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PARSHAT CHUKAT IN THE MERIT OF MIRIAM "Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin, in the first of the month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. And there was no water for the congregation." (Bamidbar 20:1-2) Why is the lack of water mentioned immediately after Miriam's death? Rashi explains that during the entire forty years the Jewish people were blessed with the well of water in Miriam's merit. His source is the Gemarah (Taanit 9a): "Three good providers stood by Israel: Moshe, Aharon and Miriam. Three good gifts were given through them: The manna, the cloud of glory, and the well. The well was in the merit of Miriam, the pillar of cloud in the merit of Aharon, and the manna in the merit of Moshe. When Miriam died the well subsided; as it states, "And Miriam died there," followed by, "there was no water for the congregation"… Let us try to uncover why the well specifically was in the merit of Miriam. Moreover, is there an underlying connection between women and wells? THE WELL OF KINDNESS According to Ein Yaacov, the three good gifts correspond to the
three pillars upon which the world stands: Torah, avodah (worship)
and gemilut chasadim (kindness). (Perkei Avot 1:2) The manna corresponds
to Torah, the cloud to worship, and the well to kindness. Anaf Yosef
takes this concept a little further. He explains that just like
Miriam embodied the character trait of kindness, when as a young
midwife, she kept the babies alive, and supplied them with food
(Shemot 1:17 see also Sota 11b), so did the well supply the Jewish
people with all their needs. Thus, in the merit of Miriam, the well
sustained the Jewish people with water in the wilderness. Water
symbolizes life, since nothing can grow without water. The nurturing
quality of water associated with Miriam is found in womankind. Women
keep the Jewish people alive. Without the perpetual kindness of
women pouring out like a bottomless well, nothing would be able
to be conceived, born, or kept alive. For the complete dvar Torah, please send email to berot@netvision.net.il. *******~~~~~*******~~~~~*******~~~~~*******~~~~~*******~~~~~*******
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