Which staff did Hashem instruct Moshe to take?
Rashbam: Aharon's staff that was placed in front of the Aron ha'Kodesh. 1
Targum Yonasan: The staff of miracles (belonging to Moshe). 2
The words "mi'Lifnei Hashem" in Pasuk 9 bear this out. See Ibn Ezra there.
The staff with which Moshe performed all the miracles. See Na'ar Yonasan, who elaborates and who points out that this is also the opinion of the Zohar. Presumably, this is the staff to bring water earlier - the staff with which he struck the river (Sh'mos 17:5). (PF).
Why did Hashem tell Moshe to take the staff?
Seforno, Da'as Zekenim, Hadar Zekenim and Targum Yonasan: In order to strike the rock (in addition to speaking to it 3 - Seforno and Targum Yonasan).
"Vedibartem el ha?Sela". What are the mplicatons of "ha?Sela", with a ?Hey??
R. Bachye: Because it was the same rock that Moshe stuck in Chorev (the well of Miriam), 1 which departed when Miriam died and now returned on the merit of Moshe.
What did Hashem instruct Moshe and Aharon to do to the rock?
Rashi (on Pasuk 11), Ramban #1 (citing the Midrash), Rashbam and Targum Onkelos: He instructed them to speak to it. 1
Ramban #2: He instructed them to speak to the people about the rock 2 (to inform them that it will produce water), which he did, and then to actually produce water by striking it. 3
Seforno: He instructed Moshe and Aharon to speak to the rock to produce water from itself (a supreme miracle), 4 and to strike it for the water to flow to the tribes 5 (a lesser miracle). 6
Targum Yonasan: He instructed them to make the rock swear by the Name of Hashem that it would produce water, and that, if it refused, Moshe alone was to strike it with the staff.
Da'as Zekenim and Hadar Zekeni (citing the Bechor Shor): He instructed them to speak to B'nei Yisrael in front of the rock. 7
Rosh (citing R. Dan Ashkenazi): Here and in some other places 'Dibur refers to striking - like they struck it earlier (in Refidim).
See Ramban's objections to this explanation.
Ramban: Not to speak to the rock.
Ramban: Like in Egypt (See Shemos 7:15), where Moshe took his staff in order to perform miracles with it). Otherwise, what was the point in taking it?
Seforno: To demonstrate the greatness of Hashem. Refer to 20:8:3:3**.
See Seforno who elaborates.
This is the same episode mentioned in Sh'mos 17:2-7 (refer to 14:22:151:3). There it says explicitly that Hashem told Moshe to strike the rock.
If Hashem meant Moshe to speak to the rock, why did He instruct him to take the staff?
This is what the Ramban found difficult with Rashi?s explanation.
R. Bachye: Because whenever Moshe performed a miracle, he took the staff in his hand. 1
R. Bachye: As the Torah wrote in Sh?mos 4:17 "ve?es ha?Mateh ha?Zeh Tikach be?Yadecha asher Ta?aseh bo es ha?Osos"".
What are the implications of "Venasan Meimav"?
Ramban #1 and R. Bachye #1: It implies that the rock would give forth an abundance of water 1 (as indeed it did, as the Torah writes in Pasuk #11 "Vayeitz?u Mayim Rabim" - Ramban). And miraculously, the water came from the rock itself and not from a spring underneath the ground as it sometimes does.
Ramban #2 and R. Bachye #2: According to Chazal, who explain that this was the well of Miriam, "Venasan Meimav" means that the rock produced its own water 2 - which ceased when Miriam died and now began flowing again on the merit of Moshe 3
R. Bachye: ?The rock will give forth its water to flow into rivers?. 4
Ramban: Like we find regarding the B?rachos - in Vayikra 27:4 - "Venasnah ha?Aretz Yevulah ve?Eitz ha?Sadeh Yiten Piryo".
R. Bachye: Which it possessed since the six days of the creation - seeing as the well of Miriam was one of the ten things that Hashem created on the first Beis Hashmashos.
See Ramban DH ?ve?al Da?as Raboseinu?.
See R. Bachye (citing Yeshayah 48:21), who elaborates.
Having said "Venasan Meimav", why did Hashem need to add "Vehotzeisa lahem Mayim min ha?Sela!"?
R. Bachye: With reference to 20:8:3.2:1 - to confirm that Hahsem was not referring to an underground spring which emerged from the rock - Hashem explained " ? mi?Guf ha?Sela" - from the rock itself. Moreover, the Lashon ?Hotza?ah? implies ?miraculously?. 1
R. Bachye: Like we find in Bereishis 15:7 " ? asher Hotzeisicah me?Ur Kasdim", and in Sh?mos 20:2 " ? asher Hotzeisicha me?Eretz Mitzrayim".
"Vehotzeisa lahem Mayim". What are the implications of the (otherwise superfluous) word "lahem"?
Ramban: It implies that Moshe should produce water from the rock before the eyes of all the people and command them to drink - in order to publicise the miracle. 1
See Ramban DH ?ve?Chazar ve?Amar Vehotzeisa?.
Why does the Torah mention the cattle?
