וַתְּדַבֵּ֨ר מִרְיָ֤ם וְאַהֲרֹן֙ בְּמֹשֶׁ֔ה עַל־אֹד֛וֹת הָאִשָּׁ֥ה הַכֻּשִׁ֖ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָקָ֑ח כִּֽי־אִשָּׁ֥ה כֻשִׁ֖ית לָקָֽח׃

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, at Miriam’s initiative, with regard to the Kushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Kushite woman, Tzipora the Midyanite. It is possible that the Midyanites, who were nomads, mixed with other peoples. It is also possible that Tzipora was called Kushite because the Kushites were known for their black skin and Tzipora’s skin was darker than usual among the Israelites, whose skin color was a light brown. Although she was Moses’ wife, Moses had separated from her and refrained from marital relations in order to commune with God in the Tabernacle.

וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ הֲרַ֤ק אַךְ־בְּמֹשֶׁה֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הֲלֹ֖א גַּם־בָּ֣נוּ דִבֵּ֑ר וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע יְהוָֽה׃

They said: Was it only with Moses that the Lord spoke; didn’t he speak with us as well? Since we are also prophets, we do not see what right Moses has to act in this way with regard to his wife. Moses married Tzipora, her father later brought her to the Israelite camp from Midyan, and yet Moses is ignoring her. This was a private conversation between Miriam and Aaron, but the Lord heard .

וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה ענו [עָנָ֣יו] מְאֹ֑ד מִכֹּל֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (ס)

The fact that Miriam and Aaron spoke about Moses in third person indicates that they were not directly addressing Moses. However, it is possible that they would not have minded if he had heard about their conversation, and perhaps they even intended for him to hear about it, thereby sending him an indirect message. It is possible that Moses heard and did not respond. However, the verse testifies that even if Moses had been present when this conversation was taking place he would not have responded or have been insulted due to his great humility: And the man Moses was very humble, more than any person on the face of the earth. Moses did not demand special status or extra rights; he saw himself simply as a servant and messenger of God who was transmitting His word and His Torah.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה פִּתְאֹ֗ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־מִרְיָ֔ם צְא֥וּ שְׁלָשְׁתְּכֶ֖ם אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּֽם׃

The Lord said suddenly to Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam: Go out the three of you, together, to the Tent of Meeting. The three of them went out.

וַיֵּ֤רֶד יְהוָה֙ בְּעַמּ֣וּד עָנָ֔ן וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד פֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֑הֶל וַיִּקְרָא֙ אַהֲרֹ֣ן וּמִרְיָ֔ם וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃

The Lord descended in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the entrance of the Tent. He called Aaron and Miriam and both of them came out from the Tent and moved closer to the cloud.

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֣א דְבָרָ֑י אִם־יִֽהְיֶה֙ נְבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם יְהוָ֗ה בַּמַּרְאָה֙ אֵלָ֣יו אֶתְוַדָּ֔ע בַּחֲל֖וֹם אֲדַבֶּר־בּֽוֹ׃

He said: Hear now My words: Even if your prophet is truly a prophet of the Lord, as you are, I will nonetheless reveal Myself to him indirectly, in a vision that must be deciphered, or in a dream I will speak to him. Regular prophets do not hear My words while they are fully conscious, but rather while in a deep trance.

לֹא־כֵ֖ן עַבְדִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה בְּכָל־בֵּיתִ֖י נֶאֱמָ֥ן הֽוּא׃

Not so My servant Moses, who is different from you and from all other prophets; in all My house he is the most trusted, so much so that I speak with him on a regular basis.

פֶּ֣ה אֶל־פֶּ֞ה אֲדַבֶּר־בּ֗וֹ וּמַרְאֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א בְחִידֹ֔ת וּתְמֻנַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה יַבִּ֑יט וּמַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א יְרֵאתֶ֔ם לְדַבֵּ֖ר בְּעַבְדִּ֥י בְמֹשֶֽׁה׃

Mouth to mouth I will speak with him, in a direct manner, unlike the visions of other prophets from which they deduce the presence of God; and a clear vision that is not in riddles that require interpretation; and the image of the Lord he will behold. That being the case, why did you not fear to speak against My servant, against Moses? How do you dare to equate yourselves to Moses and to criticize his conduct?

וַיִּֽחַר אַ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה בָּ֖ם וַיֵּלַֽךְ׃

The wrath of the Lord was enflamed against them and He departed.

וְהֶעָנָ֗ן סָ֚ר מֵעַ֣ל הָאֹ֔הֶל וְהִנֵּ֥ה מִרְיָ֖ם מְצֹרַ֣עַת כַּשָּׁ֑לֶג וַיִּ֧פֶן אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶל־מִרְיָ֖ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה מְצֹרָֽעַת׃

The cloud, representing God’s revelation, withdrew from upon the Tent, and behold, Miriam was leprous like snow, which was an expression of God’s anger. Aaron turned to Miriam; and behold, he discovered that she was leprous. Moses was also present, or at least in close proximity, to this incident, but he was, at this point, uninvolved. God addressed Aaron and Miriam, and it was they who were chastised and punished. The Sages said that Aaron was also struck with leprosy but the verse does not mention this point in order to protect Aaron’s honor, as he was the High Priest and he was not the one who initiated the discussion about Moses.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י אַל־נָ֨א תָשֵׁ֤ת עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ חַטָּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֥ר נוֹאַ֖לְנוּ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר חָטָֽאנוּ׃

Aaron said to Moses: Please my lord, do not place sin upon us, as we have been foolish, and we have sinned by saying things that we should not have said. Aaron, Moses’ older brother, had already been following Moses’ directives before this incident, and had served as his assistant, but he had viewed himself as comparable to Moses. Now, after hearing God’s rebuke, Aaron can only speak to Moses with absolute subservience. Their brotherly relationship and working relationship are no longer relevant, and Aaron turns to his brother with his supplication.

אַל־נָ֥א תְהִ֖י כַּמֵּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר בְּצֵאתוֹ֙ מֵרֶ֣חֶם אִמּ֔וֹ וַיֵּאָכֵ֖ל חֲצִ֥י בְשָׂרֽוֹ׃

Please, let her not be as a corpse, who when he emerges from his mother’s womb, half his flesh was consumed. Some interpret the verse as follows: Please, do not be as a corpse. According to this interpretation, Aaron is not requesting that Miriam should not be like a corpse, but is rather asking Moses not to be like a corpse. Since Miriam is his sister, and it is as though she is almost dead, it is as though part of Moses’ flesh is consumed as well. A similar example can be found in Genesis 37:27, where Judah states about Joseph: “as he is our brother, our flesh.” Consequently, Aaron says to Moses: Even if you do not want to act on our behalf, act for the benefit of your own flesh.

וַיִּצְעַ֣ק מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר אֵ֕ל נָ֛א רְפָ֥א נָ֖א לָֽהּ׃ (פ)

Moses cried out to the Lord, saying: God, please, heal her now.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה וְאָבִ֙יהָ֙ יָרֹ֤ק יָרַק֙ בְּפָנֶ֔יהָ הֲלֹ֥א תִכָּלֵ֖ם שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים תִּסָּגֵ֞ר שִׁבְעַ֤ת יָמִים֙ מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְאַחַ֖ר תֵּאָסֵֽף׃

The Lord said to Moses: If her father spit in her face and thereby humiliated her, wouldn’t she be ashamed to leave her house for seven days until the humiliation would subside? God afflicted Miriam with leprosy as a form of public disgrace, which is equivalent to spitting in her face. Consequently, she shall be quarantined outside the camp seven days as a leper, and then she shall be readmitted to the camp. Alternatively, the last phrase of this verse may be rendered: And then she shall be cured.

וַתִּסָּגֵ֥ר מִרְיָ֛ם מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִ֑ים וְהָעָם֙ לֹ֣א נָסַ֔ע עַד־הֵאָסֵ֖ף מִרְיָֽם׃

Miriam was quarantined outside the camp seven days, in accordance with the law of a leper; and the people did not travel until Miriam’s readmission, because despite her sin she was an eminent individual and deserved the honor of the nation waiting for her.

וְאַחַ֛ר נָסְע֥וּ הָעָ֖ם מֵחֲצֵר֑וֹת וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר פָּארָֽן׃ (פ)

Then, when Miriam had recovered, the people traveled from Hatzerot, and encamped in a different location in the wilderness of Paran .