וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ הֲרַ֤ק אַךְ־בְּמֹשֶׁה֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הֲלֹ֖א גַּם־בָּ֣נוּ דִבֵּ֑ר וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע יְהוָֽה׃
Kata mereka, “Sungguhkah Yang Mahakekal hanya berbicara dengan Musa saja? Bukankah Ia juga berbicara dengan kami?” Dan Yang Mahakekal mendengarnya.
Sifrei Devarim
Variantly: If (in the instance of) Miriam, who spoke thus only in the hearing of the L-rd alone — (viz. Ibid. 12:2 - "And the L-rd heard") — was thus punished, how much more so, one who demeans his neighbor in public!
Kohelet Rabbah
“Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was unwitting; why should God grow angry at your voice, and destroy your handiwork?” (Ecclesiastes 5:5)
“Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin” – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi interpreted the verse regarding those who pledge charity in public, but do not give it. “And do not say before the messenger” – this is the pledge collector; “that it was unwitting” – and I have reconsidered. “Why should God grow angry at your voice” – at that voice with which you uttered [your pledge]. “And destroy your handiwork” – the few mitzvot that this man has, the Holy One blessed be He introduces a curse in them and eradicates them from him.
Rabbi Binyamin interpreted the verse regarding those who engage in Torah disingenuously: “Do not allow your mouth” – do not give your mouth permission; “to cause your flesh to sin” – to cause your body to sin in your study.11This means: Do not speak in such a way that you cause yourself to sin, as the midrash will continue to explain. Alternatively, it may be interpreted to mean that you cause your body to suffer, as you will be punished for your sin. “And do not say before the messenger” – this is the rabbi; “that it was unwitting”12This is referring to one who claims to be expert in his studies although he is not. If he is discovered to have made a mistake, he claims to the rabbi who made this discovery that his statement was accidental and he really knows the issue at hand. – he renders himself as though well versed in Bible, but he is not well versed in Bible, well versed in Mishna, but he is not well versed in Mishna. “Why should God grow angry at your voice” – at the voice with which you said: This halakha he told me, this chapter he told me; “and destroy your handiwork” – the few halakhot that this man knows, the Holy One blessed be He introduces forgetfulness and curse in them and eradicates them from him.
The Rabbis interpreted the verse regarding one who takes a vow. “Before the messenger” – this is the Sage; “that it was unwitting” – I did not take a vow.13I did not realize how circumstances would develop when I took my vow, and therefore you should accept this claim as an extenuation to absolve me of my vow. “Why should God grow angry” – that you introduced an extenuation to the vow; “and destroy your handiwork” – even the limited property that is in the possession of that man, the Holy One blessed be He introduces a curse in him and eradicates it from him.
Rav Huna interpreted the verse regarding slander. “Do not allow your mouth” – to speak slander; “before the messenger” – this is the body; “that it was unwitting” – I did not [intend to] speak slander; “and destroy your handiwork” – the sinews and bones that are in the body of that man, the Holy One blessed be He introduces consumption and fever in them and eradicates them from him.
Rabbi Mani interpreted the verse regarding Miriam. “Do not allow your mouth” – this is Miriam; “to cause your flesh to sin” – as she spoke slander regarding Moses: “Was it only with Moses [that the Lord spoke]?” (Numbers 12:2). “Before the messenger” – this is Moses, as it is stated: “He sent a messenger [and took us out of Egypt] (Numbers 20:16). “That it was unwitting” – [as it is stated:] “that we have been foolish and we have sinned” (Numbers 12:11). “Why should God grow angry at your voice” – [as it is stated:] “Miriam…spoke [against Moses]” (Numbers 12:1). “And destroy your handiwork” – [this is] Miriam, who spoke with her mouth and all her limbs were stricken.
Rabbi Yehoshua taught: A word for a sela, silence for two, like a jewel.14Silence is very valuable, like a jewel; more valuable than speech. Rabbi said: The remedy of the matter is silence, as it is taught there in Avot (1:17): Shimon his son says: All my days I grew among the Sages, but I found nothing for the body better than silence.
“Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin” – Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi interpreted the verse regarding those who pledge charity in public, but do not give it. “And do not say before the messenger” – this is the pledge collector; “that it was unwitting” – and I have reconsidered. “Why should God grow angry at your voice” – at that voice with which you uttered [your pledge]. “And destroy your handiwork” – the few mitzvot that this man has, the Holy One blessed be He introduces a curse in them and eradicates them from him.
Rabbi Binyamin interpreted the verse regarding those who engage in Torah disingenuously: “Do not allow your mouth” – do not give your mouth permission; “to cause your flesh to sin” – to cause your body to sin in your study.11This means: Do not speak in such a way that you cause yourself to sin, as the midrash will continue to explain. Alternatively, it may be interpreted to mean that you cause your body to suffer, as you will be punished for your sin. “And do not say before the messenger” – this is the rabbi; “that it was unwitting”12This is referring to one who claims to be expert in his studies although he is not. If he is discovered to have made a mistake, he claims to the rabbi who made this discovery that his statement was accidental and he really knows the issue at hand. – he renders himself as though well versed in Bible, but he is not well versed in Bible, well versed in Mishna, but he is not well versed in Mishna. “Why should God grow angry at your voice” – at the voice with which you said: This halakha he told me, this chapter he told me; “and destroy your handiwork” – the few halakhot that this man knows, the Holy One blessed be He introduces forgetfulness and curse in them and eradicates them from him.
The Rabbis interpreted the verse regarding one who takes a vow. “Before the messenger” – this is the Sage; “that it was unwitting” – I did not take a vow.13I did not realize how circumstances would develop when I took my vow, and therefore you should accept this claim as an extenuation to absolve me of my vow. “Why should God grow angry” – that you introduced an extenuation to the vow; “and destroy your handiwork” – even the limited property that is in the possession of that man, the Holy One blessed be He introduces a curse in him and eradicates it from him.
Rav Huna interpreted the verse regarding slander. “Do not allow your mouth” – to speak slander; “before the messenger” – this is the body; “that it was unwitting” – I did not [intend to] speak slander; “and destroy your handiwork” – the sinews and bones that are in the body of that man, the Holy One blessed be He introduces consumption and fever in them and eradicates them from him.
Rabbi Mani interpreted the verse regarding Miriam. “Do not allow your mouth” – this is Miriam; “to cause your flesh to sin” – as she spoke slander regarding Moses: “Was it only with Moses [that the Lord spoke]?” (Numbers 12:2). “Before the messenger” – this is Moses, as it is stated: “He sent a messenger [and took us out of Egypt] (Numbers 20:16). “That it was unwitting” – [as it is stated:] “that we have been foolish and we have sinned” (Numbers 12:11). “Why should God grow angry at your voice” – [as it is stated:] “Miriam…spoke [against Moses]” (Numbers 12:1). “And destroy your handiwork” – [this is] Miriam, who spoke with her mouth and all her limbs were stricken.
Rabbi Yehoshua taught: A word for a sela, silence for two, like a jewel.14Silence is very valuable, like a jewel; more valuable than speech. Rabbi said: The remedy of the matter is silence, as it is taught there in Avot (1:17): Shimon his son says: All my days I grew among the Sages, but I found nothing for the body better than silence.
Midrash Tanchuma
Another interpretation (of Numb. 13:2) “Send men.” What is written above the matter (in Numb. 12:1)? “And Miriam spoke to Aaron about Moses.” And afterwards, (in Numb. 12:2), “Send men.” This text is related (to Is. 44:18), “They neither know nor understand; for their eyes are stuck shut so that they cannot see […].” What is the reason for saying, “Send men,” after the episode of Miriam (in Numb. 12:1ff.)?11Numb. R. 16:6. It is simply that it was anticipated by the Holy One, blessed be He, that they would come and utter evil speech against the land.12Sot. 34a. The Holy One, blessed be He, had said that they should not [be able to] say, “We did not know what the penalty for evil speech was.” For that reason the Holy One, blessed be He, put this [story] next to the one [in which] Miriam was afflicted with leprosy, because she had spoken slander against her brother. [This was] so that everyone would know the punishment for evil speech. [It was a warning] so that if they came to speak slander, they would consider what happened to Miriam; but even so, they did not desire to learn. It is therefore stated (in Is. 44:18), “They neither know nor understand.” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, wrote [about] the sending out of the spies after the episode of Miriam. Ergo (in Is. 44:18), “They neither know nor understand; for their eyes are stuck shut so that they cannot see….” Another interpretation (of Numb. 13:2), “Send men for yourself”: Even though the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to Moses, “Send men for yourself,” it was not [the wish] of the Holy One, blessed be He, for them to go.13See Numb. R. 16:7. Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, had already told them [about] the superiority of the Land of Israel. It is so stated (in Deut. 8:7), “For the Lord your God is bringing you unto a good land.” Moreover, while they had been in Egypt, he had said to them (in Exod. 3:8), “I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians [and to bring them up out of that land unto a good and spacious land].” And Scripture states (in Exod. 13:21), “And the Lord went in front of them by day.” So what is the point of [saying] (in Numb. 13:2), “Send men?” It is simply that they wanted these words. When they reached [Israel's] borders, Moses had said to them (in Deut. 1:21), “See, the Lord your God has set the land before you, go and possess….” At that time Israel approached Moses, as stated (in vs. 22), “Then you all drew near unto me [and said, ‘Let us send men ahead of us to explore the land for us’].” This is what Ezra14See Sanh. 93b, which also alludes to the book of Nehemiah under the name of Ezra. said (in Neh. 9:17), “So they refused to listen and were unmindful of Your] wonders.” Now it says (in Numb. 10:33), “and the ark of the covenant of the Lord traveled ahead of them […].” And [yet] they said (in Deut. 1:22), “Let us send men ahead of us to explore the land for us.” [It is simply] that they did not believe. And similarly David said (in Ps. 78:10), “and they refused to follow His Torah.” R. Joshua says, “To what were they comparable? To a king who secured for his son a beautiful wife, the daughter of good and wealthy parents. The king said to him, ‘I have secured you a beautiful wife, the daughter of good and wealthy parents. There is no one like her in the whole world.’ The son said to him, ‘Let me go to see her,’ for he did not trust his father. Immediately the situation became ever more difficult for his father and it was bad for him. His father said, ‘What shall I do? If I say to him, “I am not showing her to you,” then he will say, “She is ugly.”’ For that reason he did not want to show her. Finally he said to him, ‘Look at her, so that you may know that I have not deceived you. But because you did not trust me, I swear that you shall not see her in your house. Instead I am giving her to your son.’ Now similarly did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Israel, ‘The land is good,’ but they did not believe [Him]. They said (in Deut. 1:22), ‘Let us send men ahead of us.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘If I prevent them, they will say, “The land is no good. For that reason He has not shown it to us.” Rather, they will only see it, for I swear that not one of them shall enter within it, but rather [only] their children.’ Thus it is stated (in Numb. 14:23, 31), ‘Surely they shall not see the land […]. But it is your children, who you said would be carried off, who will go….’’’ When they said to Moses (in Deut. 1:22), “Let us send men ahead of us,” Moses began to wonder. He said, “It is impossible for me to do something before I consult with the Holy One, blessed be He.” He went and consulted. He said to him, “Your children want thus and so.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “This is not the first time for them. While they were in Egypt, they jeered at Me, as stated (in Hos. 7:16), ‘this was their derision in the land of Egypt.’ They are accustomed to such [behavior]. I do not need this; as see, it is written (in Dan. 2:22), ‘He knows what is in the darkness, [and the light dwells with Him]’; I know what they are saying. But if you want, you yourself, ‘Send men for yourself.’” Where is it shown? Where it is written (in Numb. 13:16), “These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land.”