(1) Miriam and Aharon spoke with Moshe concerning the Cushite woman he had married (because the woman he married is [compared to] a Cushite).
(א) ותדבר מרים ואהרן. הִיא פָתְחָה בְדִּבּוּר תְּחִלָּה, לְפִיכָךְ הִקְדִּימָהּ הַכָּתוּב, וּמִנַּיִן הָיְתָה יוֹדַעַת מִרְיָם שֶׁפֵּרַשׁ מֹשֶׁה מִן הָאִשָּׁה? רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר מִרְיָם הָיְתָה בְצַד צִפּוֹרָה בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְמֹשֶׁה אֶלְדָּד וּמֵידָד מִתְנַבְּאִים בַּמַּחֲנֶה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמְעָה צִפּוֹרָה, אָמְרָה אוֹי לְנְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל אֵלּוּ אִם הֵם נִזְקָקִים לִנְבוּאָה, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ פוֹרְשִׁין מִנְּשׁוֹתֵיהֶן כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁפֵּרַשׁ בַּעְלִי מִמֶּנִּי, וּמִשָּׁם יָדְעָה מִרְיָם וְהִגִּידָה לְאַהֲרֹן; וּמַה מִּרְיָם שֶׁלֹּא נִתְכַּוְּנָה לִגְנוּתוֹ כָּךְ נֶעֶנְשָׁה, קַל וָחוׂמֶר לִמְסַפֵּר בִּגְנוּתוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ (ספרי):
(1) ותדבר מרים ואהרן MIRIAM AND AHARON SPOKE — ...How did Miriam know that Moshe had separated himself from his wife? R. Natan answered: “Miriam was next to Tzipporah when Moshe was told, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp’ (Bam. 11:27). When Tzipporah heard this, she said, "Oy for their wives, if they have anything to do with prophecy. For they will separate from their wives just has my husband has separated from me!” ...(Sifrei Bamidbar 99).
Or rather:
How did Miriam know that Moshe had separated himself from the people? Miriam was next to Tzipporah when Moshe was told, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp'" (Bam. 11:27). When Tzipporah heard this, she said, "Oy to you and me, Miriam -- for if they have anything to do with prophecy, they will separate themselves from the rest of the camp, just as my husband has separated himself."
How do we know that Moshe had separated himself from the people? If he had to be told, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp," then surely he himself was not in the camp.
(26) Two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad, had remained in camp; yet the spirit rested upon them—they were among those recorded, but they had not gone out to the Tent—and they spoke in ecstasy in the camp. (27) A youth ran out and told Moshe, saying, “Eldad and Medad are acting the prophet in the camp!”
(2) They said, “Has ha-Shem spoken only through Moshe? Has ha-Shem not spoken through us as well?”, and ha-Shem heard it.
(ב) הרק אך. עִמּוֹ לְבַדּוֹ דִּבֶּר ה':
(ג) הלא גם בנו. וְלֹא פֵרַשְׁנוּ מִדֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ (ספרי):
הלא גם בנו HAS HA-SHEM NOT [SPOKEN] THROUGH US, and yet we have not separated from our spouses! (Sifrei Bamidbar 100).
Or rather:
Has ha-Shem not spoken through us as well, and yet we have not separated ourselves from [caring personally for] the rest of the people!
(3) Now Moshe was a very humble person, more so than any other person on earth.
(ג) ענו. שָׁפָל וְסַבְּלָן:
(3) ענו means, humble and patient.
Or, rather:
Humble means he did not believe that his touch or personal involvement was important to the people when they were faced with troubles.
(4) Suddenly ha-Shem called to Moshe, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting.” So the three of them went out.
(ד) פתאם. נִגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם פִּתְאוֹם וְהֵם טְמֵאִין בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, וְהָיוּ צוֹעֲקִים "מַיִם מַיִם!" לְהוֹדִיעָם שֶׁיָּפֶה עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה שֶׁפֵּרַשׁ מִן הָאִשָּׁה, מֵאַחַר שֶׁנִּגְלִית עָלָיו שְׁכִינָה תָּדִיר וְאֵין עֵת קְבוּעָה לְדִבּוּר (עי' ילקוט):
(4) פתאם SUDDENLY — ha-Shem was revealed to them suddenly just when they were unclean as a result of marital intercourse, so that they cried: “Water, water!” (for purification). ha-Shem did this to give them to understand that Moshe had acted rightly in that he had separated from his wife, since the Shechinah used to reveal Herself to him at all times, and there was no definite time fixed for the Divine communication (Midrash Tanchuma 3:2:13).
Or, rather:
ha-Shem was revealed to all three of them suddenly. Miriam and Aharon were unclean just then as a result of caring for the sick, so that they cried: "Water, water!" (for purification). Moshe was closed up in his tent outside the camp, in a state of purified deveikut (union) with the Shechinah, who used to reveal Herself to him at all times, and there was no definite time fixed for the Divine communication.
(ד) צאו שלשתכם. מַגִּיד שֶׁשְּׁלָשְׁתָּן נִקְרְאוּ בְדִבּוּר אֶחָד מַה שֶּׁאִי אֶפְשַׁר לַפֶּה לוֹמַר וְלָאֹזֶן לִשְׁמוֹעַ (ספרי):
(4) צאו שלשתכם GO OUT YOU THREE [TO THE APPOINTED TENT] — This tells us that the names of all three of them were mentioned as one utterance, something that is impossible for a human mouth to articulate and a human ear to catch (Sifrei Bamidbar 102).
Or, rather:
This tells us that the utterance was heard simultaneously by all three in their separate locations, something that is impossible for a human mouth to articulate and a human ear to catch.
(5) ha-Shem came down in a pillar of cloud, stopped at the entrance of the Tent, and called out, “Aharon and Miriam!” The two of them came forward; (6) and ha-Shem said, “Hear these My words: When a prophet of God arises among you, I make Myself known to them in a vision, I speak with them in a dream. (7) Not so with My servant Moshe; he is trusted throughout My household. (8) With him I speak mouth to mouth, plainly and not in riddles, and he beholds the likeness of God. How then did you not shrink from speaking against [did you not see fit to speak with] My servant Moshe!”
(ח) פה אל פה. אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ לִפְרוׂשׁ מִן הָאִשָּׁה (שם), וְהֵיכָן אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ? בְּסִינַי — "לֵךְ אֱמֹר לָהֶם שׁוּבוּ לָכֶם לְאָהֳלֵיכֶם וְאַתָּה פֹּה עֲמֹד עִמָּדִי" (דברים ה'):
(8) פה אל פה MOUTH TO MOUTH [I HAVE SPOKEN WITH HIM] — I have Myself told him to separate from his wife. And where did I tell him this? On Sinai, when I said to him, (Deuteronomy 5:27 Deuteronomy 5:28) “Go, say to them (to the people), ‘Get you into your tents (rejoin your wives). But as for you, remain here by Me, [and I will speak with you]’” (Shabbat 87a; cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 103).
Or, rather:
How do we know that ha-Shem speaks mouth to mouth with Moshe? For it says (Shmot 33:11), "ha-Shem would speak to Moshe face to face."
And how do we know that Moshe, of old, instead of remaining in a state of purified deveikut with the Shechina, would return to the camp and be amongst the people? For it says (Shmot 33:11), "And he would then return to the camp."
(יא) וְדִבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֙ פָּנִ֣ים אֶל־פָּנִ֔ים כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר יְדַבֵּ֥ר אִ֖ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְשָׁב֙ אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וּמְשָׁ֨רְת֜וֹ יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ בִּן־נוּן֙ נַ֔עַר לֹ֥א יָמִ֖ישׁ מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֹֽהֶל׃ (ס)
(11) ha-Shem would speak to Moshe face to face, as one person speaks to another. And he would then return to the camp [from the "other" Ohel Moed outside the camp -- see verses 7ff]; but his attendant, Joshua son of Nun, a youth, would not stir out of the tent.
(9) ha-Shem was angry with [the four of] them and departed.
For Miriam and Aharon had not seen fit to speak directly with Moshe to resolve these difficulties themselves, nor had Moshe observed the increasing troubles of his siblings and spouse and sought them out.
(10) As the cloud withdrew from the Tent, there was Miriam with leprosy but white-like-snow! Aharon turned toward Miriam. Behold, here she was with leprosy [yet white-like-snow].
(י) והענן סר. וְאַחֲ"כַּ והנה מרים מצרעת כשלג, מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁאָמַר לְפֵדָגוֹג, רְדֵה אֶת בְּנִי, אֲבָל לֹא תִרְדֶּנּוּ עַד שֶׁאֵלֵךְ מֵאֶצְלְךָ, שֶׁרַחֲמַי עָלָיו (שם):
(10) והענן סר AND THE CLOUD DEPARTED, and only afterwards, ומרים מצרעת כשלג BEHOLD, MIRIAM BECAME LEPROUS, WHITE AS SNOW. A parable! This may be compared to a king who said to his son’s tutor, “Chastise my son, but do not do so until I go away from you, because I feel pity for him” (Sifrei Bamidbar 105).
Or, rather:
The cloud departed so that Moshe could see [his beloved sister] Miriam with the same appearance as the sick in the community that she cared for, but as Yishiyahu teaches us (1:18), with the sinless purity of snow. For throughout our holy Torah's many descriptions of leprosy, it is never compared with snow except through a miracle.
A parable! This may be compared to a mother who saw her grown child fall into [a curable] sickness, and said, "Ah! I have forgotten what it is like to be the nurse to those that I love."
(18) “Come, let us reach an understanding, —says ha-Shem. Even if your sins are like crimson, they can turn white-like-snow; if they are red as dyed wool, they can become like [white] fleece.”
(12) Did I [Moshe] conceive all this people? did I bear them? Yet You say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries an infant,’ to the land that You have promised on oath to their forebears?
(11) And Aharon said to Moshe, “O my lord, account not to us the sin which we committed in our folly. (12) Let her [or let you] not be as one dead, who emerges from his mother’s womb with half his flesh eaten away.”
(יא) נואלנו. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, לְשׁוֹן אֱוִיל:
(11) נואלנו — Understand this as the Targum does: we have acted foolishly [because we had not resolved our difficulties amongst ourselves].
והיותר נכון שמרע"ה להיותו במקום המקודש ההוא היה עומד בהתבודדותו ולכך לא השיב לאהרן על מה שאמר לו בי אדוני אל נא תשת עלינו חטאת אשר נואלנו ואשר חטאנו ולכך הוכיחו אהרן על שלא היה משיבו דבר מפני התבודדותו באמרו אל נא תהי כמת רוצה לומר אדוני משה אין השעה הזאת ראויה להתבודדות כל כך אל נא תהיה בחוזק התבודדותך כמת שנולד מת שלא היה בין החיים וזה שאמר אשר בצאתו מרחם אמו וכבר נאכל חצי בשרו שמת בבטן ושם נאכל בשרו כן עתה אתה כמת הבלתי מרגיש באותו האופן אל נא תהי כן בשעה הזאת התפלל בעדה כי צריכים אנחנו אל תפלתך. ואין להקשות מאשר אמר על זכר מלת תהי כי כן מצינו שיאמר מלת את פעמים על הזכרים כמו ואת תדבר אלינו את כרוב ממשח וכאשר שמע משה דברי אהרן וראה צרתה של מרים התפלל אל השם ואמר אל נא רפא נא לה.
The correct understanding is that Moshe Rabbeinu was standing at that holy spot in his communion [with ha-Shem], and therefore did not respond when Aharon cried out, "O my lord!..." Therefore Aharon rebuked him for not responding because of his state of communion [with ha-Shem], by saying, "Let you not be as one dead!" Meaning, "My lord, Moshe, now is not the appropriate time for your communion [with ha-Shem]. You are [acting as one who is] like the dead, that is born dead, that was never in the midst of life."
This is why [the verse] says, "who emerges from his mother's womb...." Thus you are now like the dead, without emotion in this manner. "Let you not be" -- thus at this very moment, pray for her (Miriam's) sake! For we need your prayer.
[And do not be concerned with the grammatical gender, for it occurs in other places in Torah]. When Moshe heard Aharon's words, and saw that Miriam was leprous, he prayed to ha-Shem, "Please heal her!"
(יב) אל נא תהי. אֲחוֹתֵנוּ זוּ:
(יג) כמת. שֶׁהַמְּצֹרָע חָשׁוּב כְּמֵת, מַה מֵּת מְטַמֵּא בְּבִיאָה אַף מְצוׂרָע מְטַמֵּא בְּבִיאָה (שם):
(יד) אשר בצאתו מרחם אמו. אִמֵּנוּ הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר, אֶלָּא שֶׁכִּנָּה הַכָּתוּב, וְכֵן חֲצִי בְשָׂרוׂ, חֲצִי בְשָׂרֵנוּ הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר, אֶלָּא שֶׁכִּנָּה הַכָּתוּב, מֵאַחַר שֶׁיָּצְתָה מֵרֶחֶם אִמֵּנוּ, הִיא לָנוּ כְּאִלּוּ נֶאֱכַל חֲצִי בְשָׂרֵנוּ, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "כִּי אָחִינוּ בְשָׂרֵנוּ הוּא" (בראשית ל"ז), וּלְפִי מַשְׁמָעוֹ, אַף הוּא נִרְאֶה כֵן, אֵין רָאוּי לְאָח לְהַנִּיחַ אֶת אֲחוֹתוֹ לִהְיוֹת כְּמֵת:
(12) אל נא תהי LET NOT our sister BE —
(13) כמת AS ONE WHO IS DEAD — Aharon said this because a leper may be regarded as dead. How is it in the case of a corpse? It makes one unclean through entering a room in which it lies. So too, does the leper make a person unclean through his entering the place where he is (cf. Sifrei Bamidbar 105).
(14) אשר בצאתו מרחם אמו It ought to have stated “אמנו” “of our mother’s womb”, only that Scripture modified the expression.
Or, rather:
Let you not be as one who is dead, or cares not for his sister, or for anyone else who is ill, or in mourning, like all those in the camp whom your sister and your wife care for and counsel. For have you not seen enough to remind you of your responsibilities to do the same?
Aharon said this because a leper requires healing (Lev 14:7), and the healing is accomplished by means of a bird [Tzippor].
It ought to have stated "of our mother's womb", but Scripture modified the expression to show that Miriam was not ill herself, but was representing [to Moshe] those who are in as much need of help as the newborn infant or the sick with their flesh half eaten away.
(7) He shall then sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the eruption and cleanse him; and he shall set the live bird [tzippor] free in the open country.
(13) So Moshe cried out to ha-Shem, saying, “O God, please heal her!”
(יג) אל נא רפא נא לה. בָּא הַכָּתוּב לְלַמֶּדְךָ דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, שֶׁהַשּׁוֹאֵל דָּבָר מֵחֲבֵרוֹ צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שְׁנַיִם אוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה דִבְרֵי תַחֲנוּנִים וְאַ"כַּ יְבַקֵּשׁ שְׁאֵלוֹתָיו (ספרי):
(13) אל נא רפא נא לה HEAL HER NOW, O GOD, I BESEECH YOU — Scripture intends to teach you by this form of prayer the correct attitude in social life — that if one is asking a favour of his fellow man he should first say two or three words of supplication and then solicit the favour (Sifrei Bamidbar 105).
(יג) רפא נא לה. מִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא הֶאֱרִיךְ מֹשֶׁה בִּתְפִלָּה? שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמְרִים, אֲחוֹתוֹ עוֹמֶדֶת בְּצָרָה וְהוּא עוֹמֵד וּמַרְבֶּה בִתְפִלָּה! (ספרי) (דָּ"אַ, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בִּשְׁבִיל אֲחוֹתוֹ הוּא מַאֲרִיךְ בִּתְפִלָּה אֲבָל בִּשְׁבִילֵנוּ אֵינוֹ מַאֲרִיךְ בִּתְפִלָּה):
(13) רפא נא לה HEAL HER, I PRAY THEE — Why did Moshe not pray at length? In order that Israel should not say: His sister is in trouble, and he stands and offers long prayers! (Sifrei Bamidbar 105). — Another explanation is: He did not pray at length so that Israel should not say: On behalf of his sister he prays long, but on our behalf he would offer no long prayer.
Or, rather:
Scripture intends to teach you by this form of prayer the correct attitude in social life -- that if one has committed an error and another has suffered the consequences, then one should endeavor to make amends as speedily as possible.
(יד) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה וְאָבִ֙יהָ֙ יָרֹ֤ק יָרַק֙ בְּפָנֶ֔יהָ הֲלֹ֥א תִכָּלֵ֖ם שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים תִּסָּגֵ֞ר שִׁבְעַ֤ת יָמִים֙ מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְאַחַ֖ר תֵּאָסֵֽף׃
(14) But ha-Shem said to Moshe, “If her father (spat in her face / gave her leprosy [yarok-yarak -- see vaYikra 13:49], would she not (bear her shame / complete her [tikalem -- see Sanhedrin 17a]) seven days? Let her be secluded outside of the camp for seven days, and afterwards she shall be gathered [to her people].”
(יד) ואביה ירק ירק בפניה. וְאִם אָבִיהָ הֶרְאָה לָהּ פָּנִים זוֹעֲפוֹת, הלא תכלם שבעת ימים?! קַ"וָ לִשְׁכִינָה י"ד יוֹם, אֶלָּא דַּיּוֹ לַבָּא מִן הַדִּין לִהְיוֹת כַּנָּדּוֹן, לְפִיכָךְ אַף בִּנְזִיפָתִי תסגר שבעת ימים (שם; בבא קמא כ"ה):
(14) ואביה ירק ירק בפניה IF HER FATHER SPAT IN HER FACE — i.e. if he had shown her an angry face (if he was offended with her), הלא תכלם שבעת ימים WOULD SHE NOT COMPLETE HER SEVEN DAYS [OUTSIDE OF THE CAMP]? — All the more so with respect to the Shekhinah [than with her father] that she ought to complete fourteen days! ...(Bava Kamma 25a).
(מט) וְהָיָ֨ה הַנֶּ֜גַע יְרַקְרַ֣ק ׀ א֣וֹ אֲדַמְדָּ֗ם בַּבֶּגֶד֩ א֨וֹ בָע֜וֹר אֽוֹ־בַשְּׁתִ֤י אוֹ־בָעֵ֙רֶב֙ א֣וֹ בְכָל־כְּלִי־ע֔וֹר נֶ֥גַע צָרַ֖עַת ה֑וּא וְהָרְאָ֖ה אֶת־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃ (נ) וְרָאָ֥ה הַכֹּהֵ֖ן אֶת־הַנָּ֑גַע וְהִסְגִּ֥יר אֶת־הַנֶּ֖גַע שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃...(נד) וְצִוָּה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְכִ֨בְּס֔וּ אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־בּ֖וֹ הַנָּ֑גַע וְהִסְגִּיר֥וֹ שִׁבְעַת־יָמִ֖ים שֵׁנִֽית׃
(49) if the suspected leprosy in the cloth or the skin, in the warp or the woof, or in any article of skin, is streaky green [yirak-rak] or red, it is an eruptive affection. It shall be shown to the priest; (50) and the kohen, after examining the affection, shall isolate the affected article for [an initial] seven days....(54) the kohen shall order the affected article washed, and he shall isolate it for another seven days.
מאי כלאם א"ל הטל עליהן צרכי ציבור והם כלים מאליהם:
The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the phrase: “Imprison them [kela’em]” (Bamidbar 11:28)? The Gemara answers: Joshua said to him: Place responsibility for the needs of the public upon them, so that they will be occupied like the other Elders of Israel and they will complete [kalim] prophesying, on their own. Due to the burden of public responsibility they would not be able to be prophets.
(כח) וַיַּ֜עַן יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן מְשָׁרֵ֥ת מֹשֶׁ֛ה מִבְּחֻרָ֖יו וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנִ֥י מֹשֶׁ֖ה כְּלָאֵֽם׃
(28) And Yehoshua son of Nun, Moshe’s attendant from his youth, spoke up and said, “My master Moshe, imprison them! [or make them complete it!]”
"They will complete it from their own motivation" -- the interpretation is that their prophecy would be completed, for the Shechinah does not descend in the midst of sadness, but rather in the midst of joy.
Or, rather:
"If her father spat in her face": ha-Shem gave her the appearance of leprosy, though she be blameless, in order that Moshe might be reminded of the burdens of caring for the people.
To what can this be compared? To one suspected of leprosy, who must be secluded for seven days, then be inspected by a Kohen, and then be secluded for another seven days -- fourteen days in total -- before even the one who is clean may rejoin the camp. As it says, "and he shall isolate it for another seven days" (Va-yikra 13:54).
Yet Miriam requires no inspection and rejoins after only seven days. This comes to show that ha-Shem had no doubt that Miriam was clean from sin, and desired only that she should experience a state of deveikut with the Shekhina, just as her brother Moshe does. The people rejoiced in her reward, and waited seven days before she once again ministered to the sick, the weak, and the weary in the camp.
(15) So Miriam was shut up [in her tent] outside of the camp seven days; and the people did not march on until Miriam was gathered [back into the midst of the people].
(טו) והעם לא נסע. תלה הדבר בעם ולא אמר ולא נסע העם, להודיע כי העם הסכימו לבל יסעו עד האסף מרים, והגם שהדבר היה תלוי בנסיעת הענן, התורה מעידה כי גם בזכותה הם היו חפצים בעכבה לכבדה, ומה גם אם היה ידוע להם כי בזכותה היה המים להם (תענית ט.) בודאי שישב שם העם על המים:
חסלת פרשת בהעלותך
AND THE PEOPLE, THEY DID NOT TRAVEL. The determination [of when to proceed] depended on the people. For the text does not say, "and traveled not the people," in order to make it known that it was the people who gave their approval to halting until Miriam was again gathered [into their midst]. And of course the travel also depended on the movement of the Cloud, so the Torah bears witness that because of Miriam's merit, it was the people who desired to remain there out of respect for her....
She was privileged to experience the same state of purified deveikut as Moshe, sequestered in her tent outside the camp, with no other responsibilities, for a full seven days. And the people rejoiced at her reward. And Aharon and Tzipporah rested from their responsibilities as well, for there was no sickness, no birth, no death, and no mourning for those seven days.