{"id":24619,"date":"2026-06-20T12:05:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T11:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sukkatshalom-bneinoach.com\/?p=24619"},"modified":"2026-06-20T12:05:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T11:05:43","slug":"the-power-of-words-who-gets-the-credit-in-your-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sukkatshalom-bneinoach.com\/it\/the-power-of-words-who-gets-the-credit-in-your-story\/","title":{"rendered":"THE POWER OF WORDS – WHO GETS THE CREDIT IN YOUR STORY?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u05d1\u05e1 \"\u05d3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

UN PENSIERO SU\u00a0PARSHAT<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>CHUKAT 5786<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Book of Numbers 20:12, we encounter a striking statement from G-d to Moses and Aaron: because they did not trust Him enough and did not uphold His holiness before the people, they would not enter the Promised Land. This raises an honest question: where do we actually see this lack of trust?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you read the preceding verses, it\u2019s not immediately obvious. Moses does act\u2014he even strikes the rock twice, and water flows. It feels more like a moment of frustration toward the people, whom he calls \u201crebellious,\u201d than a lack of faith. Yet classical Jewish commentators see something deeper happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What went wrong?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Rabbeinu Chananel, the core issue lies in Moses\u2019 words: \u201cShall we bring water for you out of this rock?\u201d<\/em> (Numbers 20:10). In that moment, the focus subtly shifted from G-d to human action. In earlier situations\u2014such as the giving of the manna\u2014Moses had been very careful to clearly attribute everything to G-d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rashi adds another important layer. G-d had instructed Moses to speak to the rock, not strike it. Had Moses spoken and water still flowed, it would have created a powerful lesson for the people. They might have said: If even a silent, lifeless rock obeys G-d\u2019s word, how much more should we?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, it wasn\u2019t just about what Moses did, but about how clearly he revealed G-d\u2019s Presence to the people of Israel\u2014and in this case, he missed that opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A missed moment of sanctification<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Later, G-d says that Moses and Aaron did not \u201csanctify\u201d Him in the eyes of the people (see Deuteronomy 32:51). That means they failed to make it clear that G-d was the true source of the miracle. As a result, the people could have concluded that Moses and Aaron themselves were responsible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that brings us to a lesson that feels surprisingly relevant today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does this mean for us?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We may not be standing before a rock in the desert, but we do experience good things every day: success at work, restored health, solutions to problems, unexpected opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question is: how do we talk about those moments?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do we (even subtly) give the impression that everything is the result of our own effort and ability? Or do we also acknowledge\u2014out loud\u2014that something greater is at work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A simple way many Jewish people express this is by saying \u201cBaruch Hashem\u201d<\/strong> (\u05d1\u05e8\u05d5\u05da \u05d4\u05e9\u05dd), meaning \u201cBlessed is G-d.\u201d It\u2019s not just a formal religious phrase, but an everyday expression that brings awareness of God into daily conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, in the Bible this phrase is often spoken \u05d3\u05d5\u05d5\u05e7\u05d0 by non-Israelites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n