Miriam: A Prophetess and a Leader

We first meet Miriam as she appears with the name Puah. Rashi explains that the two midwives, Shifra and Puah, who helped the women in Egypt give birth at the time of their subjugation, were none other than Yocheved and Miriam. Yocheved was called Shifra because she used to clean up the babies, and Miriam was called Puah as she used to coo to settle the babies. The Midrash explains that Miriam was called Puah because when someone would say a baby has died, she would resuscitate the baby. This is the beginning of a theme that we will explore below, that when everyone else says that there is no hope, Miriam clings on to hope and is able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Unlike Rashi, the Abarbanel claims that these midwives are Egyptian, as we would expect that Pharaoh would not trust Jews to carry out the law to kill Jewish babies. The Torah refers to these two women as having “fear of Elokim (G-d)”¹ . What motivated Shifra and Puah’s fear of G-d? In this verse, we also learn that they were midwives. In being midwives, they witnessed the miracles of childbirth. In Egypt, these births were extraordinary as the Jewish women gave birth like a tree produces fruit², giving birth to six children at a time ! Witnessing this miracle, their fear of G-d was fuelled to a much higher level. Just as Shifra and Puah recognised that G-d was the Source of the wonders around them, so too should we increase our fear of G-d whenever we witness or hear about a miracle. 

Miriam, along with her brothers, Moshe and Aharon, is a leader of the Jewish people in the desert. Rashi³ explains that Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam each had a different role. Moshe’s role was to teach the Torah laws, Aharon’s role was to bring atonement for the nation, and Miriam’s role was to teach Torah to the women. Rav Shteinzaltz explains that Miriam had prophecy in her own right (and was not dependent on Moshe for his prophecy).

One way that Miriam is referred to is ‘Miriam the prophetess’. The Midrash explains that when Miriam was but three years old (!), she received a prophecy that her mother would give birth to the redeemer of the Jewish People. Her father, Amram, divorced his wife Yocheved since the Egyptians were killing the Jewish boys. Since Amram was the spiritual leader of the Jews at that time, the other men followed his example and also separated from their wives. Miriam, despite being only 3 years old, approached her father saying ‘You are worse than Pharoh! Pharoh is killing just the boys, but you are stopping both the boys and the girls from being born’. With that, Miriam’s father Amram remarried his wife, and the rest of the Jews followed suit. All those babies born, including Moshe, the future redeemer of the Jewish People, were born in the merit of Miriam.

Later on, when Moshe is floating upon the Nile river, Miriam watches him to check that he is safe; she is waiting to see her own prophecy unfold. Miriam is driven by a very clear vision, and she never loses hope.

Many years later, when the Jewish persecution in Egypt is coming to an end, Miriam leads the women and takes a tambourine in her hand. All the other women followed her example and took their tambourines. Even whilst the subjugation of Egypt was still a reality, Miriam and the women packed tambourines for their journey ahead, showing their unwavering faith that their redemption would come soon. 

When the Jewish people, followed by the women, sing a song of praise to Hashem, the verse says “And Miriam answered them (the women)”. What did she answer? The Emek Davar explains that Miriam is responding to the women. The women sang their version of the song without Divine perception, and she confirmed it with her Divine perception. Miriam is the type of leader who is a role model; she acts, and the women follow her example. Miriam validates the women, inspires them to follow her example, and empowers them to do even more with their own strength. We see these attributes of Miriam earlier on (in Chapter 2) when she asks Pharaoh’s daughter, who had just picked up baby Moshe’s basket from the Nile river, if she should bring a Jewish maidservant to nurse Moshe. Rather than enforcing things upon others, she empowers them to make their own decisions and bring themselves into the picture.

The Gemara explains that when Miriam died there was no water left for the Jewish people as the well which travelled with the Jewish people dried up. This was because the well went with them in the merit of Miriam. Because of Miriam, the Jewish people were able to survive in the desert

The Gemara⁴ explains that when Miriam died there was no water left for the Jewish people as the well which travelled with the Jewish people dried up. This was because the well went with them in the merit of Miriam. Because of Miriam, the Jewish people were able to survive in the desert⁵. This is also significant as the properties of a well reflect Miriam’s greatness. Regarding a well, the water is there but one just can’t access it; one digs into the ground until water emerges. In this way did Miriam lead the women; she empowered their own strengths, allowing their greatness to emerge to the surface. After Miriam dies and the well dries up, the Jewish people begin to complain. Just like Miriam, the well is a symbol of hope and inner strength, and when the well goes, so does their hope for the future.

Whilst being the sister of Moshe and Aharon, Miriam is a prophetess and a leader in her own right. Even her name displays her strong faith. The name ‘Miriam’ literally means ‘bitter water’, which points towards the fact that even in the bitter times, Miriam was able to hold onto the hope of redemption.

Many of these ideas were taught to me by Rebbetzin Sharon Isaacson of MMY Seminary

¹ Shemot 1:17

² Ibn Ezra on Shemot 7:1

³ On Micha 6:4

⁴ Megillah 14a

⁵ The Jewish people had shelter in Aharon’s merit and manna from heaven in Moshe’s merit