In Parashat Beshallach, Miriam, Moshe and Aharon’s sister, is referred to as a prophet. Immediately following the parting of the sea and the Israelites’ journey across its dry land, Miriam brings together all of the women in song and dance, offering gratitude. Our tradition asks why she is called a prophet in this context. She is certainly a leader, in bringing all of the women together, but what makes her a prophet?
The Midrash crafts a stunning narrative about Miriam as a little girl. In an Egyptian world when Israelites were oppressed and decreed to kill every baby boy, little Miriam told her parents they would have a child who would be a part of the redemption of the their people. When her mother gave birth to a son, their house glowed with light and her parents praised her for her prophecy. When they had to put baby Moshe in a basket in the river, Miriam went to see when he would be rescued to offer her mother as a nurse-maid. Miriam didn’t just go to watch what would happen, she went to act on her very own prophecy, to ensure that her family would have a hand in raising this child and bringing them towards redemption.
In the context of this week’s parashah, we experience Miriam as a strong leader. But in calling her a prophet, we learn another dimension about what her leadership involves - vision. She has a strong vision about what she thinks will happen, and then she acts on it in order to make it true. We don’t rely on prophecy anymore, and we certainly don’t expect our own Jewish communal leaders to be prophets. But we do hope that our leaders have a vision, act on that vision, and then help us celebrate and offer gratitude, like Miriam.
We are blessed with many talented leaders in the Beth Sholom community, individuals that are involved in the leadership of this synagogue and those from our synagogue that are leaders throughout the Memphis community. This Shabbat morning we will hear from six individuals that participated in the Kay Usdan Saslawsky Institute for Ethical Leadership. These folks attended seminars and participated in robust discussions last spring, enhancing their understanding of leadership and deepening their commitments. I know that these individuals benefited from this Institute, and I know that we will all benefit from hearing them speak. I hope you’ll join me on Shabbat morning to hear them and honor the memory of Kay Usdan Saslawsky.
