Miriam and Aharon

P' Beahalothcha includes the episode of Miriam that is included among the 6 zechiros some people say daily. As Miriam is the one who instigated the discussion with Aharon about Moshe's relationship with his wife, she is the one blamed for wrongdoing and is afflicted with tzara'as as punishment. So why did she bring this up to her brother? From Rashi's take on the text, it is because she knew that all three of them were prophets, yet only Moshe left off regular family life. But it occurred to me that it was logical to bring this up to Aharon, who not only was Moshe's elder brother, but also loved and respected by all as the one who restored harmony to married couples. It is for that reason that the mourning was even more extensive for Aharaon than it was for Moshe. Who better to turn to than the one recognized as successful marriage counselor? As Rashi quotes the Midrash of Tzipporah bemoaning the fate of the wives of the newly minted prophets, one can imagine how very shocked and sorry for her Miriam felt. I would think that Miriam really intended for Aharon to fix the problem of Moshe's marriage. Her error, though, remains that Moshe's situation was so uniquely spiritual that the conventional understanding and approach did not apply to him at all.

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