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Torah Portion -
Beshalach
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Written by Simi Hibbert
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פרשת בשלח - תשע"א
Although Miriam sang the whole שירה with the women, the torah only records that they sang one פסוק: "...שירו לה' כי גאה גאה סוס ורכבו רמה בים". Why is this פסוק particularly relevant to the women that it is used as the example for the שירה they sang?
Explains ר' צבי הירש פרבר as follows. מרים saw through רוח הקודש that the whole תכלית of יציאת מצרים was for קבלת התורה, and this made the women feel very disappointed because they have no חיוב in תלמוד תורה.
However, the horse and rider (סוס ורכבו) in this פסוק comes to teach the women a fundamental יסוד. What did the horse do wrong that it deserved to drown?
Surely only the rider has sinned, and the horse is just an intermediary? The answer is that if the horse wouldn’t be there, the rider would be unable to chase the בנ"י. Even though it doesn’t actually sin – it aids and abets the rider to chase – and therefore joins in his punishment.
It was exactly this lesson that מרים was trying to portray to the women. If by assisting an עבירה one is ‘blamed’ and receives joint punishment, then כל שכן for doing מצוות, and especially לימוד התורה will you be ‘blamed’ and receive the same reward!!! Although the women were aware that יציאת מצרים was for קבלת התורה they weren’t so enthusiastic about it, until מרים came and began the שירה with this פסוק, to teach them that they too have an enormous חלק in their husband and sons’ learning.
The גמ ברכות יז. tells us: א"ל רב לר' חייא נשים במאי זכיין באקרויי בנייהו לבי כנישתא ובאתנויי גברייהו בי רבנן ונטרין לגברייהו עד דאתו מבי רבנן. Although women don’t have a מצוה to learn, they have great זכותים as they are the ones who raise the children, and encourage them to go to the בית המדרש to learn. It considered as if the women themselves have learnt all their husbands and children’s תורה.
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