Torah and Jewish Idea > Torah and Jewish Idea

Who Is your favourite person in the Torah?

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AsheDina:
Josef- the story of Josef is INCREDIBLE.

Christian Zionist:
1. Jacob
2. Joseph
3. Moses

JusticeForIsrael:
Abraham is mine...He is the one who stood on HaShem's side while the rest of the world served idols...Also without him Am Yisrael would not exist

"There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham - To show the degree of His patience; for all those generations angered Him increasingly, until our forfather Abraham came and received the reward of them all"
Pirkei Avot 5:3

AryehYehudah:

--- Quote from: דוד בן זאב אריה on September 03, 2008, 06:30:09 PM ---Mine would be Miriam, Moshes Sister. She was one of the strongest people in our history. During the time we were slaves in Egypt many people including Moshe said that the Jewish People should stop having childern. Not Miriam she said that we have to fight on and keep having Children. It is thanks to people like her that we are still around and we still have the Torah to read from.

--- End quote ---

If Miriam was so great, how come G-d afflicted her with tzaraat?  I talked to someone once who told me G-d and Moshe rebelled against Miriam, as they were jealous of her power.  However, I do not buy that argument.  Anyone with tzaraath was tamei(Leviticus 13-14) The Rabbis of the Talmud noted that Aaron did not receive the same punishment as his sister, otherwise he would no longer have been able to perform his duties as high priest.



My favorite people in the Torah are the following:
1. Avraham
2. Moshe
3. Yaakov
4. Yosef

However, if you speak after Seret Torah:
1. Eliyahu
2. David
3. Shlomo
4. Daniyel
5. Yehudah Ha Makabi

muman613:

--- Quote from: AryehYehudah on October 15, 2008, 02:19:24 AM ---<snip>
If Miriam was so great, how come G-d afflicted her with tzaraath?  I talked to someone once who told me G-d and Moshe rebelled against Miriam, as they were jealous of her power.  However, I do not buy that argument.

<snip>

--- End quote ---

AryehYehudah,

You don't know why Miriam was struck with Tzarath? It is because she spoke against Moshe, she spoke Lashon Hara. She had asked why Moshe was not more intimate with his wife Tzippora. She did not mean anything wrong by asking because Miriam felt that Moshe should treat his wife more intimately. Moshe was the way he was because Hashem wanted him to dedicate himself to Hashems people. Because Miriam spoke lashon hara against Moshe she was struck with the tzaras.

I will find some examples of what I am saying...

muman613


--- Quote ---
http://www.torah.org/learning/ravfrand/5763/metzora.html

Both Parashat Tazria and Parashat Metzora deal extensively with the laws of Tzaraas. The Talmud [Eruchin 15b] says that the plague of Tzaraas is a consequence of the sin of Lashon Harah [improper speech]. Tzaraas was a 'miraculous' disease, which occurred when the Bais Hamikdash was still standing. If a person spoke evil about someone else, first his home was affected. If he did not repent, his clothes were affected. If he still did not repent, his body was ultimately affected. He had to separate from civilization. He was publicly proclaimed an "impure person" as a result of his evil speech.

In Parashat Ki Teizeh, the Torah writes "Guard against the plague of Tzaraas, guard exceedingly and do all that will be instructed to you by the Kohanim, the Levites. As I commanded them, thus you shall observe to do." [Devorim 24:8] Immediately after this pasuk, the Torah commands [24:9] "Remember that which HaShem your G-d did to Miriam on the road at the time you went out of Egypt."

Miriam spoke "lashon hara" about her brother. She was stricken with "Tzaraas". As a result, she was sent outside the camp. The Torah is reminding us about this event.

When Miriam was sent outside the camp as a result of her "Tzaraas", the entire camp waited for her for seven days. No one traveled. No one moved forward. Everyone waited for Miriam. [Bamidbar 12:1-16]

Why did they wait for her? Why didn't they move on and force her to catch up with them later? Our Sages teach us that the Jewish people waited for Miriam as a 'reward' or 'payback' to her for having waited for her brother, Moshe, when his basket was placed in the Nile [Shmos 2:4]. Now the Jewish People waited for her.

If we were in Miriam's shoes, we might very well have not wanted such a 'payback'. If she had the option, she might very well have preferred that the Jewish nation travel on without her, with the intent of "catching up with them" later. Most likely, the last thing she would have wanted would have been to cause everyone to wait for a whole week with nowhere to go. Everyone would be asking one another "Why aren't we moving?" The answer would be "It is Miriam's fault. It is because she spoke evil words about her brother." What kind of 'reward' or proper 'payback' is this for her?
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"...and concerning this matter we are warned in the Torah. 'Remember that which HaShem your G-d did to Miriam on the road'. The Torah is saying, contemplate what happened to the prophetess Miriam. She spoke about her younger brother who she loved and helped raise. She had endangered her own life to save him from the Nile. She (furthermore) did not speak malicious evil about him. She just erred by equating his greatness to that of other prophets (who do not separate themselves from their wives). And Moshe was not bothered by any of her comments, as it is written 'And the man Moshe was extremely modest'. And nevertheless she was immediately punished with Tzaraas. Kal v'Chomer [how much more so] how great a punishment will be coming to those wicked fools who frequently speak great and wondrous (criticisms).

The Rambam is saying that Miriam's Lashon HaRah is really not typical Lashon HaRah. It was not said maliciously. It was not said to harm anyone. It did not harm anyone. It was an innocent mistake. But such is the power of Lashon HaRah -- whether it is ill intended or well intended, it is like poison. Regardless of the reason why poison is taken, it kills. The same is true regarding Lashon HaRah.

--- End quote ---

PS: Miriam was very righteous and deserves much respect and admiration. Without her there would have never been a Moshe. Her father had almost vowed to have no more children if not for Miriams incredibly wise words.

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