Miriam Ha-N'viah

January 18, 2022

This past week we read Parashat Beshalach, the Torah portion in which the Israelites cross the Sea of Reeds and Miriam Ha-N’viah (the prophetess) leads the women in a victorious song and dance that fuses their gratitude in a unique moment of affirmation.

I have been working on this painting for months and am especially excited to be completing it this week as a coda to the parsha.

וַתִּקַּח֩ מִרְיָ֨ם הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה … אֶת־הַתֹּ֖ף בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַתֵּצֶ֤אןָ כל־הַנָּשִׁים֙ אַחֲרֶ֔יהָ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת
“Then Miriam the prophetess… took a timbrel in her hand and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels.” -Exodus 15:20
“Let me rejoice again in Your help; let a vigorous spirit sustain me.” -Psalms 51:14

My vision for this painting was to express my deepest prayers for a few special women in my life who are facing illness to emerge victorious. As Miriam leads the women in a dance of gratitude, their dance is imbued with the positive energy flowing from one another amidst the traversed waves. The words of Psalms 51:14 spiral off of Miriam’s timbrel: “Let me rejoice again in Your help; let a vigorous spirit sustain me.” May it be so.

This painting is dedicated to all who need healing or help in overcoming life’s obstacles whether physical or spiritual.