Drawing From the Greatest

Parshat B'haalot'kha

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Miriam and Aharon have a conversation about Moshe’s Cushite wife, and about Moshe as a prophet. While the extent of what was said regarding the Cushite wife is unclear in the text, and somewhat expanded upon in the Midrash, it seems that the real beef God had with Miriam and Aharon was over their comments about Moshe’s status as a prophet. It would seem to me that speaking about Moshe’s wife (whoever and whatever that is about) is more of a Lashon Hora issue than comparing themselves as prophets to Moshe as a prophet, yet God makes clear to them that they are not on the same level as Moshe as a prophet. 

This could ostensibly mean that they were talking about Moshe separating from his wife – though the Torah makes no hint of that at all – on account of his being a prophet. The Rabbis certainly suggested that’s what God referred to in saying the Moshe is a one-of-a-kind prophet, who needs to be available to receive God’s word at any time. 

The Midrash (and Rashi on its coattails) suggests that God proved this to Miriam and Aharon through noting that both of them were tamei with the tumat zera – both having recently been intimate with their spouses – while Moshe was not tamei in that way, therefore more readily receptive, and at a higher level, to receive God’s word. 

Except that there is no indication anywhere that that kind of tumah is a preventative to a prophet being a prophet. 

There is a strange irony, however, in that God calls all three siblings to the Ohel Moed, then when they are gathered, he calls Aharon and Miriam to emerge, which they do to receive their rebuke and consequence. [Regarding the consequence, there is a line of thought that Aharon was touched with tzaraas which disappeared quickly, while Miriam’s tzaraas remained upon her for a slightly longer period, until Moshe prayed for her – reciting the five word ק-ל נא רפא נא לה. See Alshich] 

Malbim and Netziv both suggest that Moshe was called with them to open a door of prophesy they normally wouldn’t be privy to. This was exactly God’s point: Moshe is a different kind of prophet. They needed to see that they could receive the kind of “immediate prophesy,” not in a dream or unique kind of vision, but as if God is talking to them directly, which was only possible in this instance because of their being tagged along with Moshe. 

 More critically, R Yitzchak Caro (Toldot Yitzchak) says they were called together for them to learn the truth about their prophetic differences, and other differences. “They thought they were equal to Moshe in saying, ‘Does God only communicate with Moshe?’ God wanted to show them the difference between them and Moshe… and so He ordered them all to the Ohel Moed, and He separated them from Moshe, as if to say they are not worthy of being in Moshe’s presence. Furthermore, He spoke to them by themselves, in a manner that Moshe was not with them at the time of the actual talking, because although God had called all three of them together, He spoke to them in a manner that showed their unworthiness to be in Moshe’s presence for prophesy… ‘You are worthy to be prophets for Israel. But Moshe is worthy of being the prophet for the two of you!’ In other words, the level you are above all of Israel is the level that Moshe is greater than you!” 

That they were able to achieve the kind of prophesy of Moshe because they were tagged along with him for a brief moment is a fascinating idea. It shows us that even people who are unworthy of being at a certain level (not that higher levels aren’t attainable, but everything is relative to where one is now) can still get a taste of those higher levels if they attach themselves to greater people. 

The prophet Elisha, disciple of Eliyahu Hanavi, wanted to surpass his master in prophetic ability. Eliyahu essentially told him, if you see me depart from this world (in the chariot of fire), you’ll be granted the level of prophesy you desire. Granted, he might not have been worthy at that time. But the fact that he was in the right place at the right time gave him the chance to at least see for himself what his own status was! As it turned out, for him, at that time and place, he quickly learned that not only was he worthy, but he would indeed surpass his master in certain ways. 

 This is why some people gravitate to Kabbalists and Chassidishe Rebbes, and to Litvishe Roshei Yeshiva, Talmidei Chachamim and Poskim, to hopefully merit to have some of the greatness of these individuals either rub off on their disciples, or at least serve as an inspiration of what a person can achieve in Torah knowledge and perfecting one’s character. 

We should all be blessed to learn, as did Aharon and Miriam, that there are levels, and there are LEVELS. 

No one denies that Miriam and Aharon were exceptional. But they were not Moshe Rabbenu-level. 

This is something they needed to see for themselves. So God orchestrated things in such a way that they could see for themselves – You are accomplished. You are very accomplished. But לא כן עבדי משה בכל ביתי נאמן הוא, Moshe is on a different level, and so there is no sense at all, in any way, of comparing yourselves to him. 

Hang around him, bask in his greatness (even though he is very humble), and have your own personal growth enhanced from being around him. But don’t see yourself on a level you haven’t reached yet, just because you have similar abilities, and you happen to be his older siblings. 

 May we all be blessed to be inspired by those greater than us, and always take that inspiration to raise our own selves to higher levels.