Whose voice is more powerful, Moses or Miriam?
This week’s Torah portion – Parashat B’Shalach– features the Exodus from Egypt, the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, and the beautiful Shirat Ha-Yam- “The Song at the Sea.” This entire song is part of our daily prayer service, and its presence in this week’s parasha gives this Shabbat a special name – Shabbat Shira- the “Sabbath of Song”.
Parashat B’Shalach also features the voice – literally and metaphorically - of a very strong and prominent woman - Miriam Ha-Neviah- “Miriam the Prophetess” – the only woman in the Torah who attained prophecy.
Having just crossed the sea and experiencing this wondrous miracle from God, Moses leads the Jewish people in a beautiful song of triumph and thanks to God:
“Az Yashir Moshe – Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord saying: I will sing to the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously.”
Just when Moses and the people complete the song, the Torah tells us that “Miriam the Prophetess took a drum in her hand, and all of the women followed her with drums and with dances.” The Torah then says:
What did Miriam add by gathering the women to sing again?
Notice the slight but important difference in grammatical formulation between Moses and Miriam’s opening “calls to song” (a difference that is somewhat lost in translation from Hebrew):
Moses said: “I will sing to the Lord” – “Ashira” – which is in the singular tense.
Miriam said: “Sing unto the Lord” “Shiru” – which is in the plural.
Moses’ call to the people to sing in the singular tense – Ashira– is a strange way to lead a song…and a problematic way to lead a community. Choirmasters call upon their choir to sing in unison. When Miriam “led them in response” by saying Shiru – let us sing in unison – she not only displayed musical skills superior to those of her brother, but she also taught Moses – in a few verses of song and a couple of dance steps - a deeper lesson in leadership.
The song as sung by Moses and the Israelites was sung acapella, in individual voices with no harmony and no instruments. It must have been a cacophony of voices that went in every direction. Miriam’s response was sending her brother a powerful message that went something like this: “Now that we are out of Egypt and you are the appointed leader, here is your first lesson in leadership: learn to unify your people. As a leader, you want your people to sing - or behave - in unison. Their varying opinions should be expressed in harmony, always accompanied by the pleasant sound of musical instruments.”
Miriam could have gone back and sang the entire song again, but she felt that all she needed was a few verses to show her brother how communal singing is meant to sound…and what a community he leads should look like.
But aren’t women not supposed to sing in public? What about the halakhic prohibition of Kol B’Isha Erva – that “a woman’s voice is sexually enticing”?
In his beautiful Rosh David commentary to the Torah, the brilliant Jerusalem-born Sephardic sage Rabbi Haim Yosef David Azulai (known as The Hida – 1724-1806) comments on this issue in relation to Miriam leading the women in song:
How was it possible for Miriam and the women to sing in public during this great and miraculous moment of holiness? What about the prohibition of Kol B’Isha Erva? The answer is because in moments of holiness, when we are engaged in spiritual matters and the Divine Presence (Shekhina) is amongst us, the whole issue of sexual enticement is null and void and does not apply. It is for this reason that the verse in Isaiah 12:6 is written in the feminine tense – “Tsahali V’Roni Yoshevet Zion – Oh shout for joy, you who sits in Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel”. In the name of God, the Prophet Isaiah employs the feminine tense when proclaiming to “shout in joy when God is in our midst.” This teaches us that in a place where there is Divinity – like at the crossing of the sea – Kol B’Isha Erva is not applicable. (Sefer Rosh David, Parashat B’Shalach)
In his halakhic discussion of Kol B’Isha Erva, Rav Ovadia Yosef quotes the above passage – amongst many others – to rule that the prohibition of Kol B’Isha Erva does not apply in synagogues or other religious gatherings, thereby concluding that women are permitted to sing Zemirot and Piyutim (religious liturgical poems) solo, and are also permitted to lead the reading of Megillat Esther, in public – for men and for women. I will devote a full column to this topic, please God, closer to Purim, so stay tuned.
In the meanwhile, we learn through Miriam’s musical skills that she was – per her title – a true Nevia – a prophetess. By watching how Moses led the people in song, she already foresaw that her brother’s leadership would be tumultuous. The sound of the Israelites singing led by Moses was a reflection of their behavior for 40 years – no harmony, lots of noise, no music, every voice going in different directions. He was never able to hold them together.
In retrospect, perhaps God should have given Miriam a stronger voice in leading Am Yisrael. After all, “in the presence of God, there is no prohibition of Kol Isha – a woman’s voice.”
Something to think about as we contemplate our next generation of spiritual leadership.
Shabbat Shalom