A Pampered Generation

The Keli Yakar has an interesting explanation as to why in the beginning of the forty year journey in the desert, Moshe was asked to hit the rock, while at the end of the forty years, the commandment was to speak to the rock.
He explained that the generation that left Egypt were toughened by their conditions. They needed to overcome the hardships, humiliations, and beatings of their Egyptian taskmasters.

It was not difficult for them to understand that Moshe’s hitting the rock would bring results. They could appreciate the miracle of a rock bringing abundant water.
The generation that was about to enter Israel, were a “pampered” generation. Everything was handed to them on a silver platter. They received “food from Heaven,” and were protected by the “clouds of glory.” Water was available in abundance in the merit of Miriam. They did not realize that these every day occurrences were miracles. They needed to be spoken to gently, and they needed to see a super miracle, where water would come from a rock, merely by speaking to it.

The younger generation today is definitely a “pampered generation.” Things come much more easily to them than in previous generations. Children need to be spoken to in a gentle manner, and disciplining and teaching respect, has become increasingly challenging.

I believe the source of the problem is too much free time and too much money. The combination of the two, leads to spoiled children who don’t appreciate how fortunate they are. This is a reality that requires a different approach. The Keli Yakar claimed that Moshe was not able to adjust to his new reality. He needed to hand over the reins to Joshua, who would deal with this new generation.

We need to develop a new approach to teach our young people. It must come with love and firmness, and teaching real values. Eventually they will learn to realize the abundant gifts they have been receiving from Hashem, and they will look to Him for guidance. We must not give up, but we must recognize this new reality and become leaders for the next generation.