The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts on the parsha that R' Frand spoke about in his shiur tonight. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
Rabbi Frand's first vort on the parsha involved the incident wherein Moshe hit the rock instead of speaking to it. R' Frand quoted the Yalkut Shimoni who used a teaching example based on his era. The Yalkut explains that when a child is young, a potch may evoke compliance. However, when the child grows up you need to speak and reason with him. What works for a younger child will not work with an older one.
The Yalkut notes that the word for rock is different in Beshalach than here is Chukas. In Beshalach, Moshe is told in Shemos 17:6 to strike the "Tzur." However in Chukas he and Aharon are told in Bamidbar 20:8 to speak to the "Sela" which is a larger and more developed rock.
R' Frand then quoted R' Weinberg who noted the difference in the anticipated result and what actually occurred. Moshe and Aharon are told וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֧ם אֶל־הַסֶּ֛לַע לְעֵֽינֵיהֶ֖ם וְנָתַ֣ן מֵימָ֑יו - speak to the rock and it will give its waters. When Moshe hit the rock instead the pasuk indicates in Bamidbar 20:11 וַיַּ֧ךְ אֶת־הַסֶּ֛לַע בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ פַּֽעֲמָ֑יִם וַיֵּֽצְאוּ֙ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים - that once he hit the rock a lot of water gushed out.
R' Weinberg explained that if you speak and reason with a child, his natural talents will come out. But if you are forceful with the child there may be a result, but you will not see the best he has to offer.
R' Frand said a second vort related to the water in the parsha. The story of the Jews crying out for water, leading to Moshe hitting the rock, follows immediately after the death of Miriam. Rashi explains that the reason the two incidents are consecutive is to teach that the well which accompanied the Jews in the desert came in the merit of Miriam.
R' Frand then quoted the Sifsei Chachamim which further develops this point. He asks - why couldn't the water have continued in the merit of Moshe & Aharon? He answers that the Miriam had a special connection to the water because it came as a reward for her waiting on the banks of the river when Moshe was placed in the basket.
R' Frand closed the vort by quoting the Klei Yakar who explains that the cessation of water was a punishment for the Jewish people not mourning Miriam. While the Torah indicates that the Jews grieved for thirty days after Aharon and Moshe died, there was no period of aveilus mentioned when Miriam died.
R' Frand remarked that this is an unfortunate lesson. At times we don't know what a treasure we had in our midst until after the person dies and only at that point do we feel a great loss.
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