Notable Sources
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Saved at the WellTANAKH
Saved at the Well
TANAKH
Tzipporah, the daughter of a Midianite priest, ties up her fate with the Israelites when she marries Moses. After Moses fled Egypt, the book of Exodus recounts how and where Moses and Tzipporah met.
What’s in a Name?COMMENTARY
What’s in a Name?
COMMENTARY
The word “Tzipporah” means “bird” in Hebrew, and later commentators wonder what Tzipporah’s name can tell us about her. In his 13th-century Torah commentary, Chizkuni explores the symbolic significance of Tzipporah’s name.
Daughter of an IdolaterMIDRASH
Daughter of an Idolater
MIDRASH
Tzipporah, who became the wife of Moses, was the daughter of Yitro, a Midianite priest. The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, an ancient midrash on the book of Exodus, suggests that Yitro conditioned Moses’s marriage to Tzipporah on an impossible demand.
Tzipporah Sent AwayCOMMENTARY
Tzipporah Sent Away
COMMENTARY
The book of Exodus suggests that Moses sent Tzipporah away for a period of time during the exodus from Egypt. Rabbi Hayyim Joseph David Azulai, in his 18th-century commentary on the Torah, explains their separation as necessary due to the demands of prophecy.
Tzipporah’s Departure MIDRASH
Tzipporah’s Departure
MIDRASH
The circumstances surrounding Tziporah’s departure from Moses are unclear from the biblical narrative, and later interpreters offer various explanations for it. The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, an ancient midrash on the book of Exodus, offers one account of their separation.
Tzipporah, Unique Among WomenMIDRASH
Tzipporah, Unique Among Women
MIDRASH
The book of Numbers mentions that Moses had “taken a Cushite wife” but does not name her. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, an eight-century midrashic work, argues that the word “Cushite” is a metaphor and points toward Tzipporah herself.
Tzipporah’s Decisive ActionTALMUD
Tzipporah’s Decisive Action
TALMUD
As Tzipporah and Moses make their way from Midian to Egypt, Tzipporah takes decisive action and circumcises their son to escape divine wrath. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Nedarim offers interpretations of the ambiguities in the Torah’s account of the event.
The Cost of GossipCOMMENTARY
The Cost of Gossip
COMMENTARY
Many interpreters understand the beginning of Numbers 12 as about Moses’ siblings gossiping about his separation from his wife, Tzipporah, the “Cushite woman.” Rashi, in his foundational 11th-century commentary on the Torah, explains how Aaron and Miriam knew about Moses’s separation from Tzipporah.
Matchmaking at the WellKABBALAH
Matchmaking at the Well
KABBALAH
Tzipporah and Moses first met at a well in Midian. The Zohar, the foundational text of Jewish mysticism, draws parallels between their encounter and that of Jacob and his future wife Rachel and suggests that Moses suspected that he would find his match at the well.
