At the end of Moses’ life, God summons him to ascend a mountain. He is told that he may gaze out upon the land of Israel -- but that is all. He may traverse the land only with his eyes, for he shall never set foot there.

What did Moses do that provoked such a response? According to the Torah, Moses was denied entrance into the land because of his conduct in the incident of "Mei Merivah". In this episode, the Jews had complained for water, and God had instructed Moses to draw forth water from a rock by speaking to it. Inexplicably, Moses strikes the rock instead -- and the waters pour forth. In the immediate aftermath of the event, God tells Moses that he will not enter the land, for he had failed to "sanctify His Name".

Searing questions race to mind: Why was Moses punished so severely for what appears to be a trivial misdeed? Why did Moses strike the rock rather than speak to it? And why does the Torah go out of its way to tell us that Miriam died immediately before this episode takes place?

In this two-part series, Rabbi Fohrman deals with these questions and more. He leads us back through the Chumash to explore in detail the lives of both Moses and Miriam, culminating in this fateful incident. The elegant structure that emerges sheds new light on both Moses and Miriam -- and their mysterious connection to the waters of Mei Merivah.