GREAT
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PASSOVER PREPARATIONS Miriam’s Cup—or Bowl? A new custom for Passover has emerged in the last 10 – 15 years in which we honor Miriam as a mover in the Passover story. We assign a cup or bowl of water to represent the legendary well of Miriam. Midrash tells us that when the Israelites made their way through the desert, Miriam had a well that acted as a way-station for them. Our people stopped and were refreshed by clear, cold water. Then they resumed their journey with resumed dedication and energy. Midrash goes on to tell us that the water came from a miraculous well and was given to Miriam by God. Not only did “Miriam’s Well” quench thirst, it also cured body and soul. People came to the well for healing. Then, with Miriam’s death, the well disappeared. The custom is so new that it is still evolving. Mini-rituals are being devised and tried out at Seders across the country. Many include passing around the vessel, with Seder participants dipping in their fingertips and asking for healing, whether for body or soul, whether for themselves or for someone else. My own family has been incorporating this custom into our own Seders for years. It is a way to recognize not only Miriam and her prominent role in the Passover story, but female personalities of the Passover story in general. It enables us to raise the status and importance that women have played in all of Jewish history. In the last 5 – 8 years, the custom has become so widespread that artists have indeed been prolific in their creation of vessels to honor the custom. Many artists are even making matching cups for both Miriam and Elijah. While this might enhance the appearance of the set table, matching Miriam’s cup to Elijah’s also provides some problems. By placing matching cups on the Seder table, the message is that Miriam and Elijah are mirror images of each other, the male and the female. They lose their individuality and place in the Passover story. Their place on the table and in the Seder are very different. Elijah represents our yearning for the Messiah’s arrival, a hope against slavery and other miseries of our history. Miriam had a more direct place in the Passover story and the exodus from Egypt. She placed herself as guardian over her baby brother and made sure he was saved and placed in good hands. Later, she leads the women to dance at the Sea and carries the well of healing as we wandered in the desert. With this in mind, the more I think about it, the more I become convinced that a CUP—let alone one matching Elijah’s—is not the direction we should go in to fulfill this new ritual. A more likely choice would be a bowl. A cup does not suggest dipping fingertips. However, by using a bowl and calling it K’arat Miriam (Miriam’s Bowl), or Ma’ayan Miriam (Miriam’s well), we are being more authentic to its purpose. By keeping it as visibly distinct as we can from the Kos Eliyahu, we are allowing both the Elijah ritual and the Miriam ritual to have independent places in the Seder. Passover
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