Today we are studying Parashat Chukat. In this week's parasha, the Torah tells us about the passing of Miriam. The Pasuk (verse) says in Perek Chaf (chapter 20), Pasuk Aleph (verse 1), “Vatamot sham Miriam, vatikaver sham.” It says they reached a place called Kadesh, and Miriam died over there, and she was buried at that same place. But then the Pasuk tells us, “The people did not have water to drink.” And Rashi is bothered: What happened all of a sudden? Why was there no water for the people to drink all of a sudden, after Miriam's passing? So Rashi tells us, based on the Gemara in Masechet (tractate) Ta'anit. The Gemara tells us that the water Bnei Yisrael drank during their 40 years in the desert came from Miriam's merit. As long as Miriam was alive, there was a Be'er, there was like a spring of water that would flow and give the entire nation water to drink for 40 years. That was known as Be'er Miriam, the springs and the wells of Miriam. Now that Miriam died, that merit expired, and therefore there was no water for the people to drink.
The Siftei Chachamim on this Pasuk asks, how come the water was in the merit of Miriam, not Moshe and not Aharon? Why was it specifically the water that came about through the zechut and the merit of Miriam? The Siftei Chachamim quotes Rabbeinu Bahya, who says that we find Miriam stood by that little basket that had Moshe in it, at the Nile, watching Moshe Rabbeinu as he was placed by his mother in that water. She was there watching him throughout the whole time, standing by that water. Rabbeinu Bahya says that because she stood by that water, watching over Moshe Rabbeinu and doing the mitzvah (commandment) of watching over her brother, making sure that nothing bad was happening, it was in that merit that she was zocheh (to merit) to have the entire nation of Am Yisrael drink water in her merit for 40 years.
And I quote: Why did she have the zechut of having the Be'er of the water in her merit? Rabbeinu Bahya says, bizchut, it was in the merit, because she waited, watching Moshe over there as he was lying in that basket, in the water. She was supervising over him, watching over him, to see what's going to happen to him when he was in that basket, when he was in the teivah (basket). So he says this is why Hashem gave the entire nation water in the merit of Miriam, standing over there, watching over Moshe, making sure that nothing bad was going to happen to him.
Now, it's interesting to note that we find Rashi in the earlier parashiyot (Torah portions), at the end of Parashat Beha'alotecha, also brings up that incident where Miriam was watching Moshe, and tells us that Miriam also received another reward for that. You see, when Miriam was struck with tzara'at (skin affliction) because she spoke against Moshe Rabbeinu, the Pasuk says there that the entire nation waited for her for seven days before they continued traveling. The entire Am Yisrael was delayed in its trip, in its traveling. Everyone stopped traveling for seven days, waiting for Miriam to be healed.
Rashi says, and I quote: The last Rashi at the end of Parashat Beha'alotecha says, “The entire nation did not travel and they waited for Miriam.” Why? Borei Olam gave her honor. Why? Because of those few moments that she waited to watch over Moshe Rabbeinu, when Moshe was in the basket, as it says, “She stood from a distance to see what's going to happen to him.” And because she sat there waiting to see what's going to happen with Moshe, Borei Olam says, “You waited to watch over your brother Moshe, so I am going to make sure that the entire nation will wait for you for seven days, not just for a few moments. For seven days they will wait for you to be healed before they travel.”
You know, these chiddushim teach us an amazing, amazing concept, an idea, of how Borei Olam rewards a person for the simplest actions that he does when he is there watching over his brethren, watching over another Jew, watching over his little brother. You know, you would think rewards like this come only for heavy-duty things, for major items, major things. But over here we see: What did Miriam do already? She was just standing there, very passive, not doing anything, sitting and watching over her little brother so that nothing bad should happen to him.
When a Jew stands from a distance and watches over his brother, watches over another Jew so that he should not be hurt, he watches over him so that he doesn't fall, he takes care of him, he inquires about him—especially when he's not just passive, but actively going over to him and asking, “How are you? How are you doing? How are you feeling?” You see a person who's down, you see a person who's maybe not so lifted in spirits at that moment, and you go to him and uplift his spirits all the time. All it takes is something very, very small.
For just one moment of telling a person that you care for him, of showing a person that you care for him, even watching from a distance over your brother, your brethren, your sister, another Jew, making sure that nothing happens to them, Borei Olam sees that action and will reward you. Borei Olam will reward that person with tremendous, tremendous reward. And look what Miriam was rewarded with. For just waiting, being delayed a few moments watching over her brother, the entire nation waited for her for seven days. And for 40 years, the entire nation drank water in the merit of Miriam.
This comes to teach us that there's never any mitzvah that is just too small for a reward. As a matter of fact, it is actions like this that seem to be so mild; they seem to be nothing, minor. But Borei Olam watches what's behind the action. And that is: You are watching over your little brother. You're taking care of your brother. You're taking care of your parents. You're watching over your parents. You're watching over your students. You're watching over your rabbis. You're taking care of Am Yisrael. You're supervising over them, watching over them and making sure that no harm comes to them. Borei Olam sees that action. He sees that act, even a passive act. You're not even doing anything. You're just watching. Borei Olam says that deserves a tremendous reward.
And therefore, we should learn from this that we should always be there watching over our brethren, watching over Am Yisrael, and B'ezrat Hashem (with Hashem's help), when Borei Olam sees that we are standing from a distance watching over our brethren, Borei Olam will watch over Am Yisrael and he'll bring us the Ge'ula Bimheirah B'yameinu Amen (redemption, speedily in our days, amen). Shabbat Shalom.