The Power of the Feminine Song
Beshalach - Shevii Shel Pesach
After witnessing Kriyas Yam Suf, Moshe led the men in the singing the song of the sea (Shiras Hayam). Miriam led the women in singing and dancing, accompanied with tambourines.
The content of the Haftorah reflects and parallels a similarity with the Parsha of the week. Since the Parsha contains the song of the sea, the Haftorah of Beshalach contains the Song of Devorah, which she sang after the miraculous victory of Bnei Yisrael over Sisera and the Canaanite army.
But why specifically was this song chosedn for the Hafotrah? There are a number of sings recorded in the Neviim, including the Song of David, which he sang after Hashem delivered him from the hands of Avshalom in his rebellion.
The Parsha contains the song of Moshe and the men and of Miriam and the women. Seemingly the song of the men is the greater of the two, recorded in greater length and detail. So why was the song of a woman (Devorah) selected for the Haftorah instead of the song of a man (Dovid)?
The Frierdike Rebbe explains that the sages chose this Haftorah because there was a greater quality in the song of Miriam and the women at the sea, than that of their male counterparts. Their song was infused with greater Simcha, accompanied with tambourines and dancing.
Not only was their song more joyous, it was also a deeper expression of Emunah.
The Shala”h explains that there are two types of Emunah. The lower level of Emunah is one that we feel only once we have experienced and seen Hashem’s salvation and miracles. A deeper level of Emunah is the implicit trust and faith that Hashem will do miracles for us, even before having seen them realised.
Shiras Hayam begins with the introductory words Az Yashir - then Moshe and the Jewish people sang. Only then, after seeing the splitting of the sea and the drowning of the Egyptians, did the men give voice to their Emunah.
Whilst the women also only sang their song after crossing the sea, their song began while they were still in Egypt. Rashi quotes the Midrash, that these righteous women took their tambourines with them when they left Egypt because they were certain that Hashem was going to perform miracles for them and they would use them in their song of thanks.
With this he explains a grammatical nuance in Torah’s description of Miriam’s song; “She called out to them ‘sing to Hashem for He is very exalted, a horse and its rider He cast into the sea’.” Even though she was addressing the women, the Torah uses the word masculine term for ‘them’ (Lahem instead of Lahen).
In Torah literature, strength is described as a masculine trait, based on the generalisation that physically men are created with a stronger build. But strength is not limited to physical power.
The faith of the Jewish women in their song was incredibly strong. Miriam highlighted this strength by addressing the women with a masculine term.
Just as it was in our first redemption, the same Emunah and faith in Geulah will bring about the Final Redemption, led by the righteous women in our generation who radiate Emunah to their husbands, their homes and to the entire Jewish people.
___________________
The commentaries question how Miriam and the Jewish women could sing in the presence of the men, due to the prohibition of Kol Ervah. They offer a number of different explanations, including;
The women distanced themselves so that they were not in earshot of the men.
The women were not singing. They played tambourines and danced to the side while the men sang. Miriam was addressing some men who had come to watch, telling them to go and sing to Hashem with the other men.
Another explanation is that at the Sea, the Jewish people experience a tremendous revelation of G-dliness, akin to the times of Moshiach and the Resurrection of the Dead. The prophet describes how in the times of Moshiach “the older men and women will sit (together) in the streets of Jerusalem” and we will hear “the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride”. This will be permitted because in the times of the Resurrection, there will no longer be a Yetzer Hara and therefore no need for the stringencies on modesty. So too, at the splitting of the sea, the Jewish people were on that level and there was no Yetzer Hara associated with the women singing.
The content of the Haftorah reflects and parallels a similarity with the Parsha of the week. Since the Parsha contains the song of the sea, the Haftorah of Beshalach contains the Song of Devorah, which she sang after the miraculous victory of Bnei Yisrael over Sisera and the Canaanite army.
But why specifically was this song chosedn for the Hafotrah? There are a number of sings recorded in the Neviim, including the Song of David, which he sang after Hashem delivered him from the hands of Avshalom in his rebellion.
The Parsha contains the song of Moshe and the men and of Miriam and the women. Seemingly the song of the men is the greater of the two, recorded in greater length and detail. So why was the song of a woman (Devorah) selected for the Haftorah instead of the song of a man (Dovid)?
The Frierdike Rebbe explains that the sages chose this Haftorah because there was a greater quality in the song of Miriam and the women at the sea, than that of their male counterparts. Their song was infused with greater Simcha, accompanied with tambourines and dancing.
Not only was their song more joyous, it was also a deeper expression of Emunah.
The Shala”h explains that there are two types of Emunah. The lower level of Emunah is one that we feel only once we have experienced and seen Hashem’s salvation and miracles. A deeper level of Emunah is the implicit trust and faith that Hashem will do miracles for us, even before having seen them realised.
Shiras Hayam begins with the introductory words Az Yashir - then Moshe and the Jewish people sang. Only then, after seeing the splitting of the sea and the drowning of the Egyptians, did the men give voice to their Emunah.
Whilst the women also only sang their song after crossing the sea, their song began while they were still in Egypt. Rashi quotes the Midrash, that these righteous women took their tambourines with them when they left Egypt because they were certain that Hashem was going to perform miracles for them and they would use them in their song of thanks.
With this he explains a grammatical nuance in Torah’s description of Miriam’s song; “She called out to them ‘sing to Hashem for He is very exalted, a horse and its rider He cast into the sea’.” Even though she was addressing the women, the Torah uses the word masculine term for ‘them’ (Lahem instead of Lahen).
In Torah literature, strength is described as a masculine trait, based on the generalisation that physically men are created with a stronger build. But strength is not limited to physical power.
The faith of the Jewish women in their song was incredibly strong. Miriam highlighted this strength by addressing the women with a masculine term.
Just as it was in our first redemption, the same Emunah and faith in Geulah will bring about the Final Redemption, led by the righteous women in our generation who radiate Emunah to their husbands, their homes and to the entire Jewish people.
___________________
The commentaries question how Miriam and the Jewish women could sing in the presence of the men, due to the prohibition of Kol Ervah. They offer a number of different explanations, including;
The women distanced themselves so that they were not in earshot of the men.
The women were not singing. They played tambourines and danced to the side while the men sang. Miriam was addressing some men who had come to watch, telling them to go and sing to Hashem with the other men.
Another explanation is that at the Sea, the Jewish people experience a tremendous revelation of G-dliness, akin to the times of Moshiach and the Resurrection of the Dead. The prophet describes how in the times of Moshiach “the older men and women will sit (together) in the streets of Jerusalem” and we will hear “the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride”. This will be permitted because in the times of the Resurrection, there will no longer be a Yetzer Hara and therefore no need for the stringencies on modesty. So too, at the splitting of the sea, the Jewish people were on that level and there was no Yetzer Hara associated with the women singing.