[IMU] Welcome to Into the Verse, where we share new and unexpected insights about the parsha or an upcoming holiday, diving deep into the verses to uncover the Torah’s own commentary on itself.

Hi, I’m Imu Shalev. 

Long ago, on the seventh day of Passover – the very first Passover, described in the Book of Exodus – the people of Israel found themselves finally, definitively out of Egypt. God had miraculously split the Sea of Reeds for them, and now, they were standing on the opposite shore, looking back at the wreck of Pharaoh’s pursuing army. So what did they do? How did they react? Of course, they sang!

But as the Torah tells us, one song of praise and thanksgiving just wasn’t enough to express everything they were feeling in that moment. There were two songs: a song the entire people sang, and then a second song, a song that Miriam the prophetess sang, with all the women joining her. 

But why did there have to be two songs? The first one is already so dramatic and eloquent! What was Miriam’s reason for singing a second one? And what about the Torah’s calling her a prophetess… what exactly was the prophecy she made, anyway? And did it have something to do with Miriam’s lifting her voice in song, at this particular moment?

This week on Into the Verse, Rabbi David Fohrman shares his thoughts about our leader Miriam . . . and the role her prophecy played in our salvation.

[Rabbi Fohrman] Hi everybody, this is Rabbi David Fohrman, and welcome to Aleph Beta.

In Exodus, we read about the encounter between the Israelites and the Egyptians at the Sea of Reeds. God, of course, famously divides that sea for the Israelites to cross safely, and the waves come crashing together again, destroying Pharaoh and his army. 

But in the aftermath of that great victory, we hear about two songs of praise, two songs of thanks to God. First, Moses and the Israelites all together sing, and then Miriam leads all the women in song. 

I want to talk about that second song, Miriam’s famous song at the Sea. There are a couple questions I want to ask you about it.

First of all, why did Miriam need to sing it? The entire Israelites, they all sang a song of thanksgiving right before that, and why wasn't that enough? Why did Miriam feel a need to take all the women aside and sing her own song of thanksgiving? 

I mean, we do have other examples of songs of thanksgiving in Tanakh that actually involve men and women all singing together, right? Deborah, later on in the Book of Judges, after her great victory over the forces of Sisera – she leads everybody in song. But over here in Exodus, it’s just not good enough to have one song for everybody. Everybody sings their song and then Miriam, she’s got to go sing her song. Why? Why was that so important?

The answer, I think, is given to us in an oblique comment made by the Sages in a midrash – you can find it in Shemot Rabbah. It turns out that the Sages also wondered about Miriam's song. They wondered, though, about a more technical issue, about how the Torah introduces her to us just before she sings that song. You see, the text of the verse is:

וַתִּקַּח מִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה אֲחוֹת אַהֲרֹן אֶת הַתֹּף בְּיָדָהּ

(Exodus 15:20)

“Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, she takes the timbrels in her hands” – and then she goes and sings the song.

But listen carefully to that introduction: “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron.” It seems like the Torah wants us to know two things about her: a) that she was a prophetess, and b) that she was the sister of Aaron. But why, the Rabbis want to know, do we need to know those two things? Why does the Torah insist on telling us this?

Why does Miriam’s being a prophetess, for example, uniquely qualify her to sing this song? If she wasn’t a prophet, she couldn’t sing? And what do you mean that she was the sister of Aaron? She was the sister of both Aaron and Moses. How come Moses gets left out of the mix?

Big Sister Miriam

So the sages of the Midrash, addressing these questions, they say a fascinating thing. They say: If you want to understand why Miriam sang her song, you need to understand those two things that the Torah underlines when it introduces her song. You have to understand that a) she was a prophetess, and b) she had a prophecy when she was just the sister of Aaron and not yet the sister of Moses, because Moses had not yet been born. And based upon this beginning, the Sages try to piece together a story for us. They suggest that Miriam actually had a prophecy about the future birth of Moses. And if you understand that prophecy, they suggest, you will understand her song. So here’s the story they tell.

Miriam’s Prophecy

When Pharaoh had decreed that all Israelite male children should be thrown into the Nile just after they were born, the man and woman who would become the parents of Moses, they separated from each other, the Sages say. They didn't want to have any more children. Why bother, they said to themselves. Whatever child we might have is just going to be killed anyway.

But Miriam, their daughter – she had a prophecy. That prophecy was: My mother is going to give birth to the savior of the children of Israel. And she told that prophecy to her parents, and her parents, listening to their little girl, reunited.

And now, let’s pick up in the text of the Torah itself. Picking up from chapter two in the book of Exodus, verse two:

וַתַּהַר הָאִשָּׁה וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֵּרֶא אֹתוֹ כִּי־טוֹב

And the woman conceived and gave birth to a child, and she saw that the child was good (Exodus 2:2). What strange words, “she saw that the child was good.” But the Sages, again, pick up on this language, and they suggest that the first time we hear those words כִּי טוֹב is all the way back in the beginning of Genesis, when God made light and “saw that the light was good.” So the Sages say that here, too, in Exodus, וַתֵּרֶא אֹתוֹ כִּי־טוֹב  – the mother of Moses sees her child כִּי טוֹב – and a miraculous light fills the room, signifying the birth of a special child, seemingly signifying the ratification of Miriam’s prophecy.

So Chazal (the Sages) say that when the light filled the room, Miriam's parents came and they kissed her and said בתי – our daughter – נתקיים נבואתך – evidently, your prophecy, it’s been fulfilled! Everything’s going to be fine now.

But it's never that simple.

Where Is Your Prophecy Now?

וַתִּצְפְּנֵהוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה יְרָחִים׃ וְלֹא־יָכְלָה עוֹד הַצְּפִינוֹ

The text continues: the mother of the child then hid the child for full three months, but eventually, she couldn’t continue to hide the child (Exodus 2:2-3). The cries of the child would be heard; Egyptian scouts were everywhere looking for Israelite children to kill. Imagine the desperation of the mother in a moment like this. Three long months had gone by since that miraculous light filled the room, and nothing had happened. There was no indication that Moses would be saved. It’s as if God was silent, and the mother of this child was on her own. You can imagine her frustration at that moment. And the text picks up:

וַתִּקַּח־לוֹ תֵּבַת גֹּמֶא וַתַּחְמְרָה בַחֵמָר וּבַזָּפֶת וַתָּשֶׂם בָּהּ אֶת־הַיֶּלֶד וַתָּשֶׂם בַּסּוּף עַל־שְׂפַת הַיְאֹר׃

She takes this pitiful little basket and slathers it with pitch. And she placed the child in the basket and she placed the child in the reeds, next to the shore of the river (Exodus 2:3).

A Mother’s Desperation

You know, if you were the mother of the child at that time, what would you give the chances of success of this plan of yours, if you even have a plan? This pitiful little basket called a תבה – recalling the ark of Noah, also called a תבה – is it really an ark that’s going to save this child, or is it just a little coffin? Here you are, you're putting this defenseless little kid out there by the Nile where all the Egyptians are. Pharaoh had decreed that all Israelite baby boys should be thrown in the Nile. What are the chances, really, that this child lives?

Now let me ask you another question, keeping all this in mind: Could you watch what happens next? Most of us wouldn’t have been able to. But somebody did watch. 

Watching at the Nile

The next words of the verse are:

וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחֹתוֹ מֵרָחֹק לְדֵעָה מַה יֵּעָשֶׂה לוֹ׃

His sister Miriam – she stood from afar to see what would be with him (Exodus 2:4). The Sages say she stood from afar to see what would be with her prophecy.

You know, if you stopped Miriam right now, and imagine you said to her: Explain to me, Miriam, why are you watching? You seem to have some sort of hope, but why? How exactly do you think this child is going to be saved? How do you think he could possibly live? 

What would Miriam say in reply to you? 

The answer is: Miriam doesn't know how it’s going to happen. She doesn’t know how her prophecy might still come true, but what she does know is this: Just because I can't figure it out, doesn't mean there’s no way that this child can live. God has His ways, and I’m standing to watch. It’s all I can do. I need to be here.

And look at the next verse:

וַתֵּרֶד בַּת פַּרְעֹה לִרְחֹץ עַל הַיְאֹר

Who comes along, ambling down to the Nile that day, but the daughter of Pharaoh. She’s out for a swim (Exodus 2:5). Now, stop right there! If you’re Miriam, and you don't know what’s going to happen next, and the daughter of Pharaoh shows up, she's the one coming down the road – is that good news or is that bad news? 

It’s the worst possible news! She’s the worst possible person who could come. She’s the daughter of the man who decreed genocide upon the Israelites, who wants to kill every single one of their male children. If you’re Miriam, it’s like you think for sure it’s over now. I’m leaving. I can't watch. But… she does! She continues to watch. 

Now, you and I know that the daughter of Pharaoh actually becomes Moses’ savior, but it’s not so clear, in the moment, how that could have even happened. I mean, how could that happen when Pharaoh, her father, is the architect of this genocidal plan? What, really, is she going to do with some Israelite baby – take him back to Pharaoh’s own palace and raise him proudly under Pharaoh’s nose? 

And you actually see the tension here in the verses. The daughter of Pharaoh, she sends her maid-servant to the river, and the first thing you have in the text is that she sees the child וַתַּחְמֹל עָלָיו – and she has compassion for him (Exodus 2:6). That’s her immediate, emotional, human response. 

But then, the very next words of the verse, there’s a second response. Her cognition kicks in. She says:

מִיַּלְדֵי הָעִבְרִים זֶה׃

It’s a Hebrew child (Exodus 2:6). Her father is Pharaoh. She’s supposed to be throwing this child in the river. She’s got a conflict. What is she supposed to do? 

Enter Miriam. That’s her moment! Reading the uncertainty in the daughter of Pharaoh’s eyes, Miriam says:

הַאֵלֵךְ וְקָרָאתִי לָךְ אִשָּׁה מֵינֶקֶת

Can I, perhaps, call an Israelite woman to nurse this child for you? (Exodus 2:7). And the daughter of Pharaoh says, Yes. She has a way out of her dilemma now: she can rescue the baby, but somebody else will bring him up, safely away from Pharaoh’s sight. Miriam has solved her problem in a way that Miriam herself could never have anticipated ten minutes ago. And that’s how Miriam, who had been standing from afar, seemingly unable to do anything, just watching to see what kind of miracle God might possibly perform – she actually becomes the agent for the miracle herself. She brings about the salvation of her brother. She actualizes her very own prophecy.

Standing at the Sea

Listen to those words – וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחֹתוֹ מֵרָחֹק לְדֵעָה מַה יֵּעָשֶׂה לוֹ – and she stood from afar, וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחֹתוֹ מֵרָחֹק. Where else do we hear words like that?

Well, fast forward to the Israelites at the Sea of Reeds. Picture the scene: There’s a huge body of water. The dominant natural feature is reeds; it's even called the Sea of Reeds. And there are horses belonging to Pharaoh, there’s chariots, there’s cavalry, there’s soldiers, and they’re all converging upon the people of Israel. Think about it. It's like it's all happening again!

You see, once upon a time there was one Israelite, Moses, who was threatened by one Egyptian, the daughter of Pharaoh, and it happened when he was in the reeds. And now it's not just a couple of reeds, it's a whole Sea of Reeds, and now it's not just one Israelite that's threatened, it's the entire people of Israel that's threatened. They’re not just threatened by one particular Egyptian, the daughter of Pharaoh. They’re threatened by a whole army of Egypt.

And what does Moses say? 

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הָעָם אַל־תִּירָאוּ הִתְיַצְבוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת־יְשׁוּעַת יְהוָה

Moses says to the people, “Don't be afraid. Stand and watch the salvation that God will perform” (Exodus 14:13). It's the same words. It's exactly what Miriam did.

It’s as if Moses is saying to the people: How do you think you’re going to get out of this? You are going to do exactly what Miriam did. It's just a replay of my experience with Miriam. Whatever happened at the individual level, back at the river, is going to happen at the national level now. If we’re going to get out of this alive, we need to do what Miriam did. We need to stand and watch.  הִתְיַצְבוּ וּרְאוּ – just like וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחֹתוֹ מֵרָחֹק. We need to stand and watch as Miriam once did.

Moses, remember, is not telling them what’s going to happen. He doesn’t say: Guys, everything’s fine! The Sea’s about to split. They actually don’t know the Sea is going to split. What’s happening is a kind of test of faith. The question that hangs in the air is: Can you actually be like Miriam? Miriam didn’t know how the salvation was going to come about. All she knew is that she had a promise that it would, and when doom seemed certain, she didn’t avert her eyes. She stood and watched.

And now, Moses is asking the same thing of the Israelites. Doom seems certain, but you have a promise from God. It’s going to be okay. So stand and watch too. Have faith like Miriam did. Let Miriam teach you what to do here.

And when they follow Miriam’s silent example, when the Sea splits… of course, Miriam sings!

A Prophecy Realized

And think about it. What was Miriam’s prophecy, after all? “My mother is going to give birth to the child who is going to save the children of Israel.”

Ask when that prophecy really becomes realized. When did Moshe finally become confirmed, really, as the one who was the savior of Israel? It didn’t happen at the burning bush. It didn’t even happen at the ten plagues; Egypt pursued us after that. It happens with the destruction of the entire army of Pharaoh at the Sea of Reeds. That’s the moment her prophecy finally comes true. And how did it come true? It came true through the people evincing the same faith that Miriam herself had, back at the Nile, when she stood and watched.

When they experienced what she experienced at the macro-cosmic level and when they got through their time of peril, through the faith that she taught them about – well then, it's not enough for everyone to sing a song of thanks to God. Miriam has to sing her song too.

[Imu] Hey everybody, thanks for listening. I hope you really enjoyed that presentation. So it’s tough to add my own personal reflections to what I think is already a really beautiful piece. I remember the first time I listened to it, I got the chills. 

I think one of the really cool elements of this piece is that it highlights a sort of hidden story in the text, a story that means a lot more when you forget how the story ends – what it might have been like to be big sister Miriam, and your mother has another child, and she has to give him away. We don’t know how the story is going to end when all of Israel is trapped at the Sea of Reeds, with Pharaoh’s army coming at it from the other side. And if you don’t know the end of that story, it looks like it spells the end for the people of Israel. So I think this piece is special because it highlights the drama and reminds us that the characters who went through this story did not know how it would end. But I also think what makes it special is the character of Miriam and her faith. Because all of us live through stories where we don’t know how it’s going to end. 

Maybe the seventh day of Passover is about renewing our faith in God… not just that God is powerful, but that God wants to have a relationship with us, that God cares about us, that God is willing to move heavens and earth for our sake. And that’s really where the faith comes from. I don’t believe in my wife, I don’t believe in my friends; I have faith in my wife, I have faith in my friends, because of our relationship. And I wonder if that's one of the major themes of Passover – God’s demonstrated relationship with us. 

And maybe that’s what Miriam saw. And maybe that’s why she had faith. And for me, going into shevi’i shel Pesach, going into this last day of Passover, it inspires me to have faith too. Chag sameach. 

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Credits:

This podcast was written and recorded by our lead scholar, Rabbi David Fohrman, and edited by Sarah Penso. Our audio editor is Hillary Guttman. Our CEO and editorial director is Imu Shalev. Thank you so much for listening.