Re: Miriam

[Marvin <physchem...>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "George Robinson" <GRComm (at) concentric(dot)net>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2001 4:01 PM
Subject: Re: Miriam


> I stand corrected. According to the Plaut translation (the one used in
> most Reform synagogues and the one nearest my computer at the moment),
> "Miriam chanted for them." Which I take to mean sang.
>
> George (chant, shmant, so long as you got perfect pitch) Robinson
>
>
> Lori Cahan-Simon wrote:
> >
> > So Miriam took a timbrel and all the women went with her and danced.
And Miriam
> > sang for them.  Did the men listen?  Did they join in?  Were they
clapping?  Then,
> > when they were done, Moses had everybody leave the scene.

The Plaut translation of Exodus15: 20,21:  "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.  And Miriam chanted for them, "Sing to the Lord,
for He has triumphed gloriously; /Horse and driver He has hurled into the
sea."

The commentary with this section doesn't go into questions such as whether
"went out after her" implies that the women went apart from the men, and
whether they followed Miriam's call to sing.  There is an interetsing
commentary on the role of dancing in ancient and modern Judaism.

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