Toy Story Lets Its Characters Grow Up
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Life’s a winding road. There are challenging aspects of life that we must accept but don’t fully understand. Death is one of them. It’s an inevitable fact that each of us has an unknown expiration date.
In this week’s Torah portion, we’re informed of the death of Miriam the prophetess in a mere five words. The narrative is ambiguous in its utter brevity. In just one sentence, the beloved sister of Moshe and Aharon is suddenly gone. We’re told that she died and was buried in Kadesh.
Immediately afterward, the people were desperately pleading for water. Although unstated, there’s an underlying connection between these events. It was in the merit of Miriam that the Israelites enjoyed an ample supply of water throughout their long journey. Many years before, Miriam had stood guard along the river waiting to see what would happen to her infant brother, who had been placed in a basket among the reeds. Miriam’s act of kindness and devotion was duly noticed on high. Later, God made her the Divine conduit through which the nation could quench its thirst for decades. The people weren’t aware of this until the miraculous well ceased upon Miriam’s death.
The Torah’s every word conveys underlying meaning. Kadesh, the location of Miriam’s demise and Israel’s complaints of thirst, contains the same Hebrew letters as the word kadosh, holy. This suggests a subtle message. At Kadesh, upon Miriam’s passing, the spiritual and physical thirst of the nation may have been expressions of the intense vacuum left by her death. At first glance, it cannot be seen, but the sequence implies an emotional and spiritual response that links these occurrences.
“Just as the ways of God are often beyond man’s comprehension, the way of the Jewish soul is often impenetrable to the casual observer.” These words aptly describe the ensuing encounter between Moshe and the people. In response to their panic, Moshe speaks out in bitter words: “Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?” In his angst, Moshe calls the people morim, rebels, which is spelled (in Hebrew) exactly the same as the name Miriam. Only the pronunciation is different. Could this be a fitting reminder that they had just suffered her painful loss? We can surmise that their emotional reactions were related to Miriam’s death. There’s no doubt that Moshe was grief-stricken.
<p>When learning a section of the Torah, we are to contemplate it and strive to internalize its meaning. Beneath the surface, hidden in the Hebrew words and letters, are relevant interpretations to enlighten every generation. Embedded within this narrative is a pertinent message for us. The people lost more than Miriam and her miraculous well; they lost an opportunity. We each must make it a goal to internalize the importance of responding with compassion to those who are suffering. Upon the death of a loved one, families sometimes are torn apart by unresolved issues. Anger and divisiveness can overpower love and reason. At such vulnerable times, we need to choose our every word with greater care and sensitivity. By doing so, strife will be avoided and peace can prevail. In Parashas Chukas, we also are told of the end of Aharon’s life. Just as Miriam’s greatness became fully recognized after her death, so too, the people gained a new understanding of Aharon’s greatness at his passing. We are taught that upon Aharon’s death, the pillar of cloud, which guided and protected the Israelites since leaving Egypt, left them.190 It was in the merits of Miriam and Aharon that the blessings of the well and the clouds were miraculously bestowed.
The deaths of Miriam and Aharon represented the start of the transition from a supernatural to a more normal existence. The Kli Yakar explains that there were some at Kadesh who didn’t want to enter the Land of Israel. They preferred their miraculous existence in the wilderness, in which all needs were provided for. Once the water abruptly ceased upon Miriam’s death, they recognized how the status quo couldn’t continue.
With Aharon’s passing and the disappearance of the pillar of cloud, it was clear that a transition was in process.
The liminal space we traverse is often laden with uncertainty. It’s always been that way. Living in the here and now, we may not fully appreciate the far-reaching contributions of another, nor can we completely grasp the void we will experience after he or she is gone. The totality and true impact of someone’s life gains heightened clarity once it’s over.
Like the Israelites of old, life, death, and the journeys in between challenge us. Torah study expands our understanding of reality to reveal its spiritual dimensions. The Torah’s guidance illuminates our ways, especially along unexpected curves on life’s winding road.
