Waters of Strife Versus Rest

בפסוק המה מי מריבה

On the verse, "These are the waters of Merivah (strife)" (Bamidbar 20:13).

The Sfas Emes opens on the verse describing the waters of strife at which Moshe was told he would not enter the Land, and he builds his whole teaching around the word "Merivah," strife.

דיש מי מנוחות בחי' שבת מנוחה והוא הבאר שנקרא רחובות ויש מי מריבה כענין הבארות שנקראו עשק ושטנה

For there are "waters of menuchos" (waters of rest), the aspect of Shabbos, which is rest — and this is the well that was called "Rechovos" ("the L-rd has made room for us"); and there are "waters of strife," like the matter of the wells that were called "Eisek" (contention) and "Sitnah" (enmity) (Bereishis 26:20-22).

He sets up a contrast between two kinds of "waters": waters of rest, which correspond to Shabbos and to the well of Rechovos where there was room and peace, versus waters of strife, like the wells that Yitzchak's servants fought over, named Eisek and Sitnah.

ומרע"ה הי' למעלה בחי' מי מנוחות ולכן לא הי' יכול להשפיל עצמו למי מריבה וז"ש להקדישני במים לעיניהם כפי מדריגתם

And Moshe Rabbeinu was above, on the aspect of the "waters of rest," and therefore he was unable to lower himself to the "waters of strife"; and this is the meaning of "to sanctify Me through the water before their eyes" (Bamidbar 20:12) — according to their level.

Moshe Rabbeinu stood on the elevated aspect of "waters of rest" and could not bring himself down to the level of "waters of strife," yet Hashem wanted him to sanctify the Name specifically through the water at the level of Bnei Yisrael where they then stood.

כי עתה התחיל הדור של כניסת הארץ ומלחמת ז' אמות

For now had begun the generation of the entry into the Land and the war against the seven nations.

He explains why the level had shifted downward: this was the generation entering the Land, which meant entering an era of war against the seven nations rather than the restful state of the wilderness.

ואיתא אלו לא שלחו מרגלים לא היו צריכין לכלי זיין כמ"ש באו ורשו את הארץ ע"ש ברש"י והיו נמשכין אחר מדריגת משה ואהרן והי' נכבש הארץ לפניהם בבחי' מנוחה ושלום

And it is brought down that had they not sent the spies, they would not have needed weapons of war, as it is written, "Come and possess the Land" — see there in Rashi — and they would have been drawn after the level of Moshe and Aharon, and the Land would have been conquered before them in the aspect of rest and peace.

Had Bnei Yisrael not sent the spies, they would have entered the Land peacefully, drawn after the lofty level of Moshe and Aharon, conquering it in a state of rest rather than by force of arms.

וזה ג"כ הענין שדרשו חז"ל וישמע הכנעני שמע שמת אהרן ונסתלקו ענני הכבוד וסבר שניתן רשות להלחם בישראל

And this too is the matter that Chazal expounded on "And the Canaanite heard" (Bamidbar 21:1): he heard that Aharon had died and the Clouds of Glory had departed, and he reasoned that permission had been granted to wage war against Bnei Yisrael.

This is why the Torah says the Canaanite "heard": he sensed that Aharon had died and the Clouds of Glory were gone, and took that as permission to attack, since the protective state of peace had lifted.

והנה הפסוק מסיים כי בא ישראל דרך האתרים

And behold, the verse concludes, "for Yisrael came by the way of the spies (Asarim)" (Bamidbar 21:1).

The Sfas Emes notes that the same verse ends by saying Yisrael came "by the way of the Asarim (spies)," linking the onset of war back to the sin of the spies.

רק הכל ענין אחד כשהי' אהרן קיים לא היו צריכין למלחמה כי הוא עמוד השלום

Rather, it is all one matter: while Aharon was alive they had no need for war, for he is the pillar of peace.

He ties the threads together: it is all one idea — as long as Aharon, the pillar of peace, was alive, Bnei Yisrael had no need to go to war.

וזה ענין ענני הכבוד רמז לדבר כבוד לאיש שבת מריב

And this is the matter of the Clouds of Glory — there is an allusion to the thing: "It is an honor (kavod) for a man to cease from strife" (Mishlei 20:3).

The Clouds of Glory themselves express this peace, hinted at in the verse "it is an honor for a man to cease from strife" — the kavod (honor) of the Clouds corresponds to one who keeps away from strife.

ובאמת אהרן בחי' אהבת ה' וכשהיו ישראל בזו המדריגה לא הי' שום שייכות לאוה"ע להתקרב להם כי אהבת ה' רק לבנ"י כמ"ש אהבתי אתכם כו' ואוהב את יעקב

And in truth, Aharon is the aspect of the love of Hashem; and when Bnei Yisrael were on this level, there was no connection at all by which the nations of the world could draw close to them, for the love of Hashem is only for Bnei Yisrael, as it is written, "I have loved you... and I loved Yaakov" (Malachi 1:2).

On a deeper level Aharon embodies the love of Hashem, and when Bnei Yisrael lived on that plane the nations had no foothold to approach them, because that love is reserved for Bnei Yisrael alone, as the navi testifies.

אבל כשנסתלק אהרן כתיב ויראו ויראו שהתחילו להשתמש במדת היראה

But when Aharon departed, it is written, "and they saw" (vayir'u) — which can be read "and they feared" (vayir'u) — for they began to make use of the trait of fear.

Once Aharon departed, the verse's word "vayir'u" carries the sense of fear, indicating that Bnei Yisrael now had to operate through the trait of yiras Shamayim rather than pure love.

ובזה יש הסתכלות להלחם עמהם כי הכל צריכין ליראת אלקים

And through this there is an opening to look upon them and wage war with them, for all need the fear of Hashem.

Because the relationship had shifted to fear, the nations now had an opening to contend with them, since fear of Hashem is something all of mankind shares and can lay claim to.

והתחיל הדרך מלחמה בחי' ימי המעשה

And there began the way of war, the aspect of the weekdays (days of labor).

Thus began the era of warfare, which corresponds to the weekdays of labor rather than the restful state of Shabbos.

וזה הטעם כי בא כו' דרך האתרים

And this is the reason for "for Yisrael came... by the way of the spies (Asarim)."

This is the deeper reason the Torah says Yisrael came "by the way of the Asarim" — the path of struggle and war that followed the loss of the higher level.

ובש"ק יש פריסת סוכת שלום וגם הארת משה רבינו ע"ה ונק' יום מנוחה:

And on the holy Shabbos there is the spreading of the Sukkah of Peace, and also the illumination of Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, and it is called a day of rest.

The Sfas Emes closes by pointing to the holy Shabbos, when the Sukkah of Peace is spread out and the illumination of Moshe Rabbeinu shines, restoring the aspect of rest and peace that the weekday of war had displaced.

Summary: In this piece the Sfas Emes reads the "waters of Merivah (strife)" against the backdrop of two levels of avodah: the "waters of rest," which are the aspect of Shabbos, peace, and the well of Rechovos, versus the "waters of strife," the aspect of contention and warfare. Moshe Rabbeinu and Aharon stood on the higher, restful level, and had Bnei Yisrael not sent the spies they would have been drawn after that level and conquered the Land peacefully, without weapons; but once that level was lost — and especially once Aharon, the pillar of peace and the embodiment of the love of Hashem, departed and the Clouds of Glory lifted — the nations were given an opening to wage war. The Sfas Emes explains this through the word "vayir'u": Bnei Yisrael now had to serve through the trait of fear rather than pure love, and since yiras Shamayim is something all mankind can share, the nations gained a foothold to contend with them. This is the meaning of Yisrael coming "by the way of the Asarim (spies)" — the path of war and struggle, which is the aspect of the weekdays of labor. He concludes that on the holy Shabbos the Sukkah of Peace is spread and the illumination of Moshe Rabbeinu returns, restoring the aspect of menuchah, rest and peace, that the era of war had displaced.