Miriam the prophetess – Aharon’s sister – took her drum in hand, and all the women went forth with her with drums and with dances. Miriam said to them, “Sing to Hashem, for He is exalted” (Shemos 15:20-21).
Why does Moshe include himself in the invitation to sing Shira, “I will sing…”(Shemos 15:1) while Miriam punts? Unlike her brother, Miriam urges others to sing but gives no indication that she joined in.
Rabbi Yochanan Luria, one of the gedolei Ashkenaz in the 15th century (whose family some generations later would include the Maharshal), answers this question in his Meleches Machsheves. He does so with deep consideration of the value of music and trenchant criticism of practices in his day that have not lost their application in our times. There is no question that singing can be a great mitzvah, he says. But the appropriate type of song varies according to circumstances, as does the way different people ought to participate.
The women clearly surpassed the men. Their song was accompanied by instruments, while the men’s was not. This means that as the people hurriedly packed a few items to take with them from Egypt, the women took musical instruments along as well. They were confident that they would need them to praise Hashem and thank Him for what He would do for them even before those interventions occurred. Carrying instruments along with them meant that they were transforming an art form they knew in Egypt into a way of honoring Hashem. Other things would also be so honored in the future, like His Torah, the Jewish people and a bride and groom.
Rabbi Luria continues, saying that joyful displays sometimes include acrobatics and juggling torches, as the Gemara (Sukkah 52b) describes regarding the simchas beis ha-shoevah. There are limits, though. Not every sign of joy gives honor to the occasion, certainly not the singing of fools in which everyone opens their mouths, and the result resembles the braying of donkeys. Honor is not achieved in the riotous dancing that looks like the confused motion of madmen. It is achieved when skill and order are displayed.
Honor is given by those who use their talents carefully. In the case of our pasuk, Miriam took her drum in hand and encouraged others to dance. She did not, however, lead the singing. Perhaps because of her age, her voice was weak and unsuitable for the job. She left it to those who could do a better job, esthetically.
Using Music for Different Mitzvah Purposes
This is all situational.
The Gemara (Kesubos 17a) lavishes praise on amora’im who cavorted in front of the kallah. Dovid was far less than regal in his dancing in front of the Aron and was proud of it. The distinction is in the nature of the simcha. Where it is lifnei Hashem, such as in the beis ha-mikdosh during the avodah, the music and merriment must be orderly, pleasant, and of high quality. It must retain the gilu bir’adah (Tehillim 2:11), the rejoicing while still trembling in the presence of the Shechinah. Frivolity has no place there.
Displays of joy that honor people are very different. In rejoicing at a wedding, our goal is to endear the bride and groom to each other. Anything that brings joy – including acrobatics and foolishness – is appropriate (so long as tzniyus and some dignity is maintained) if it will gladden their hearts. Obeying “rules” about music and dance is not called for, yet even here, disorderly dancing in which the participants push each other is not appropriate.
The simcha we display with the Torah is different yet. All foolishness and disorder are inappropriate here because they run counter to the nature of the occasion. When we rejoice with the Torah, we ought to give voice to the inner simcha that comes from properly understanding Hashem’s Torah.
The difference, then, between Moshe and Miriam in the Shirah is just the beginning of an exploration of utilizing music for different mitzvah purposes. Often, the right music does not simply flow spontaneously but is generated by a thoughtful application of talent and skill to the moment.
