A moment of profound crisis reaches its resolution as water bursts forth from a dry stone to quench the thirst of an entire nation. Yet, this event, intended as a clear revelation of divine power, is fraught with human error and strict divine judgment. Approaching the task, Moses raises his hand and chooses to strike the rock with his staff rather than speaking to it as commanded. Some explain that he simply acted out of habit, relying on the staff he had consistently used for past miracles [מלבי״ם]. However, the primary approach among commentators is that Moses was overwhelmed by anger, which clouded his judgment and led to this critical mistake [שפתי חכמים, משכיל לדוד]. This error was compounded by a previous misstep: because Moses and Aaron had just spoken in a way that attributed the impending miracle to themselves, this initial flaw paved the way for the physical failure of striking the rock [אדרת אליהו].
Within this emotional turmoil, a stark contrast emerges between the two leaders. Moses’s anger created an obstacle to the miracle, while Aaron maintained his composure and integrity. The water ultimately flowed partly due to Aaron’s pure intentions. However, because the Israelites witnessed Moses acting in anger, they mistakenly perceived the event as an act of sorcery rather than a divine miracle, resulting in a desecration of God's name [חתם סופר].
The decision to strike the rock twice stems from a complex chain of misunderstandings. The generally accepted view is that the first blow yielded only a few meager drops. Initially, Moses and Aaron had spoken to a completely different rock. When it failed to produce water, they assumed they needed to revert to the method previously used in Egypt and strike the correct rock that now stood before them [רש״י, חזקוני, ריב״א]. This confusion was amplified because the designated rock had miraculously concealed itself among the other stones to ultimately magnify the wonder [פענח רזא]. When the first strike produced only a trickle, the people began to mock the leaders, asking sarcastically if such a small amount was meant for nursing infants. This ridicule further fueled Moses's anger, prompting a second, forceful blow [מזרחי].
Other perspectives offer different motivations for the double strike. It can be seen purely as an expression of rage, much like an angry person compulsively repeating an unnecessary action [ביאור יש״ר], or conversely, as a display of zeal by a devoted servant rushing to fulfill God's will [אור החיים]. From a physical standpoint, the first strike may have merely released the small amount of water naturally trapped within the stone, making a second blow necessary to alter the rock's very nature and unleash a massive flow [העמק דבר]. A unique historical interpretation suggests that the action was not two consecutive blows at all, but rather signifies the second time in history that Moses struck a rock, the first being at Horeb [הכתב והקבלה].
Following the strike, an immense volume of water surged forth. It erupted directly from the center of the solid stone, ensuring the people would not mistakenly think a hidden well lay beneath it [צאינה וראינה]. The magnitude of the miracle was so intense that every rock in the desert split open at that exact moment [קיצור בעל הטורים]. Nevertheless, because Moses did not explicitly frame the event as a divine miracle, some Israelites dismissed it as a random natural occurrence, arguing that many rocks contain subterranean springs [בכור שור, פענח רזא]. Indeed, some suggest the blow simply unsealed a natural, trapped spring [מלבי״ם]. According to another view, after the initial failure caused by deviating from God's instruction, Moses prayed for help. God graciously answered with an abundance of water to spare Moses from public shame and to prevent the people from concluding that God lacked the power to provide [רלב״ג].
Finally, the congregation and their livestock drank. The original intention was for Moses to serve the water to the people with his own hands to highlight the grandeur of the miracle, but their overwhelming thirst drove them to rush forward and drink on their own [צאינה וראינה]. The fact that the people drank before their animals raises a question regarding the general principle that a person must feed their livestock before eating themselves. The distinction lies in the difference between eating and drinking. While a person might eat without being ravenous, drinking is driven by thirst, which causes genuine physical pain. In situations involving acute physical suffering, alleviating human distress takes precedence over the needs of an animal [ברכת אשר על התורה].