Hitting the Rock

There are many possible explanations as to what exactly was Moshe’s sin when he hit the rock, rather than speak to it. The obvious answer is that he disobeyed Hashem’s command.

There is another interpretation that Moshe’s sin was that he did not control his anger. This got him in trouble in the past, and he still needed to overcome this character flaw.

There is yet another interpretation that has relevance to today. When they began their journey in the desert forty years earlier, Moshe was actually commanded to hit the rock to bring forth water. That generation was very tough, as they had only recently become free men. They did not have a problem being treated in a harsh manner.
But now as they were about to enter Eretz Yisrael, it was a much more pampered generation. They were used to having everything done for them. They were not used to being scolded in a direct way.

Hashem wanted to see if Moshe could make the adjustment with this present generation. When he failed by hitting the rock, it was decided that a new leader was needed to bring the nation into the Promised Land.
Educators need to make similar adjustments in line with the abilities of their students. We are taught to teach according to the needs of the student. This was one of the main lessons learned from the episode of Moshe hitting the rock.