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Torah Portion
In The Face Of Death
There Is Memory
instead — out of his own grief, per-
haps? Or anger with the people who
would not give him and Aaron the
courtesy of a moment's peace, even
in the face of their sister's death? Or
guilt for all the times he meant to
tell her that he loved her and didn't
speak?
he first of this week's dou-
What do we learn from the stories
ble portion presents us
of Miriam in the Torah and what do
with a fascinating inter-
we learn from the responses to her
pretation of what the
death?
Hebrew word, chuka, really
There are four quite evi-
is: a statute or law which is
dent characteristics that
unexplainable in itself, per-
blend into the rabbis' por-
haps even unreasonable. But
trait of Miriam's life as a
it is a statement from God
source of living water for
to which the Jewish people
the people of Israel.
have responded, "Na-aseh
• She is a caregiver,
vnishma — we will do it
standing by to watch as an
first, then we will under-
Egyptian princess draws
stand."
her younger brother,
In this week's Torah
Moses, from the water.
RABBI
chapters, we encounter the
She arranges for a nurse-
NOR/vIAN
T.
deaths of both Miriam and
maid for the boy — her
ROMAN
Aaron. What do we learn
own
mother we are told
Special to the
about our own response to
—
and
later serves as a
Jewish News
death through these words?
role model as he re-learns
When Miriam dies, the
his Israelite heritage.
people complain that there is no
• She takes the timbrel in her
water left for them. The Torah
hand to sing and lead the dancing at
describes neither official mourning
the moment of the people's greatest
period nor
joy, the
practice in
crossing of
her memory.
the sea of
But the
reeds. She
Midrash
celebrates
reminds us
the human
that as long
experience
as she was
and espe-
alive, Miriam
cially com-
provided a
poses the
"well of liv-
words and
ing waters."
music,
Her kindness
which
and nurtur-
enhance her
ing were
family's .
sources of
happy
sustenance
events.
and comfort.
• She is
Metaphorically, after her death,
critical of Moses' faults and cannot
the Israelites cried to Moses to
resist trying to help him make the
restore them to the moisture 'of
correct choices. Of course, in the
Miriam's care, not just water to
story of the Kushite woman whom
quench their thirst. But, the
Moses marries, Miriam, and Aaron,
Midrash continues, the "well" of
go too far, delving into gossip if not
Miriam's water closed up, shocked
outright prejudice.
that there was no grief and no tears
Lashon hara, the evil tongue, is
for her.
wrong; we learn and agree, but there is
God compassionately intervened
a recognition in tradition's response to -
at that moment, telling Moses to
this story that a worse sin for Miriam
speak to a rock (which according to
would halie been to remain indifferent
legend was the source of Miriam's
and silent is she felt that her brother
well). But Moses strikes the rock
was in error. We must take an interest
in what our brothers and sisters are
Norman T. Roman is rabbi of Temple
doing and saying.
Shabbat Chukat-Balak:
Numbers 19:1-25:9;
Micah 5:6-6:8.
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What does the Torah
teach from the
deaths of Miriam
and Aaron about our
response to death?
Kol Ami.
David M. Deutsch