Shalom everyone and thank you for joining me again in the study of Parashat Khukat. In this Pasha, we are going to try to discuss the impact, the influence of Miriam's death. Miriam, who her siblings are one of the most famous figures in the Bible, Moshe and Aharon, Moses and Aaron, lost their sister. How does it affect them? It was that the beginning of a generational transformation. So let's delve into the Psukim. The Torah states, so the entire Jewish people came to this desert, the Zinn Desert, on the first month, which means Nisan, and the Jewish people, the nation of Israel, settled in Kadesh, Vatamut Sham Miriam, Vatikaversham. And Miriam died at that place, and she was buried there. In a way, when we look at this verse, it seems to be a little odd, because it is so dry and factual. The Jewish people get to a place, they settle there, Miriam died, and she is buried. And that's it. And Rashi says, Kol Aeda Eda Shlema, Shekvarmetu Metei Mitbar, Velu Pershulakim. So Rashi says, and he calls our attention to the pasuk, to the verse that we read before, kol Aeda, the entirety, everyone in that congregation, all the Jewish people, it's come to teach us what, says Rashi. Aida Shlema. Everyone. No one is dead anymore. Which means the entire generation of the people who experienced Exodus and were 20 years old and more, older than 20 years old, they already died because of the sin of the spies that we read about them two weeks ago. Which means now we are talking about the new generation. So the new generation still has four people from the past. Kalev, Caleb, who was the spy that stood up against the other ten, Yehoshua, Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam. So really we have five people. Five people from the previous generation. So we have a new generation, and we still have five people. Now we lost Miriam. So the people, some of them definitely know Miriam, and some of them were born in the desert, and they really don't really have too much of a clue of who she was. So why would she die specifically there? says Rashi. What's the connection between the death of Miriam to the beginning of the parasha that talks about the red heifer? The paraaduma. So it's come to teach you, Ma kurbanot mechaprim afmitat tzadikim. It's come to equate the death of a tzadik of a righteous person or a righteous woman, in this case Miriam, to a sacrifice. Like a sacrifice create atonement, also a death of a righteous man or a woman can bring atonement. But obviously the question that we need to ask, atonement for what? What was the sin that we need to have an atonement? And why specifically here? So let's leave all these questions and let's continue on. The Ibn Ezra, Rabbi Avram Ibn Ezra, one of the famous commentaries, commentator, says the following. The Ibn Ezra comments on something that it's a well-known thing between the commentators, but I'm not sure how many of us know it before. God talked to Moshe and revealed himself to the people in the first year after Exodus, and for 38 years there was some kind of quiet, of silence. Due to the sin of the spies, God was somewhat removed from the Jewish people. He spoke to Moshe only on a need base, and only when Hashem thought that Moshe really needs to know something, but without it, for 38 years they will just journey in the desert without too much of, I mean, I would even say aimless people. They all knew they are going to die, and only the next generation will come into the land of Israel. But basically, there is no tremendous prophetic vision or event for 38 years. Only the first year and the 40th year, the year before they get into the land of Israel. So the Ibn Ezra adds to the drama, to the excitement. Miriam dies when? On the first month of the year, which is according to the Jewish calendar, is Nisan, the month that we celebrate Pesach. On that month, that was the beginning of a paradigm shift, of a transformation. No more people who came from Mitzraim from Egypt. Everyone who is 20 years old and up is dead. You have the people who were prior to 20 years old, and obviously everyone who was born during their 40 years of traveling in the desert. So now we have a new generation. A generation who is anxious to go into the land of Israel, to conquer the land. They were not slaves in Egypt. They are free people. They were born in the desert, and they look at the old leadership with, I would call, mixed feelings. On one hand, awe and probably reverence. Moshe took them out from Egypt, took their ancestors from Egypt, gave them the Torah. Aaron, who is the priest, Yahushua, the next leader, Caleb, who was this great brave person. Miriam, they don't know much about her, but she is the point of transformation. Her death basically marked two major events. A, that generation who went out from Egypt is gone. B the prophecy. The special connection between God and the people is renewed. It's being rejuvenated. So the death of Miriam definitely marks a tremendous point of transformation between the past and the future. So that's according to the Ibn Ezra. The Khizkuni suggests to add another dimension to the idea or to the story of Miriam's death. So the people settled in Kadesh, which is part of the desert. Am Dusham arba chodashim. They encamped there for four months. Ad Chodesh Av until the month of Av, which means Nisan, Iyar, Tammuz, and now Av. So they were waiting in Kadesh for four months until they what? Until the month of Av, then they went to the Or Ahar, which means like the top of that mountain. And who died on that top of the mountain? Shah met Aharon. And Aaron died there. So the Khizkuni, basically, you know what, maybe I'll take a step back, I'll digress for a second. The names of the places that are mentioned in Sephar Bamid Bar in the Book of Numbers, sometimes you can have the same name, but it's a different place. For example, says Khiskuni, the place Kadesh. There are two cities by the name of Kadesh. One was Ail Pa'aran. That was the place where the Meraglim, the spies, were sent out in order to scatter the land of Israel. So that's one Kadesh. This Kadesh in our verse is a totally different Kadesh. It's on the border of the land of the Edomites, which are the children of Esau, the children of Esaf. So the Khishkun, unlike Rashi, who made a connection between the beginning of the Parsha, which spoke about the power Aduma, the red heifer, and the same as the red heifer or the Qurban brings atonement, the same thing with Miriam's death, or a righteous person who dies, the says no. Miriam's death basically it's the starting point for what? For the annihilation, total annihilation of the generation who went out from Egypt. And Miriam dies, and Aaron dies in a spam of four months different. Miriam dies at Chodesh Nissan, Aaron dies four months later, and then eight months later in Chodesh Adar, in the month of Adar, Moshe dies. So basically, in one year, these three giants, Miriam, Aaron, and Moshe, the three leaders, the three brave men and women who took the Jewish people out of Mitsraim and led the people through the desert, they're all going to die. So why is it that Miriam's death is mentioned in our Pasha? Because she is one of the last ones from that generation who left Mitzraim, who left Egypt, and now she will not be able to enter the land of Israel. Rabitzrachdona Barbanel from the 15th century in Spain, he says the following. Says the Abarbanel, I have no doubt in my mind that Miriam died after the entire generation who came out from Egypt died. So she is the last one, or one of the last ones. He says again, the Abarbanel is also interested to know what city are we talking about. He said, we are not talking about the same city that the Meraglim, the spies, were sent to scatter the land of Israel. But rather, it's in the desert, it's on the border of the land of the Edomites. And now the Abarbanel says, And this verse comes to teach us. That in just few days, it's not a few days, it's a few months. And after that Moshe dies. He says, probably this Kadesh is different, but it has the same name. The word Kadesh, it's from the word kadosh. But it also, the understanding of it or the meaning of it is not only about being holy, it's also about being separate. The Barbanel would like to suggest that in the Kadesh where the Meraglim were sent, there was a separation. A separation between God and the people. God was upset with the Jewish people, believing the spies, and basically made a decree to annihilate an entire generation in the desert and not allowing them to go into the land of Israel. In this Kadesh, God is making some kind of a reckoning with the three shepherds that led the Jewish people. And they also cannot go into the land of Israel. Moshe, Aharon, Umiriam. In this Pasha, and I'm not discussing it today, but maybe at a different time, we know we have this very famous story of Moshe and Aaron hitting the rock instead of talking to the rock, and they lose their privilege, merit, dream, aspiration to go into and to enter the land of Israel. So this name Kadesh, to sanctify its place in our Pasha. Because when God is upset with Moshe and Aaron for hitting the rock instead of talking to the rock, he says to them, Ya nasherloe mantem bile hakdisheni. I'm punishing you because you didn't believe in me to sanctify me. So this is a game with words, with Hebrew words. The name of the place is Kadesh, which means it has a potential of kdusha, of sanctity, of holiness, but at the same time, it's also a very tense place that something of kind of a phenomena of separation, of anger, can also come to fruition. And that's what happens here, when Moshe and Aaron are punished, it's the same place that Miriam dies. And if you go back 38 years ago, this is the place where the Meraglim, the spies, were sent, and that brought a tremendous calamity over the Jewish people. And the Barbanel continues on and he says, I really think that what our sage says, our sage says in the Talmud that Miriam, because she was so righteous and pious, in exchange of her actions, God basically bestowed this tremendous blessing of a traveling well that will go with the Jewish people so they will have water every place they go. So when Miriam died, the well, this water source disappeared. And then what? So there was no water. And then what? The people complained. And then what? Moshe and Aaron were told, take the staff and talk to the rock. And instead of talking to the rock, they hit the rock and they were punished. And Hashem was also angry with the Jewish people. So but let's pause here and take a look at the human drama that the Abarbanel is trying to delineate, to describe to us. He basically says, look what's going on here. We are at a point of in time in Jewish history that there is a generational transformation. You have the everyone who is 20 years old and up is gone. You have the ones who came out from Egypt who were not 20 years old. So some of them were 18 and 16, and maybe some of them remembered Moshe and Aaron and Miriam and everything good that they did. But most of the people have no clue definitely who is Miriam. We know about Miriam from the beginning of Sepharshmot. She's in a way responsible for the birth of Moshe, of our leader. She's the one who had so much faith. She brought Levi, the Shevet Levi Amram and Yuchavit together. Moshe was born, Moshe became the leader. She was the one to lead the women in singing after the splitting of the sea. She was a courageous, brave, and incredible woman. But in the 38 years, we don't hear a thing about Miriam. We only heard in Parashadbea Alotha that we read a few weeks ago that she and Aaron speak a little bit in a negative way regarding their brother motion. So the new generation, the one who was born in the desert, they have no clue who is Miriam. And they also look at this traveling well as something that it's obvious. It was here yesterday, it will be here tomorrow. And then when they wake up to the tomorrow, to the day after, and they don't see a well, they don't know that it's because of Miriam's death. They think that you know somehow it disappeared. So basically, what do we have? We have something which is so relevant to almost every century is that when you have a new generation who is excited about his future and is not that educated about the past. And then there is a challenge. There is no water. So they come and complain. Says the abarbonel, the narrative criticized the Jewish people. Why? This is a tremendous insight. The Abarbanel says, the Jewish people, the new generation, where is your sympathy? Where is your empathy? I understand. You are thirsty. This traveling water, this traveling well is gone. But you know what? Take a moment. Go to Moshe and Aaron. Visit the Shiva house. Talk to them about the loss of their sister. Don't forget, you are talking about people who are Moshe is close to 120 years old. Aaron was three years older than him, so he's close to 123 years old. Miriam was somewhere in the between. And basically, there are people who did so much for the Jewish people, they lost their sister. To be with the sister for 120 years, go comfort them, talk to them. But instead, what do they do? So instead of coming to comfort them and to be with them and to be menachem to comfort them and to talk to them, they fight with them. And immediately they fight with Moshe. Specifically with Moshe, because Moshe is the leader. Even though I would assume that probably Moshe felt the most most pain after Miriam's death because she was responsible for his birth. Without her going to his parents, to Amram and Yochavit, according to our sages, and convincing them to get together, Moshe was not even born. So their barbanel brings a tremendous insight to this human drama. You have two more people, the two last leaders from the previous generation, they lose their sister. They mourn. They sit and mourn their sad. They didn't know Miriam, but at least. Some empathy, some sympathy. You know what? I understand your thirsty, I understand your needs, but you know what? Maybe, maybe put your needs away for a second and just be there for me. But no. The Jewish people, the new generation, showed zero empathy. And according to the Abarbanel, we will see in a few minutes that it's not the opinion of everyone, it's not everyone's opinion. But the Abarbanel is focusing, is emphasizing on the fact that the Jewish people basically caused injustice. They were totally insensitive to Aaron's and Moshe feelings. And it brings us, it brings it so much to us. Moshe and Aaron are also people. They also feel pain. They also can feel sad. And you know what? Maybe for a day, two, or maybe even seven days, they need a break. They don't want to deal with your complaints. But the new generation, he really does not show too much compassion. He's not interested in who was Miriam and why do we owe her anything. We are looking ahead, we are looking into the future. And this was, according to the Abarbanel, a sin of the Jewish people. Rapsimson Rafael Hirsch adds yet another layer to the complexity and to the tense that we feel when we read the Pasuq. The Jewish people came to Kadesh, they settled there, Miriam died and she was buried there, and immediately after that, the people come and gather and they shouting and they are screaming and they are complaining on Moshe and Aaron, they need water. She made sure that the new generation is strong enough to continue the path. Very similar, by the way, to Miriam watching over Moshe in the Teva. Moshe in the Ark was that was put on the Nile. She was watching him until Pharaoh's daughter picked him up. Miriam is in a way this muddled mother who cannot leave that this earth until she knows for sure that the new generation is ready. They didn't believe in their report and they went into the land of Israel. That's according to our sages. The women always, always found the place and the time for optimism. By the way, even if you go to Egypt, the women were the ones who basically injected a spirit of optimism with their husbands, with their children. The midra says something incredible. It's because of those women, these righteous women, who are able to see the future and the hope, even in the most dark times. So Rapshim Rafael Hirosh continues and he says, So Rapshim Rafael Hirosh, as I said before, creates a different layer, a different point in what's going on in this generational transformation. It's not that the entire generation of Egypt is gone. The men are gone, not the women. So you have grandmothers, great-grandmothers, mothers from the previous generation, and they escort the new generation into the promised land. This is beautiful. This tradition of stories that came from Egypt didn't go through the men, it went through the women, the grandmothers. They will sit with their grandchildren and they will tell them stories about Moshe and about Aaron and about being enslaved in Egypt. They will be the one that will create what we call Torah imecha. The Torah that comes from the mother. Those exciting stories, these experiences that you cannot just read in a book. You need to see facial expressions, body expressions, the way they will tell the story will impact, will shape, will form the future of the new generation. It's the women that this spirit of hope and optimism was imbued in the depth of their neshamah, in the depth of their soul. And their leader, the women's leader was Miriam. She was filled with hope and optimism. She was filled with joy and song. She was the one to inspire all the other women to be committed and to be determined to be able to pass on those stories to the new generation. I'll digress here for a second. Raphshim Shon Rafael Hirsch talks about the sequence of events in our Pasha. We begin with the red heifer with the Para Adumah. We continue with the death of Miriam and then Aharon as a result of hitting the rock. And then we talk about what? About the complaints of the Jewish people, and then the death of Aaron, and then later on the announcements that Moshe is going to die as well. He says, what's the connection between all those events? He says, This is an incredible commentary. He says sometimes people die and they leave this earth with zero impact. They were here, they did what they did, and they are gone. Miriam and Aaron, and obviously later on Moshe, when they died, their legacy continued to live on. She ceased to exist as a living being. But you can also look at the tzadiq. When you see that a righteous person dies, you can see that he basically just threw the towel, just his clothing, its flesh and blood. But his legacy, his spirit, his faith, his values stays forever. So where are Miriam's values? You would ask. And the answer is all those women who were able to enter the land of Israel despite the decree that came after the Miraglim, the spies. After the spies badmouthed the land of Israel, the men who went out from Itzaiam, they believed in them, not the women. When the Jewish people created this golden calf, the women refused to do it. They gave their jewelry, but they didn't celebrate, they didn't dance with the golden calf. When the time was dark in Egypt and there was frustration and disappointment and sadness and pessimism, the women, headed by Miriam, lifted the spirits of the entire Jewish people. And therefore, they have the merit to enter the land of Israel. And their position, their purpose of those women is to continue to inspire the entire Jewish people with stories, with conveying experiences and feelings, true feelings, of emet, of truth, of faith, of determination, of the ability to see the optimism, to see the hope, to see the light, despite the darkness, despite the challenges. So yes, Miriam died, but her spirit didn't die. Yes, Aaron died, but his love for every Jew, his ability to connect the people together and to connect them to God, continue on. And yes, later on Moshe dies, but his legacy of Torah and leadership never dies. So if you ask what's the connection between this sequence of events, according to Rakshim Shan Rafael here, the ability to atone, it's not a specific scene, a treader, it gives giving us tools and abilities to overcome darkness. The Yalku Shimoni, which is a midrash, midrash agada, gives us now a totally different perspective. So until now, we spoke about the connection between the sequence of events. We spoke about why, what Miriam really symbolized, this leader of hope and optimism and inspiration. We spoke about the sadness that Moshe felt and Aaron felt after the loss of Miriam. The barbanel focused on the fact that the Jewish people were insensitive to the pain that Moshe felt and Aaron. But the Yalkut, this midrash, has a different perspective than what we said before. And he says the following. So they come to Moshe and Aaron and say, okay, where is the water? And Moshe and Aaron didn't pay attention to the Jewish people. And at the time of thirst, they just were sitting there and they mourned Miriam, their sister. So you would think that who is on the right side of history? Moshe and Aaron. It's their right to mourn for their sister. And it's insensitive for the people to complain. That's what the Abarbanel says. This Yalku Chimoni said something totally different. Because you mourn for your sister, the Jewish people will die out of thirst. You need to give them water. They need water. Stop focusing on your personal pain and grief. Do something for the people. This is an incredible requirement, demand, expectation for Moshe and Aur. You are leaders. You can be engaged with your personal sadness and loss when the people need water. I'm expecting you to overcome your personal pain and do something for the people. This Midrash does not see anything wrong with the people coming to complain. Maybe it was not nice to complain, maybe they could ask it in a nicer way. But their demand is real. They are thirsty. There are people there who are going to die from thirst if you're not going to do something. Go ahead, stand up, stop having this self-pity and do something for the people. These are true leaders. The midrash continues. So why is it that it stopped in the minute that Miriam died? So it's in order to show everyone how righteous she was. So everyone will pray for her and everyone will show her kindness. So what's happened here? So the purpose was that the people will show some kind of sympathy and kindness to Miriam. But instead, so Moshe and Aaron are engaged with what? With the burial of Miriam, and the people are looking for water. So they come and they gather together and they approach Moshe and Aaron. And I'll take a look what this midrash says. So Moshe and Aaron are sitting Shiva for Miriam, and they see that the people are coming. So Moshe is asking Aaron, my brother, what do you think? What's the purpose? Why are they coming? So Aaron, in a very natural way, and this is Aaron that we all love and know. Aaron says to Moshe, my brother, my little brother, my younger brother, obviously they come to comfort us. They are probably going to sit with us, they're going to hear stories about Miriam. They're probably going to bring us dinner. You know, they're going to make sure that we have a minion, right? Everything. You don't know to distinguish between one gathering and another. This is not a good gathering. This is not good, good news for us. This is bad news for us, my brother. Moses says to Aaron, you are too naive. I know them. If they come here to do something good, they need to come with the structure. The ministers of thousands, of hundreds, of tens. But look at them. They come, everyone comes together. There is no respect, there is no structure. You think that they come here to show any kindness to us? And Moshe was correct. When they see Moshe and Aaron sitting Shiva, they immediately start shouting at them, we want water. So Moshe and Aaron, they saw where it's going to go and they escaped to the tent of meeting. This is an incredible sentence. Think about this drama. They see Shiva. The people are coming. Moshe is asking Aaron, what do you think the purpose? Aaron says, Oh, obviously they come to show sympathy and love and kindness to us. Moshe says to Aaron, You are too naive. They're going to attack us. And Moshe is correct. And the two leaders, they need to escape, they need to flee. They go into the tent of meeting to ask for protection from God. And you would think that God would say what? He will bring the cloud and he's going to stop the Jewish people and tell them, you know, what you do is terrible and leave Moshe and Aaron. No. You serve the public. You are public servants. You are not your personal people. You are not individuals. You are public servants. My children are dying from thirst. What's the idea here? Don't get it wrong. It's not that you shouldn't mourn for Miriam. This is not the criticism that they receive. They receive a criticism, in my opinion, like very similar to what Rapshim Shan Rafael here says to them. You misunderstand or you misunderstood what is Miriam. Miriam is not only your sister. Miriam is this icon of hope and future and light and life. You sit here while my children, the new generation, is dying out of thirst. Do you think that what Miriam would want? Miriam is the symbol of life. Miriam is the symbol of compassion. Miriam is the symbol of a mother who makes sure that her next generation is alive. Stop mourn for her and be oblivious to the pain of my children. That's the criticism that Moshe and Aaron receives from God Himself. The children of Israel are correct. They are thirsty. They are looking for Miriam. Not the dead Miriam, the one that you mourn, but for the living Miriam, for her dream, for her aspirations. For what she stood for. And you sit here and mourn, shame on you, Moshe and Aaron. Get out quickly from the tent of meeting. Don't think about yourself, think about Miriam. Celebrate her life. Perpetuate her legacy. And then the Torah says, This is another event in our Pasha. That the nation of Israel start talking, bad-mouthing God and Moshe, because there was no bread, there was no food, there is no water, and they had enough from the mana. I'm skipping a bit, and I'm going to Rapsim Shon Rafael Hirosh, I'm sorry. Basically, he says that the new generation are asking for bread and for food. But Rapshim Son Rafael Hirosh asked, just one second. They have the mana. And the mana is great. What's wrong with the mana? Every day you pick up the food. According to our sages, you can taste whatever you want. So you want steak, you get the taste of steak. If you want ice cream, you get ice cream. What's wrong with it? Says Rhapshim Shonapha Leus, the new generation, they want real food. They don't want miracles. They want to walk for their food and they want to eat what they labored. They want to be involved, they want to be engaged. The new generation is different than the previous generation. And Moshe and Aaron, they just don't get it. Rabbeinu Bechae ends up with the following. He says, I'm skipping a bit, and he says, Rabbeinu Bekhaye makes a major distinction between the previous generation and the new generation. The previous generation, they lived by miracles. Traveling through the desert for 40 years, they have a well, they have manna, they have food that comes from heaven. And it was in order to teach them faith in God. The new generation, this generational transformation, this generation that was born in the desert and he does not want miracles. He wants miracles to help him, but he wants to do something. This is a generation that cannot really understand Moshe Aharon O Miriam. These three leaders were incredible leaders for the previous generation that needed it. That needed always encouragement and help and assistance. The new generation, they want to fight, they want to conquer the land of Israel, they want to do things by themselves. Obviously, God they expect God to help them, but not to do it for them. This Pansha Parashat Chukat, it's a moment in history of the Jewish people that this transformation between the generation who went out from Egypt, who is gone, and the generation who is about to enter the land of Israel begins his journey. Like any other transformation, like any other change. It involved with pain, with failures, with successes. But this new generation deserves a new leader, Yahushua, Kalev, Pinchas, El Azar, other leaders who understand this integration between living in nature and integrating miracles in it. This is the generation that is about to enter the land of Israel. This is the generation that in a way ended this period of time of Aaron, Moshe, and Miriam. But we should never lose sight, even if our faces are to the future, that we are part of the past. The stories of Miriam, the stories of optimism and hope in the most darkest times. The love that Aaron had for every Jew. And the fact that Moshe gave us the Torah, this moral compass, God's will to us, it's something that escorts us when we enter the land of Israel and dwell there. Thank you.