Monday 22 June - 7 Tamuz

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Take the staff and gather the assembly, you and your brother Aaron.

Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will give out its water.

You will bring out water from the rock, and you will give the community something to drink, along with their livestock.

So Moses took the staff from before the presence of the Lord, just as he had commanded him.

Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock.

He said, Listen now, you rebels! Must we bring you water from this rock? Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with the staff.

Water gushed out, and the community and its livestock drank.

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not trust in me so as to esteem me as holy in the eyes of Bnei Israel, therefore you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given to them.

These are the waters of Meribah, where Bnei Israel contended with the Lord and where the Lord showed himself holy among them.

Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom.

Thus says your brother Israel, See now, we are at Kadesh, a town on the frontier of your territory.

Permit us to pass through your territory.

We will not cross through any field or vineyard or drink water of any well, but we will travel on the king's highway.

We will not deviate to the right or left until we will have passed through your territory.

But Edom said to him, You may not pass through me, or I will march out against you with the sword.

Bnei Israel then said to him, We will travel on the main road, and if we or our livestock even drink any of your water, we will pay its price.

It's nothing, just to pass through on foot.

He answered, You may not pass through.

Yet Edom came out to oppose them with a large and well-armed people.

Since Edom refused to permit Israel to cross through her territory, Israel turned away from them.

That was Numbers 20, verse 7 through 21.