This week, while reading my page of Talmud-a-day (Daf Yomi), I was pleased to find the following passage in Shabbat 35a: Rabbi Ḥiyya said: One who wants to see Miriam’s well, which accompanied the Jewish people throughout their sojourn in the desert, should do the following: He should climb to the top of Mount Carmel and look out, and he will see a rock that looks like a sieve in the sea, and that is Miriam’s well.
Rav said: A spring that is portable, i.e., that moves from place to place, is ritually pure and is regarded as an actual spring and not as drawn water. And what is a movable spring? It is Miriam’s well.”Many of us had a cup of Miriam at our Passover Seder. This is a relatively new ritual that reminds us of the powerful role women have played in our people’s history. Like Elijah’s cup, Miriam’s cup is a symbol of hope that better days lie ahead. Here in the Talmud, we are told not to sit back and wait for it to arrive, but, as Rabbi Hiyya suggests, must climb to the top of Mount Carmel to find it. Here, in this time when we are desperate for any signs of hope, we must look especially hard to find Miriam’s Well, even it means looking in places we least expect.
This past week I started compiling a list of all the things I would like to do when the pandemic has subsided (see below). Look it over and send me your own. In this way we will be able to climb Mount Carmel together to see better days ahead.
- When this over I am going to Bermuda, not because I have ever wanted to go to Bermuda, just because it sounds nice.
- When this is over I will walk down the street, greeting every stranger as if they were my best friend.
- When this is over I will forgive anyone who has ever done me wrong before they have even offered an apology.
- When this is over I will gladly do the things I used to hate including clothes shopping.
- When this over I will write one thousand thank you notes to every person who inspired me when I was feeling the most down.
- When this over I will sit down with my family at the cheapest fast food place around and feel like I we got an exclusive table at the nicest restaurant in town.
- When this is over I will never order delivery again, but will make sure to pick up everything in person.
- When this is over I will schedule all my meetings in person.
- When this over I will go to the local library and spend an hour just staring at all the books.
- When this is over I plan on spending at least one full week as far away from my own home as possible.
I will be offering a second go round of “Rabbi-Drive-By” on Friday at 11. Email or text me the time and your address if you are interested in me swinging by.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex
Last Updated on 04/28/2020 by Marc Slonim