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Why was Miriam punished for speaking about Moshe's separation from his wife when her intentions were constructive? The key was her assumption that Moshe was definitely wrong rather than investigating if there might be an explanation beyond her understanding. This teaches that dan l'kaf zechut isn't just about suppressing negative reactions but changing our underlying assumptions about others' motives.
The shiur begins with the incident in Parshas Beha'aloscha where Miriam and Aharon spoke about Moshe regarding his separation from his wife Tzipporah. Following Rashi (רש"י)'s explanation, Miriam discovered this separation when she overheard Tzipporah commenting that the new prophets Eldad and Medad would have to separate from their wives just as Moshe had separated from her due to his prophecy. Miriam, being a prophetess herself who hadn't separated from her spouse, assumed Moshe was making an error and constructively approached Aharon to address the situation. The fundamental question explored is why Miriam was punished despite her constructive intentions. The answer lies in Hashem (ה׳)'s response: 'Why were you not afraid to speak against my servant, against Moshe?' Hashem explains that even without understanding Moshe's unique prophetic relationship, they should have recognized two things: first, that he is 'my servant' with a special relationship to Hashem, and second, that he is 'Moshe' - great enough that his actions deserve the benefit of the doubt.
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Parshas Beha'aloscha 12:1
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