Ilustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
וַיֵּשֶׁב הָעָם בְּקָדֵשׁ וַתָּמָת שָׁם מִרְיָם וַתִּקָּבֵר שָׁם׃
וְלֹא הָיָה מַיִם לָעֵדָה…
The people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.
There was no water for the community...
What’s the connection between Miriam’s death and Benei Yisrael not having water?
כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָיְתָה מִרְיָם קַיֶּמֶת הָיְתָה בְּאֵר מְסַפֶּקֶת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. מִשֶּׁמֵּתָה מַהוּ אוֹמֵר? "וְלֹא הָיָה מַיִם לָעֵדָה."
While Miriam was alive, there was a well that gave water to Benei Israel.
When she died, what does it say? “There was no water for the community.”
What made Miriam so special that Benei Yisrael had water for 40 years in the מִדְבָּר (midbar, wilderness) just because of her?
כִּי הָיָה הַבְּאֵר בִּזְכוּת מִרְיָם שֶׁהָיָה לָהּ זְכוּת הַמַּיִם מִמֹּשֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ב) וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחוֹתוֹ מֵרָחוֹק.
The well existed thanks to Miriam’s merit. She earned that when she watched over Moshe (when he was placed in the water as a baby), as it says, “His sister stood from afar (to watch over him)” (Shemot 2:4).
According to Rabbeinu Bahaye, the miracle of having water in the desert was thanks to Miriam watching over baby Moshe when he was placed in the water.
- What is the connection between these two events? How would Miriam watching over baby Moshe in the water deserve a miracle of God giving water to the people in the midbar?
- What was important about what Miriam did, according to this midrash? What can we learn from her?
וְהַבְּאֵר בִּזְכוּת מִרְיָם, שֶׁאָמְרָה שִׁירָה עַל הַמַּיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות טו, כא): וַתַּעַן לָהֶם מִרְיָם שִׁירוּ לַה'
The well was thanks to Miriam’s merit, for she sang a song over the splitting of the sea, as it says: Miriam called out and said, “Sing to God!” (Shemot 15:21).
According to this midrash, the miracle of the well was thanks to Miriam showing gratitude for the miracle of קְרִיעַת יַם סוּף (keriat yam suf, God splitting the sea, Shemot 14-15). She gathered the women with tambourines and dancing and got them all to sing to God.
- What is the connection between these two events? How would Miriam showing gratitude to God for keriat yam suf be deserving of a miracle of God giving water to the people in the midbar?
- What was important about what Miriam did, according to this midrash? What can we learn from her?
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