Miriam the Prophetess: Empowerment, Intimacy and Invitation

For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, And redeemed you from the house of bondage, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.

"And the Egyptians embittered their lives." (Ex. 1:14) And the Holy Blessed One raised up (he'emid) a redeemer, which was Miriam, in reference to the bitterness (merur).

And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shifrah, and the name of the other Puah.

This was Miriam, called Puah because she cried (פּוֹעָה) and talked and cooed to the newborn infant in the manner of women who soothe a crying baby. פּוֹעָה is an expression of crying out, similar to “Like a laboring woman will I cry (אֶפְעֶה)" (Isaiah 42:14). Another possibility: the name Puah expresses insolence (hofi’ah panim k'neged - standing up against) Pharaoh.

Miriam was called Puah because of her boldness which was directed against her father Amram. When Pharaoh ordered the Israelite boys to be cast into the Nile, Amram said: “Shall an Israelite lie with his wife for nothing?” He immediately separated from Yocheved and divorced her. When the Israelites saw this action by Amram [who was the head of the community] they also divorced their wives. Puah told her father: “Father, your decree is harsher than that of Pharaoh! He only decreed against the males, but you have decreed against both the males and the females. It is doubtful whether the decree of the wicked Pharaoh will come to pass, but you are righteous, and so your decree will be fulfilled.” Amram immediately took back his wife, and following his lead, all the other Israelite men did the same. Miriam was accordingly given the name of Puah, since she stood up to (hofi’ah panim k'neged) her father.

The Israelite women owned mirrors, which they would look into when they adorned themselves. They did not hold back from bringing these mirrors as a contribution toward the Mishkan, but Moses rejected them because they were made for temptation. The Holy Blessed One said to Moses, “Accept them, for these are more precious to Me than anything because through them the women raised up (he'emidu) many legions [i.e., through the children they gave birth to] in Egypt.” When their husbands were weary from back-breaking labor, the women would go and bring them food and drink and feed them. Then the women would take the mirrors, and each would look at herself with her husband in the mirror, and she would tease him with words, saying, “I am more beautiful than you.” And in this way they aroused their husbands' desire and would copulate with them, conceiving and giving birth there, as it is said: “Under the apple tree I aroused you.” (Song of Songs 8:5) From these mirrors, the washstand was made, because its purpose was to make peace between a man and his wife.

Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her, dancing with timbrels. And Miriam chanted for them: Sing to Adonai, for God has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver God has hurled into the sea.

Now Miriam became a prophetess because at this point, the woman were also worthy to see the Shechinah until everyone could say, "This is my God!" As our Rabbis teach, even the maidservant saw God at the sea. Therefore, the Torah says "all the woman followed after her" because the prophecy started with Miriam and all the woman went in her footsteps, for at that moment, all of them were worthy of it. But the prophetic spirit only rests within people that are happy, and women have "tzar leida" (labor pains) - therefore they took tambourines in their hands. And all the woman followed after her with tambourines and drums so that the Divine Spirit would rest on them.

“Miriam”, as it is written, “And Miriam the prophetess the sister of Aaron” (Exodus 15:20). Was she only the sister of Aaron and not the sister of Moses? Rabbi Nachman said in the name of Rav: For she prophesied when she was the sister of Aaron [only] and said, My mother is destined to bear a son who will save Israel. When he was born the whole house was filled with light, and her father arose and kissed her on the head, saying, "My daughter, your prophecy has been fulfilled." But when they threw him into the river her father arose and tapped her on the head, saying, "Daughter, where is your prophecy?" That is why it is written, “And his sister stood afar off to know”; to know, that is, what would be with the latter part of her prophecy.