IN the parsha of Chukat Israel complains of no water after death of Miriam. Hashedm tells Moshe and Aaron to assemble the people and then commands Moshe to talk to the rock. We all know that instead of talking he hits the rock and an abundant amount of water comes out.

Because Moshe failed to talk to the rock, Gd tells Moshe and Aaron that they both will not enter Israel. Huh? what did Aaron do? He assembled the people just as he was told.

This makes no sense. Now the Shikkerdovid has started reading Rav Tzadok Hocohen or the Pri Tzedek. Rav Tzadok suggests that both Moshe and Aaron were told to assemble the people for different reasons. Moshe was to teach the whole Torah to Aaron and the people and Aaron was to teach the oral tradition to the people, or as Rav Tzadok says, he was to make sure the people could integrate the Torah into the hearts. The fact that the people acted with no faith demonstrates that Aaron did not accomplish his mission.

Again, it begs the question, Aaron did his job. Why is he punished here. The answer is simple but hard to swallow. You can achieve your objectives, you can meet the goals, you can ostensibly be successful and still ultimately fail. This is really the ultimate reminder that all in his the hands of Gd.