(1) The Israelites arrived in a body at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam (MRYM) 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 the LORD! (4) Why have you brought the LORD’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 the LORD appeared to them,
(י) וַיַּקְהִ֜לוּ מֹשֶׁ֧ה וְאַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַקָּהָ֖ל אֶל־פְּנֵ֣י הַסָּ֑לַע וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם שִׁמְעוּ־נָא֙ הַמֹּרִ֔ים הֲמִן־הַסֶּ֣לַע הַזֶּ֔ה נוֹצִ֥יא לָכֶ֖ם מָֽיִם׃
(10) Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock; and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels (MRYM), shall we get water for you out of this rock?”
Midrash HaGadol on Parshat Chukkat:
And the nation fought with Moses: It is also said, Moses and Aaron were sitting inside crying and Israel was crying outside, and Moses was not aware of them for six hours.
They entered and said to him, "How long will you cry?!" He said to them, "Should I not cry over my sister who has died?!" They said to him, "As you cry over one soul, cry for us, for we have no water to drink!"
Immediately he stood up, went out with them, saw that the well was dry and that they were fighting with him. He said to them, "Is it not as I said? I alone am not able to carry you. (Deut 1:9)"
מיתיבי ר' יוסי בר' יהודה אומר שלשה פרנסים טובים עמדו לישראל אלו הן משה ואהרן ומרים וג' מתנות טובות ניתנו על ידם ואלו הן באר וענן ומן באר בזכות מרים עמוד ענן בזכות אהרן מן בזכות משה מתה מרים נסתלק הבאר שנאמר (במדבר כ, א) ותמת שם מרים וכתיב בתריה ולא היה מים לעדה וחזרה בזכות שניהן
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.
Midrash Asaefa on Parshat Chukkat:
...and Miriam died there: This is the only death of a woman who left Egypt as no woman died in the wilderness, as it says: "All the nation that went out from Egypt, the men, all the men of war, died." (Joshua 5:4) and not the women. And Miriam, why did she die? Because of the well that was given by her merit. For, it was not possible for her to exist and for the well that had been given on her behalf to be hidden.
Midrash Yelamndaenu on Parshat Chukkat:
...and Miriam died there... and there was no water...: Another thing, why did the well disappear with the death of Miriam? In order that everyone should know just how righteous she was and that they should be greatly upset and do kindness to her. One finds that when a great righteous person dies, they lock the market so that the masses will be upset and do kindness to them.
The Sages taught: There were six people over whom the Angel of Death had no sway in their demise, and they are: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as it is written with regard to them, respectively: “With everything,” “from everything,” “everything”; since they were blessed with everything they were certainly spared the anguish of the Angel of Death. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, as it is written with regard to them that they died “by the mouth of the Lord” (Numbers 33:38; Deuteronomy 34:5), which indicates that they died with a kiss, and not at the hand of the Angel of Death.
Tz'neh Ur'enah on Parshat Chukkat:
Pious women are compared to a well. The more water one draws from a well, the more water it contains. The more good deeds and charity done by women with their money, the more money will the women have... Women do not have many commandments, but they must give charity, and so they are likened to a well.