Parashat Beshalach 5786

by Rabbi Margie Cella

This week we read the story of the nation of Israel leaving Egypt, pursued by a reluctant Pharaoh and his army of six hundred chariots. Paralyzed with fear, the people turned to Moses for guidance when they were entrapped by the waters of the Red Sea in front of them. God instructed Moses to raise his rod over the waters, splitting the sea and allowing the people to walk through on dry ground. Afterwards, the waters closed in on Pharaoh and his men, drowning them. Moses led the people in the words of Shirat haYam, the Song of the Sea, familiar to many of us from the Psukei deZimra part of the shacharit service. In the Torah text, the song is followed by these two verses:

         ​And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines, dancing.

​        And Miriam answered them, Sing to the Lord, for God has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider God has thrown into the sea. [Exodus 15:20-21]

Siddur Lev Shalem adds these verses to the liturgy, something never done before in any siddur.

Amazingly, these are the only two times that Miriam is mentioned by name in the book of Shemot.

She is mentioned seven times in five verses Parashat Beha’alotecha, when she and Aaron were gossiping about Moses, and five times after her death, for a total of 14 times in the entire Tanakh (Compared to 327 verses for Aaron, and 705 for Moses).

Oseh Shalom, Maker of Peace, like Miriam, women have been left out of the stories of the nation of Israel. Help us to reclaim our rightful spot. May we each insert our own name into your book, finding our own unique place in the history of Your people.