Bamidbar 12: Gossip Girl and Boy

YINR 929: Tanach Yomi · Feb 25, 2026 · 3m

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had taken [into his household as his wife]: ‘He took a Cushite woman!’

וַתְּדַבֵּר מִרְיָם וְאַהֲרֹן בְּמֹשֶׁה עַל־אֹדוֹת הָאִשָּׁה הַכֻּשִׁית אֲשֶׁר לָקָח כִּי־אִשָּׁה כֻּשִׁית לָקָח׃ (Numbers 12:1)

Why were Aaron and Miriam gossiping about Moshe’s wife? Rashi explains that the word Cushite does not mean that Moshe married someone from Cush, which is translated as Ethiopia. The numerical value of the word is the same as beauty and it means that everyone agreed that she was beautiful. They were gossiping about Moshe having…