Why God Spoke Suddenly to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam

Midrash Aggadah, Numbers 12:4

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

"And the LORD spoke suddenly to Moses and to Aaron" (Numbers 12:4). And why did He say to them "suddenly"? Because Aaron and Miriam were still impure, for they had not washed from a seminal emission, while Moses our teacher was pure and clean. This was to make known to Aaron and Miriam that it was on account of this matter that he had separated from his wife: because he did not know when the Holy One, blessed be He, would wish to speak with him, and in order that he might be pure and fit for the divine speech, so that the Holy One, blessed be He, would not refrain from speaking on account of the impurity. For this reason he separated. And because they did not separate, they were found impure when He came to speak with them.

Themes

ProphecyMosesHumility

Biblical References

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