It Is Forbidden to Bow Your Head Before Pharaoh

Miriam the Prophetess, a powerful figure and symbol of heroism, stood boldly against King Pharaoh and his cruel ways. Through daring acts that broke every law and decree, she succeeded in preserving the lives of children, defeating his harsh decrees, and leading her people to significant change. In the words of our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a, we will delve into her fascinating story, discuss her courageous decisions, and discover how she influenced an entire history.

A lesson delivered after the Maariv prayer Miriam the Prophetess transgressed all the laws. She did not keep any law! Everything that was made into law—she nullified all the laws. She was insolent toward the king. King Pharaoh was a 'righteous' king, a 'just' king. The most 'just' king in the world... She did not listen to any of his laws.

He said to her: "Look upon the birthstool"—the main thing is the birthstool—"if it is a son, then you shall kill him." They needed to kill all the boys, not to leave any son. They did the opposite! Even if a child was born with a defect—half-blind, half-deaf... they would heal all the children. Not only did they not strangle them as the king said.

The king said, at the time of birth, say the child strangled, a technical glitch. No! No technical glitch, they revived the children! The king said to them: "Now I am sending to kill you! From today, every day! Today at night, at exactly 12:00 at night, they will come from the prosecution, they will come from the special police unit, the commando will come, know that they will eliminate you! Tonight, say Kaddish, make a confession, go to some rabbi to confess before him, and try to make a good confession, because this night!" And exactly at 00:00 they entered their house, tore off the locks, and saw they had turned into benches! Tables! She and Yocheved one day were benches, one day they were tables, one day decorations, chandeliers, neon lights... Every day they turned into something else, like that for 80 years! And 3 years and 4 months before Moshe was born, the astrologers already told Pharaoh: "Know that this is your end. In another 3 years and 4 months, a child will be born who will hang you by your sidelocks on a tree 50 cubits high."

He heard this and said: "Every son that is born, you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall keep alive." Even the Egyptians! The English, the French, everyone, cast them into the river, everyone! Because they told him, "Now he is born, this very second." Everything was precise to the second! To the fractions of a second. They said, "Now he is born," and he issued an order to throw all the children into the river. 70,000 children were thrown at that moment, snatched from the hands of their mothers.

And therefore Amram said: "There is nothing to do, a person must lower his head. 'For every wave and wave I bowed my head' (Rabbi Akiva). A person must lower his head, we must lower our heads!" Miriam said: "What do you mean, bow the head?! What nonsense, there is no Pharaoh here and there are no decrees here, nothing exists here! This is just your imagination. These are our sins—Pharaoh is our sins! He does not exist at all! He is not in the world, he has no reality. We are doing teshuvah." Immediately she said: "Father, return to Yocheved, return to Mother!" - "But they will throw the son into the river in the end!" - "Return to Mother. Do what I tell you, return to Mother immediately! I am warning you!" She was a tiny little girl of 3 and a half. Small, small, so short. She said: "You are returning to Mother. I am not interested in anything."

In the end, what happened? They threw Moshe into the river too! Father gave her two slaps, like that, regarding "and her father surely spat in her face," he also spat in her face. "You said to return to Mother, see what has been done!" So she went and hid in the reeds. Yocheved gave birth to the child 3 months early, because they (the Egyptians) knew she was pregnant, so they counted nine months. And she gave birth 3 months early.

And then Eldad and Medad were born, they are the brothers of Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam—also the brothers of Aharon, also the brothers of Miriam, also the brothers of Moshe. They were brothers, in the end they received prophecies, every minute they would prophesy. And then they said: "Moshe is dead." Miriam fainted on the spot, she had a stroke. "What, my brother will die?? What do we do, how do we go on?? Ah... because he took a Cushite woman! Why specifically a Cushite?!" Cushite is the best, there is nothing better than a Cushite.

But why does Moshe take a Cushite woman? Moshe insisted only on a Cushite. Miriam went crazy, she said: "Now he is going to die on me?! Woe is me!" And then she became "leprous as snow" because they spoke about Moshe. Moshe is the Holy of Holies! Even the slightest thought is forbidden. She had the slightest thought of how to save her brother.

Because they said "Moshe is dead," therefore the spies did not want to enter the land. Because they went up "to the entrance of Chamat" (the acronym for Rachel). But they went "to scout the land" (the acronym for Leah), because the land of Canaan is Rachel, the Land of Israel is Leah. All our work is to turn the Land of Israel from Rachel to Leah. So Moshe said, "You are going now to the land of Canaan, turn it into the Land of Israel!" But they were afraid that if they entered the Land of Israel, they would be fired. In the end, everyone was fired. There was Bukki ben Yogli, who was an expert in the entire Shas. Elitzafan ben Parnach—was the father of Eldad and Medad. They took new princes. Their tongues stretched to their navels! And everything brought up worms, worms, worms. Therefore, the 17th of Elul is the Yahrtzeit. On the 17th of Elul, one must guard it with all guard, to light candles. In two months, it will be the most important Yahrtzeit in the world. In the fifth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day. Today, the 5th of Tammuz, we see the act of the Chariot: "The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God" (acronym for Emunah, our holy Rebbe). Today, everyone merits the revelation of the Chariot!