(1) The Israelites arrived in a body at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried there.(2) The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron.(3) The people quarreled with Moses, saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished at the instance of the Eternal!(4) Why have you brought the Eternal's congregation into this wilderness for us and our beasts to die there?(5) Why did you make us leave Egypt to bring us to this wretched place, a place with no grain or figs or vines or pomegranates? There is not even water to drink!”

ולא היה מים לעדה AND THERE WAS NO WATER FOR THE CONGREGATION — Since this statement follows immediately after the mention of Miriam’s death, we may learn from it that during the entire forty years they had the “well” through Miriam’s merit (Taanit 9a).

ולא היה מים לעדה, “The congregation had no water.” As soon as Miriam died, the well which had traveled with the Israelites all these years ceased providing water. The water which the people had enjoyed all these years was due to the merit of Miriam who had stood by watching what would happen to her infant brother when he was in a basket in the reeds at the edge of the river (Exodus 2,4). God had rewarded her for that act of kindness by making her the provider of water for Moses’ people. The people had not appreciated this until the well ceased with Miriam’s death.

(1) AND THERE WAS NO WATER FOR THE CONGREGATION. Scripture tells of two incidents. One, the death of Miriam. Two, the death of Aaron and Moses and their failure to enter the land. It begins by telling the cause of the latter.

The notion that a well followed the Israelites around the desert in account of the merit of Miriam is some individual's midrash. If such a miracle occurred, why is it not mentioned in the Torah? ...The inventor of the midrash based himself on the juxtaposition of verses 1 and 2, but this is no proof; these are two separate events that happened at the same place. If he disagrees, let him tell us who died at Rephidim, where "there was no water for the people to drink" (17:1)! So the community being without water had nothing to do with Miriam's death. But it does have to do with the deaths of Moses and Aaron before they entered the land. The text will now tell us why and how that happened.