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In this week’s parasha, Parshat Beshalach, we read about Klal Yisrael’s reaction to their miraculous redemption from Egypt. After they safely cross the Red Sea, they are led in song by their leaders with Moses leading the men and Miriam the women. The songs serve as a spiritual expression of thanksgiving for the people’s good fortune.
The Torah describes these celebrations in detail, illustrating how each leader guided their followers through this spiritual exercise. Although their songs share a common theme, they represent two distinct models of expression. The siblings view the miracle through different lenses; while both crossed the sea, their reactions are vastly different. This divergence in the manner in which they react reflects a fundamental difference in spiritual orientation—a point noted by prominent Chassidic thinkers like the Maor Ve’shemesh, Or Ha’Meir, Sfat Emet, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, z”l. Through a close reading of these verses, we begin to understand why Miriam’s approach, which some see as the spiritual ideal, resonates so profoundly within the Chassidic tradition.
To uncover this distinction, we need only look at the specific language the Torah uses to describe each celebration.
אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל את השירה הזאת ליהוה ויאמרו לאמר. אשירה ליהוה כי גאה גאה, סוס ורוכבו רמה בים
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to God, and they spoke, saying: I will sing to God, for He has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider He has hurled into the sea.
(Shemot 15:1-2)
These are the introduction and opening verses of Moses’ song. The song then continues for seventeen additional verses, in which Moses details what transpired from the time the Jews left Egypt until their enemies were drowned and defeated.
The narrative then turns to Miriam. Immediately following the community’s celebration with Moses, she too leads a song of gratitude.
ותקח מרים הנביאה אחות אהרן את התוף בידה, ותצאן כל הנשים אחריה בתופים ובמחולות. ותען להם מרים: שירו ליהוה כי גאה גאה, סוס ורוכבו רמה בים
Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed after her with timbrels and dancing. And Miriam called out to them: Sing to God, for He has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider He has hurled into the sea.
(Shemot 15:20-21)
On the surface, these celebrations seem quite similar. Yet, if one takes a closer look, one notices many differences between the two. They include:
- Title: Moses is not given any title; the only thing we are told about him is his name. Miriam, on the other hand, is described as a nevi’ah (prophetess).
- Expression: In Moses’ song, the focus is on the choice of words and phrasing; their singing is not said to have involved any physical or emotional expression. Miriam’s thanksgiving is very different. There is a deeply felt psychological component to the experience; the singing is accompanied by dancing and the playing of musical instruments. The women’s gratitude is felt emotionally and expressed physically.
- Length: Moses is verbose while Miriam is concise. Moses’ song takes nineteen verses in the Torah; Miriam’s has all of nine words. Moses’ song is long, elaborate, and contemplative, while Miriam’s song is the mirror opposite; it is brief, direct, and visceral.
In other words, Moses ruminates; Miriam celebrates. Moses reflects; Miriam reacts. Moses’ response is cerebral; Miriam’s reaction is embodied. Moses composes poetry; Miriam breaks out in dance.
In essence, Moses reacts like a philosopher who has come to a profound realization; Miriam responds like a believer who has been overwhelmed by a transcendental experience.
Personally, as a chasid, I prefer Miriam’s poetic celebration over Moses’ philosophical exposition. Miriam, it seems, gives voice to the rhythmic, embodied pulse of the religious experience.
A basic tenet of Chassidut is that spiritual ecstasy is an emotional experience originating in the heart, rather than a cerebral one located in the brain. In this view, true religiosity occurs when an experience overwhelms us with such awe that our conviction feels absolute, a state bordering on the prophetic. This is why the Torah explicitly identifies Miriam as a prophetess in this moment; her title serves as the key to her reaction.
As a prophetess, her encounter with the Divine transcends the logical tools of the philosopher to tap into a higher, spontaneous truth. It is this same prophetic frequency that we touch in our own moments of peak spiritual intensity. Like Miriam, we find ourselves completely overtaken, not by a calculated choice, but by a spontaneous surge of the soul that demands physical expression. In that state, our bodies break into ecstatic song as the sheer weight of the experience overrides the intellect and moves us beyond the reach of reason.
In the weeks ahead, we will come to appreciate Moses’ intellectual prowess and the sophisticated juridical system he transmitted, one that challenges our minds and stimulates our thinking. For now, however, we must pause to celebrate the religious genius of Miriam.
In a world that often demands we be ‘rational’ and ‘composed,’ Miriam’s genius challenges us to find moments where we are free of constraints and allow our souls to erupt in spontaneous, embodied joy. In the realm of spirituality, her approach speaks most directly to the soul, giving voice to a visceral yearning for kirvat Elokim (closeness to God), a closeness that becomes so all-encompassing it can only be articulated through the rhythmic pulse of song and dance. Ultimately, Miriam demonstrates that true religiosity begins as an intellectual realization but finds its peak in an emotional eruption. She shows us that when logic reaches its limits, the heart must take the lead, giving voice to a yearning that the intellect cannot contain.
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