However, this was after his time on Sinai, when he had become entirely holy, so it was too late to consummate the marriage. 1 decade ago. 12:1). Philo (c. 25 BCE – 50 CE), the Jewish philosopher from Alexandria, offers a unique explanation of this passage, in line with his allegorical reading of the Torah’s laws and stories in line with a Greek philosophical framework. He was 67 years old at the time. 1 0. The Arizal cites the above Midrash in a number of places (see Sefer Likutei Torah and Sha’ar HaPesukim on this week’s parasha, as well as Sha’ar HaMitzvot on parashat Shoftim). Inspiring celeb weight loss transformations. The unnamed woman from Cush was probably Moses’ second wife. Having said all that, there is a third possibility. What does “Cushite” even mean? Cushites were descendants from the line of Ham through his son Cush. What travels faster in air sound or light and how do you know this? This would make the wife of Moses a black woman. Along the way, God came without warning to kill Moses. Why the superfluous phrasing of mentioning twice that he married the Cushite woman? Now you know that Moses was in fact married to an Ethiopian, you can go and educate others. Ask your second wife Raila to respect us - Moses Kuria tells Uhuru Racheal Nyaguthie. This comes from a simple reading of the Torah text, and the lesson that we learn from it is particularly relevant today. Did Moses marry a second time? All depends on the deeds of the particular individual. I am wondering if the wife that Miriam and Aaron complained about in parshas Beha'alosecha (Bamidbar 12:1) is actually the same first wife just being described differently? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil. Zipporah was Moses only wife. He lived a long, full life during an exciting and eventful period of history. And he loves all of us equally. *New Book* Volume Two of ‘Garments of Light’ Now Available! The second interpretation is problematic, since we know Tzipporah was a Midianite, not a Cushite. Cain ultimately killed Abel over that second wife. What did he do during all those intervening decades? There is also a possibility Zipporah was a Kenite (Judges 1:16; 4:11). This is why the Torah goes on to state that “They said, ‘Has God spoken only to Moses? And many of the Sages agree. Moses’ sister Miriam and brother Aaron decided to bad mouth Moses’ wife because she was a Cushite. The natural supposition undoubtedly is that Moses (whether after the death of Zipporah, or during her lifetime, we cannot tell) had taken to himself a second wife of Hamite origin. All of this was kept secret until it came out publicly in this week’s parasha. Rather, Rabbi Yosef Kaspi explains that Moses married a Cushite wife in addition to his pre-existing wife, Zipporah. These two views are attempts at saying that Moses had two wives. Sinai, Moses faced increasing resistance and frustration, according to the narrative in the book of Numbers. If the Cushite is Tzipporah, then why did Miriam and Aaron suddenly have a problem with her? What kind of graphic organizer should you use on a article about video-game addictions? Moses' Midianite wife was of Cushite ethnicity. The same Midrash offers another possibility: apparently if a person had a very beautiful child in those days, they would call them “Cushite” to ward off the evil eye. *The Arizal actually writes how Cain reincarnated in three people: Korach, Jethro, and the Egyptian taskmaster that Moses killed before fleeing Egypt. It could be that if we were able to trace our lineage back far enough, we would discover that Eliezer, son of Moses, is a root in our own family tree and, as such, a humble participant … Miriam complained about this because she felt that it was natural for a man to have only one wife, not two and thus she felt that Moses was wrong in marrying a second wife. This is a term often used in the Bible to refer to African nations. Where he found her it is useless to conjecture; she may possibly have been one of the "mixed multitude" that went up out of Egypt. What does contingent mean in real estate? Exodus 4:20 records the fact that “Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. For Moses remembered how Abraham made his servant Eliezar swear, saying unto him, Thou shalt not take a woman from the daughters of Canaan for my son Isaac. We see in the bible text that he left Egypt a young man and when he went back he was 80. Exodus 2:11-7:7. . Given that ibn Kaspi does not think the verse means Moses separated from his wife, how does he explain the nature of Miriam and Aaron’s complaint? Moses' sons certainly did (cf. We can learn from this that there really is no place for racism in Judaism. MamaJ. Moses’ first wife. With that introduction, I will present some of the explanations given of Moses’s Cushite wife. Midian and Cush are different places in the Bible, so this Cushite woman must be a different wife than the one Moses took while in Midian. Zipporah or Tzipora (/ ˈ z ɪ p ər ə, z ɪ ˈ p ɔːr ə /; Hebrew: צִפֹּרָה ‎, Tsippōrāh, "bird") is mentioned in the Book of Exodus as the wife of Moses, and the daughter of Reuel/Jethro, the priest and prince of Midian. Bible verses about Second Wife. Zipporah was Moses’ first wife and she was most likely a Midianite. ‘Have I not brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt, [just as I brought] the Philistines from Caphtor, and Aram from Kir?’” Among a list of nine holy people that merited to enter Heaven alive, without ever dying, the Sages include a Cushite man named Eved-Melekh (Derekh Eretz Zuta 1:43, see Jeremiah 39:16). Midian in Hebrew means: contention. ), and Moses is later re-married to a Cushite woman (Num.12). When did Moses marry her? The explanation above is certainly a wonderful one, yet it is hard to ignore the plain meaning of the text: that Moses actually married a Cushite woman. Yet, he remembered “what Abraham had cautioned his servant Eliezer” about intermarriage, and abstained from touching her. In the Book of Chronicles, two of her grandsons are mentioned: Shebuel, son of Gershom, and Rehabiah, son of Eliezer (1 Chronicles 23:16-17). If so, God’s response indicates that the Lord’s people must reject such prejudice. After this event, it seems that Moses sent Zipporah and his sons back home to … So, Moses married a Cushite queen. It came to be seen by the early church … The Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Shemot 168) says that Moses initially fled to Cush. Apparently his virility did not diminish during these years because he took a Cushite woman as his second wife. Abel reasoned that he should have the second wife since, after all, she was his twin! The famous Iggeret HaKodesh (the “Holy Letter”, often attributed to the Ramban, Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, 1194-1270, but more likely written by Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla, 1248-1305) writes that it is specifically during sexual union (if done correctly) that a man and woman can bring down and experience the Shekhinah, God’s divine presence. Is this a reference to Zipporah, his only recorded wife, or does it refer to a new wife? Maybe his first wife died or maybe we don't know for sure? Josephus writes (Antiquities, II, 10:239 et seq.) Was there a hint of racism in their complaint, or did they just genuinely wonder whether an Israelite was allowed to marry a black person? Abraham had two, and two concubines. God immediately interjected and summoned Miriam and Aaron to the Ohel Mo’ed, the “Tent of Meeting”, where He regularly conversed with Moses. We learn in Numbers that Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman (Num. (Numbers 12:1) Now Mir′i‧am and Aaron began to speak against Moses on account of the Cush′ite wife whom he had taken, because it was a Cush′ite wife he had taken. He was given the former king’s widow as a wife but he refused to live with her or worship the Cushite god (Yalkut Shimoni Shemot 168). Some forums can only be seen by registered members. What is the WPS button on a wireless router? Lv 5. Apparently, after the Exodus Moses summoned the Cushite woman and she happily joined the Israelites and converted to Judaism. The second interpretation is problematic, since we know Tzipporah was a Midianite, not a Cushite. English » » Bible » » Life of Moses » » Second set of 40 years Second set of 40 years. Moses, a Jew, apparently married a black African and was approved by God. Moses’ prayer for Miriam – Numbers 12. And the rectification for Cain murdering Abel was that Moses, in return, killed the Egyptian taskmaster. */. \"And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman\" (Num. After Moses was informed by G‑d that he would be the redeemer of the Jewish people, Moses, together with his wife and children, left the comfort of Midian to travel down to Egypt where the Jews were enslaved. The next 40 years in Moses’ life saw him living as a shepherd in Midian beyond the Jordan, the Sinai peninsula, and Arabian Petraea. “Cush” can refer to Ethiopia or to a much larger portion of Africa, depending on the era of biblical history. Scripture does connect the Cushites with the Midianites in one verse (Habakkuk 3:7), which some use as proof that the Midianites were sometimes referred to as Cushites, or had particularly dark skin. Not so My servant Moses; he is faithful throughout My house. The Arizal states that Miriam and Aaron were aware of this, and were frustrated that Moses did not consummate his marriage to the Cushite, for she was his true soulmate! She hates her father, a famed actor. Part 2 Philo’s Allegory. For this we must look to the mysticism of the Arizal. It is therefore totally fitting that in complaining about Moses taking a black woman as a wife, Miriam’s own skin is turned white “like snow”. With him I speak mouth to mouth; in [plain] sight and not in riddles, and he beholds the image of the Lord…. All other prophets only communed with God through dreams or visions, while asleep or entranced. Some believe that they are one in the same, Zipporah is the Cushite woman. Zipporah his first wife was a Midianite and his second wife was a Cushite (Numbers 12:1). I don't believe Moses' second wife was named in the Bible. This was a risky journey, which Zipporah courageously joined. They also claim there were two lands named Cush in the time of Moses. How much money do you start with in monopoly revolution? Rather, Rabbi Yosef Kaspi explains that Moses married a Cushite wife in addition to his pre-existing wife, Zipporah. Moses’ Second Wife: Ibn Kaspi’s Interpretation. Lv 5. Zipporah was the Cushite, his second wife. Hobab the Kenite, who gave his Ethiopian daughter to Moses, and is the second father-in-law to Moses, cannot possibly be a descendant of Median, who was the son of the 140 year- old Abraham and his second wife ‘Keturiah.’ Kenites are born from Kenite fathers, Midianites are … Moses' second wife and antagonist, she is often described as neurotic. 1 Timothy 3:2 ESV / 8 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. i. If we don’t study then we’re only left with half the truth. Tharbis was the daughter of an Ethopian king, she was Moses' first wife. Thus, Moses still married within the extended family of Abrahamites.) The ancient historian Josephus, writing in the first century A.D., tells us a fanciful story regarding Moses in an apparent attempt to give reason for Moses' Cushite wife. Conversely, Judaism holds that sexual intimacy is an important aspect of spiritual growth. 12.1). The Midrash says he reigned over a prosperous Cush for forty years until his Cushite wife couldn’t take the celibacy anymore and complained to the wise men of Cush. Some scholars believe that Zipporah died in Midian and that after her death, Moses married the Cushite woman. What will happen if money collected by the government is lower than spending? He cites Midrash Tanchuma in stating that just as everyone can immediately identify a black person (Cushite), everyone immediately recognized the incomparable beauty of Tzipporah. Moses’ second son does have a name, Eliezer, but he does not have a story…except in the imaginations of those who wonder what happened to him, his unnamed wife, his one son and his many grandchildren. ‘The Fight at Jethro’s Well’ – where Moses first meets Tzipporah – scene from ‘The Ten Commandments’ (1953) painted by Arnold Friberg. Accordingly, Miriam’s criticism is either about Moses’ taking a second wife or about his marrying a non-Israelite. The second son was Eliezer, meaning “God is my help” because Moses said “the God of my father was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharoah.” In this family and in the marriage, Moses had exchanged his feeling of strangeness for one of security and confidence in the Almighty. Cain ultimately killed Abel over that second wife. Madeleine refuses to live her mother's life of servitude, and did not fare well in her married life in the country with Moses. ... Later, they reunite, but he may have taken a second wife, a "Cushite" or Ethiopian woman. Besides that, his experiences run the gamut from prince to shepherd to servant of God, so there is a great deal to tell.A strange chapter of his life deals with his two wives, a situation that sparked the events of Numbers 12. Midian was a son of Abraham and his 3rd wife Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2). There is also a possibility Zipporah was a Kenite (Judges 1:16; 4:11). We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. On the way to Egypt, Zipporah circumcised their son and thus saved her husband’s life—Moses had neglected to obey the Lord in this matter, and the Lord would have killed Moses had not Zipporah intervened (Exodus 4:24–26). He says that Tzipporah was called a “Cushite” because she was very beautiful. Moses’ second son does have a name, Eliezer, but he does not have a story…except in the imaginations of those who wonder what happened to him, his unnamed wife, his one son and his many grandchildren. 12.1). Moses (/ ˈ m oʊ z ɪ z,-z ɪ s /), also known as Moshe Rabbenu (Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ ‎ lit. | Mayim Achronim, The Perplexing History of the “Ten Lost Tribes”. Zipporah is never referred to as a Cushite. Moses's wife, Zipporah, was from Midian in Arabia. I will share what David Guzik has to say regarding the subject: This is a problem passage for some, because Exo_3:16-22 indicates Moses’ wife (named Zipporah) was the daughter of a man from Midian. In the book of Jasher it has her as the Queen of Cush. At the end of the day, there is no reason to hold prejudice against anyone, or discriminate against any individual at all, as the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Shoftim 42) clearly states: I bring Heaven and Earth to witness that the Divine Spirit may rest upon a non-Jew as well as a Jew, upon a woman as well as a man, upon a maidservant as well as a manservant. Whether it was the case that Zipporah had died, or whether the two had been effectively divorced as a result of this incident, or whether the Cushite woman was Moses' second wife, scripture does not say. At Numbers 12:1 she is referred to as a … A Cushite is from Cush, a region south of Ethiopia, where the people are known for their black skin. After Moses was informed by G‑d that he would be the redeemer of the Jewish people, Moses, together with his wife and children, left the comfort of Midian to travel down to Egypt where the Jews were enslaved. Why did Miriam and Aaron speak “against” Moses because of her? At Numbers 12:1 she is referred to as a Cushite. This does not indicate that Zipporah had died and Moses had remarried an Ethiopian woman, as is commonly contended, for although "Cushite" usually refers to Ethiopians, it can also embrace those from Arabia. He explains that both Tzipporah and the Cushite were Moses’ soulmates. In Num 12:1 Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses because of the “Cushite woman” whom he married, but they do not mention her name. In some versions, Moses eventually produces a special ring that causes one to forget certain events, and puts it upon Tharbis so that she can forget him. The material on this site can not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission of Multiply. This suggests that a Cushite was not considered beautiful at all, yet Rashi provides a numerical proof that Cushite does indeed mean “beautiful”, since the gematria of Cushite (כושית) is 736, equal to “beautiful in appearance” (יפת מראה), the term most frequently used in the Torah to describe beauty. The grateful Cushites gave Moses Koknus’ royal widow for a wife, and placed him upon the throne. Traditionally, there are two main ways of looking at this passage: either Moses actually took on a second wife in addition to his wife Tzipporah, or the term “Cushite” simply refers to Tzipporah herself.