Some Torah I learnt from a beloved teacher, Maureen Kendler z"l. The phrase "striking up a conversation" is resonant in this parasha, as Moshe is asked by God to speak to the rock (and by extension the people) but instead strikes with the hand (simultaneously insulting the people).
Maureen Kendler was a people person. She was curious about what lay beneath, what psychology and personality and somebody's story might tell us about why they act the way they do. She understood that Moshe’s loss of his sister Miriam and his mentor Yitro cannot be separated from this episode in which he has an emotional outburst.
May we all find curiosity to ask why someone acts the way they do - even if their behaviour seems deeply objectionable. What might their back story be, to have lead to this moment?
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