Chukat | Miriam's Well
INTRODUCTION
Parashat Chukat, midway through Sefer Bamidbar, constitutes the chronological turning point of the Book. The Parasha begins with a lengthy description of the mysterious rites of the para aduma or red heifer (Bamidbar 19:1-22), a ceremony that restores a state of tahara or ritual fitness to an individual who has come into contact with a human corpse or grave. This red heifer, that has not more than even two black hairs (!), is slaughtered outside of the Israelite encampment and its blood is ritually sprinkled. The body of the beast is then set alight as cedar, hyssop and scarlet are added to the dancing flames. The collected ashes are then gathered and combined with spring water, a bundle of hyssop is dipped into the mixture, and with these waters of purification the petitioner is sprinkled on the third and seventh days. After immersion in a mikva at the conclusion of the rites, the supplicant is restored to a state of tahara, and is again able to enter the Tabernacle or
In the very next section (20:1), the Torah relates that "the entire congregation of the people of
THE NEW GENERATION
In a remarkable instant, then, the Torah proceeds from the account of the generation of the Exodus to the story of their children, who now stand ready to enter the Land. And whatever the deeper meaning of the obscure service of the red heifer, its thematic significance is immediately apparent, for the narrative of the para aduma offers much-needed closure to the wilderness experience and serves as a fitting transition for the account that follows. The generation that left
But it will be without their old leaders that the people of
THE THREE LEADERS OF
In essence then, the opening of the Parasha may be regarded as the completion of the wilderness era, as the entire adult generation of the Exodus, including its illustrious and faithful leaders, passes from the scene. Although Miriam's death is narrated first, the Torah offers us scant details about the event:
The people of
All we do know from the passage is that her demise takes place during the final year of the wanderings, that at the time the people are located at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, and that in the aftermath of her death the people thirst for water. Rabbinic tradition attempts to fill in for some of the obscurity by explaining the linkage between these seemingly disparate elements:
Rabbi Yose bar Yehuda says: The people of
As Rashi explains on the Talmudic passage, this mysterious well was
a rock from which would issue forth water. It would roll along and accompany the people of
In other words, the Sages draw a connection between the fragments mentioned in the text: during the final year of the wanderings, Miriam died. As a result, the miraculous well dried up and the people became thirsty. But because the well only provided its waters on her behalf, it remained deaf to Moshe's entreaties (for he initially heeded God's command to "speak to the rock"! – Bamidbar 20:8). Thus, he struck it instead and, in so doing, sealed his own fate.
THE THREE BASICS
The three basics that the Sages enumerate – the well of water, the clouds of glory and the manna – are of course the three essential items that any voyager through the desert wilderness needs for survival. One who enters its maw requires water to drink, shelter from the burning sun and dry winds, and food to eat. Rabbi Yose bar Yehuda, in linking these three essentials to Miriam, Aharon and Moshe, highlights their pivotal role in securing
Actually, we may even consider the matter in more specific terms. Thus, the particular connection between Aharon and the "clouds of glory" becomes more intelligible when we realize Aharon's special role. After all, Aharon officiated as High Priest in the Mishkan that was also perpetually covered with a similar manifestation – the protective pillar of cloud that shielded it by day. And it was the Aharon who daily ministered at the fiery altar, just as the analogous pillar of fire hovered over the Mishkan at night (Shemot 40:38). It is therefore quite natural to link the clouds of glory, which according to Rabbinic tradition offered ongoing relief and protection to the weary Israelites from the harsh and inhospitable wilderness conditions, with the merit of Aharon.
As for Moshe, though it had been the people's plaints that had secured the pledge of heavenly manna, it was the lawgiver who had communicated God's accession and then patiently guided the people as they became familiar with the food's curious and unsettling properties (see Shemot 15:27-16:36). And surely no one could dispute Moshe's central role in securing the people's physical survival on several charged occasions when God's wrath had been kindled against them. It is entirely natural, therefore, to ascribe the gift of the manna – the potent expression of physical sustenance – to Moshe's merit. But why should Miriam have been associated with a miraculous well of water, the source of life and refreshment to the parched Israelite masses?
MIRIAM'S CAREER
In considering the lengthy career of Miriam, we note that the Torah narratives connect her with water on more than one occasion. Recall that at the beginning of the tale of the Egyptian servitude, Miriam had stayed close by her infant brother as he was pathetically placed in a basket of reeds and released into the watery grasp of the
Later on, as the people triumphantly traversed the
We may additionally suspect whether the Sages were intrigued with the otherwise obscure name of Miriam (MiRYaM), for unlike her illustrious younger brother Moshe, the Torah nowhere provides us with the inspiration for her name. While the appellation clearly contains intimations of exaltedness or ascendancy (ROM), its four Hebrew consonants also include the three letters that make up the Hebrew word for water (MaYiM). And even as Moshe berates the people at the rock and lifts his hand to strike it, he unconsciously recalls his sister's merit, just as Rabbi Yose explained, for in that moment of anger he calls
GREAT LEADERSHIP
Some of this may be unduly speculative, for the Torah does not explicitly indicate that
When we wonder, then, how a people survives four decades of aimless wandering even as all hope seems lost, the Sages provide us with an answer. If there is inspired and selfless leadership at the helm, if there is genuine guidance and concern and steely determination to stay the course, if the people's shepherds have a clear vision of a brighter future and can focus their constituents' eyes on that goal even as the journey seems interminably long and fraught with setbacks, then the people will survive and one day flourish. The basic needs of the people have to be met even while prosperity or tranquility are still far-off goals, and it is the duty of good leaders to make that possible.
Like all great leaders, then, Miriam, Aharon and Moshe were condemned to pass from the scene before the destination was reached, in order to drive home the point that the best of them labor for their people and care little about their own personal attainments. Whether or not these three figures reached the Promised Land did not concern them nearly as much as whether the people of
Shabbat Shalom
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