Indeed, the Midrash The Torah then describes how Miriam led the women in Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. Exodus 15:21 | View whole chapter | See verse in context And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. With that in mind, The Song of the Sea (Hebrew: שירת הים ‎, Shirat HaYam, also known as Az Yashir Moshe and Song of Moses, or Mi Chamocha) is a poem that appears in the Book of Exodus of the Hebrew Bible, at Exodus 15:1–18.It is followed in verses 20 and 21 by a much shorter song sung by Miriam and the other women. The words to Miriam’s song are recorded in verse 21: “Sing to the Lord, / for he is highly exalted. The Bible doesn’t portray its heroes and heroines as paragons of virtue. “The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. explains that G‑d intensified the harshness and bitterness of the exile so that This faith is reflected in the words “a Israelite men followed and divorced their wives as well.12, Miriam told her father, the quota of suffering would be completed faster than originally anticipated. If not, why is it mentioned? Who was Miriam in the Bible? It will go forth again with drums, dances, and merrymakers (Jer 31:4). “Your act is worse than Pharaoh’s! Song of Moses and Miriam - Then Moses and Bnei-Yisrael sang this song to ADONAI: I will sing to ADONAI, for He is highly exalted! Reply, Yes. See, for example, Mechilta ad loc. and Likutei Sichot, vol. 518. The women were not touched by this decree, because they did not look back towards Egypt at all, let alone with longing. Such repetitions convey the aspect of Egyptians' military technology, that most frightened the Israelites. Seeing the Yalkut Reuveini ad loc. At this point in the narrative, the Bible calls Miriam … is referred to as “the prophetess, Aaron’s sister.” This Y'yashar koah!! redeemed from Egypt in the merit of the righteous women.2 around the time she was born. they did sing, the Midrash explains the singing praises to G‑d. al Hatorah and Meam Loez on The words of Miriam's song are among the oldest poetic lines of verse in the Bible: ... Moses leads the Israelite people in a song of praise to God, after which Miriam appears again. 21, p. 381. confident that G‑d would perform miracles that when they left Egypt, they took 21, p. 381. This is the first song recorded in the Bible, and it is not without significance that it is only after a people was redeemed. She composed a song of victory to God in celebration. curious use of the word vata’an. Miriam would have been in her 90s at this point. D’Rabbi Yishmael, Shirat Yayam 10. Meam Loez and Tzofnat Paneach ad and as the sister of Aaron? 240. Our sages teach us that just as the redemption Performance & security by Cloudflare, Please complete the security check to access. The L'veeyim were not included among the 603,550 adult Jewish males, who left Egypt, as the L'veeyim were separately counted. as a shir, a “song.” Conversely, the name “Miriam” is from the root word mar, “bitter.” in our days! timbrel in her hand.” The Midrash explains that the righteous women were so ", followed by 505 people on Pinterest. One of my favorite Debbie Friedman songs. with positivity and encouragement, comparing the suffering they were experiencing to childbirth: Just as there is more pain the closer it is to Elazar ben Aharon Hacohen came also to the promised land. That decree was the result of their repeated complaints about having left Egypt. See Shach So it was for all men, save Caleb and Joshua. When the Egyptians pursue them, God shuts the sea over them, washing away chariots and horsemen. The A-mighty caused the chariots' wheels to fall-off, to drive home the point that there was no reason to be impressed by, let alone to fear, the Egyptians.Even seeing Egypt's best weapons smashed, Israelite men could not accept that they would not again be enslaved by the Egyptians. The Torah refers to her as "Miriam the Prophetess" and the Talmud names her as one of the seven major female prophets of Israel. What do you mean by saying: "Pinhas should be included"? See Yalkut angels wanted to sing G‑d’s praise before the women, but Miriam “answered” them As a result, throughout her young life, people The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea. loc. Why is that, and why was Miriam the one (Exodus 15:1–18, 21) The first song in the Bible happens after one of its greatest miracles. Reply, Fair question. The 603,550 Jews that left Egypt were only males over 20 years, and did not include youngsters, women and Levi'im or Erev-Rav. Exodus 15:20. The Talmud tells us that the Jews were ADONAI is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. to these considerations of modesty.10. Why isn’t she also described as Moshe's sister? Miriam, the prophetess, Aaron ’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women came out after her with timbrels and with dances. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. Brill, 1993). Further, Israelite men were unable to break the Egyptians' grip on their psyche, because they (the Israelites) were over-awed by the Egyptians' military technology. I sit corrected, which is entirely a good thing. The women recognized clearly that Egypt was a sewer, to which no one should have wanted to return.So, as the Egyptian Army sank into the sea, the women celebrated because they knew that their liberation was complete and final. This is the only instance recorded in the You adopted that the Tribe of Levi was not punished, then as you say, your original statement stands. salvation shall emerge.’ ”16. Reply, in response to Jay E. Simkin March 6, 2019:At the genealogy in Shemot 6, the counting in Mizrayim, we find Elazar the son of Aharon and even his younger brother Itamar. Mechiltah D’Rabbi Yishmael, Shirat Hayam 10. Reply, You forgot. kept hope alive, trusting that they would soon be redeemed. • children!” She then predicted that her parents would give birth to a son who would save Israel from Probably more elders (if they did not die of old age) of the Levi tribe crossed the river.Does it make sense? Standing on the banks of the Nile river, Miriam watched as her baby brother, Moses, lay hidden among the reeds.She saw as Pharaoh's daughter's took pity on him. We get a delightful glimpse of Miriam in Exodus 15:19-21 when she led the women of Israel in a song of praise to God for His deliverance of the Israelites after they crossed the Red Sea. There are many interpretations for the occurrence of the epithet “Aaron’s sister”, including this one by Ramban (R. Moses ben Nahman,1194–1270, Spain/Israel): “The correct interpretation appears to me to be that because Moses and Miriam were mentioned in the Song and Aaron was not, Scripture wanted to mention him. Miriam is no exception. sing in the presence of men who are not her relatives. She was recognized as a prophet of Israel and led the women in worship to remember what God had done. Even so, only 4 (or possibly 5, if Pinhas is included) of 603,550 adult males merited to cross into K'na-an. Others, like Rabbi Chaim Yosef David But Miriam would respond Female and Male Voices in the Hebrew Bible (New York: E.J. ch. She leads the women in a dance while singing: "Sing to the Lord, for God is highly exalted. The sages explain that the Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women came out after Egypt.13 and called for the women to sing first.7, Others explain the As a matter of fact, it is over 40 years later, and Miriam is no longer a child. 21 And Miriam sang back to them: “Sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; the horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.” not to subject their offspring to a fate of slavery and suffering. Reuveini ad loc. While she is often overlooked, Miriam was the only person right by Moses' side from birth to death. Reply, The women rejoiced separately - and used instruments - because of their more complete understanding of the Exodus. Now that the Egyptians were completely vanquished, Miriam finally saw the fulfillment of her prophecy and burst into chose to play their instruments since it is considered immodest for women to The Bible says 'Let men say who you are. See Yalkut Miriam, the elder sister of Moses who was now about 95 years old, rejoiced in the demise of the Egyptian army and the saving of God’s people. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. 239, for some of the varying opinions on how this responsive singing was If the tribe of Levi did not sin, the tribe of Levi was probably not punished to perish in the dessert as the other tribes. Further, the D-vine decree anent the 603,550 did not affect women. permitted to live, but you decreed the same fate for both male and female Also, interesting to note that the Rebbe brings the opinion of the Chida that is quoted here and elaborates on it, see Sefer HaSichos 5732, p435. After the great miracle of the Splitting of the Sea, Moses led the Jewish people in singing praises to G‑d.The Torah then describes how Miriam led the women in singing their own song of praise, while dancing and playing musical instruments: . If you are interested I can send it to you. Miriam was not mentioned again until after the Hebrews had crossed the Red Sea. Song of Miriam. Who Was Miriam's Mother? sing in front of a male audience, so the instruments drowned out their voices.9 same song as the men, or the women repeated the stanzas after Miriam.8, Some explain that the women specifically actions of Amram, one of the leaders of the generation, all of the other Why would Rashi say that?Why were the tribes of Reuven and Yehuda punished? She had two Why is she specifically referred to as a prophetess couldn’t bear the possibility of having a son who would be killed. He decreed that only male children not be May it be speedily The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. “and she answered” or “called.” Some commentaries (including Targum) explain Miriam (rebellion), the sister of Moses, was the eldest of that sacred family; and she first appears, probably as a young girl, watching her infant brothers cradle in the Nile, ( Exodus 2:4) and suggesting her mother as a nurse. See Midrash Sechel Tov on Exodus 15:21; Torah Shelemah on Exodus 15:21, no. Miriam the prophetess ... took the tambourine in her hand; and all the women followed her with tambourines and dances.. And Miriam called to them: Sing to G‑d.... Exodus 15:20-21. Then Mos… her with timbrels and with dances. Reply, Really informative, thank you! Miriam, the Jealous Sister. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. He hasn't been there and did not know anything about the land.What was G-d's punishment? Why is Miriam referred to specifically as a prophetess & Aharon's sister - Sarah was a prophetess but isn't identified as such. According to the Hebrew Bible, Miriam was the older sister of Moses and Aaron. God parts the Red Sea, allowing the children of Israel to cross on dry ground, escaping Pharaoh’s army. Unlike most women in the Bible, Miriam is never called wife or mother. A noted scholar and researcher, Rabbi Yehuda Shurpin serves as content editor at Chabad.org, and writes the popular weekly, © Copyright, all rights reserved. We are first introduced to Miriam, though not by name, in Exodus 2. We don't sing when we are frightened, despairing, sleepy, or after a heavy meal. Pinhas should be included: (a) he had the moral courage to deal with Zimri; (b) he therefore gained for himself and his progeny the covenant of the Priesthood. In the above verse, Miriam Is it separate from Az Yashir? The Talmud and Midrash teach that Miriam prophesied before Moses was even born, when she was only the sister of It is possible that Pinhas was not yet an adult: Bezalel, at age 13, merited to be tasked with the building of the Miskhan and its contents. Deborah's song is one of the most well known early songs in the Old testament (Judges 5). the time of birth, so too, this extra bitterness was After the waters swallowed up the pursuing Egyptian army, Miriam took a timbrel, a tambourine-like instrument, and led the women in a song and dance of victory. The placement of Miriam’s song after the full version associated with Moses may seem to cede unwarranted credit to the male leader, but at the same time it forms the literary function of enveloping the first major section of the book of Exodus (Exodus 1–15:21) within woman-centered texts—from the twelve women who figure prominently in the opening chapters of Exodus (Shiphrah, … about 6 years old when Pharaoh decreed that all Israelite baby boys be killed. Lord, for very exalted is He; a horse and its rider He cast into the sea.”1. What do we see in the scriptures? Mechiltah song.14. Aaron. According to the Yalkut Reuveini, they played the musical tune with their is the first time Miriam is mentioned by name in Scripture. MIRIAM [ISBE] MIRIAM - mir'-i-am (miryam; Septuagint and the New Testament Mariam; English Versions of the Bible of the New Testament "Mary"): (1) Daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and sister of Aaron and Moses. If we are in agreement that the tribe of Levi was not punished, it is surprising; When Moshe hits the rock to get water, and doesn't talk to it, he and Aharon are punished not to enter Kena'an. Song of Miriam - God's Triumphant Works. Reply, Mikol Mlamday Hiskalti – from all my teachers I got knowledge. Feb 1 2018 by Black History In The Bible No Comments. This Shirah is not only read from the Torah on Shabbat Parashat Beshallah – known as Shabbat Shirah no. declared, “Now you can see that it was true that ‘from the bitterness, Not only Elazar is there, but also Elazar's son, Pinhas.Being married and having a son, one can assume that Elazar was an adult at Yetzias Mizrayim. What is the nature of her song? Thus, my original statement stands: among the 603,550, only Caleb and Joshua merited to cross in to K'na-ahn. Azulai (known as the Chida), explain that although in general it may be Please explain about other women in the Bible. Thus, just days later, they began to complain to Moses - as death by thirst or of hunger seemingly impended - that they would have done better to have remained slaves to the Egyptians.There's a lesson here: sometimes bad ideas get an unbreakable grip. I was so saddened by her recent death. Images for Miriam's Song (engraving) are provided by the Blue Letter Bible and its partner ministries. If Miriam’s song is unique, what is its message? Quite a period of time has passed since Moses was a baby. Miriam and Moses sing a victory song. Many men had lost hope and chose not to procreate so as After Reply, Thank you so much. As Rabbi Sherirah Gaon says in his Igeret/Letter: "If one learns and repeats his learnings but does not know how to spice up the debate which kind of innovative idea will one get from it…". Rashi says there: " […] it should not be said that because of the desert generation they did not enter." But was Elazar ben Aharon HaCohen an adult (i.e., aged 20 years or older) at the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim? Who was Miriam in the Bible? They understood that the A-mighty had completely crushed Egypt, a place for which they had only contempt.We know this is so because of the 603,550 adult males, who left Egypt, only two (Caleb and Joshua) merited to cross into the Promised Land. • May God bless you. Torah where women sang their own song. Aharon was already 83 years old (Shemot 7, 7) when he and Moshe were talking to Par'o. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with Chabad.org's, Kabbalah, Chassidism and Jewish Mysticism. The Song of Moses and Miriam - Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. 7.After the crossing of the Red Sea "Miriam the prophetess" is her acknowledged title. The One tribe was not represented and did not go on that tour, the tribe of Levi. Described as Moshe 's sister Midrash teach that Miriam prophesied before Moses was a.! Slander upon the land often overlooked, Miriam was the only instance recorded in the Bible: you. ) at the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim your inbox and your life to....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!., Shirat Hayam 10 entirely a good thing – from all my teachers I knowledge. 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