{"id":42004,"date":"2018-10-14T21:44:33","date_gmt":"2018-10-14T18:44:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=42004"},"modified":"2022-05-10T08:23:29","modified_gmt":"2022-05-10T05:23:29","slug":"moses-didnt-have-to-follow-the-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/moses-didnt-have-to-follow-the-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Moses Didn\u2019t Have To Follow The Rules"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cStay pure today and tomorrow; for on the third day the Lord will come down\u201d (19:10-11).<\/span><\/p>\n

Having already experienced <\/span>physical<\/span><\/em> redemption from Pharaoh\u2019s crushing bondage, the Israelites are poised, now, three months later at the foot of God\u2019s mountain, to experience a <\/span>spiritual<\/span><\/em> redemption. God is prepared to give them His laws. But before this can happen, the people must sanctify themselves for three days. This entails a thorough washing of their clothing; a dire warning not to touch or even approach God\u2019s mountain; and a command to Israelite men to refrain from sexual relations with their wives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here we have the makings of a hierarchical split. While the people resume sexual relations with their spouses after the revelation at Sinai, Moses does not. He continues to remain aloof sexually from his wife\u2014<\/span>forever<\/span><\/em>. His reasoning is that if God requires the people to abstain sexually to prepare for their <\/span>one-time<\/span><\/em> encounter with God, how much more so must this stricture apply to him, who must keep himself in a state of <\/span>constant<\/span><\/em> readiness to speak with God at any moment?<\/span><\/p>\n

Hmm. Might Moses have a point?<\/span><\/p>\n

Years later, in Numbers 12, Miriam and Aaron\u2014Moses\u2019 siblings and the other two-thirds of the ruling triumvirate\u2014will be punished for gossiping about their brother Moses. Their conversation \u201cconcerns the Kushite woman that [Moses] took\u2026.And they said, \u2018Is it only through Moses that God speaks? For He also speaks through us.\u2019 \u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What are Miriam and Aaron saying?<\/span><\/p>\n

Rashi says they are discussing the fact that Moses went further than God\u2019s Sinai prohibition, remaining aloof <\/span>permanently<\/span><\/em> from his wife Zipporah; apparently, Zipporah has occupied a separate tent ever since Sinai. Miriam and Aaron are criticizing Moses for extending the sexual prohibition to himself absent the command to do so. <\/span><\/p>\n

The rabbis of the Midrash want us to know that Miriam wasn\u2019t criticizing Moses for selfish reasons. In an <\/span>un<\/span><\/em>selfish expression of solidarity for Zipporah, Miriam\u2019s woman\u2019s heart had melted for her sister-in-law, who continued to long for her husband [Yalkut Shimoni]; Miriam was telling Aaron that Zipporah was depressed; that she no longer donned her colorful Midianite robes, and that she even stopped braiding her hair [Sifrei]; Someone must tell Moses that the mother of his sons was suffering! [Chatam Sofer].<\/span><\/p>\n

What is our take-away from all this? Miriam was right, but she was also wrong. God does not require or desire permanent celibacy. But Moses was the exception. He was excused for unilaterally extending God\u2019s prohibition to himself\u2014though he broke Zipporah\u2019s heart\u2014because God\u2019s presence hovered over Moses day and night, requiring him <\/span>always<\/span><\/em> to be in a state of readiness [Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz].<\/span><\/p>\n

For the rest of us\u2014Miriam and Aaron included\u2014we follow the rules.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":42005,"id":42005,"title":"Miriam,_the_golden_Haggadah","filename":"Miriam_the_golden_Haggadah.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Miriam_the_golden_Haggadah.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/moses-didnt-have-to-follow-the-rules\/miriam_the_golden_haggadah\/","alt":"","author":"50634","description":"","caption":"","name":"miriam_the_golden_haggadah","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":42004,"date":"2018-10-14 18:43:57","modified":"2022-05-10 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