What is the earliest memory you can recall of water?
Why does this memory stick out? Why is it important to you?
What is water's power? Either physical or spiritual?
(20) Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, picked up a timbrel and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels. (21) And Miriam chanted for them:
Sing to G-d, for G-d has triumphed gloriously;
Horse and driver G-d has hurled into the sea.
Of equal interest is the characterization of Miryam as a “prophetess.” But there may be a structural reason for her appearance as well: the enterprise of deliverance from Egypt began with a little girl at the Nile, watching through the reeds to make sure her baby brother would survive; it ends with the same person, now an adult, a “prophetess” celebrating the final victory at the Sea of Reeds.
Everett Fox: The Five Books of Moses
What is the relationship between Prophecy and Hope?
How is water showing up in this passage?
What is Miriam's relationship with water here? How has it changed from when she was a child?
(1) The Israelites arrived in a body at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, (Of the fortieth year) 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.
What are some initial reactions to Miriam's death?
The Gemara raises an objection from a baraita: Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, says: Three good sustainers rose up for the Jewish people during the exodus from Egypt, and they are: Moses, Aaron and Miriam. And three good gifts were given from Heaven through their agency, and these are they: The well of water, the pillar of cloud, and the manna. He elaborates: The well was given to the Jewish people in the merit of Miriam; the pillar of cloud was in the merit of Aaron; and the manna in the merit of Moses. When Miriam died the well disappeared, as it is stated: “And Miriam died there” (Numbers 20:1), and it says thereafter in the next verse: “And there was no water for the congregation” (Numbers 20:2). But the well returned in the merit of both Moses and Aaron.
וַיַּקְהִ֜לוּ מֹשֶׁ֧ה וְאַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַקָּהָ֖ל אֶל־פְּנֵ֣י הַסָּ֑לַע וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ הַמֹּרִ֔ים הֲמִן־הַסֶּ֣לַע הַזֶּ֔ה נוֹצִ֥יא לָכֶ֖ם מָֽיִם׃ וַיָּ֨רֶם מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶת־יָד֗וֹ וַיַּ֧ךְ אֶת־הַסֶּ֛לַע בְּמַטֵּ֖הוּ פַּעֲמָ֑יִם וַיֵּצְאוּ֙ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֔ים וַתֵּ֥שְׁתְּ הָעֵדָ֖ה וּבְעִירָֽם׃ {ס} וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ יַ֚עַן לֹא־הֶאֱמַנְתֶּ֣ם בִּ֔י לְהַ֨קְדִּישֵׁ֔נִי לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לָכֵ֗ן לֹ֤א תָבִ֙יאוּ֙ אֶת־הַקָּהָ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי לָהֶֽם׃ הֵ֚מָּה מֵ֣י מְרִיבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־רָב֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶת־ה׳ וַיִּקָּדֵ֖שׁ בָּֽם׃ {ס}
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?” And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. Out came copious water, and the community and their beasts drank. But ה׳ 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.” Those are the Waters of Meribah —meaning that the Israelites quarrelled with ה׳ —whose sanctity was affirmed through them.
המן הסלע הזה נוציא. לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁהָלַךְ הַסֶּלַע וְיָשַׁב לוֹ בֵּין הַסְּלָעִים כְּשֶׁנִּסְתַּלֵּק הַבְּאֵר, וְהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם מַה לָּכֶם מֵאֵי זֶה סֶלַע תּוֹצִיאוּ לָנוּ מַיִם? לְכָךְ אָמַר לָהֶם המרים — סַרְבָנִים, לְשׁוֹן יְוָנִי שׁוֹטִים, מוֹרִים אֶת מוֹרֵיהֶם, הֲמִן הַסֶּלַע הַזֶּה שֶׁלֹּא נִצְטַוִּינוּ עָלָיו נוֹצִיא לָכֶם מַיִם? (תנחומא):
המן הסלע הזה נוציא MUST WE BRING [WATER] OUT OF THIS ROCK? — They said this because they could not distinguish it (the rock intended by God), for the rock from which the water had hitherto flowed during these forty years had vanished and taken a place amongst the other rocks when the “well” disappeared after Miriam’s death, and Israel said to them, “What difference is it to you from which rock you bring forth water for us?” — It was on this account that he (Moses) said unto them (called them) המרים — which may mean “refractory”, or, as a Greek expression, “foolish people” (µώροι), or, “such as would teach (מורים) their teachers” — from this rock about which we have received no Divine Command can we bring forth water for you?! (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 9).
In the biblical narrative, each mention of Miriam, with the exception of the story of her gossip, is enveloped by the motif of water. In each story in which this motif appears the nature of the water itself is ambiguous? The water causes good only by posing a threat. The river which drowns the infant boys allows Moses to be saved and to become the savior of his people. The sea which threatens the Israelites and drowns the Egyptians becomes the instrument of God's redemption. Bitter water becomes sweet (Exod. 15:23-25), water which makes impure also makes pure (Num. 19:1-22) and, finally, the water which causes Moses' death nurtures the people (Num. 20:2-13). The ambiguity of this motif associated with Miriam seems to be reflected in two biblical wordplays on Miriam's name. Both appear in stories about the Israelites' lack of water, in the episodes of Marah and Meribah, each of which follows a reference to Miriam. The word mar, "bitter," occurs four times in one verse soon after Miriam's song, echoing and reechoing a play on Miriam's name as MRYM, "bitter sea" or "water" (Exod. 15:24). Meribah means "contentiousness" (Num. 20:13) and is linked in the episode which immediately follows Miriam's death with the word MRY, "rebelliousness" (Num. 20:10, 24; 27:14). Both of these stories seem to be playing on Miriam's name; together, they offer the double connotation of bitterness and rebelliousness and suggest, perhaps, a complex view of Miriam consistent with the complexity of the water motif.
Devora Steinmetz: A Portrait of Miriam in Rabbinic Midrash
What is Miriam's legacy?
Does this passage complicate your image of Miriam? Why or why not?
MIRIAM'S WELL
(from Talmudic sources)
On Sabbath evening, Miriam's Well,
and all its healing miracles -
that holy liquid which for her sake
saved the children of Israel, followed
them through the desert forty years -
moves from well to river, from river
to stream to well.
After her death
the flowing rock of Miriam's Well
sank in the sea, to rise again each
Sabbath and work its wonders. Miriam
died by a kiss from God. The Angel
of Death could not take her, nor worms
touch her body. When you draw the bucket
from Miriam's Well, if you want to hear
her prophesy, remember to fill
your mouth with water.
Ruth Fainlight