What are the implications of the word "Va'tedaber", as opposed to 'Va'tomer'?
Why does the Torah mention Miriam before Aharon?
Rashi: Miriam was the one who passed on the information 1 to Aharon, thereby instigating the conversation. 2
Da'as Zekenim: Women are more talkative than men. She persisted in the matter more than Aharon. 3
Oznayim la'Torah: And from the fact that the Torah writes "Vatedaber .. "" (feminine), it is lear thaat, not only was she the instigstor, but that she was mainly the one who spoke and Aharon merely tagged along. Hence whereas Aharon was merely censured, Miriam was striken with Tzara'as.
Hadar Zekenim: And that explains why she was stricken.
What did Miriam and Aharon say about Moshe?
Rashi (in Pasuk 2): They accused Moshe of separating from Tziporah without a genuine motive. 1
Rashbam and Targum Yonasan: They accused him of marrying a Kushis 2 (the queen of Kush) when he escaped from Egypt and ended up as king of Kush 3 for forty years. 4
Malbim (Devarim 24:7): Miriam said that he purchased a Kushis from slave-traders, and set her free, which is wrong - a. because it encourages their evil practices, and b. because, due to the terrible conditions of the slaves from abduction until they are sold, they are prone to have Tzara'as, and Moshe was endangering Yisrael! 5 Aharon answered that surely Hashem permitted this to Moshe; the Pasuk says that also Aharon spoke, since he did not rebuke Miriam.
Hadar Zekenim: Their objection was due to the fact that the Kushim were uncircumcised. Refer also to 12:2:2:3.
Where he was given the ex-king's widow as a wife.
Rashbam and Targum Yonasan: What Aharon and Miriam did not know however, was that Moshe never actually lived with her. See Oznyim la'Torah, who, citing the Ri Avuhav, refutes this explantion.mainly because if Miriam and Aharon heard that Moshe had marreid the queen of Kush, they would also have heard that the Kushim dethroned him preisely because he refused to live with her,.
Malbim: This is why "Hishamer be'Nega ha'Tzara'as" comes right after the Isur of kidnapping (Devarim 24:7 & 8). (Perhaps the Malbim holds like the opinion that Torah Tzara'as is a contagious illness (refer to Vayikra 13:46:152:2 and the note there). Alternatively, the juxtapositioning hints to the danger of Tzara'as - leprosy that affects also Nochrim, among people seized to be sold for slaves. - PF)
How did Miriam know that Moshe had separated from Tziporah?
Rashi (citing R. Nasan): Miriam was standing beside Tziporah when Moshe was told that Eldad and Meidad were prophesying in the camp, and she overheard her exclaim 'Woe to their wives, if they have become prophets, because they will separate from their wives just like my husband separated from me!'
Why does the Pasuk refer to Tziporah as "Ishah ha'Kushis"?
Rashi #1: Because, bearing in mind that the Gematriya of "Kushis" is equivalent to 'Y'fas Mar'eh' 1 - the Pasuk is teaching us that everybody conceded that she was beautiful, 2 just as everybody concedes to the blackness of a Kushi.
Rashi #2: The Torah refers to her as "Ishah Kushis" to avoid an Ayin ha'Ra, 3 in the same way as a person sometimes refers to his good-looking son as 'Kushi'.
Refer to 12:1:3:2 & 3.
Mo'ed Katan, 16b: To intimate that, just as a Kushi is different by virtue of its skin, so too was Tziporah 'different' (exceptional) by virtue of her deeds. 4
Targum YOnasan: Refer to 12:1:6:1.
What does the Torah mean when it writes "Al Odos ha'Ishah ha'Kushis ... "? What did they say about her?
Rashi and Targum Onkelos: The Torah is referring (not to Tziporah as Moshe's wife, but) to the fact that he separated from her. Miriam happened to be standing next to Tziporah when Moshe was told that Eldad and Meidad were prophesying in the camp, at which she (Tziporah) commented ?Woe to the wives of these men if they have become prophets, since they will become forced to separate from their wives, just as my husband separated from me!? Miriam heard this and repeated it to Aharon. 1
Rashbam and Targum Yonasan: ?Ishah Kushis? is referring (not to Tziporah, but) to the former queen of Kush, whom the Kushim married to Moshe when he fled from Par?oh ? with whom he was never intimate (which Miriam and Aharon didnot know ? Rashbam). 2
Why does the Torah repeat "Ki Ishah Kushis Lakach"?
Rashi #1: To teach us that, not only was Tziporah beautiful in looks, but also in deeds.
Rashi #2: Because it implies that now he had separated from her. 1
See Sifsei Chachamim.
Why did Moshe separate from his wife?
Shabbos,87a Due to a Kal va?Chomer ? If Yisrael were obligated to separate from their wives ? albeit temporarily - because Hashem was about to speak to them, how much more so was he - with whom Hashem could speak to at any unspecified time ? obligated to separate from his wife permanently.
Rashi, (citing Shabbos, 87a): Because Hashem said to him ?Emor lahem Shuvu lachem le?Ohaleichem; ve?Atah Poh Amod Imadi!? (Devarim, 5:27), implying that Moshe was precluded from ?Shuvu lachem le?Ohaleichem?. 1
Why does the Torah write "Vatedaber Miriam ve'Aharon be'Moshe", and not le'Moshe?
Moshav Zekenim citing R. Yehudah ha'Chasid: They did not speak to him, but to another Chacham 1 , whom they asked as to why Moshe separated from her. They asked him to decide (whether or not Moshe was justified). The next Pasuk says "Vayishma Hashem", since she revealed this to someone else.
Rashi (in Sh'mos, 5:9): They did not speak to Moshe, but about him, and a Lashon 'Dibur' in this sense, is followed by a 'Beis',
Why does he not explain that she spoke to Aharon (and he to her)? Perhaps if so, it should have said 'El Aharon'. (PF)
