Even the Smallest of Actions..

Women's Corner
by Rabbanith Ruth Menashe

Water is one of the most essential and important commodities in the world. All humanity, as well as animals and vegetation, is dependent on it. During the forty years of the traveling of the Jewish nation in the desert, their only source of water was a mobile well, known as the Well of Miriam (Be-er Miriam). The entire Jewish people, a couple of million people, satiated their thirst, day after day, from Miriam's well.

In what merit did Miriam deserve to be the one to provide water for the entire Jewish people?
Miriam, a six year old girl, impressed upon Amram, her father, the importance of remarrying his wife Yochebed, from whom he separated. The decision to separate was in response to Pharaoh's decree to kill all the Jewish baby boys. Why remain married under such devastating circumstances? Miriam claimed that this act made her parents worse than Pharaoh, for as a result of this decision no girls could be brought into this world.

Amram, a leader of the Jewish people, followed his daughter's advice. When the baby boy Moshe was born and had to be hidden from Pharaoh's officers, he was a placed in a basket on the Nile river. And who was the one who watched over him? His loving sister, Miriam.

There is an opinion, that because of this kind act connected with water, Miriam merited to provide the Children of Israel with water in the desert. When she passed away, (on the 10th of Nissan, according to some opinions) as mentioned in this week's Parasha, the well stopped giving water. As it says, "And Miriam died there... and there was no water for the congregation".

My dear friends, every single one of our actions is recorded -- an act of kindness never goes unnoticed. A small step of growth results in extreme joy in Heaven.