[Avodah] Moshe and the Rock

[Poppers, Michael]

In Avodah V30n79, RCRW wrote:
> I've seen a commentary that says Moshe was commanded to
speak to the rock but was never told what to say. Now certainly,
he wouldn't ask the rock "How ya doin?" So if he wasn't told what
exactly to say to the rock, was he supposed to just say "Hey rock,
give us some water!" Also, how would he know which rock to speak
to? <
Data points:
-- This parasha is the first mention of "sela'" in the Torah, so we can't yet give a precise translation (like "rock"). 
-- just as Moshe Rabbeinu was to take "the mateh," a specific mateh (and there is much commentary on which mateh, and NB that H' did _not_ command him to take "mat'cha," your mateh), he was to speak to "the sela'," a specific sela' (and ibn Ezra indicates either he knew or he was going to find out which sela'; NB that RaShY d'h' pa'amoyim indicates that Moshe v'Aharon spoke to "a different [i.e. the wrong] sela'"!). 
-- Moshe Rabbeinu 'hit' ("vayach").  We see from Shmos 2:11-12 that while "vayach" can indicate physical striking, it also (as RaShY indicates there, d'h' halhorgeini) can refer to verbal activity (in Moshe Rabbeinu's case, the Sheim haM’forash). 
-- Moshe Rabbeinu 'hit' "b'mateihu," with his mateh, not necessarily with "the mateh" he was told to utilize. 

From the above, one can suggest that Moshe (and Aharon) generally knew how to utilize their verbal powers to effect physical changes which humans nowadays (and for some time) can hardly accomplish with physical power; what words they used is meant to be a secret.  It also would seem, according to RaShY, that their failure to properly utilize that verbal power (in re to what they said and/or where they directed their words) in public led to chillul H'; and it would seem from the pasuq that Moshe Rabbeinu didn't utilize "the mateh" properly, so perhaps he failed to use the verbal power H' wanted him to use (and NB that the Targum for "lo-he'emantem bi" is "la heimantun _b'meimri_," which can perhaps be seen [not only as a failure to follow the words of H' but also] as a failure to display emunah with words provided by H'). 

Happy 4th* to all!

*) and also Happy 2nd :) -- see 
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20120703/NEWS/120709966/1077&ParentProfile=1058

All the best from 
-- Michael Poppers via BB pager