Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”LTo sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.Subscribe on SpotifySubscribe on Apple PodcastsPlease consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice! For comments and inquiries, email itistaught@gmail.comMiriam and Aaron Speak About MosheMoshe and the elders left the Ohel Moed and enter their respective camps.A wind came out from G-d and swept quails from the sea and spread them over the camp about two cubits above the ground (i.e at a height that reached a person’s heart to make it easier for them to be gathered), about one day’s journey in both directions around the camp.The people spent that entire day and night and the following day gathering the quails. Even those who gathered the least amount, due to them being lazy or disabled, gathered 10 heaps of quails. After having gathered the quails, they spread them out in many heaps around the camp.The quails were not yet done* when G-d’s anger flared out at the nation and he struck them with a mighty blow.*Side note: According to the Targum, this means that the quails were still coming. According to the Gur Aryeh, it means that they had not finished eating them. According to the Be’er Mayim Chayim, the quails had not yet been removed from the field. According to the Sifrei, one didn’t have a chance to chew the meat before dying.G-d named this place Kivrath Ha’Ta’ava which literally means “The Graves of the Craving” after these people who “craved” being buried there.The nation continued to travel from there to Chatzerot where they stayed.Miriam and Aaron speak critically regarding Moshe divorcing his wife Tzipporah, whom scripture refers to as being a Cushite woman.She was actually a Midianite, not a Cushite, however scripture refers to her as a Cushite since everyone noticed her beauty, just as everyone notices the blackness of a Cushite. Also, the numerical value of the word Cushite in Hebrew (כֻּשִׁית) is equal to that of one who is beautiful in appearance (יְפַת מַרְאֶה,), i.e. 736.In the verse referenced above (Bamidbar 12:1) regarding Miriam and Aaron speaking about Moshe, scripture references Tzipporah as a Cushite woman twice. The Midrash Tanchuma (Tzav, 13) explains this repetition as being an allusion to her being both beautiful in appearance as well as in action, in contrast to some women who are are only beautiful in one of these ways.The Midrash Tanchuma there also explains that the reason she was referred to as being a Cushite, was to avert the evil eye, the way one who had a handsome son would refer to him as being a Cushite.Miriam initiates this discussion. She knew that Moshe had separated from his wife as we see later that Miriam was near Tzipporah when Moshe was told that Eldad and Medad were prophesying in the camp. Upon hearing this, Tzipporah decried her pity for their wives who would have to separate from their husbands as Moshe separated from her.Upon learning of this, Miriam tells Aaron. Miriam did not have any ill intent for this yet was still punished, which teaches us how much more so will someone who does have ill intent be punished.Miriam and Aaron discuss how G-d had not only appeared to Moshe, but to them as well, yet they did not abstain from marital relations.Moshe was exceptionally modest and patient, more than anyone else alive.Demonstrating that indeed Moshe had been correct in abstaining from marital relations, since G-d appeared to Moshe frequently and unpredictably, G-d suddenly appears to Moshe, Aaron and Miriam, whilst Aaron and Miriam cried out for water to purify themselves for having had marital relations from which they were still ritually unclean.G-d tells all three of them, with a single word (something which is impossible for the human mouth to speak or human ear to grasp) to go to the Ohel Moed.When a mortal king leaves for war, a large entourage accompanies him whereas when he travels when it is peaceful, he is escorted by only a few. By contrast, G-d goes out to battle alone and goes in peace with a large entourage. For this meeting at the Ohel Moed, G-d goes alone.G-d calls out to Aaron and Miriam, to lead them out of the Courtyard towards His speech. According to Rashi, G-d wanted them to be away from Moshe since only some of a person’s good qualities are related in his presence yet all are related in his absence. Another example of this in scripture is with Noach, who scripture calls “a righteous man, perfect” (Breishis 6:9) in his absence, while in his presence, G-d calls him righteous but not perfect (Breishis 7:1). Rashi also cites Sifrei Beha’alothecha 1:42:5) which provides an alternative interpretation that they were separated from Moshe so that Moshe wouldn’...
