Numbers 12: a Case Study in Some Methods of Jewish Bible Study

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Numbers 12 a Case Study in Some Methods of
Jewish Bible Study
Happy the man who findeth wisdom Torah, and
the man that getteth understanding. Her ways
are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths
are peace. She is a tree of life to them
that hold her strongly and happy is every one
that retaineth her. Proverbs 313,17-18

• Presentation for REL 211
• Dr. Laurence Boxer
• September, 2004

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Summary

• Miriam and Aaron complain, unclearly, about
  Moses marriage. They compare themselves with
  Moses, implying by the comparison that something
  in Moses marriage is not like their marriages
  and therefore is not as it should be.
• G-d rebukes them for comparing themselves with
  Moses, making clear Moses superiority.
• Miriam becomes leprous (but not Aaron
  presumably, Miriam led the offense, and Aaron
  went along with it).
• Aaron pleads with Moses to help heal Miriam.
• Moses utters a brief prayer on Miriams behalf.
• Miriam is healed, but is quarantined for a week
  as punishment.
• Out of respect for Miriam, the people wait for
  the end of her quarantine before resuming their
  travels.

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• The Talmud, more than 1400 years old, can be
  considered the first hypertextual document. The
  text is self-referential, as the same material is
  discussed in many places. Each word of the text
  is also a jumping-off point to the thoughts of
  many commentators, both on and off the printed
  page. Rotha
• The Talmud is not a graded work. It doesn't move
  from the simple to the complex. To the contrary,
  every page of Talmud assumes the knowledge of all
  other pages of Talmud. That makes studying Talmud
  from the beginning very difficult for new
  students. Rothb
• Talmud Oral Torah Jewish Bible Written
  Torah. Talmud comments on and extends teachings
  of Bible. Statements similar to, if weaker than,
  R. Roths about Talmud can be made about the
  Jewish Bible.

Rabbi Joel Roth - Louis Finkelstein Professor of
Talmud and Jewish Law at The Jewish Theological
Seminary
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• Num. 121 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses
• ?? (al) because of / on behalf of
• the Cushite woman he had married for he had
  married a Cushite woman.

Cushite usually rendered Ethiopian - black ??
(al) usually as because of. With these
interpretations, are Miriam and Aaron advocating
racism? Certainly, the Bible isnt, since Miriam
is divinely punished.
Song of Songs 15 I am black and
beautiful. 510 My beloved is white and ruddy.

• If black is a racial term, we conclude the
  Bible does not oppose interracial coupling.
• Alternately, black could be a class term,
  referring to those who work outdoors and are
  deeply tanned. Hence, inter-class coupling is not
  Biblically opposed.

Miriam and Aaron are regarded traditionally as
admirable Aaron, particularly, as resolver of
conflict, promoter of peace. Thus,
interpretations of verse 1 as advocating
prejudice (racial or class) must be rejected.
?? (al) on behalf of preferred
interpretation but, then, what is its
significance?
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• Midr on Ki Thetze VI,14 Rabbi Simeon said
  Miriam the pious had no intention to slander
  Moses, but only criticised him because of his
  neglect for his marital duty. (See also Midr
  on Vezot Habrachah XI,10 the son of Amram
  from the day Thou didst reveal Thyself to him at
  the Bush has had no marital relations.)

• Why does Midrash teach that Moses
  neglected/separated from his wife?
• Num. 122 They said, Has the Lord spoken only
  through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as
  well? The Lord heard it.
• Ex. 1914-15 (preparation for revelation of 10
  Commandments) Moses came down from the mountain
  to the people and warned the people to stay pure,
  and they washed their clothes. And he said to
  the people, Be ready for the third day do not
  go near a woman.
• Moses concluded that since he could be summoned
  by G-d any time, he should separate from his
  wife. Miriam and Aaron argue that they are also
  prophets, but they have not separated from their
  spouses. Thus, on behalf of the Cushite woman he
  had married, Miriam and Aaron advocate that Moses
  resume normal marital life.
• Further evidence for this interpretation is found
  in response to the question Why were Moses sons
  undistinguished?

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Why were Moses descendants undistinguished?

• Aarons sons and grandsons assisted him,
  succeeded him as priest.
• Miriams husband Hur is identified as grandfather
  of Bezalel, architect of Tabernacle (Ex. 311).
• Moses sons Gershom (Ex. 222, 183) and Eliezer
  (Ex. 184) are barely mentioned in the Torah.
• Judges 18 discusses a time of idolatry in the
  tribe of Dan. The priest of the idolatrous cult
  is identified (1830) as Jonathan, son of
  Gershom, son of Manasseh. Manassah is normally
  written in Hebrew as
• ???? (Menashe)
• but appears in Judges 1830 as

suggesting ??? (Moshe Moses) i.e., the
upraised letter ? is perhaps an inserted change
from the original to diminish Moses disgraced
grandfather-hood.
Thus, Moses excessive devotion to public duty
caused him to neglect family, with tragic
consequences. See Schorsch
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Num. 123 Now the man ( ???? - ha-ish) Moses
was very meek, more than all men on the face of
the earth.

• What is the significance of the man? Why doesnt
  the text simply say Now Moses was very meek?
  Note other unusual uses of man
• Ex. 153 The Lord is a man (??? ish) of war.
  Dont we prefer to praise G-d as source of
  peace?
• Num. 1116-17 And the Lord said to Moses
  Gather unto Me seventy men (??? ????? shivim
  ish literally, seventy man) of the elders of
  Israel, and they shall bear the burden of the
  people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself
  alone.
• Latter verses are about appointment of leaders.
  Linkage among these verses shared unusual use
  of man (??? ish). Lesson A leader needs the
  strength of a warrior in order to lead, but
  ideally should have humility of Moses, to listen,
  be sensitive to the needs of those he/she leads.
  See Frand Haber Midr on Behaalotekha, 1523

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• Num. 126-8 and He said when a prophet
  arises among you, I make Myself known to him in a
  vision, in a dream. Not so with my servant
  Moses he is trusted throughout My household.
  With him I speak mouth to mouth, plainly and not
  in riddles. How then did you not shrink from
  speaking against my servant Moses!

• Deut. 321 Give ear, O heavens, let me speak
  let the earth hear the words I utter.
• Isaiah 12 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O
  earth, for the Lord has spoken.

Note Moses is more intimate with heavens (Give
ear, O heavens vs. Isaiahs Hear, O heavens)
and speaks more independently (hear the words I
utter vs. for the Lord has spoken). See
Rappel
Deut. 3410 Never again did there arise in
Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord
singled out, face to face. Thus, Moses is the
greatest of the prophets, for all time. This is
one of Maimonides 13 Principles of Faith (see
Or, p. 53) Christianity and Islam clearly
believe differently. See also the lengthy Midrash
on this point in Midr on Vezot Habrachah,
113.
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Num. 1210 And when the cloud was removed from
over the Tent, behold, Miriam was leprous.

• Leprosy ????? - metzorah, regarded as an
  abbreviation for the expressions ?? ????? - motzi
  rah one who brings forth evil, and ??
  ?? ????? - motzi shem rah one who brings forth
  an evil name, by evil speech or gossip Midr on
  Lev., 161. Leprosy was not what is today
  called by that name. Rather, was regarded as
  divine punishment for evil speech. Thus, a
  slanderer is a moral leper Hertz, p. 461.
• The victim of leprosy was quarantined and
  ostracized for 2 weeks or more, depending on
  recovery see Lev. 13.
• Rituals of purification upon recovery include
  dabbing oil, as described in Lev. 1417
• on the tip of the right ear stressing need to
  hear the words of G-d of him that is to be
  cleansed, and
• upon the thumb of his right hand stressing need
  to perform G-ds commands, and
• upon the great toe of his right foot stressing
  need to walk in G-ds ways

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Torah tradition regards evil speech as one of the
most serious moral failings.

• Slander kills 3 the victim, the teller, and the
  hearer Hertz, p. 315, citing ancient sources.
• Note disapproval, penalties against malicious
  dishonesty (Ex. 2013, 231-2, Deut. 1916-19,
  2213-18, etc), gossip (Lev. 1916).
• Talmud, Pesachim 118a R. Shesheth on the
  authority of R. Eleazar b. Azariah Whoever
  relates slander, and whoever accepts slander, and
  whoever gives false testimony against his
  neighbor, deserve to be cast to dogs, for it is
  said, ye shall cast to the dogs Ex. 2230,
  which is followed by Thou shalt not take up a
  false report Ex. 231.
• The slanderer, the man of the evil tongue, the
  calumniator, is worse than a murderer, since he
  destroys a mans reputation, which is more
  precious than his life (Talmud) Hertz, p. 501.
  This is hinted at in Lev. 1916 Thou shalt not
  be a ???? rachil pedlar/gossip/pedlar of gossip
  among your people do not stand idly by the blood
  of your neighbor.
• The lessons cited above are examples of learning
  from proximity that nearby phrases or verses
  often illuminate each other (here, juxtaposition
  of casting to dogs and rumor-mongering of gossip
  and bloodshed).

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A Chassidic Story Gathering the Feathers

• A man appeared before his rabbi prior to Rosh
  Hashanah, declaring he wished to repent the
  slander he had committed. He claimed he would do
  anything the rabbi instructed him.
• The rabbi doubted the mans sincerity. He told
  him to rip open a feather pillow, scatter the
  feathers to the winds, and return to the rabbis
  office for further instructions.
• The man thought the rabbis instructions odd, but
  did as instructed.
• When he returned to the rabbi, the rabbi
  instructed him to gather the feathers every
  last one.
• The man protested the impossibility of the task.
• The rabbi said, The feathers are your words.
  Just as you cannot gather the feathers, you
  cannot undo your slander. The way to eliminate
  the harm of slander is not to engage in it in the
  first place.

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Lessons from other techniques of Torah study

• We have, above, illustrated lessons learned in
  hypertext style, Midrash (imaginative
  investigation), and from proximity.
• There are many other methods of deriving lessons
  from the Torah.
• Among the more prominent
• Pshat the plain meaning of the text
• Logical deduction
• We consider other lessons learned from Num. 12
  using these methods of study.

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Num. 1211-12 Aaron pleads with Moses to
alleviate Miriams leprosy.

• Num. 1213 So Moses cried out to the Lord,
  saying, G-d, please heal, please, her! (literal
  translation of ?? ?? ??? ?? ??)
• Despite the repetition of please, note the
  brevity of Moses prayer.
• Moses is caught in a dilemma. On the one hand,
  Miriam had spoken openly against him and deserved
  to be punished. On the other hand, as his
  sister, she evoked his compassion. The result is
  this terse prayer. Its brevity seems to reveal
  Moses lack of enthusiasm and minimal compliance
  with Aarons plea. Etz, p. 835
• Alternately Moses was shy about publicly
  favoring his sister, lest the Israelites say,
  For his sister, he pleads with G-d at length,
  but were we in her place, he would only offer a
  few words. Etz, p. 835, citing Sifrei
• Alternately This confirms the greatness of
  Moses. He is so intimate with G-d that these
  five words are all he needs to say. Contrast
  with the more verbose pleas of Abraham on behalf
  of any righteous residents of Sodom and Gomorrah
  (Gen. 1816-33), and those of Jacob when he
  requested divine protection from Esau (Gen.
  3210-13).

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Num. 1214-15 But the Lord said to Moses, If
her father spat in her face, would she not bear
her shame for seven days? Let her be shut out of
the camp for seven days, and then let her be
readmitted. So Miriam was shut out of the camp
seven days and the people did not march on
until Miriam was readmitted. Lessons from Pshat
(plain meaning) and logical deduction

• Infinitely greater than a human father, G-d might
  have insisted on a more severe punishment, but
  instead gave Miriam a reduced penalty (lepers
  were ordinarily quarantined at least 2 weeks
  Lev. 135). G-d is humble and forgiving how
  much more should we be humble and forgiving.
• Even the most righteous of individuals is not
  perfect. An occasional misdeed need not diminish
  ones stature in the eyes of others. the
  people did not march on until Miriam was
  readmitted she remained respected.

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References

• Etz Etz Hayim Torah and Commentary, Rabbinical
  Assembly, United Synagogue of Conservative
  Judaism, New York, 2001
• Frand Rabbi Yissocher Frand, Commentary on
  Behaaloscha, http//www.torah.org/learning/ravfran
  d/5757/behaaloscha.html
• Haber Rabbi Yaacov Haber, Commentary on Lech
  Lecho, http//www.ou.org/torah/haber/lechlecha47.h
  tml
• Hertz Dr. J.H. Hertz, ed., The Pentateuch and
  Haftorahs, 2nd ed., Soncino Press, London, 1968
• Midr Midrash Rabbah (ancient Biblical
  commentary) see The Midrash, Soncino Press,
  London, 1961
• Or Or Hadash A Commentary on Siddur
  prayerbook Sim Shalom, Reuven Hammer, ed.,
  Rabbinical Assembly, United Synagogue of
  Conservative Judaism, New York, 2003
• Rappel Dov Rappel, Commentary on Behaalotekha,
  http//www.biu.ac.il/JH/Parasha/eng/behaalot/rap.h
  tml
• Roth Rabbi Joel Roth, Introduction to Talmud,
• a) http//courses.jtsa.edu/registration/syllabi/t
  almud_ae/
• b) http//courses.jtsa.edu/tal/introdemo/demo/hom
  e.html
• Schorsch Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, Commentary on
  Behaalotekha, http//learn.jtsa.edu/topics/parash
  ah/5755/behaalotekha.shtml
• Talmud The Oral Torah consisting of many
  volumes, thousands of pages of commentary and
  elaboration on the Jewish Bible. See The Talmud,
  Soncino Press, London, 1961