Your Decree Is Harsher Than Pharaoh’s

When Pharaoh decreed, “Every son who is born you shall cast into the Nile” (Shemos 1:22), Amram rose and divorced his wife, and all of Yisroel followed his example.

Miriam was six years old at the time. “Father,” she said, “your decree is harsher than Pharaoh’s. Pharaoh’s decree is directed only against the males, but yours, by preventing the birth of new children, is directed against the males and the females.”

Amram acted on his daughter’s advice. He brought her before the Sanhedrin, who said to him, “Amram, it is you who forbade marriage, and it is you who must permit it.” “What do you advise?” asked Amram. “Shall we remarry quietly?” They replied, “Then who will make it known to all Yisroel?”

So Amram took back his wife and seated her in a palanquin for the wedding procession. Aharon and Miriam sang and danced before her, happy that the savior of Yisroel would be born to their mother, now married again to their father.