Kedumah 114 (18239) 150

וַתִּקְצַר נֶפֶשׁ-הָעָם, בַּדָּרֶךְ. וַיִּצְמָא שָׁם הָעָם לַמַּיִם. וַיְדַבֵּר הָעָם, בֵּאלֹהִים וּבְמֹשֶׁה; וַיֹּאמֶר, לָמָּה זֶּה הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ, לְהָמִית אֹתִי וְאֶת-בָּנַי וְאֶת-מִקְנַי, בַּמִּדְבָּר: כִּי אֵין לֶחֶם, וְאֵין מַיִם, וְנַפְשֵׁנוּ קָצָה, בַּלֶּחֶם הַקְּלֹקֵל. וַיִּצְעַק מֹשֶׁה אֶל-יְהוָה לֵאמֹר, מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה לָעָם הַזֶּה; עוֹד מְעַט, וּסְקָלֻנִי. וַיַּעֲמֹד מֹשֶׁה, בְּשַׁעַר הַמַּחֲנֶה, וַיֹּאמֶר, מִי לַיהוָה אֵלָי; וַיֵּאָסְפוּ אֵלָיו, כָּל-בְּנֵי לֵוִי. וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם, כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שִׂימוּ אִישׁ-חַרְבּוֹ, עַל-יְרֵכוֹ; עִבְרוּ וָשׁוּבוּ מִשַּׁעַר לָשַׁעַר, בַּמַּחֲנֶה, וְהִרְגוּ אִישׁ-אֶת-אָחִיו וְאִישׁ אֶת-רֵעֵהוּ, וְאִישׁ אֶת-קְרֹבוֹ. וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי-לֵוִי, כִּדְבַר מֹשֶׁה; וַיִּפֹּל מִן-הָעָם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, כִּשְׁלֹשֶׁת אַלְפֵי אִישׁ. וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה, מִלְאוּ יֶדְכֶם הַיּוֹם לַיהוָה, כִּי אִישׁ בִּבְנוֹ, וּבְאָחִיו--וְלָתֵת עֲלֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם, בְּרָכָה

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, עֲבֹר לִפְנֵי הָעָם, וְקַח אִתְּךָ, מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל; וּמַטְּךָ, אֲשֶׁר הִכִּיתָ בּוֹ אֶת-הַיְאֹר--קַח בְּיָדְךָ, וְהָלָכְתָּ. הִנְנִי עֹמֵד לְפָנֶיךָ שָּׁם עַל-הַצּוּר, בְּחֹרֵב, וְהִכִּיתָ בַצּוּר וְיָצְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ מַיִם, וְשָׁתָה הָעָם; וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן מֹשֶׁה, לְעֵינֵי זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם, מַסָּה וּמְרִיבָה: עַל-רִיב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעַל נַסֹּתָם אֶת-יְהוָה לֵאמֹר, הֲיֵשׁ יְהוָה בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ, אִם-אָיִן

The spirit of the people grew short on the way. The people thirsted there for water. The people spoke against God and Moses, and it said, "Why is this that you have brought us up from Egypt to kill me and my children and my livestock through thirst, in this Wilderness?" For there is no food and no water, and our soul is disgusted with the insubstantial food." Moses cried out to Hashem, saying, "What shall I do for this people? A bit more and they will stone me !" Moses stood at the gateway of the camp, and said, "Whoever is for Hashem, join me!" — and all the Levites gathered around him. He said to them, "So said Hashem the God of Israel, 'Every man, put his sword on his thigh and pass back and forth from gate to gate in the camp. Let every man kill his brother, every man his fellow, and every man his near one.' " The Levites did as Moses said, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. Moses said, "Dedicate yourselves this day to Hashem — for each has opposed his son and his brother — that He may bestow upon you a blessing, this day."
Hashem said to Moses, "Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and in your hand take your staff with which you struck the River, and go. Behold! — I shall stand before you by the rock in Horeb; you shall strike the rock and water will come forth from it and the people will drink. Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah U'Meribah, because of the contention of the Children of Israel and because of their test of Hashem, saying, "Is Hashem among us or not?"