{"id":71313,"date":"2020-03-06T14:59:47","date_gmt":"2020-03-06T12:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=71313"},"modified":"2020-03-06T14:59:47","modified_gmt":"2020-03-06T12:59:47","slug":"grab-your-timbrel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/grab-your-timbrel\/","title":{"rendered":"Grab Your Timbrel!"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"71313","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":34250,"related_cahpter":"431","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"The end of the exile is near\r\n\r\n","content":"

There are lots of ways to rejoice when something good happens. We might smile, we might shout. We might even sing and dance.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure about taking up a timbrel (what is a timbrel, anyway?), but Jeremiah predicts a future redemption when \u201cagain you shall take up your timbrels and go forth to the rhythm of the dancers\u201d (31:4).<\/span><\/p>\n

This image of \u201cgoing forth\u201d with dancing and timbrels calls to mind an earlier moment of biblical salvation that inspired similar celebration. In Exodus 15, Moses led the people in song after the splitting of the sea, exclaiming appreciatively over God\u2019s miracles in delivering His people from Egyptian servitude and then pursuit. But then we discover that the women\u2019s song was slightly different:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen Miriam the prophetess, Aaron\u2019s 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\u2026\u201d (Exodus 15:20-21).<\/span><\/p>\n

Depending on how one reads the account of the singing, the men and women may have been chanting the same words or different texts; they may have been singing responsively or completely separately. But one detail of the women\u2019s song that caught particular midrashic attention is the timbrels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of us today watch musicals with cynical amusement at the questionable realism of an entire group of people spontaneously breaking into coordinated song and dance routines. We might similarly ask about the Song of the Sea: How did they all learn the words on the spot? And as the Midrash Mechilta asks, where did the women get the timbrels?<\/span><\/p>\n

The midrash answers that they were so confident in a miraculous salvation, they packed timbrels to bring from Egypt. They knew they\u2019d have something to celebrate, something over which to make music and express thanks to God.<\/span><\/p>\n

One wonders when they packed those timbrels. Did they grab them at the last minute, a sudden whim during their hasty departure from Egypt? Did they start gathering things to pack the first time Moses showed up and said they were on the verge of redemption? Did they put the timbrels in right away, or was there a gradual build-up of faith during the plagues? Maybe the more miracles they saw, the more certain more of them became, the more they shared that conviction in whispered conversations, and the more women started putting timbrels aside to be ready.<\/span><\/p>\n

Did slaves in Egypt even have timbrels, or did they have to make them in order to pack them?<\/span><\/p>\n

And back to Jeremiah: What message does the imagery of going out with timbrels convey?<\/span><\/p>\n

The exile he\u2019s talking about hasn\u2019t even happened yet, and he\u2019s already telling the people to get ready for its end. He reminds them of another exile that seemed hopeless, and of those who built up faith in its end. And he suggests, perhaps, that before the next long exile begins, it\u2019s already time to fill up with hope and start preparing for its end.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cover art by Bracha Lavee, courtesy of the artist (https:\/\/bracha-lavee.com)<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":41814,"id":41814,"title":"Ex15-BLavee","filename":"Ex15-BLavee.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/grab-your-timbrel\/ex15-blavee\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ex15-blavee","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":71313,"date":"2018-10-10 13:27:13","modified":"2022-05-04 11:00:14","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1020,"height":1339,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee-229x300.jpg","medium-width":229,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee-768x1008.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":1008,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee-780x1024.jpg","large-width":780,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee.jpg","1536x1536-width":1020,"1536x1536-height":1339,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee.jpg","2048x2048-width":1020,"2048x2048-height":1339,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee-914x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":914,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee-320x420.jpg","home_baner-width":320,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"Grab Your Timbrel!","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"The end of the exile is near","preview_embedded":"","preview_image":{"ID":41814,"id":41814,"title":"Ex15-BLavee","filename":"Ex15-BLavee.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/grab-your-timbrel\/ex15-blavee\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ex15-blavee","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":71313,"date":"2018-10-10 13:27:13","modified":"2022-05-04 11:00:14","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1020,"height":1339,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee-229x300.jpg","medium-width":229,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee-768x1008.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":1008,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee-780x1024.jpg","large-width":780,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee.jpg","1536x1536-width":1020,"1536x1536-height":1339,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee.jpg","2048x2048-width":1020,"2048x2048-height":1339,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee-914x1200.jpg","post_full_size-width":914,"post_full_size-height":1200,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Ex15-BLavee-320x420.jpg","home_baner-width":320,"home_baner-height":420}},"preview_video":"","external_link":"","link_for_pay":false,"tile_gallery_items":false,"credits":""},"alternate_tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"","hide_media":false},"tile_group":{"preview_image_url":false,"main_caption":"","sub_caption":"","":null,"popup_package_extra_content":"","read_time":""},"home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo":{"seo_title":"","seo_description":"","seo_default_title":"","seo_default_description":""},"links":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71313"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71313"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71314,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71313\/revisions\/71314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}