(ט) וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֖ה מִלִּפְנֵ֣י ה׳ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּֽהוּ׃ (י) וַיַּקְהִ֜לוּ מֹשֶׁ֧ה וְאַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַקָּהָ֖ל אֶל־פְּנֵ֣י הַסָּ֑לַע וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ הַמֹּרִ֔ים הֲמִן־הַסֶּ֣לַע הַזֶּ֔ה נוֹצִ֥יא לָכֶ֖ם מָֽיִם׃ (יא) וַיָּ֨רֶם מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־יָד֗וֹ וַיַּ֧ךְ אֶת־הַסֶּ֛לַע בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ פַּעֲמָ֑יִם וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּ הָעֵדָ֖ה וּבְעִירָֽם׃ {ס}
(9) Moses took the rod from before ה׳, as he had been commanded. (10) Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock; and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” (11) And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the community and their beasts drank.
(יז) אָ֚ז יָשִׁ֣יר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את עֲלִ֥י בְאֵ֖ר עֱנוּ־לָֽהּ׃ (יח) בְּאֵ֞ר חֲפָר֣וּהָ שָׂרִ֗ים כָּר֙וּהָ֙ נְדִיבֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם בִּמְחֹקֵ֖ק בְּמִשְׁעֲנֹתָ֑ם וּמִמִּדְבָּ֖ר מַתָּנָֽה׃
(17) Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well—sing to it— (18) The well which the chieftains dug, Which the nobles of the people started With maces, with their own staffs. And from Midbar to Mattanah,
אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא: הָרוֹצֶה לִרְאוֹת בְּאֵרָהּ שֶׁל מִרְיָם יַעֲלֶה לְרֹאשׁ הַכַּרְמֶל וְיִצְפֶּה וְיִרְאֶה כְּמִין כְּבָרָה בַּיָּם — וְזוֹ הִיא בְּאֵרָהּ שֶׁל מִרְיָם. אָמַר רַב: מַעְיָן הַמִּיטַּלְטֵל טָהוֹר — וְזֶהוּ בְּאֵרָהּ שֶׁל מִרְיָם.
Because of its similarity to Rabbi Ḥanina’s statement, the Gemara cites that which Rabbi Ḥiyya said: One who wants to see Miriam’s well, which accompanied the Jewish people throughout their sojourn in the desert, should do the following: He should climb to the top of Mount Carmel and look out, and he will see a rock that looks like a sieve in the sea, and that is Miriam’s well. Rav said: A spring that is portable, i.e., that moves from place to place, is ritually pure and is regarded as an actual spring and not as drawn water. And what is a movable spring? It is Miriam’s well.
וּפִי הַבְּאֵר. בְּאֵרָהּ שֶׁל מִרְיָם שֶׁהָיְתָה הוֹלֶכֶת עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּכָל הַמַּסָּעוֹת. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, שֶׁפָּתְחָה פִּיהָ וְאָמְרָה שִׁירָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כא) עֲלִי בְאֵר עֱנוּ לָהּ:
and the mouth of the well: The well of Miriam that went with Israel in the wilderness on all of the journeys. And some say, that it opened its mouth and uttered song, as it stated (Numbers 21:17), "rise up, O well; answer it."
עֲשָׂרָה דְבָרִים נִבְרְאוּ בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, פִּי הָאָרֶץ, וּפִי הַבְּאֵר, וּפִי הָאָתוֹן, וְהַקֶּשֶׁת, וְהַמָּן, וְהַמַּטֶּה, וְהַשָּׁמִיר, וְהַכְּתָב, וְהַמִּכְתָּב, וְהַלּוּחוֹת. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, אַף הַמַּזִּיקִין, וּקְבוּרָתוֹ שֶׁל משֶׁה, וְאֵילוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, אַף צְבָת בִּצְבָת עֲשׂוּיָה:
Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath at twilight, and these are they: [1] the mouth of the earth, [2] the mouth of the well, [3] the mouth of the donkey, [4] the rainbow, [5] the manna, [6] the staff [of Moses], [7] the shamir, [8] the letters, [9] the writing, [10] and the tablets. And some say: also the demons, the grave of Moses, and the ram of Abraham, our father. And some say: and also tongs, made with tongs.
Miriam's Well (Rivka Miriam. trans. Linda Stern Zisquit)
Miriam's well was rolling in the dersert
made of the mouths of fish.
The nation drinking from it
turned to water
and rolled after her in the desert
and the desert rolled after them like a carpet.
Rise up, well, sand the people
their voices a density of cloud
and the dryness quenched their voices.
אסור לעשות שום מלאכה קודם שיבדיל ואם הבדיל בתפלה מותר אע"פ שעדיין לא הבדיל על הכוס ואם צריך לעשות מלאכה קודם שהבדיל בתפלה אומר המבדיל בין [הקודש ובין החול] בלא ברכה ועושה מלאכה: הגה וכן נשים שאינם מבדילין בתפלה יש ללמדם שיאמרו המבדיל בין קודש לחול קודם שיעשו מלאכה [כל בו] וי"א דכל זה במלאכה גמורה כגון כותב ואורג אבל הדלקת הנר בעלמא או הוצאה מרשות לרשות אין צריך לזה [רי"ו ני"ב תי"ט] ומזה נתפשט המנהג להקל שמדליקים נרות מיד שאמר הקהל ברכו אבל העיקר כסברא ראשונה וי"א לדלות מים בכל מוצאי שבת כי בארה של מרים סובב כל מוצאי שבת כל הבארות ומי שפוגע בו וישתה ממנו יתרפא מכל תחלואיו [כל בו] ולא ראיתי למנהג זה וע"ל סי רס"ג מי שמוסיף מחול על הקודש אם מותר לומר לאחר שהבדיל לעשות לו מלאכה:
10. It is forbidden to do any work before havdalah. And if he said havdalah in the prayer it is permitted even though he has not yet made havdalah over the cup. And if one needs to do work prior to saying havdalah in the prayer, he says 'Hamavdil' without a blessing (i.e. without G-d's Name) and then he may do work. RAMA: And likewise women who do not recite the Evening Service and [thus] do not recite Havdalah in the Evening Service on Saturday night, should be instructed to recite Baruch HaMavdil bein kodesh lechol before they perform a labor [forbidden on Shabbos when they have not yet heard] Havdalah recited over a cup [of wine]. [Kol Bo]. There are those who say that all this is regarding a labor that would be forbidden on Shabbat, such as writing or weaving. But lighting a lamp or going from domain to domain does not qualify for this rule. And from this there is a widespread custom to be lenient to light lamps immediately after the congregation says 'Barchu', but the essence is like the first opinion. And there are those who say to draw water from wells or natural springs every Saturday night, because the well of Miriam passes through all the wells and natural springs every Saturday night. And one who touches it and drinks from it will be healed from all his afflictions [Kol Bo]. And I did not see (anything) about this custom. And see above Siman 263, that he who adds from the profane to the holy whether it is permitted to say to him after he has made havdalah to do work for him.
Hope is like a path in the countryside. Originally, there is nothing—but as people walk this way again and again, a path appears. [attributed to Lu Xun (?)]