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Book Excerpt from One Minute Messages

One-Minute Messages: Eternal Lessons from Our Prophets By Rabbi Moshe Goldberger The Jewish prophets & their messages: Transform your life with a deeper look at the timeless words of the Jewish people's divine messengers. Buy One-Minute Messages at a special online price at www.targum.com

Chapter 7

Miriam

Miriam was Aharon and Moshe’s older sister. The year of her birth is 2361. She died in the year 2487, on the tenth of Nissan, at the age of 126 (Seder Olam Rabbah 3).

Miriam was the second of the seven prophetesses (Megillah 14a). She was the one who prophesied, “My mother [Yocheved] will have a son who will redeem the Jews” (ibid.). Furthermore, she was the one who helped bring about his actual birth. How so? Her father, Amram, a great leader of the generation, decided to divorce his wife, Yocheved, rather than to bring children into the world at a time when all baby boys were being killed as a result of Pharaoh’s decree. However, Miriam protested and urged her father to reconsider. He followed her advice and remarried Yocheved, and thus Moshe was born.

Just as Moshe and Aharon were the leaders of the men in the desert, Miriam was the leader of the women (see Shemos 15:20–21 and Taanis 9a; Targum, Michah 6:4). She was the one who led the women in bringing out drums and other musical instruments from Egypt to celebrate the miracle of the splitting of the sea (see Shemos 15:20).

The water that was supplied for the Jews in the desert was in Miriam’s merit (Taanis 9a). As proof of this, we note that immediately after Miriam died, there was a lack of water (see Bemidbar 20:1–2).

Miriam married Kalev. Her great-grandson was Betzalel, who constructed the Mishkan and all its vessels. Betzalel was also an ancestor of DavidHaMelech.

One-minute message: Miriam’s influence on history is quite significant, yet it is always somewhat in the background. When Moshe Rabbeinu was a baby and his mother, Yocheved, was forced to put him in the Nile in a basket, the Torah declares, “His sister stood from afar to know what would happen to him” (Shemos 2:4). Miriam ensured Moshe’s safety and helped Pharaoh’s daughter, Bisyah, provide for Moshe by bringing Yocheved, their mother, to nurse the infant.Miriam was also one of the midwives who, with her mother, aided in the growth of the Jewish nation (see Shemos 1:15). We have already mentioned that Miriam led the women and taught them to serve Hashem and that there was water for the nation in her merit.

Miriam was content in her role, but excelled in all of her efforts. Just as there was only one Moshe Rabbeinu, there was only one Aharon HaKohen and only one Miriam HaNeviah. Success in life is not necessarily measured by the number of awards one receives. Success is measured from within. When you can truthfully say that you have fulfilled the will of Hashem to the best of your abilities, then you are successful - whether the rest of the world notices it or not.

You are a unique individual. You have a mission in life that only you can accomplish. Therefore, do not seek to be someone you are not or aspire to greatness by attempting to accomplish missions destined for others. Be yourself!

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