Sotah 12a (יב.) — the Talmud in English

This is also precise, as it is written

in another verse concerning Caleb, who is called

the Kenizzite,

meaning that he was only one of the members of Kenaz’s household and was raised by him,

infer from this

that he was not his son, as Othniel was; therefore, he was not called the son of Kenaz.

“Azuvah”—this is Miriam. And why was her name called Azuvah? Because everyone had abandoned her from the outset,

for she was ill in her youth, and all the young men of Israel abandoned her and did not wish to marry her.

And Caleb

begot

Azuvah.

And we ask: Did he actually beget her?

But he had married her,

as it is stated that he took Ephrat, who was Azuvah, after she recovered.

And we explain:

Rabbi Yohanan said: Whoever marries for the sake of Heaven,

as Caleb married Miriam despite her illness, because he examined her brothers Moses and Aaron and saw that they were righteous—and most children resemble their mother’s brothers—and therefore

the verse considers him as though he had begotten her.

And we explain why she was called

Yeriot:

because

her face resembled curtains,

for because of her illness it was greenish, with no redness whatsoever.

“And these were her sons,”

and we expound:

Do not read banav, “her sons,” but bonav, “her builders,”

for these are not the names of her sons; rather, they are names by which her husband Caleb was called, because he built her up and made her like other women by marrying her.

And he was called

Yashar,

because

he straightened himself

so as not to err together with the spies.

And he was called

Shovav,

because

he subdued his inclination,

rebelling against it and not participating in the counsel of the spies.

And

he was called

Ardon, because he ruled over his inclination,

which incited him to go with the spies.

And some say that

he was called Ardon

because Miriam’s face

was

similar to a rose,

after she recovered. [Maharsha and Ya’avetz had the reading: Caleb’s face.]

And we further explain another verse stated in Chronicles concerning Caleb.

“And Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah.” Ashhur—this is Caleb. And why was his name called Ashhur? Because his face became blackened through fasts

that he undertook in abundance in order to be saved from the counsel of the spies.

And he was called

“father”

because

he became for her

—for Miriam—

like a father,

engaging in obtaining medicines and nourishment to heal her.

And he was called

Tekoa

because

he focused his heart on his Father in Heaven,

resolving not to participate in the counsel of the spies.

“He had two wives,”

and we explain that he had only one, but

Miriam became for him like two wives.

“Helah and Naarah,”

and we explain:

not

that he had two wives named

Helah and Naarah, but rather

these were Miriam’s names: she was

initially Helah,

ill,

and ultimately Naarah,

for when she recovered, her facial appearance returned to that of a young woman.

And it is further written there:

“And the sons of Helah were Zereth and Zohar and Ethnan.”

And we explain that all these are names of Miriam, who was called

Zereth

because

she became a rival to her companions

who envied her beauty.

And she was called

Zohar, because her face

was radiant and

resembled the midday sun.

And she was called

Ethnan

because

everyone who saw her

was overcome by desire, and immediately

would bring a gift to his wife.

“And Pharaoh commanded all his people,”

“Every son who is born shall be cast into the Nile.”

Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Hanina, said:

In this decree, which was added to the decree to kill Israelite children at birth,

he also issued a decree against his own people, [For Rashi cited the Midrash Tanhuma, which says that this decree was added on the day Moses was born. Pharaoh’s astrologers told him that the savior of Israel had been born that day, but they did not know whether he was Jewish or Egyptian. He therefore gathered all his people and asked them to hand over every child born on that day so that he could drown them in the Nile.

And Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina said: Pharaoh issued three decrees.

Pharaoh:

Initially,

he decreed upon the midwives:

“If it is a son, you shall kill him,”

and he relied on them, appointing no guards to ensure that they carried out his decree.

And ultimately

he appointed guards over the matter and said to them:

“Every son who is born shall be cast into the Nile.”

And ultimately,

on the day Moses was born,

he also issued a decree against his own people.

Initially, he decreed this only for that day. But since Moses was concealed for three months, and his astrologers saw that he had not been cast into the Nile, he extended the decree until he was cast into it.

“And a man from the house of Levi went,”

and we explain:

Where did he go? Rav Yehuda bar Zevina said: He went in accordance with the counsel of his daughter.

And similarly we find:

It was taught: Amram was the greatest man of the generation,

and everyone listened to his words and acted as he did.

When the wicked Pharaoh decreed, “Every son who is born shall be cast into the Nile,” he said: “We labor in vain,”

to bear children [as they expounded: “Our labor”—these are the children—Maharsha],

he arose and divorced his wife.

When the Israelites saw that the greatest man of the generation had done so,

they all arose and divorced their wives.

His daughter

Miriam

said to him,

to Amram:

“Father, your decree is harsher than Pharaoh’s, for

the latter

issued a decree only against the males,

as he commanded that only “the son who is born” be cast into the Nile,

whereas you

by separating from your wife and divorcing her, and thereby teaching everyone to do the same,

have decreed

both

against the males and

both

against the females.

And there is another way in which your decree is harsher than Pharaoh’s:

Pharaoh decreed only

to kill them

in this world,

for after they are killed, they will live again in the World to Come.

But

if

you

impose upon the Israelites a decree both

in this world,

that they should not bear children, and

in the World to Come,

since, as they are not born, they will not come into the World to Come.

And your decree is harsher than that of

the wicked Pharaoh,

for

his decree might be fulfilled and might not be fulfilled,

whereas

you are righteous; certainly your decree will be fulfilled, as it is stated: “You shall also decree a matter, and it shall be established for you.”

And we explain that a righteous person decrees and God fulfills.

When Amram heard her words,

he arose and took his wife back.

When the Israelites saw this,

they all arose and took their wives back.

This is the meaning of “and he went”: he went in accordance with Miriam’s counsel.

“And he took,”

and we object: She had already been his wife, and he had divorced her; if so,

it should have said, “and he took her back.”

And we explain:

Rabbi Yehuda bar Zevina said: He performed an act of taking with her,

conducting a wedding celebration for her as he had done at their first marriage.

He seated her in a palanquin, and Aaron and Miriam danced before her, while the ministering angels said: “The mother of children rejoices.”

“The daughter of Levi,”

and we ask: How could Yokheved be called “the daughter of Levi”? Could she

have been a daughter who was one hundred and thirty years old, and

still

be called a daughter?

People are called by their father’s name only during childhood; it should have said that he took his aunt Yokheved.

And he proves that Yokheved was one hundred and thirty years old

as Rabbi Hama son of Rabbi Hanina said:

To resolve what we find concerning Jacob and his sons’ descent to Egypt: It is stated that seventy persons came, yet if one counts them, one finds only sixty-nine. Rabbi Hama explained that the seventieth person

was Yokheved, who was conceived on the way and born between the walls

as they entered Egypt. Although she was not counted among those who descended from the Land of Israel, she was counted among those who came to Egypt. This is also indicated precisely by what

is stated: “whom she bore to Levi in Egypt,”

which implies that only

her birth was in Egypt, but

her conception

was not in Egypt.

Since she was born as they entered Egypt, she was approximately one hundred and thirty years old when Moses was born [and when Amram took her back she was already pregnant, as stated below]. Moses left Egypt at the age of eighty, and their entire exile in Egypt lasted 210 years; thus 210 minus 80 equals 130. If so, it is difficult how Yokheved could be called “the daughter of Levi” at such an advanced age.

And we explain:

Rav Yehuda said that the signs of youth appeared upon her;

the menstrual cycle returned to her, and her face regained the appearance of her youthful days, with the wrinkles disappearing.

“And the woman conceived and bore a son,”

and we object:

But she was already pregnant with him

with Moses

for three months from before,

as will be explained below. Why, then, is it stated that after he took her back she conceived again? And we answer:

Rabbi Yehuda bar Zevina said:

The reason that a new pregnancy is written concerning her is so that it would be

juxtaposed with her conception: Just as her conception was without pain,

as is implied by the fact that after he took her back she is described as having conceived at that time, as though she had not previously been pregnant—meaning that she felt no pain of pregnancy—so it was written to teach by comparison that

even

her birth was without pain, and

to teach

from here concerning righteous women who were not subject to

any part of

Eve’s decree,

for the sentence imposed upon Eve was not decreed upon them, and they were not included in the document of decrees and curses concerning the pain of childbirth and pregnancy.

“And she saw him, that he was good.”

It was taught: Rabbi Meir says: “Good” was his name.

Rabbi Yehuda says: Tuvia was his name.

Rabbi Nehemiah says

that she saw through ruaḥ hakodesh that he was destined to be

fit for prophecy,

and this was the goodness that she saw in him.

Others say

that she saw that he

was born circumcised.

And the Sages say: When Moses was born, the entire house filled with light,

and concerning this it is stated “good.” And we derive this as follows:

It is written here, “And she saw him, that he was good,” and it is written there, “And God saw the light, that it was good”;

thus, light is called good.

“And she concealed him for three months,”

and we explain how she was able to conceal him without the Egyptians discovering him:

the Egyptians did not count

Yokheved’s months of pregnancy

except from the time that he took her back,

Amram’s second taking of her, and they came to inspect her only after nine months from this marriage.

And

they did not know that

she had already been pregnant with him for three months,

from her first marriage, before Amram divorced her. We learn this from the verse: They therefore did not inspect her earlier, because she gave birth prematurely according to their reckoning, having already been pregnant for these three months.

“And she could no longer conceal him.”

And we ask:

Why

could she no longer conceal him? Why could she not

hide him

in a hiding place,

and go away

so that she would not be beside him while they searched her house? What did she have to fear? Surely they would not discover him in hiding.

And we answer:

Rather, whenever the Egyptians heard that a baby had been born, they would bring a baby

of their own

there,

and cause it to cry,

so that they would hear

the concealed infants

cry out

and cry, as a baby cries when it hears the sound of another baby crying. Concerning this we find that it is written that the heavenly voice said at the splitting of the Red Sea:

“Seize for us the little foxes,”

so that they would drown these Egyptians. When they were small, they were “destroyers of the vineyards,” and “our vineyards are in blossom” when the children were still small; they brought them so that they would cry together with them and thereby expose them.

“And she took for him a papyrus basket.”

And we explain:

Why

did she take specifically

papyrus? Rabbi Eliezer said: From here it is derived concerning righteous people that their property is dearer to them than their bodies,

and therefore she took this inexpensive material, even though Moses’s body would have been better protected in a basket made of hard and sturdy wood.

And why is this so?

Why is their property dearer to them than their bodies?

Because they do not stretch out their hands to robbery.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said:

She took specifically papyrus because she preferred

a soft material that could withstand

both

a soft object and

both

a hard object.

A basket of hard wood, although it protects better, has the disadvantage that it can break if it strikes a hard object while being carried along by a powerful current; but a soft object, when it strikes a hard object, recoils.

“And she coated it with clay and with pitch.” It was taught:

She coated the basket

with clay on the inside, and

with

pitch

soft

on the outside, so that the righteous one would not smell

Moses

an unpleasant odor

from the pitch.

“And she placed the child in it, and she placed it in the reeds.”

Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani disagreed as to which “reeds” are meant, where Yokheved placed the basket.

Rabbi Elazar says:

The reference is to

the Red Sea. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said:

The reference is to where she placed him in the

reed marsh,

where reeds grow; and a marsh is called suf,

as it is written: “The reed and the rush have withered,”

for reeds called kaneh and rushes called suf grow in the marsh.