וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אִ֖ישׁ מִבֵּ֣ית לֵוִ֑י וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־בַּת־לֵוִֽי׃ וַתַּ֥הַר הָאִשָּׁ֖ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֹתוֹ֙ כִּי־ט֣וֹב ה֔וּא וַֽתִּצְפְּנֵ֖הוּ שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה יְרָחִֽים׃ וְלֹא־יָכְלָ֣ה עוֹד֮ הַצְּפִינוֹ֒ וַתִּֽקַּֽח־לוֹ֙ תֵּ֣בַת גֹּ֔מֶא וַתַּחְמְרָ֥ה בַחֵמָ֖ר וּבַזָּ֑פֶת וַתָּ֤שֶׂם בָּהּ֙ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וַתָּ֥שֶׂם בַּסּ֖וּף עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר׃ וַתֵּתַצַּ֥ב אֲחֹת֖וֹ מֵרָחֹ֑ק לְדֵעָ֕ה מַה־יֵּעָשֶׂ֖ה לֽוֹ׃ וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֶת־אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ וַתִּפְתַּח֙ וַתִּרְאֵ֣הוּ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וְהִנֵּה־נַ֖עַר בֹּכֶ֑ה וַתַּחְמֹ֣ל עָלָ֔יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מִיַּלְדֵ֥י הָֽעִבְרִ֖ים זֶֽה׃ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֲחֹתוֹ֮ אֶל־בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֒ הַאֵלֵ֗ךְ וְקָרָ֤אתִי לָךְ֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה מֵינֶ֔קֶת מִ֖ן הָעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת וְתֵינִ֥ק לָ֖ךְ אֶת־הַיָּֽלֶד׃ וַתֹּֽאמֶר־לָ֥הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵ֑כִי וַתֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ הָֽעַלְמָ֔ה וַתִּקְרָ֖א אֶת־אֵ֥ם הַיָּֽלֶד׃ וַתֹּ֧אמֶר לָ֣הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֗ה הֵילִ֜יכִי אֶת־הַיֶּ֤לֶד הַזֶּה֙ וְהֵינִקִ֣הוּ לִ֔י וַאֲנִ֖י אֶתֵּ֣ן אֶת־שְׂכָרֵ֑ךְ וַתִּקַּ֧ח הָאִשָּׁ֛ה הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַתְּנִיקֵֽהוּ׃ וַיִגְדַּ֣ל הַיֶּ֗לֶד וַתְּבִאֵ֙הוּ֙ לְבַת־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַֽיְהִי־לָ֖הּ לְבֵ֑ן וַתִּקְרָ֤א שְׁמוֹ֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַתֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֥י מִן־הַמַּ֖יִם מְשִׁיתִֽהוּ׃
And there went a man from the house of Levi and took the daughter of Levi [after he had separated from her because of Pharaoh's decree (to drown the males)]. And the woman conceived and bore a son, and she saw that he was good, [the house being filled with light at his birth], and she hid him for three months. And she could conceal him no longer, and she took for him a reed casque [resistant to hard and soft], and she coated it with loam [on the inside] and with pitch [on the outside, so that "that tzaddik" not smell the foul odor of the pitch], and she put the child in it, and she placed it in the rushes by the banks of the Nile. And his sister stood from afar to know what would be done with him. And the daughter of Pharaoh went down to the Nile to bathe, and her maidens walked by the riverside, and she saw the casque in the midst of the rushes, and she sent her handmaid and she took it. And she opened it and she saw the child, and, behold, a youth crying [(His voice was as that of a youth)] and she pitied him and she said: This is one of the Hebrew children. And his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter: Shall I go and call for you a Hebrew nursing woman to nurse the child for you? [many Egyptian women having attempted to nurse him — without success (Moses being destined to speak with the Shechinah)]. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her: Go. And the maiden went [She went with alacrity, like a youth], and she called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her: Take [Heilichi (hei lichi — "This is yours," an unwitting prophecy)] this child and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wage. And the woman took the child and she nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought it to Pharaoh's daughter, and he was a son to her. And she called his name Mosheh, saying: "For out of the water did I take him" (meshithihu)].
תנא עמרם גדול הדור היה כיון (שראה שאמר) פרעה הרשע כל הבן הילוד היאורה תשליכוהו אמר לשוא אנו עמלין עמד וגירש את אשתו עמדו כולן וגירשו את נשותיהן
A Sage teaches: Amram, the father of Moses, was the great man of his generation. Once he saw that the wicked Pharaoh said: “Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive” (Exodus 1:22), he said: We are laboring for nothing by bringing children into the world to be killed. Therefore, he arose and divorced his wife. All others who saw this followed his example and arose and divorced their wives.
אמרה לו בתו אבא קשה גזירתך יותר משל פרעה שפרעה לא גזר אלא על הזכרים ואתה גזרת על הזכרים ועל הנקיבות פרעה לא גזר אלא בעוה"ז ואתה בעוה"ז ולעוה"ב
His daughter, Miriam, said to him: Father, your decree is more harsh for the Israelite people than that of Pharaoh, as Pharaoh decreed only with regard to the males, but you decreed both on the males and on the females. And now no children will be born. Additionally, Pharaoh decreed to kill them only in this world, but you decreed in this world and in the World-to-Come, as those not born will not enter the World-to-Come.
ותאמר לה בת פרעה לכי וגו' א"ר אלעזר מלמד שהלכה בזריזות כעלמה ר' שמואל בר נחמני אמר העלמה שהעלימה את דבריה ותאמר לה בת פרעה היליכי את הילד הזה אמר רבי חמא בר' חנינא מתנבאה ואינה יודעת מה מתנבאה היליכי הא שליכי ואני אתן את שכרך א"ר חמא בר' חנינא לא דיין לצדיקים שמחזירין להן אבידתן אלא שנותנין להן שכרן (שמות טו, כ) ותקח מרים הנביאה אחות אהרן וגו' אחות אהרן ולא אחות משה אמר רב עמרם אמר רב ואמרי לה אמר רב נחמן אמר רב מלמד שהיתה מתנבאה כשהיא אחות אהרן ואומרת עתידה אמי שתלד בן שמושיע את ישראל וכיון שנולד משה נתמלא כל הבית כולה אור עמד אביה ונשקה על ראשה אמר לה בתי נתקיימה נבואתיך וכיון שהטילוהו ליאור עמד אביה וטפחה על ראשה אמר לה בתי היכן נבואתיך והיינו דכתיב (שמות ב, ד) ותתצב אחותו מרחוק לדעה מה יעשה לו לידע מה יהא בסוף נבואתה
The next verse states: “And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: Go. And the maiden [ha’alma] went and called the child’s mother” (Exodus 2:8). Rabbi Elazar says: This teaches that she went quickly like a maiden, i.e., with the strength of one of marriageable age, and not as the young child that she was. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says: The word ha’alma is related to the word meaning to hide [le’alem], for she hid her words and didn’t tell Pharaoh’s daughter that she was bringing the baby’s mother. The next verse states what Pharaoh’s daughter said to Jochebed: “And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: Take this [heilikhi] child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it” (Exodus 2:9). Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: Pharaoh’s daughter is prophesying and she does not know what she is prophesying, as the word heilikhi means: This is yours [ha shellikhi], i.e., this is your child. The next part of the verse states: “And I will give you your wages.” Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: This teaches that with regard to righteous people, not only is it so that God arranges that their lost items are returned to them, but He also arranges that they get their wages, as the son of Jochebed was returned to her and she also received payment for nursing him. Elsewhere, the verse states with regard to Miriam: “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” (Exodus 15:20). The Gemara asks: Why is Miriam referred to as “the sister of Aaron,” and not the sister of Moses? Rav Amram says that Rav says, and some say that Rav Naḥman says that Rav says: This teaches that Miriam already prophesied when she was still the sister of only Aaron, i.e., before Moses was born. And as a child Miriam would say: In the future, my mother will give birth to a son who will save the Jewish people. And once Moses was born, the entire house was filled with light. Her father arose and kissed her on her head. He said to her: My daughter, your prophecy has been fulfilled. And once they put him into the river, her father arose and hit her on her head. He said to her: My daughter, where is your prophecy? And this is as it is written: “And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him” (Exodus 2:4), i.e., to know what will be the ultimate resolution of her prophecy.
What Charisma Really Is (and Isn’t)
Featured Guest: Barbara Kellerman, lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School and author of Followership: How Followers Are Creating Change and Changing Leaders.
SARAH GREEN: Welcome to the Harvard Business IdeaCast. Today we’re discussing leadership, followership, and that ineffable essence, charisma. And hopefully making it a bit more effable. I’m Sarah Green, an editor at Harvardbusiness.org, and I’m on the phone today with Barbara Kellerman, the James MacGregor Burns Lecturer in Public Leadership at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She’s the author of many books, most recently Followership: How Followers Create Change and Change Leaders. And you can read her writing on Harvardbusiness.org as well. Barbara, thanks for joining us today.
BARBARA KELLERMAN: My pleasure. Thank you for having me, Sarah.
SARAH GREEN: Barbara, you wrote a piece for Harvardbusiness.org in which you argued that the word charisma has been watered down in recent years, and that Barack Obama is actually the first truly charismatic president we’ve seen in a long time, and even in our lifetimes. But before we get into that, I wanted to ask you to explain to us what charisma is, and just as importantly, perhaps, what charisma is not.
BARBARA KELLERMAN: Well first of all, it’s important to note charisma was first popularized, if that’s the right word, by a German sociologist by the name of Max Weber, W-E-B-E-R, who divided leadership into three general categories. The first was legal, or rational, which is like the leader of an organization or an elected leader, for that matter. The second is traditional leadership, which would be like the son or daughter, typically the son, of course, of someone who had royal lineage, traditional leadership. And the third was charismatic leadership.
Now when Weber first coined the term in its original form, the term was powerful in a way that it generally is not nowadays. Weber intended to talk about a really strong, powerful, emotional bond between leaders and followers. He described followers who followed their leader, went along with their leader gladly, eagerly. Thought so highly of the leader that maybe in today’s terms would be almost considered a cult-like status, almost similar to a religious leader. But in any case the leader’s so highly esteemed and so valued that followers went along gladly.
And my point in that article– where I described Obama during the campaign– was that he really was one of the first in recent years to evoke in his followers such strong passions that they would go to great lengths to see him elected. And that’s quite different from the way the word charisma has been used in recent years, which you correctly say. I consider it to have been watered down so it means attractive, or sexy, or appealing, but does not necessarily imply the strong emotional bond to which Weber originally referred.
SARAH GREEN: Barbara, you started talking about charismatic leadership as a relationship between the leader and the followers, and actually put a great deal of emphasis on the followers. But I think that seems a little bit counter-intuitive to me, and maybe some of our listeners, since isn’t charisma all about the idea of the leader as hero, the celebrity side of leadership?
BARBARA KELLERMAN: Well actually, no. Not in its original and much more persuasive and powerful incarnation. You know, those of us in the leadership field– and I’ve been in the leadership field many years and have written many books and articles on leadership– we all tend to fixate on the leader. It’s part of the human condition. But the genuine leadership is best understood as a relationship. A relationship between the leader and his or her followers, which is why the word leadership is so much more evocative, really, than the word leader. And certainly charismatic leadership implies the power of the follower every bit as much as it does the power of the leader.
So I agree with you, Sarah, that it’s counter intuitive, but that’s only because we’re in a leader obsessed society. We have fixated, certainly in the last 20-30 years. We are constantly talking about training for good leadership, and educating for good leadership, and what is the mission of a leader, and the vision of a leader, and we have neglected– to our own collective detriment– the role of the follower. Which certainly in the 21st century, with changes in the culture, changes in technology, is much more important than it ever was before.
So while it may be counter intuitive, it is not at all erroneous, and it is certainly in keeping with Weber’s original definition of charisma as being all about the relationship between leaders and followers, rather than about the leader per se.
SARAH GREEN: Based on what you just said, I’m curious. Can charisma be taught? Can anyone do it?
BARBARA KELLERMAN: Great question, and I would argue, no. We assume that leadership can be taught. And many students where I am now at the Kennedy School, at the Harvard Business School, and people all across the United States and increasingly around the world take leadership courses and workshops and seminars, and they read books on leadership. I still think we have very scant evidence that even good leadership can be taught– not to speak of charismatic leadership. Certainly these courses can help around the edges. I myself assume that in my work. But whether great leadership can be taught– not to speak of charismatic leadership– to me is very much an open question.
I think it’s a gift. Sometimes a poisonous gift, I might add. Not all charismatic leaders are by definition great. But it’s a kind of natural gift, just like being a great swimmer, a great athlete of any kind, or, for that matter, a great artist or a great musician. Charismatic leadership, the genuine article, is usually considered great and powerful in some way. And that kind of greatness typically cannot– I at least would argue– be taught.
SARAH GREEN: Now I want to go back to something that you had in the middle of that response, which is the downside, potentially, of charisma. Can you elaborate a little bit more on that?
BARBARA KELLERMAN: Well again, depends on how we want to use the word. But if you want to go to an extreme example, Hitler, during the early years of Nazism, this diminished somewhat over time– but before World War II, which started in 1939, Hitler came legally to power in 1933. And there is ample evidence that during those years, of the 1930’s in particular, he was very widely adored in Germany. Not everybody was a Nazi, for sure, but there was a high level of real devotion to the man. So it is certainly possible to have elements of charismatic leadership, toward ends that are ignoble rather than noble.
SARAH GREEN: I wanted to ask you one final question. And I’m interested because so far in this interview we’ve talked about Barack Obama, and at the other end of the spectrum, Adolph Hitler. And I do often see male leaders more frequently described as charismatic than female leaders. In fact, I was trying to think before we sat down on the phone today if I’d ever heard a woman called charismatic, and I couldn’t think of one. So I’m curious to hear your thoughts on that.
BARBARA KELLERMAN: It’s a wonderful question, Sarah. You know, partly it’s about the numbers. Overwhelmingly in human history, leaders have been men. This is the case now, even as we speak in the 21st century, and it’s been even more the case earlier in human history. So genuine charismatic leadership is really rare. It’s rare in men, and it’s arguably rarer still in women. I cannot easily name a charismatic woman leader. Obviously, people like Carrie Nation– the temperance leaders and so forth, women leaders– have had large followings. But they’re not as well known to us, because women leaders are generally lost in the mist of history generally. And second of all, as I said, there are so few of them relative to men. So the sample size is just way too small to expect that we would have a list of female charismatic leaders, when even the list of genuine male charismatic leaders is short indeed.
SARAH GREEN: And perhaps it has something to do with the fact that charisma, as an idea, has been watered down to the point where it is often confused with something like sex appeal, so maybe we’re just more used to saying that woman, she’s got great sex appeal, you know. You know, instead of thinking of it as charisma.
BARBARA KELLERMAN: You know, it’s funny that you mention sex appeal. Because I’ve written, and I have argued that Sarah Palin– not the Sarah Palin we see now, but the Sarah Palin who was introduced by John McCain, and who was, in the early weeks of her introduction on the national scene, I don’t mean as governor of Alaska– was actually one of the sexiest public women leaders that this country has ever seen. She traded on that. Her audience’s most devoted followers were largely men. Jokes were made about how attractive and appealing she was. But there is a difference between being attractive, or even sexy, and being charismatic.
SARAH GREEN: Well thank you, Barbara, for joining us today.
BARBARA KELLERMAN: My pleasure, and thank you for having me, Sarah.
SARAH GREEN: That was Barbara Kellerman, the James MacGregor Burns Lecturer in Public Leadership at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Her most recent book is Followership: How Followers are Creating Change and Changing Leaders, and her writing appears regularly on Harvardbusiness.org. IdeaCast listeners, please let us know what you thought of this and other IdeaCast episodes by emailing us at [email protected].
(א) וַתְּדַבֵּ֨ר מִרְיָ֤ם וְאַהֲרֹן֙ בְּמֹשֶׁ֔ה עַל־אֹד֛וֹת הָאִשָּׁ֥ה הַכֻּשִׁ֖ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָקָ֑ח כִּֽי־אִשָּׁ֥ה כֻשִׁ֖ית לָקָֽח׃ (ב) וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ הֲרַ֤ק אַךְ־בְּמֹשֶׁה֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר ה' הֲלֹ֖א גַּם־בָּ֣נוּ דִבֵּ֑ר וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע ה' (ג) וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה ענו [עָנָ֣יו] מְאֹ֑ד מִכֹּל֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (ס) (ד) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה' פִּתְאֹ֗ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־מִרְיָ֔ם צְא֥וּ שְׁלָשְׁתְּכֶ֖ם אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּֽם׃ (ה) וַיֵּ֤רֶד ה' בְּעַמּ֣וּד עָנָ֔ן וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד פֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֑הֶל וַיִּקְרָא֙ אַהֲרֹ֣ן וּמִרְיָ֔ם וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ (ו) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֣א דְבָרָ֑י אִם־יִֽהְיֶה֙ נְבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם ה' בַּמַּרְאָה֙ אֵלָ֣יו אֶתְוַדָּ֔ע בַּחֲל֖וֹם אֲדַבֶּר־בּֽוֹ׃ (ז) לֹא־כֵ֖ן עַבְדִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה בְּכָל־בֵּיתִ֖י נֶאֱמָ֥ן הֽוּא׃ (ח) פֶּ֣ה אֶל־פֶּ֞ה אֲדַבֶּר־בּ֗וֹ וּמַרְאֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א בְחִידֹ֔ת וּתְמֻנַ֥ת ה' יַבִּ֑יט וּמַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א יְרֵאתֶ֔ם לְדַבֵּ֖ר בְּעַבְדִּ֥י בְמֹשֶֽׁה׃ (ט) וַיִּֽחַר אַ֧ף ה' בָּ֖ם וַיֵּלַֽךְ׃ (י) וְהֶעָנָ֗ן סָ֚ר מֵעַ֣ל הָאֹ֔הֶל וְהִנֵּ֥ה מִרְיָ֖ם מְצֹרַ֣עַת כַּשָּׁ֑לֶג וַיִּ֧פֶן אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶל־מִרְיָ֖ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה מְצֹרָֽעַת׃ (יא) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה בִּ֣י אדושם אַל־נָ֨א תָשֵׁ֤ת עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ חַטָּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֥ר נוֹאַ֖לְנוּ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר חָטָֽאנוּ׃ (יב) אַל־נָ֥א תְהִ֖י כַּמֵּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר בְּצֵאתוֹ֙ מֵרֶ֣חֶם אִמּ֔וֹ וַיֵּאָכֵ֖ל חֲצִ֥י בְשָׂרֽוֹ׃ (יג) וַיִּצְעַ֣ק מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶל־ה' לֵאמֹ֑ר אֵ֕ל נָ֛א רְפָ֥א נָ֖א לָֽהּ׃ (פ) (יד) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה וְאָבִ֙יהָ֙ יָרֹ֤ק יָרַק֙ בְּפָנֶ֔יהָ הֲלֹ֥א תִכָּלֵ֖ם שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים תִּסָּגֵ֞ר שִׁבְעַ֤ת יָמִים֙ מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְאַחַ֖ר תֵּאָסֵֽף׃ (טו) וַתִּסָּגֵ֥ר מִרְיָ֛ם מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים וְהָעָם֙ לֹ֣א נָסַ֔ע עַד־הֵאָסֵ֖ף מִרְיָֽם׃ (טז) וְאַחַ֛ר נָסְע֥וּ הָעָ֖ם מֵחֲצֵר֑וֹת וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר פָּארָֽן׃ (פ)
(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. (3) Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any other man on earth. (4) Suddenly the LORD called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting.” So the three of them went out. (5) The LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, stopped at the entrance of the Tent, and called out, “Aaron and Miriam!” The two of them came forward; (6) and He said, “Hear these My words: When a prophet of the LORD arises among you, I make Myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. (7) Not so with My servant Moses; he is trusted throughout My household. (8) With him I speak mouth to mouth, plainly and not in riddles, and he beholds the likeness of the LORD. How then did you not shrink from speaking against My servant Moses!” (9) Still incensed with them, the LORD departed. (10) As the cloud withdrew from the Tent, there was Miriam stricken with snow-white scales! When Aaron turned toward Miriam, he saw that she was stricken with scales. (11) And Aaron said to Moses, “O my lord, account not to us the sin which we committed in our folly. (12) Let her not be as one dead, who emerges from his mother’s womb with half his flesh eaten away.” (13) So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “O God, pray heal her!” (14) But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father spat in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut out of camp for seven days, and then let her be readmitted.” (15) So Miriam was shut out of camp seven days; and the people did not march on until Miriam was readmitted. (16) After that the people set out from Hazeroth and encamped in the wilderness of Paran.
וכן לענין הטובה מרים המתינה למשה שעה אחת שנאמר (שמות ב, ד) ותתצב אחותו מרחוק לפיכך נתעכבו לה ישראל ז' ימים במדבר שנאמר (במדבר יב, טו) והעם לא נסע עד האסף מרים
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).
ואומרת עתידה אמי שתלד בן שמושיע את ישראל וכיון שנולד משה נתמלא כל הבית כולה אור עמד אביה ונשקה על ראשה אמר לה בתי נתקיימה נבואתיך וכיון שהטילוהו ליאור עמד אביה וטפחה על ראשה אמר לה בתי היכן נבואתיך והיינו דכתיב (שמות ב, ד) ותתצב אחותו מרחוק לדעה מה יעשה לו לידע מה יהא בסוף נבואתה
1) MIRYAM'S PROPHECY
(a) She said, my mother will have a son who will save Yisrael.
(b) When Moshe was born, the house filled with light. Her father kissed her on the head - 'your prophecy has been fulfilled,'
1. When they put Moshe in the river, he hit her on the head - 'where is your prophecy?!'
2. "His sister stood afar, to know what will happen to him" - to know, what will happen to her prophecy.
...
(כ) וַתִּקַּח֩ מִרְיָ֨ם הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה אֲח֧וֹת אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַתֹּ֖ף בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַתֵּצֶ֤אןָ כָֽל־הַנָּשִׁים֙ אַחֲרֶ֔יהָ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת׃
(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.
(כא) וַתַּ֥עַן לָהֶ֖ם מִרְיָ֑ם שִׁ֤ירוּ לַֽיהוָה֙ כִּֽי־גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה ס֥וּס וְרֹכְב֖וֹ רָמָ֥ה בַיָּֽם׃ (ס)
(21) And Miriam chanted for them: Sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver He has hurled into the sea.
(א) ותקח מרים הנביאה וגו'. עכשיו נעשית נביאה כי במעמד זה זכו גם הנשים לראות פני השכינה עד שאמרו כולם זה אלי, כארז"ל (מכילתא בשלח פר' ג) ראתה שפחה על הים כו', לכך נאמר ותצאן כל הנשים אחריה, כי הנבואה התחילה במרים וכל הנשים יצאו בעקבותיה במעמד זה כי כולם זכו לנבואה, ולפי שאין השכינה שורה כ"א מתוך שמחה והנשים יש להם צער לידה ע"כ לקחה את התוף בידה ותצאן כל הנשים אחריה בתופים ובמחולות כדי שתחול עליהם רוח הקודש מתוך שמחה
(ב) ומ"ש אחות אהרן. לפי שהיתה שוה לו בנבואה אבל לא למשה, כי כן משמע סוף פר' בהעלותך בפסוק לא כן עבדי משה (יבז) כי שם הושוו אהרן ומרים בנבואה, וכן פירש מהרי"א. ולשון מחולות הוא ענין מחילת עון וכ"כ רבינו בחיקוק, ואולי שזהו שמסיק בילקוט פר' זו בפסוק ויסע משה, שכל מי שנעשה לו נס ואומר שירה בידוע שמוחלין לו כל עונותיו, ומהיכן למד לומר אם לא מלשון מחולות שנזכר בשירת נשים אלו.
1. Now Miriam became a Neviah because at this point the woman were also worthy to see the Shechina until everyone said "This is my G-d"... As our Rabbis teach us even the maidservant saw Hashem by the sea. Therefore, it says all the woman followed after her because the nevuah started with Miriam and all the woman went in her footsteps and all of them were worthy of nevuah. And because nevuah doesn't rest except with people that are happy and woman have "tzar laida" (labor pains) Therefore they took tamberenes in their hands. And all the woman followed after her with tamberenes and drums so that Ruach hakodesh would come to them.
2. And why does it say the sister of Aharon? Because she was equal to him in nevuah but not to Moshe Rabbeinu as it says, not so with My servant Moshe.
(ח) הִשָּׁ֧מֶר בְּנֶֽגַע־הַצָּרַ֛עַת לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מְאֹ֖ד וְלַעֲשׂ֑וֹת כְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁר־יוֹר֨וּ אֶתְכֶ֜ם הַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים הַלְוִיִּ֛ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוִּיתִ֖ם תִּשְׁמְר֥וּ לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ (ס) (ט) זָכ֕וֹר אֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֛ה יקוק אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ לְמִרְיָ֑ם בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶ֥ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ (ס)
(8) Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you, as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do. (9) Remember what the LORD thy God did unto Miriam, by the way as ye came forth out of Egypt.
(א) זכור את אשר עשה יקוק אלהיך למרים. אם באת להזהר שלא תלקה בצרעת, אל תספר לשון הרע זכור העשוי למרים שדברה באחיה ולקתה בנגעים:
Remember what the Lord, your God, did to Miriam: If you wish to take precautions against being stricken with tzara’ath, then do not speak לָשׁוֹן הָרַע [slander, derogatory remarks]. Remember what was done to Miriam, who spoke against her brother [Moses] and was stricken with lesions [of tzara’ath] (see Num. 12:1-16). - [Sifrei 24: 141]
Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism
By Howard Schwartz
During their forty years of wandering in the wilderness, an enchanted well gave the Israelites fresh water to drink. God gave them this well as a fight because of the merits of Miriam, the sister of Moses. It was there for them every day, whenever they were thirsty. How was this possible? It followed the Israelites everywhere they went. It ascended the high mountains with them, and it descended with them to the deep valleys, going around the entire camp of Israel and giving them drink, each and every one of them at the door of his tent.
The enchanted well accompanied the children of Israel to the court of the Appointed Tent and stopped there. And the princes of the Congregation approached it, and said, "Come, O well, and give of your waters!" And the well gave forth water, and the Congregation and their cattle drank.
Some say that well was created at the beginning of Creation, while others say that the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, dug it. Then it was hidden until it was returned to the children of Israel by Moses and Aaron, who rediscovered it.
Whatever became of Miriam's well? Some say it disappeared the day that Miriam died; others say it followed the people all the way to the Holy Land. Still, others say that the well can still be found traveling from place to place, wherever Jews can be found. Whenever a minyan gathers, it is possible to drink from the well.
English
וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵל כָּל־הָ֨עֵדָ֤ה מִדְבַּר־צִן֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב הָעָ֖ם בְּקָדֵ֑שׁ וַתָּ֤מָת שָׁם֙ מִרְיָ֔ם וַתִּקָּבֵ֖ר שָֽׁם׃
The Israelites arrived in a body at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.
וְלֹא־הָ֥יָה מַ֖יִם לָעֵדָ֑ה וַיִּקָּ֣הֲל֔וּ עַל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְעַֽל־אַהֲרֹֽן׃
The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron.
ותמת שם מרים. אַף הִיא בִנְשִׁיקָה מֵתָה, וּמִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נֶאֱמַר בָּהּ "עַל פִּי ה'"? שֶׁאֵינוֹ דֶּרֶךְ כָּבוֹד שֶׁל מַעְלָה, וּבְאַהֲרֹן נֶאֱמַר "עַל פִּי ה'" בְּאֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי (במדבר ל"ג):
ותמת שם מרים AND MIRIAM DIED THERE — She, too, as Moses and Aaron, died by a Divine Kiss. But why is it not said with reference to her: she died “by the command (lit., mouth) of God”, (this being the Biblical expression from which is derived the Midrashic statement that they died by the Divine Kiss)? Because this would not be a respectful way of speaking about the Most High God, as it would have reference to a woman. But of Aaron it says in the Sedrah אלה מסעי (Numbers 33:38), “By the mouth of the Lord” (Moed Katan 28a).
The Five Books of Miriam: A Woman's Commentary on the Torah
By Ellen Frankel Ph.D
Where is Miriam?
Our Daughters Ask: Why is Miriam not mentioned among the children of Amram? As it is written: " Amram took to wife his father's sister Yokheved, and she bore him Aaaron and Moses" (6:20)
Miriam the Prophet Answers: The three children in our family rarely appear together. So when my brother Moses first arrives on the scene, at the beginning of the Book of Exodus, only an unnamed sister is mentioned. Aaron is totally absent from the story. I first appear by name only after the crossing of the Sea of Reeds, and there I am identified only as Aaron's sister. Moses is absent from my genealogy.
The Sages in Out Own Time Declare: Such inconsistencies prove differing authorship of the Bible and different accounts are woven together into whole cloth.
Miriam Disagrees: No, these lapses reveal dynamic tensions within our family - I appear alone as my brother's protector; Aaron appears alone as his mouthpiece and co-leader; Aaron and I together function as rivals to our brother's authority. Psychologists tell us that triangles are unstable structures in human relationships. How much more so in families!