Rabbi Howard Morrison

Shabbat Sermon - July 9

Last week on Friday, two Beth Emeth funerals took place within an hour of each other - the funeral for long time member and former sisterhood president, Miriam Crystal; and the funeral for Shifra Knoble, mother of Pearl Grundland, Larry Noble, and Mary Noble.

Ironically, today's Parsha of Chukat describes the deaths and bereavements which took place regarding the passings of both Miriam and Aaron. Given the past week in our Beth Emeth community, I wish to focus on the narrative of Miriam's passing. It is worthy of note that in the book of Exodus, the two midwives who disobey Pharoah's edict to murder male Israelite infants after birth are named Shifra and Puah, whom the Midrash identifies as Yocheved and Miriam. So, there is a literary connection to the names of Miriam and Shifra, both of whom are of blessed memories in our community.

In our Parsha today, Miriam's death is recorded in all of five Hebrew words, "Va'Tamat Sham Miriam Va'Tikaver Sham - Miriam died there and was buried there (six words in English)."

That's it!? When Aaron dies, as recounted in the same Parsha today, the community mourns for thirty days, and his role as Kohain Godel is passed down to his son, Elazar. When Miriam dies, we read of no bereavement time and no successor to her legacy. 

What we do read after her death, however, has great meaning. "The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron." The juxtaposition of Miriam's death and the lack of water prompt our Sages to teach us that when Miriam was alive, a miraculous well of water accompanied the Israelites in the desert. When she died, the well ceased. Miriam becomes associated with water in our tradition. Consider that Miriam as a young sister followed her baby brother Moses in a reed basket as he flowed down the Nile river. Consider that young Miriam, after the daughter of Pharaoh retrieved Moses, went to her without fear and brought a nurse-maid to wean the baby, being Moses' biological mother, Yocheved. Consider that Miriam led the women of Israel with song, dance, musical instruments, and prayer after crossing the Reed Sea. Consider that in the account of the sea, Miriam is called a Prophetess. 

While the lack of any mention concerning grief or bereavement after Miriam's death is glaring, what the Torah text does provide gives us a reading into the leadership, piety, and contribution of Miriam. She was an essential partner to the triad of three famous siblings - Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. In Pirkei Avot, there is a teaching that the world stands on three pillars - Torah, Temple worship, and good deeds. Torah is ascribed to Moses. Temple worship is ascribed to Aaron, and good deeds are ascribed to Miriam. She is the exemplar of performing Gemilut Chasadim, deeds of loving kindness.

Almost immediately after her death, Moses is summoned by God to speak to a Rock in order to secure water for the people. Reacting to the people's complaints and murmurings, Moses hits the rock instead of speaking to it. For this infraction, we learn that he will die before entering the Promised Land. In a sense, all three siblings have their deaths recorded in today's Parsha. How could a leader like Moses have behaved so impatiently? Was he burned out after forty years of leadership? Was he frustrated at the repeated episodes of his people complaining at him, as we have read in the last few weeks of Torah portions? One commentary suggests that his change in demeanor came about because he never took the time to grieve over the passing of his sister, Miriam. The loss of his sibling brought the reality of his own mortality to the forefront. He was still grief-stricken. How could he lead? 

Just maybe the question is not why the people mourned for Aaron for thirty days and not at all for Miriam? Perhaps the ritual institution of a mourning period was simply not yet a practice and developed in time for Aaron's passing because of the consequences of not properly mourning after the death of Miriam. 

While Moses was succeeded by Joshua based on merit; while Aaron was succeeded by his son Elazar based on lineage - the fact is they have no direct successors some 3400 years later. However, every time we perform an act of lovingkindness, each and everyone of us becomes a direct successor to Miriam. Alternatively, Moses as Moshe Rabeinu could be succeeded only by distinguished Torah scholars. Aaron could be succeeded only by fellow Kohanim. However, Miriam can be succeeded by any Jew who chooses to perform a good deed. 

A week ago yesterday, a Miriam and a Shifra were laid to rest at almost the same time. Our tradition identifies the Biblical Miriam and her mother with the names of Puah and Shifra. May the memories of the ones we lost be a blessing, and may we all learn to act righteously from the legacy of Miriam as derived from our Torah and our Tradition.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison