Today, we’re going to peek behind the curtain a bit, focusing on a fascinating, and rather human, episode involving Moses, his wife Zipporah, and his siblings, Miriam and Aaron.
The story unfolds after the appointment of the seventy elders. Imagine the scene: these men are now elevated to the status of prophets, and the women of the community celebrate with a joyous illumination, lighting candles in their honor. Zipporah, Moses’ wife, notices the festivities and asks Miriam, his sister, what's going on.
Miriam explains, "Blessed are the women who behold with their eyes how their husbands are raised to dignity!" A beautiful sentiment, right? But Zipporah's response is a bit…different. "It would be more proper to say, 'Woe to the wives of these men who must now abstain from all conjugal happiness!'" Ouch.
Now, Miriam is taken aback. "How dost thou know this?" she asks. Zipporah, according to Legends of the Jews, doesn't mince words. "I judge so from the conduct of thy brother, for ever since he was chosen to receive Divine revelations, he no longer knows his wife."
Think about that for a moment. Zipporah is voicing a very real concern, a very human concern. She’s feeling the distance that Moses’ calling has created between them.
Miriam, upon hearing this, goes to Aaron, and says, "I also received Divine revelations, but without being obliged to separate myself from my husband." Aaron agrees, adding, "I, too, received Divine revelations, without, however, being obliged to separate myself from my wife." As we find in this legend, the implication is clear: receiving prophecy and maintaining a marriage weren't mutually exclusive for them.
Then, a rather harsh judgement: "Our fathers also received revelations, but without discontinuing their conjugal life. Moses abstains from conjugal joys only out of pride, to show how holy a man he is." It's a pretty bold accusation, implying that Moses' actions are motivated by ego rather than divine mandate.
The story continues that Miriam and Aaron don't just gossip amongst themselves. They confront Moses directly, telling him exactly what they think of his conduct. Can you imagine that conversation? The tension must have been palpable.
Now, here's where Moses' character truly shines through. The text tells us that while he could be “self-assured and stern when it touched a matter concerning God's glory,” he remained silent in the face of these personal reproaches. He knew that his abstinence was at God's bidding, and he didn’t feel the need to defend himself.
And God, seeing this, declares, "Moses is very meek and pays no attention to the injustice meted out to him… I will therefore now stand by him."
What's so powerful about this story? It's not just a tale of prophets and divine commands. It's a story about the human cost of leadership, the challenges of marriage, and the complexities of family dynamics. It reveals that even the greatest figures in our tradition were not immune to the struggles of everyday life. It’s a reminder that true strength sometimes lies not in defending ourselves, but in humbly accepting criticism, knowing that our actions are guided by a higher purpose. And it also reminds us that even those closest to us may not always understand our path.