Sally Klein-Katz teaches Jewish Education at HUC-JIR and answered our question: If you could invite one person, living or dead, to be your Ushpiz (guest) in your sukkah, who would it be and why? Enjoy!

I would like to invite into my Sukka Miriam the Prophetess, the first woman in the Tanach to have this title.  With only 4 references in the Torah, Miriam still plays a significant role in the Exodus drama that forms the basis of the birth of Am Yisrael.  As a little girl, she demonstrated quick thinking, resourcefulness and responsibility; which lead to Moshe being raised for the first few years by his own mother! [Exodus 2:1–10]  Immediately following the crossing of the Sea of Reeds, Miriam leads the joyful celebration and prayers of thanksgiving. [Exodus 15:20–21]  As a woman/older sister, her human side taught us all the lesson of the disease of jealousy and Lashon HaRa [Numbers 12:1–6]; and following her punishment she is not heard from again until mention of her death. And then we also learn that at Miriam’s death, the waters in the desert dried up; linking these two major events. [(Numbers 20:1]

Miriam did not enter the Promised Land, and just like her two brothers, Moshe and Aharon, Miriam was buried in the wilderness. Miriam the Prophetess was the female leader of our people, leading us out of Egypt to a difficult and scary transformation. [“I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.” Micah 6:4]

Miriam the Prophetess demonstrated faith, courage, intuition, creativity, quick thinking, ability to act and a capacity for joy.  As with the other heroes of the Tanach, Miriam’s strengths and weaknesses were preserved for us to learn and be inspired

So I would like to (and did) invite Miriam the Prophetess into our Sukka, as I want to learn more from this amazing woman leader!  Just as I invite Miriam every year to our Seder table, and place a glass of water (the sustenance of life) on our Seder table in her name.