The Secret of Miriam's Well and the Power of Mesirus Nefesh
Class No. 253 | Transcript of cassette No. 253 Thursday, Parashas Devarim, the eve of the 3rd of Av 5760, a class for the avreichim (Torah scholars) of the Old City Kollel at the home of the Rav Thursday, Parashas Acharei Mos, the eve of the 23rd of Nissan 5760, Bar Mitzvah (and words of the Gaon Rabbi Moshe Halberstam shlit"a) at the Zvhil Halls
Miriam's well did not merely provide water for the Children of Israel in the desert; it roamed the entire world, bestowing spiritual and physical abundance. Through the figures of Miriam, Bisyah the daughter of Pharaoh, and Serach the daughter of Asher, the immense secret of mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) for the sake of the Jewish people is revealed. In the merit of this self-sacrifice, these righteous women merited to enter the Garden of Eden while still alive.
It is written regarding Miriam's well that for one who is worthy, the well will float toward him. It is brought down that there was a man who went down to immerse in a mikveh and merited to immerse in Miriam's well. This concept is connected to the secret of the verse in Parashas Acharei Mos:
"When they drew near before Hashem, and they died."
The entire essence of Miriam the Prophetess was drawing near before Hashem. Even though the Torah does not explicitly state "by the mouth of Hashem" regarding her passing, our Sages teach that Miriam, too, just like Aharon and Moshe, passed away with a Divine kiss.
The Zohar Chadash (Bereishis, section 811) reveals a tremendous secret regarding the verse:
"And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth."
The Zohar explains that "the great luminaries" refer to Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam. The images of these three shepherds are engraved in the firmament of the heavens, and they constantly protect the Jewish people. The tzaddikim can see their illuminating images, as it is stated in the prophet Michah: "And I sent before you Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam."
The Wonders of Miriam's Well
Miriam's well was not merely a regular source of water, but a cosmic wonder that roamed the entire world. The Tosefta in Tractate Sukkah (Chapter 3) describes how the well would position itself, and the waters would rise high and water the entire face of the wasteland. From the desert, the waters would flow to the Mediterranean Sea and to all the oceans.
The Children of Israel would sit on boats, and the waters would carry them in the blink of an eye to every corner of the world. Through Miriam's well, they would reach every point on the globe and bring back precious stones and pearls. Each person would take a tour of the world and return to the desert within a few minutes. Regarding this, it is stated:
"These forty years Hashem your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing."
They did not even lack precious stones and pearls.
In the future to come, the living waters that will flow out from Jerusalem, as prophesied by the prophets, will actually be the waters of Miriam's well. The waters will emerge from the Even HaShesiya (Foundation Stone), water the entire world, and sweeten all the waters of the salty seas.
The Mesirus Nefesh of Bisyah the Daughter of Pharaoh
The immense power of Miriam is closely connected to the mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) of the righteous women in that generation. The Midrash on the verse "A woman of valor, who can find?" expounds this as referring to Miriam, about whom it is said, "If her father had but spit in her face." But alongside her stood another wondrous figure—Bisyah the daughter of Pharaoh.
Regarding the verse in Proverbs, "She rises while it is yet night, and gives food to her household," the "Midrash HaGadol" says that this refers to Bisyah the daughter of Pharaoh. She would rise early, blending days into days, waiting for the moment when they would throw Moshe into the Nile. She already knew through her ruach hakodesh (Divine inspiration) that the savior of Israel was in the world, and she wanted to merit the mitzvah of saving him.
Every night, Bisyah would wake up early, before sunrise, while it was still dark—the time when the Jews were forced to throw their children into the Nile. Whoever had bitachon (trust) in Hashem threw his son into the Nile with the hope that a merciful gentile would find him and raise him. Bisyah would walk along the banks of the Nile, searching and worrying, until she opened the basket.
The book "Asarah Ma'amaros" reveals a secret regarding the verse:
"And she opened it, and she saw him, the child, and behold, a youth was crying."
Why did he cry? Moshe Rabbeinu, at only three months old, was crying over the terrible suffering of the Jewish people. When Bithiah saw this, she immediately understood that he was the one who would bring the Geulah (Redemption), and she decided to sacrifice herself to save him.
The Reward for Self-Sacrifice
The Gemara (Sotah 12a) says that Moshe Rabbeinu had ten names. Rabbi Meir says his name was "Tov" (Good), and Rabbi Yehudah says "Toviah," as it is stated, "And she saw him that he was good" (Exodus 2:2). The question arises: Why doesn't the Torah call him by these names, but specifically by the name "Moshe" that Bithiah gave him?
The answer is that Hashem establishes the name of one who acts with mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice). Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, sacrificed herself right inside the house of the wicked Pharaoh, took upon herself the Jewish faith, and converted. Whoever walks with such self-sacrifice merits that specifically the name they bestowed is the one that will endure forever.
In the merit of this self-sacrifice, Bithiah merited to enter Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden) alive. Maseches Derech Eretz lists ten tzaddikim who entered Gan Eden with their physical bodies, and among them are Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh and Serach the daughter of Asher.
What was the greatness of Serach the daughter of Asher that earned her this tremendous spiritual level? She was the one who brought the tidings to Yaakov Avinu that Yosef was alive. Seemingly, what is so great about that? The truth is that no one else dared to tell Yaakov that Yosef was alive. The brothers knew that whoever broke this news to Yaakov could die on the spot from his terrible strictness and anger. Yaakov would discover that they had deceived him for 22 years, that they had told him, "A wild beast has devoured him," and brought him a tunic dipped in blood—and it was all a lie.
The brothers were terrified that the moment they told him, he would cast his eyes upon them and turn them into a pile of bones. Serach the daughter of Asher took upon herself the self-sacrifice to die for the sake of Yaakov. She knew that Yaakov might direct his strictness at her as well: "You also knew the secret and didn't reveal it to me? You let me mourn for 22 years?" She took upon herself the risk to deliver the news and die.
At that moment of absolute self-sacrifice, her body was transformed into a spiritual body of the Resurrection of the Dead, and thus she merited to enter Gan Eden with her physical body.
Part 2 of 3 — Lesson No. 253
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