Another interpretation, when Moses saw what befell his sister, he began crying out and praying on her behalf with all his heart and soul: “God, now, heal her now” (Numbers 12:13). The Rabbis said: Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, You have already rendered me a physician.20As explained in the following paragraph. If You heal her, that is fine, If not, I will heal her.’21The midrash is expounding on the doubling of the word “now.”
Moses was saying: ‘God, heal her now, and if not, I will heal her now.’ Another interpretation, what is “God now”? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: To what is the matter comparable? To a physician’s apprentice, to whom a certain sick woman came up to call on.
He brought her to his mentor. The apprentice said to his mentor: ‘Master, you have already taught me all the procedures of administering remedies. If you heal her, that is fine; if not, I will heal her myself.’ So, too, Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, You already taught me all the procedures of leprosy.
If you heal her, that is fine; if not, I will heal her.’ Another interpretation, “Moses cried out to the Lord, saying…” (Numbers 12:13) – to what is this matter comparable? To a mighty man who had a chain around his neck. He freed himself from that chain.
Some time later, he saw the chain placed around the neck of another. He began crying out. People said to him: ‘Why are you crying out?’ He said to them: ‘You do not know [what he is going through], but I know what pain he is experiencing.
The chain was around my neck just like this, and I know what pain he is experiencing.’ So, too, Moses was crying out. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Why are you crying out?’ He said to Him: ‘Master of the universe, I know what pain she [Miriam] is suffering, as I remember the “chain” into which my hand was once placed.’
From where is this derived? It is as it is stated: “Behold, his hand was leprous like snow” (Exodus 4:6). After Moses prayed on her behalf, the Holy One blessed be He healed her. From where is this derived?
It is as it is stated: “The people did not travel until Miriam’s readmission” (Numbers 12:15). That is why they remembered what befell Miriam as a result of malicious speech.