Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Genesis 12:11

על אודות האשה הכושית, “on account of the woman of Cushite origin.” The woman in question was Tzipporah who was a Midianite. Midianites were descendants of the Ishmaelites, nomads, dwelling in tents. We base this on Chabakuk 3,7: “the tents of Cushan, shaken at the pavilions of the land of Midian.” There were no white-skinned people among the Midianites due to the sun being very hot in that country. The reason Miriam spoke out was because Moses had married a “black-skinned woman.” Miriam thought that the reason Moses had separated from Tzipporah was because he did not consider her attractive looking on account of the colour of her skin. If Onkelos translates the word כושית as שפירתא, “beautiful,” this is not to be taken at face value but is meant to save her embarrassment much as we call a blind person “as possessed of a good eyesight,” in order to save that person embarrassment. When the Torah writes immediately that Moses was very humble, this is the answer to Miriam’s suspicion, i.e. that Moses did not even know whether Tzipporah was beautiful or not. It is similar to Avraham who did not become aware of Sarah’s being physically attractive until they were at the boundary of Egypt (Genesis 12,11) [when he had been married to her for decades already. Ed.]

שא נא כליך, the reason for the repetition of the word נא both in verse 2 and verse 3 is similar to that in Genesis 12,11 where I have already explained it. [not found there. Ed.]

שא נא כליך, the reason for the repetition of the word נא both in verse 2 and verse 3 is similar to that in Genesis 12,11 where I have already explained it. [not found there. Ed.]

מראה OF BEAUTIFUL APPEARANCE — this denotes the beauty of her features (a good complexion).