Pisqa’ 275³⁷⁷ 1 “Remember what HASHEM your God did to Miriam” (Dt. 24:9)— Now, what is the relevance of this [incident] to that [ruling about plague-signs]? The connection is made in order to teach you that plague-signs appear only because of slanderous speech.³⁷⁸ Now isn’t it a simple matter of logic? Just as Miriam— who spoke only out of Moses’ ear-shot, and for Moses’ own benefit, in praise of the All-Present, and for the up-building of the world— was punished in this way, all the more so should punishment come upon one who speaks of **his companion’s shame in public!**³⁷⁹ 1.18.

footnotes: ³⁷⁷ H:269;JN2: 220. ³⁷⁸ //ARNA:9. ³⁷⁹ Sifre Nu., 99. Cf. Pisqa’

2. “On the road” (Dt. 24:9)— in the hour of your utter confusion.

“As you left Egypt” (Dt. 24:9)— at the hour of your liberation.³⁸⁰ 250.1. See also 296.2. Actually, the verse connects this to Miriam in order to teach you that whenever the [tribal] banners set forth to march, they would not budge until Miriam stood at their head. And so does He say: “And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam” (Mi. 6:4)

footnotes: ³⁸⁰ This exegesis of Dt. 24:9 seems to have be transferred from Pisqa’