במדבר, פרק ל״ג, פסוק ל״ו

The journey of the Israelites through the desert presents a complex puzzle of geography and timeline, particularly surrounding the locations of major miracles. The stop at the Wilderness of Zin, known as Kadesh, serves as a focal point for understanding where and when these dramatic events took place. The primary approach among commentators [אם למקרא] suggests that the famous miracle of bringing water from a rock at Rephidim, a place also called Massah and Meribah, is actually the exact same historical event and physical location as the incident recorded at Kadesh.

Several details support this unified view. In the records of the desert travels, a lack of water is noted at an earlier stop, yet there is complete silence regarding any thirst at Kadesh. This absence suggests there were not two separate events of severe water shortage. Furthermore, equating the two locations solves a major geographical problem concerning the war with the Amalekites. If Rephidim were located at the beginning of the journey near Egypt, and Kadesh at the end near the land of Israel, it is difficult to explain how the Amalekites could have reached Rephidim so quickly, far from their natural territory. Viewing Rephidim and Kadesh as the same place resolves this issue, contrasting with the view of other scholars who argue for two distinct locations at opposite ends of the desert.

The naming of the locations also points to a single event. The name Kadesh stems from the fact that God was sanctified before the people when the water split forth. The text itself links the waters of Kadesh with the waters of Meribah, which is the very name given to Rephidim. Additionally, later accounts in the books of Psalms and Nehemiah mention only one historical instance of water being drawn from a rock.

Looking at the instructions given by God provides another logical proof. If these were two distinct occurrences, one would expect God or Moses to reference the earlier miracle at Rephidim when facing the crisis at Kadesh. There would also likely be an explanation for why Moses was allowed to strike the rock the first time, but was commanded only to speak to it the second time.

To address the timeline issue, specifically that Rephidim appears at the beginning of the journey out of Egypt while Kadesh appears at the end, it is explained that the Israelites actually visited this area twice. Kadesh refers to a broad region. The people arrived there shortly after leaving Egypt, remained for many years, wandered further into the desert, and ultimately returned to the exact same region right before their entry into the land.