the
desert of Zin in the first month, and
the people settled in Kadesh.
Miriam died there and was buried
there.
The Entire Congregation – The full
congregation, the people who were
destined to die in the desert had
already died.
2. The congregation had no water; so
they assembled against Moses and
Aaron.
3. The people quarreled with
Moses, and they said, "If only we
had died with the death of our
brothers before the Lord.

4. 4
2. How would you feel if you were Moshe? _____________________________________________
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3. What areBneiYisrael complaining about? ____________________________________________
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4. When did we see this reaction of ?
_____________________________
4. Why have you brought the
congregation of the Lord to this
desert so that we and our livestock
should die there?
5. Why have you taken us out of
Egypt to bring us to this evil place; it
is not a place for seeds, or for fig
trees, grapevines, or pomegranate
trees, and there is no water to drink.
6. Moses and Aaron moved away
from the assembly to the entrance
of the Tent of Meeting, and they fell
on their faces. [Then] the glory of
the Lord appeared to them.

5. 5
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What Hashem Commanded
Please underline/highlight the words in the pasuk that show what Moshe is supposed to do
5. What was he commanded to do? ___________________________________________________
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7. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
8. "Take the staff and assemble the
congregation, you and your brother
Aaron, and speak to the rock in their
presence so that it will give forth its
water. You shall bring forth water
for them from the rock and give the
congregation and their livestock to
drink."
9. Moses took the staff from before
the Lord as He had commanded
him.
10. Moses and Aaron assembled the
congregation in front of the rock,
and he said to them, "Now listen,
you rebels, can we draw water for
you from this rock?"

6. 6
6. What did Moshe do and say to BneiYisrael at this stage? ________________________________
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7. According to the Rambam, What was Moshe’s mistake? ________________________________
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From this rock water shall come forth
– Since they didn’t recognize the rock,
since the rock went and mixed itself
in amongst the other rocks, once the
bier (well) was gone, and BneiYisrael
said, what difference does it make
which rock gives us water, therefore,
Moshe said “listen now you rebels”
The sin of Moshe was that he
wrongfully called them rebels.
Hashem was meticulous with such a
great man like Moshe for getting
angry at bneiYisrael at a time when it
was not befitting and he desecrated
the name of Hashem by doing so.
11. Moses raised his hand and
struck the rock with his staff twice,
when an abundance of water
gushed forth, and the congregation
and their livestock drank.

7. 7
8. What did Moshe do? Where did he differ from what Hashem commanded him? _____________
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9. According to Rashi, what did Moshe do wrong? _______________________________________
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12. The Lord said to Moses and
Aaron, "Since you did not have faith
in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of
the children of Israel, therefore you
shall not bring this assembly to the
Land which I have given them.
Twice – Since the first time he hit it
only a few drops came out, since
Hashem only commanded him to
speak to the rock and not to hit it,
they also spoke to the wrong rock and
nothing occurred, they said perhaps
we should hit the rock just like we did
the first time

8. 8
10. According to Rashi, what was Moshe’s sin? ___________________________________________
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Originally Hashem told Moshe (Shemot:
17, 7) to hit the rock with his staff, by
saying My great name will be exalted
through this, and he only hit it one time
and the water came out, but here, this
was not his command, and his sin was
that he hit the rock twice, therefore,
Hashem said, “because you didn’t believe
in Me,” and through his emunah the
miracle would have occurred.
If it weren’t for this sin, they would
have been allowed to enter Israel
To sanctify me – Had Moshe spoken to
the rock and water come forth from it,
Hashem would have been sanctified
before all of BneiYisrael, and they would
have said. This rock which cannot speak
and cannot hear and doesn’t need
sustenance fulfills the word of Hashem,
how much more so we should fulfill the
word of Hashem

9. 9
11. According to the Ramban, What was Moshe’s mistake? ________________________________
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12. What is the place called and why? __________________________________________________
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13. These are the waters of dispute
[Mei Meribah] where the children of
Israel contended with the Lord, and
He was sanctified through them.

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