אתה הרם את מטך ונטה את ידך… (בשלח יד: טז)

During the times of the holy Vilna Gaon zt”l, there lived a minister who possessed a rare stone.  The minister wanted to know what kind of stone it was and assembled his advisors to determine the worth of his precious stone.

One of the advisors present at that meeting was the apostate Moshe Mendelsohn.  He seized this opportunity to prove that – contrary to popular belief – the Vilna Gaon wasn’t knowledgeable in everything.  So he suggested having the stone delivered to Vilna so the Gaon could assess it.

The Vilna Gaon was in the middle of learning when a messenger bearing the stone arrived.  He placed the stone on a side and said he would answer within a few days.  It so happened that a child was present in the Vilna Gaon’s room, and he started playing with the stone.  The child placed the stone in a glass of water, and the water split.  The Vilna Gaon understood that the stone was the Sanpirynon stone, from which the staff was made, by which Moshe Rabbeinu split the Reed Sea.

The Vilna Gaon sent a messenger with his answer.  Understandably, the apostate’s plan didn’t work. The Vilna Gaon ultimately gained more respect in the eyes of the minister and his advisors.  The apostate then wrote to the Vilna Gaon, asking him: “If the nature of the Sanpirynon stone is to split water, what then was the great miracle that happened during the Splitting of the Reed Sea?”

The Vilna Gaon replied: “For wicked people like you, the pasuk says ”ואתה הרם את מטך” – raise your staff ”ונטה את ידך” and stretch your hand so that no one should be able to say that the Sanpirynon stone split the Reed Sea.”