(1) A certain member of the house of Levi went and took [into his household as his wife] a woman of Levi.(2) The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw how beautiful he was, she hid him for three months.(3) When she could hide him no longer, she got a wicker basket for him and caulked it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child into it and placed it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.(4) And his sister stationed herself at a distance, to learn what would befall him.

(10) As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites caught sight of the Egyptians advancing upon them. Greatly frightened, the Israelites cried out to יהוה.(11) And they said to Moses, “Was it for want of graves in Egypt that you brought us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt?(12) Is this not the very thing we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us be, and we will serve the Egyptians, for it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness’?”(13) But Moses said to the people, “Have no fear! Stand by, and witness the deliverance which יהוה will work for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again.(14) יהוה will battle for you; you hold your peace!”

(20) Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, picked up a hand-drum, and all the women went out after her in dance with hand-drums.(21) And Miriam chanted for them:
Sing to יהוה, for He has triumphed gloriously;
Horse and driver He has hurled into the sea.(22) Then Moses caused Israel to set out from the Sea of Reeds. They went on into the wilderness of Shur; they traveled three days in the wilderness and found no water.(23) They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; that is why it was named Marah. (24) And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”(25) So he cried out to יהוה, and יהוה showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. There [God] made for them a fixed rule; there they were put to the test.(26) [God] said, “If you will heed your God יהוה diligently, doing what is upright in God’s sight, giving ear to God’s commandments and keeping all God’s laws, then I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians, for I יהוה am your healer.”(27) And they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there beside the water.

(1) From the wilderness of Sin the whole Israelite community continued by stages as יהוה would command. They encamped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.(2) The people quarreled with Moses. “Give us water to drink,” they said; and Moses replied to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you try יהוה ?”(3) But the people thirsted there for water; and the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?”(4) Moses cried out to יהוה, saying, “What shall I do with this people? Before long they will be stoning me!”(5) Then יהוה said to Moses, “Pass before the people; take with you some of the elders of Israel, and take along the rod with which you struck the Nile, and set out.(6) I will be standing there before you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock and water will issue from it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.(7) The place was named Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and because they tried יהוה, saying, “Is יהוה present among us or not?”(8) Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.

(1) 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.(2) The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron.(3) The people quarreled with Moses, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished at the instance of יהוה !(4) Why have you brought יהוה’s congregation into this wilderness for us and our beasts to die there?(5) Why did you make us leave Egypt to bring us to this wretched place, a place with no grain or figs or vines or pomegranates? There is not even water to drink!”

(6) Moses and Aaron came away from the congregation to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and fell on their faces. The Presence of יהוה appeared to them,(7) and יהוה spoke to Moses, saying,(8) “You and your brother Aaron take the rod and assemble the community, and before their very eyes order the rock to yield its water. Thus you shall produce water for them from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their beasts.”(9) Moses took the rod from before יהוה, 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.(12) But יהוה said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them.”(13) Those are the Waters of Meribah —meaning that the Israelites quarrelled with יהוה —whose sanctity was affirmed through them.

(1) ולא היה מים לעדה AND THERE WAS NO WATER FOR THE CONGREGATION — Since this statement follows immediately after the mention of Miriam’s death, we may learn from it that during the entire forty years they had the “well” through Miriam’s merit (Taanit 9a).

(1) ולא היה מים לעדה, “The congregation had no water.” When Miriam died, the well disappeared, because the well was due to the merit of Miriam who merited the water through [watching over] Moses [at the Nile], as it is written, "And his sister was stationed at a distance" (Exodus 2:4). And because it disappeared now, with her death, [Israel] realized that it was with them through her merit, and from here [we can infer] that the well was with them for the whole 40 years [of their wandering].

(16) And from there to Beer, which is the well where יהוה said to Moses, “Assemble the people that I may give them water.”(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,(19) and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

(3)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."