Rabbi Howard Morrison

If you followed our Parsha today, there is a lot of grumbling and division among the people of Israel. One can understand a hungry, thirsty, and tired people losing the focus of their purpose and destiny.

What is striking, however, is the tension and division within the family of leadership. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam form a triad, a three-legged stool of leadership. Moses - the ambassador of Torah; Aaron - the officiant of the Temple ritual; Miriam - the exemplar of Chesed, kindness. Yet, the sibling model of leadership appears to break down. Miriam gossips to Aaron about Moses. In years past, I have focused on the nature of the gossip. Commentaries abound.

This year, however, I want to focus on the target of the gossip - Moses. In the midst of the sibling conflict, we learn that Moses was the most humble person on the face of the earth. The Torah then proves its own thesis by explaining Moses' response after his sister gossiped about him to their brother. After Miriam is punished by God with a skin disease and is banished from the camp of Israel, Moses responds quickly, clearly, and succinctly - a five-word prayer:
"El Na Refa Na La - God, please heal her please." This is the shortest prayer in Jewish history, and one that is immediately accepted by God. The most humble man on the face of the earth not only ensures the wellbeing of his sister, he unifies the triad of leadership, and in so doing, he unifies the people of Israel. Miriam is reintegrated into the peoplehood of Israel, and the nation continues to journey forward.

While the end of the Parsha focuses on three individual siblings, I respond to it in a collective way this year in the wake of October 7. Our brothers and sisters were divided on significant political and ideological matters. While the tragedy of October 7 is just so horrific and difficult to digest, our people turned to its humble side and sought unity and not division. Like Moses' prayer for Miriam, we have prayed and continue to pray for our people - for the families who lost lives, for the hostages, for the rescued hostages, for the IDF and security forces, for the memories of those who lost their lives, for the victims of anti-Semitism around the world in the last several months, and especially more recently. 

When humility and prayer for one another become our away, then we are able to move forward.

The pain of our people continues to be severe. Join me in praying the five word prayer that Moses uttered for his sister Miriam.

"El Na Refa Na La - God, please heal her (the body and soul of all Israel), please."

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison