Lashon Harah - Miriam, Aharon and Moshe Behaalotecha

This week’s portion ends with a disheartening story, one that Jews are reminded to recount every day of their lives. The great prophetess, Miriam, sister of Moshe and heroine to a nation, spoke lashon horah (gossip) about her brother Moshe, “regarding the Cushite woman he had married. And Hashem heard.” (Numbers 12:3) She was upset at Moshe’s righteous reaction to his omnipresent Divine communication, which had him separate from an intimatematrimonial life. “(Miriam) said (to Ahron), ‘Was it only to Moshe that Hashem spoke? Did He not speak to us, as well?”  Some problems in the text of our Parshah. 1) Why do Miriam and Aaron discuss Moses' wife precisely at this point of the wanderings of the Jewish people? Why did they reinforce their argument by saying 'did G'd not speak to us also?' 2) Why did G'd list four separate instances in which Moses  Was superior, whereas concerning Miriam and Aaron only two such instances are listed? What is the difference between mar-eh and mar-ah? Why was Aaron not afflicted with skin disease,tzora-at? 3) Aaron's plea to his brother Moses seems puzzling. (Chapter 12,11) How can he say 'please lay not sin upon us, for we have done foolishly and we have sinned?' It is obviously justified to consider Miriam and Aaron as having sinned? 4) Why do we need to be told that the people waited for Miriam to recover before continuing their journey?