Miriam and the Waters of Bitterness

Our Torah portion this week records the deaths Aaron and Miriam, the brother and sister of Moses. Both of them, therefore, are buried in Jordan, approximately where the remains of the 3rd-century Nabatean village of Petra can still be found. When Aaron died, our text recounts, "all the House of Israel bewailed Aaron thirty days." (Numbers 20.29) But somewhat earlier in the portion, at the death of Miriam, there did not seem to be an opportunity for Moses and Aaron to mourn, let alone the rest of the community. But they were nonetheless bereft. Remember that it was 

Miriam who ran alongside the wicker basket as it floated along the Nile. It was Miriam who watched over her baby brother until he was safely pulled from the water by the daughter of Pharaoh, who adopted him and raised him as her own. And it was Miriam who brought her own mother to nurse the boy in the service of Pharaoh's daughter, until he was weaned. It was Miriam who took up her timbrel and led the women in song when they crossed the Red Sea. 

Miriam, then, was a loving, nurturing figure for Moses and the people. But all our text says here is, "Miriam died (at Kadesh), and was buried there. The community was without water." (Numbers 20.1-2) Out of this terse statement the midrash postulates that in addition to all her other acts of kindness, Miriam was the keeper of a well that followed the Israelites through their trek across the desert. But when she died, the well disappeared, and now the people were parched and suffering. 

It is not hard to understand that Moses not only loved his older sister, but relied heavily upon her, not only for his own care, but also to help him care for the people as they made the journey through the harsh desert conditions. Now Moses has lost his beloved sister, and barely has a chance to mourn for her, because the people are clamoring. We can imagine that Moses is feeling depressed and irritable. In a fit of disgust, Moses strikes a rock and rebukes the people. Water issues forth from the rock, but Moses is condemned for his tantrum. Thus the waters are called Mei Meribah - the waters of bitterness. 

One of the literary devices that the Biblical text uses to weave together a story is that of word plays. Here in our sidra, there is a poignant word play surrounding the death of Miriam and the tragedy of the Waters of Bitterness. (And for this I thank Biblical scholar Dr. Ora Horn Prouser, who makes particular note of it in a short piece in The Torah, A Women's Commentary, published by the Women of Reform Judaism, p. 931.)

Miriam's name is: מִרְיָם Miriam, built from the consonants M-R-Y-M. The word in verse 10 for "rebels" is מֹרִים morim. Note that both words are formed out of the same four letters, M-R-Y-M. Furthermore, we remember that the word for "water" is מָיִם mayim, built from the letters M-Y-M. In addition, note the assonance between the "waters of bitterness," מֵי מְרִיבָה - mei meribah, M-Y M-R-Y-B-H and "bitter waters," מָיִם מָרִים the mayim marim, M-Y-M M-R-Y-M, which the Israelites encountered earlier on in their journey (Exodus 15.23).

This type of word play opens up the text to a world of midrashic interpretation, and lends this particular text a pathos that is quite touching. And I would note as well the actual sounds of the words, with the letter "m" so prominent among them. It is a rather resonant sound within us, and almost creates its own vibration as we pronounce it within these expressions. So as we mark the death of Miriam this week, we recognize the depth of her influence over our people's birth as a nation, and as one of the great nurturing heroines of our sacred history

The congregation of Union Temple is a diverse, yet closely knit group of thoughtful and compassionate people who draw together in times of joy as well as times of sorrow. It has been a privilege for me to serve as Rabbi since 1992. On behalf of our congregational family, I invite you to celebrate our past, share our present, and be a part of shaping our future.   Rabbi Dr. Linda Henry Goodman  Click here to read the Rabbi's Message

Tickets for High Holy Day services

Union Temple Preschool Discount

School of Religion Discount

Pastoral Counseling and Services

Eastern Athletic Club Discount

Our Religious School students, our junior choir, and our Brotherhood and Sisterhood, all assist in conducting the services at various times during the year. Music is an organic part of our services in the gifted hands of Shinea Kim, in addition to our wonderful cantorial students, as they encourage congregants to participate actively in the musical life of the congregation.

Dear Friends:

With the support and approval of our Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce our participation in an exciting new program of partnership with the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services of UJA. Some six other synagogues in the general Brownstone Brooklyn area also are participating in this partnership. It will provide all the rabbis and temple officers with much needed support for our older adults. I have inserted the announcement from the JBFCS below. We will be talking more about it in the coming months. If you have any questions at all, or know immediately that you would like to avail yourself of this program for yourself, a parent or relative, or someone you know, please call me at the temple: (718) 638-7600 or e-mail me at rabbigoodman@uniontemple.org.  - Rabbi Linda Henry Goodman

A FREE SYNAGOGUE‐BASED PROGRAM FOR JEWISH OLDER ADULTS IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL BROOKLYN

Through a generous grant from the Weinberg Foundation provided by UJA Federation of NY, the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services is able to offer the expertise of our geriatric social worker to area synagogues, free of charge.

We can provide your congregants with:

∙ Innovative programs and workshops addressing the needs of older adults

o Health education

o Caregiver resources

o Social and recreational programs

∙ Emotional support for older adult life issues

∙ Support, consultation, and education for volunteers helping older adults

∙ Individual and family assessment and counsel by our on‐site geriatric social worker.

∙ Home Care oversight and advocacy

∙ Access to the full range of services of JBFCS, and other community agencies.

Partnering Synagogues will:

∙ Develop an ongoing working relationship with our project social worker.

∙ Work with our program staff to identify, plan and host activities to address the needs of older congregants.

∙ Identify and refer older congregants in need.

∙ Market and publicize the program workshops, groups, and services to the congregation and community.

Beginning Sept. 7 and thereafter, all Friday services will begin at 6:30 PM, except for the 4th week of each month, when they will begin at 8:00 PM.  The first Friday of the month we will have our potluck dinner following services as usual.  Saturday morning services remain at 10:30.

---

Chick here for our Shabbat Service Schedule

Union Temple is an egalitarian, inclusive Reform Congregation, spanning the generations. Founded in 1848 by a small group of German and Alsatian Jewish immigrants living in Williamsburgh, since 1929 Union Temple has been located in a magnificent building at Grand Army Plaza. We are a house of worship, a house of study, and an intimate community of mutual support for our members. We reach out to the diverse communities of Brooklyn and warmly welcome individuals and all types of families to join us. As a congregation we are dedicated to Tikkun Olam, the repairing of our world, through the pursuit of social justice and active participation in the larger Jewish and general communities. Union Temple is a member congregation of the Union of Reform Judaism

Read more about the History of Union Temple...

Open to all children in the community, the Union Temple Preschool is a morning program for two, three, and four year olds with some extended day options. Our dedicated, nurturing staff provides a child-centered environment with a curriculum enhanced by a Jewish perspective, and enrichment programs.

We join together through Adult Education, Brotherhood, Sisterhood, and the Social Action Committee for a wide variety of educational, social, and cultural activities including:

• Shabbat Morning Study Hevre

• Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah Class

• Shabbaton with Notable Speakers

• Concerts  *  Films  *  Lectures

• Book Discussions  *  Game Nights

• Dances  *   Theatre Outings

• Walking Tours of Jewish New York

We view all our programs as opportunities to bring our congregational community together to socialize, to learn, and to celebrate our heritage.