Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels.
(Exodus, Ibid.) "the timbrel in her hand": Whence did they have timbrels and dance (instruments) in the desert? Being tzaddikim, and knowing for a certainty that the Holy One Blessed be He would perform miracles and mighty acts for them when they left Egypt, they readied timbrels and (dance) instruments for themselves. (Ibid. 21) "And Miriam answered to them: Sing to the L rd, for He is exalted (over all the) exalted: horse and its rider He cast into the sea": Scripture hereby apprises us that just as Moses chanted song to the men, so did Miriam chant song to the women.
דרש רב עוירא בשכר נשים צדקניות שהיו באותו הדור נגאלו ישראל ממצרים בשעה שהולכות לשאוב מים הקב"ה מזמן להם דגים קטנים בכדיהן ושואבות מחצה מים ומחצה דגים ובאות ושופתות שתי קדירות אחת של חמין ואחת של דגים
§ Rav Avira taught: In the merit of the righteous women that were in that generation, the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt. He tells of their righteous actions: At the time when these women would go to the river to draw water, the Holy One, Blessed be He, would materialize for them small fish that would enter into their pitchers, and they would therefore draw pitchers that were half filled with water and half filled with fish. And they would then come and place two pots on the fire, one pot of hot water for washing their husbands and one pot of fish with which to feed them.