Torah Thursdays: Parshat Behaalotecha Moshe, Miriam, and Aharon in Leadership

(1) Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married: “He married a Cushite woman!” (2) They said, “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” The LORD heard it.

(1) And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. (2) And the woman conceived, and bore a son; and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. (3) And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch; and she put the child therein, and laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. (4) And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. (5) And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river; and her maidens walked along by the river-side; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid to fetch it. (6) And she opened it, and saw it, even the child; and behold a boy that wept. And she had compassion on him, and said: ‘This is one of the Hebrews’children.’ (7) Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter: ‘Shall I go and call thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?’ (8) And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: ‘Go.’ And the maiden went and called the child’s mother. (9) And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her: ‘Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.’ And the woman took the child, and nursed it. (10) And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, and said: ‘Because I drew him out of the water.’

Who were the midwives?

Rav says: A mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law-- Yocheved and Elisheva the daughter of Aminadav.

R.Shmuel Bar Nachman says: A woman and her daughter-- Yocheved and Miriam.

But Miriam was only 5 years old?!! ... Our sages said: she would go with Yocheved and help her...

4. Another explanation:

Shifra: She showed her face to Paro and lifted her nose at him. She said to him: Woe to that man when he comes to be judged before Elokim. He was very angry at her and wanted to kill her.

Puah: She improved the words of her daughter and soothed him. She said: You shouldn't pay attention to the words of babes-- she doesn't know anything.

5. R. Chanina Bar R.Yitzhak says:

Shifra: She stood Yisrael before God who created the world for them.

Puah: She showed her face to her father. At the time, Amram was the head of the Sanhedrin. When Paro made his decree and said, "Every boy should be thrown into the river," Amram said, "Why should Bnei Yisrael have children at all?!! He immediately sent Yocheved away and stopped trying to procreate. And he divorced her when she was 3 months pregnant. All of Yisrael followed his lead and divorced their wives. His daughter said to him: "Your decree is harsher than Paro's. Paro made his decree against the boys. You have decreed against both the boys and the girls. Paro is evil and therefore it's not certain if his decree will be fulfilled. You are righteous and therefore your decree is guaranteed to be fulfilled. He stood up and returned to his wife, and all of Yisrael returned to their wives. This is Puah who showed her face to her father.

(1) Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spoke, saying: I will sing unto the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.

(20) And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. (21) And Miriam sang unto them: Sing ye to the LORD, for He is highly exalted: The horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.

(20) (Exodus, Ibid.) "the timbrel in her hand": Whence did they have timbrels and dance (instruments) in the desert? __ Being tzaddikim, and knowing for a certainty that the Holy One Blessed be He would perform miracles and mighty acts for them when they left Egypt, they readied timbrels and (dance) instruments for themselves. (Ibid. 21) "And Miriam answered to them: Sing to the L rd, for He is exalted (over all the) exalted: horse and its rider He cast into the sea": Scripture hereby apprises us that just as Moses chanted song to the men, so did Miriam chant song to the women.

And his sister stood from afar... - Why did Miriam stand from afar? Rabbi Amram said in the name of Rav: Because Miriam prophesied and said "In the future, Mother will give birth to a child that will be the savior of the Jewish people." When Moshe was born, the entire house was filled with light. [Miriam's] father arose and kissed her on the head. He [Amram] said to her [Miriam]: "My daughter, your prophecy has been fulfilled". That is what is said (Exodus 15:20) "And Miriam the Prophetess, the brother of Aharon, took the tambourine..." Was she only the brother of Aharon and not the brother of Moshe? Rather, she had stated that prophecy while she was the sister of Aharon and not (yet) the sister of Moshe. When they put him (Moshe) in the river, her mother arose and hit her on the head and said to her daughter: "My daughter, where is your prophecy!?" And this is why the verse says "And his sister stood by from afar", for she wanted to know what would be the results of her prophecy. And the Rabbis say the entire verse was said with the Divine Spirit. "And she stood" similar to (Samuel I 3:10) "And G-D came and stood". "His Sister" similar to (Proverbs 7:4) "Say to wisdom, she is your sister". "From afar" similar to (Jeremiah 31:2) "From afar G-D is seen to me". "To know what will happen to him" similar to (Samuel I 2:3) "For G-D is all knowing".

(1) And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman. (2) And they said: ‘Hath the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? hath He not spoken also with us?’ And the LORD heard it.— (3) Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men that were upon the face of the earth.— (4) And the LORD spoke suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam: ‘Come out ye three unto the tent of meeting.’ And they three came out. (5) And the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forth. (6) And He said: ‘Hear now My words: if there be a prophet among you, I the LORD do make Myself known unto him in a vision, I do speak with him in a dream. (7) My servant Moses is not so; he is trusted in all My house; (8) with him do I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD doth he behold; wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?’ (9) And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and He departed. (10) And when the cloud was removed from over the Tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow; and Aaron looked upon Miriam; and, behold, she was leprous. (11) And Aaron said unto Moses: ‘Oh my lord, lay not, I pray thee, sin upon us, for that we have done foolishly, and for that we have sinned. (12) Let her not, I pray, be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.’ (13) And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying: ‘Heal her now, O God, I beseech Thee.’ (14) And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘If her father had but spit in her face, should she not hide in shame seven days? let her be shut up without the camp seven days, and after that she shall be brought in again.’ (15) And Miriam was shut up without the camp seven days; and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again. (16) And afterward the people journeyed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran.

(1) And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. (2) And there was no water for the congregation; and they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. (3) And the people strove with Moses, and spoke, saying: ‘Would that we had perished when our brethren perished before the LORD! (4) And why have ye brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, to die there, we and our cattle? (5) And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.’

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(22) And they journeyed from Kadesh; and the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, came unto mount Hor. (23) And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying: (24) ’Aaron shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against My word at the waters of Meribah. (25) Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto mount Hor. (26) And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall die there.’ (27) And Moses did as the LORD commanded; and they went up into mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. (28) And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount. (29) And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

The mishna continues: And the same is so with regard to the reward of good deeds; a person is rewarded measure for measure. Miriam waited for the baby Moses for one hour at the shore of the Nile, as it is stated: “And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him” (Exodus 2:4). Therefore the Jewish people delayed their travels in the desert for seven days to wait for her when she was smitten with leprosy, as it is stated: “And Miriam was confined outside of the camp seven days; and the people journeyed not until Miriam was brought in again” (Numbers 12:15).