Parashat Beshalach
January 22, 2024
Laurie Stern, Kindergarten Teacher
This week’s parashah recounts one of the most memorable and most significant, unifying events in the history of the Jewish people. We come to the cinematic cliffhanger – the newly freed Israelites have safely crossed the sea and are being pursued by Pharoah and all the forces of the Egyptian army. God causes the sea to close on the path of dry land just used by the Israelites, drowning the Egyptian army and eliminating the threat. In that moment, for the first time in living memory of these Israelites, they realize that they are free.
Why do we have this detail? Why do Miriam and the women get this special “shout out”, this “spotlight dance” after a lengthy celebration and song to G-d have already been sung?
If you look at the ratio of named male characters to named female characters in the Torah, there are far more males than females. When you find these “named” female characters you have to look not just at the words and actions outlined in the text, but also work to find meaning in the silences and unspoken things as well. Moses and Bnai Yisrael have used their voices to sing and praise God. The Torah makes special mention of the fact that Miriam and the women are not only praising God using their voices, but with dance and musical instruments as well. The Israelites famously did not have enough time in their haste to leave Egypt to wait for the bread to rise, yet they had time to grab their musical instruments?!
Rashi shares: How did the Israelites have tambourines in the desert? The righteous women of that generation were certain that God would perform miracles for them, and they prepared tambourines and dances while still in Egypt. (Mechilta; Rashi)
The women of this generation survived years of bitter exile and tortuous slavery, with the pain of seeing their children enslaved and babies torn away from them. They survived all of this tremendous pain and suffering and chose hope. They prepared their songs and dances, they packed their tambourines, and they waited. They knew that they would have occasion to use them and that they would emerge from the darkness into the light. In these dark days today, this lesson resonates with me deeply. I am hanging on to hope, looking forward to the future and the light. I pray that we all have the strength to pack our metaphorical tambourines to prepare for the lighter days ahead.
The Torah details what happens next in Shemot 15:1 – Moses and the children of Israel sing a song to the Lord. This song lasts for over 19 verses. Then something fascinating happens:
Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances (Shemot 15:20)
Why do we have this detail? Why do Miriam and the women get this special “shout out”, this “spotlight dance” after a lengthy celebration and song to G-d have already been sung?
If you look at the ratio of named male characters to named female characters in the Torah, there are far more males than females. When you find these “named” female characters you have to look not just at the words and actions outlined in the text, but also work to find meaning in the silences and unspoken things as well. Moses and Bnai Yisrael have used their voices to sing and praise God. The Torah makes special mention of the fact that Miriam and the women are not only praising God using their voices, but with dance and musical instruments as well. The Israelites famously did not have enough time in their haste to leave Egypt to wait for the bread to rise, yet they had time to grab their musical instruments?!
Rashi shares: How did the Israelites have tambourines in the desert? The righteous women of that generation were certain that God would perform miracles for them, and they prepared tambourines and dances while still in Egypt. (Mechilta; Rashi)
The women of this generation survived years of bitter exile and tortuous slavery, with the pain of seeing their children enslaved and babies torn away from them. They survived all of this tremendous pain and suffering and chose hope. They prepared their songs and dances, they packed their tambourines, and they waited. They knew that they would have occasion to use them and that they would emerge from the darkness into the light. In these dark days today, this lesson resonates with me deeply. I am hanging on to hope, looking forward to the future and the light. I pray that we all have the strength to pack our metaphorical tambourines to prepare for the lighter days ahead.