דף נושא: מרים

And his sister stationed herself at a distance, to learn what would befall him. The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, while her maidens walked along the Nile. She spied the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to fetch it. When she opened it, she saw that it was a child, a boy crying. She took pity on it and said, “This must be a Hebrew child.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a Hebrew nurse to suckle the child for you?”

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. And Miriam chanted for them:Sing to יהוה, for He has triumphed gloriously;Horse and driver He has hurled into the sea.

“His sister positioned herself at a distance to know what would happen to him” (Exodus 2:4). “His sister positioned herself at a distance.” Why did Miriam stand at a distance? Rabbi Amram said in the name of Rav: It is because Miriam had been prophesying and saying: ‘My mother is destined to bear a son who will redeem Israel.’ When Moses was born the house was filled with light. Her father stood and kissed her on her head. He said to her: ‘My daughter, your prophecy has been fulfilled.’ That is what is written: “Miriam the prophetess, sister of Aaron, took the drum” (Exodus 15:20). [Was she] the sister of Aaron but not the sister of Moses? Rather, she said this prophecy when she was the sister of Aaron, and Moses had not yet been born. When they cast him into the Nile, her mother stood and struck her on her head. She said to her: ‘Where is your prophecy?’ That is what is written: “His sister positioned herself at a distance [to know]” – to know what would be the fate of her prophecy. The Rabbis say: The entire verse is stated as an allusion to the Divine Spirit: “Positioned herself [vatetatzav],” alluding to: “The Lord came and stood [vayityatzev]” (I Samuel 3:10); “his sister,” alluding to: “Say to wisdom: You are my sister” (Proverbs 7:4); “at a distance,” alluding to: “From a distance the Lord appeared to me” (Jeremiah 31:2); “to know [lede’a] what would happen to him,” alluding to: “As the Lord is a God of knowledge [de’ot]” (I Samuel 2:3).

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.

“The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shifra and the name of the other was Pu’a” (Exodus 1:15). When he saw that they were procreating, he issued a decree against the males – that is what is written: “The king of Egypt said to the midwives….” Who were the midwives? Rav said: A daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law, Yokheved and Elisheva daughter of Aminadav. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman says: A woman and her daughter, Yokheved and Miriam. And Miriam was no more than five years old, as Aaron was three years older than Moses. Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said: She would go with her mother Yokheved and assist her, and she was very quick. While the child is still young, his [character] is recognizable. That is what Solomon said: “Even a lad is recognized through his deeds” (Proverbs 20:11). “…the name of one was Shifra [and the name of the other was Pu’a],” because she would attend to [meshaperet] the baby when he would emerge covered in blood; “Pu’a,” because she would express [nofa’at] wine into the babies after her mother [had attended to them]. Alternatively, Shifra, because Israel procreated [sheparu veravu] in her day; Pu’a, who would revive [mapia] the baby when they would say it was dead. Alternatively, Shifra, because she made her actions pleasing [shipera] before God; Pu’a, because she caused Israel to appear [hofia] before God. Alternatively, Pu’a, because she was impudent [hofia panim] to Pharaoh and had her nose in the air toward him, and she said to him: ‘Woe unto that man when God will come and punish him.’ He became filled with fury and sought to kill her. Shifra, because she eased [meshaperet] the words of her daughter and placated him toward her. She said to him: ‘Are you paying attention to her? She is a child and knows nothing.’ Rabbi Ḥanina bar Rav Yitzḥak said: Shifra, because she preserved Israel for God, and it was for their sake that the heavens were created, regarding which it is written: “By his wind the heavens are calm [shifra]” (Job 26:13). Pu’a, because she was impudent [hofia panim] toward her father. Amram was the head of the Sanhedrin at that time. Once Pharaoh issued his decree and said: “Every son that is born you shall cast him into the Nile” (Exodus 1:22), Amram said: ‘Isn’t Israel begetting children for naught?’ Immediately, he separated from Yokheved and abstained from sexual relations. He divorced his wife when she was three months pregnant. All Israel arose and divorced their wives. His daughter said to him: ‘Your decree is harsher than Pharaoh’s, as Pharaoh decreed only against the males, and you, against the males and the females. Pharaoh is wicked and it is uncertain whether his decree will be fulfilled or whether it will not be fulfilled. However, you are righteous and your decree will be fulfilled.’ He arose and remarried his wife. All Israel arose and remarried their wives. That is Pu’a, who was impudent toward her father.

We shall explain in detail this verse ["Remember what the L-rd your G-d did to Miriam on the way when you went out of Egypt"], so that every man of intelligence can see that our words are correct. The holy Torah noted for us in the mitzvah of remembering, four things: 1) "Remember what, etc."; that is, what was done. 2) To whom did He did it? To Miriam. 3) In what place did He do it? On the way. 4) When did this occur? When you went out of Egypt. Why does the Torah mention these four specifically? What difference does it make to us that the punishment was tzara'ath [leprosy] and not any other punishment? Or whether this happened in the house or on the way? Or whether it happened at some other time and not at the exodus from Egypt? But the truth is that these four details are essential for "remembering" and there is great benefit in reflecting upon them. And for this reason it is written "Remember what He did." That is, one should remember and reflect upon the greatness of the punishment inflicted upon her because of her speaking against Moses, our teacher, may peace be upon him. And that punishment was tzar'ath, an extremely severe punishment, which [illness] it is impossible to cure unless the Holy One Blessed be He conduct himself with him [the leper] above the bounds of nature. As we find in Midrash Rabbah Vayikra 16 on (Vayikra 14:5): "And the Cohein shall command and he shall slaughter the one bird" — Why does he slaughter one and release the other? To teach us that just as it is impossible for the slaughtered bird to return, so is it impossible [within the bounds of nature] for the plague-spots to return [there being no possible cure in the interim]." And [the degree of] his uncleanliness is extremely severe. For he must sit outside the three camps, as opposed to all the other unclean ones. And he also renders unclean all who enter his tent as mentioned in the verse [(an intimation that all those who keep company with the slandered become unclean, as he is)]. And he is also considered like a dead man, as Chazal have said (Nedarim 64b). This explains "Remember what He did, etc." And to whom did He do it? To Miriam, who was a great tzadeketh, in whose merit the well rose [for Israel], and also a prophetess, as it is written (Shemoth 15:20): "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron took, etc." And she spoke only against her brother, whom she loved as herself, having risked her life to save him from the water. And she did not speak demeaningly of him, but only likened him to the other prophets (as Rambam writes at the end of Hilchoth Tumath Tzara'ath). And she did not speak to his face to shame him, and not in public, but only to her holy brother, in private, her intent being only the betterment of society. And he [Moses] was indifferent to all of these things, as it is written (Bamidbar 12:3): "And the man, Moses, was extremely humble, etc." And in spite of all this, all of her good deeds did not avail her, and she was punished with tzara'ath because of this. And in which place was this punishment inflicted upon her? "On the way," her merits not sufficing her to suspend her judgment until they came to camp in some place, where it would not have been so conspicuous. But now that she was punished immediately on the way, as they were walking, as it is written (Bamidbar 12:15): "And the people did not journey until Miriam had been gathered in," the greatness of her shame was revealed to all, as it is written (Ibid. 14): "Will she not be shamed, etc.?" And when did this happen? When they went out of Egypt, in the beginning of the second year of the exodus, when the greatness of its punishment was not yet known. (As to its being written in respect to Moses our teacher, may peace be upon him, [that his hand became leprous (viz. Shemoth 4:6)], it [the leprosy] was immediately removed from him, as it is written (Ibid. 4:7): "And, behold, it had resumed its fleshy appearance" — as opposed to what happened afterwards, when they had to enter Eretz Yisrael and this was aborted through the lashon hara of the spies. For in this instance the sin was far greater, their having witnessed the punishment of Miriam and not having taken mussar [reproof] — wherefore the parshah of Shelach was juxtaposed with that of Miriam (See Rashi there).

4. In addition, I heard that this is the explanation of the verse “O God, pray, heal her, pray!” (Numbers 12:13). On the face of it, the repetition of the word “pray” is quite odd. However, now it is clearly explained. Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, asked this of God, that God Himself, as it were, should pray and petition Himself to heal her. Now, how much sweeter than honey is the resolving of this verse.

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).

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.