After Kriyas Yam Suf, Miriam took the drum and led the women in song. The Shach Al HaTorah (quoted in Me’am Lo’ez) asks: Why does the Torah mention Miriam’s name specifically? (It would have sufficed to say that the women sang in general). He answers that she was called Miriam because she was born during the difficult and “bitter” Shi'bud (slavery) which is why she was named Miriam (bitter). People would call her: ביש גדא “bad Mazal”, and she reply “Aderaba! Call me “Mazal Tov” (meaning good Mazal) since the Galus that is getting worse, is a sign that the Geula is getting closer!”
She explained that this is similar to a woman giving birth. When the pains are small, she still has way to go. But when they get very bad, it’s a sign that the baby will be born very soon. Perhaps this is the Hashgacha Pratis why Yocheved and Miriam were: מיילדות midwives, since Hashem wanted them to learn from His beautiful: בריאה creation how a woman feels like Gehinom, and this is Davka a sign that the biggest Simcha of a newborn baby is coming up!
Imagine how every time they helped a mother give birth, they gave themselves a Mussar Haskel. This increased their Bitachon, and they weren’t so Nis'pael from the: קושי השעבוד worsening of the Shi'bud. This can explain why Rashi says that the women took musical instruments since they expected Nissim. Why not the men? Because the women (Yocheved and Miriam) leaders were constantly exposed to the phenomenal Ness of childbirth, and they especially grew in Bitachon.
The Me’am Lo’ez (mentioned above) finishes by saying that this is why the Torah specifically mentions Miriam with her drum, to show how she proved herself right, and from such bitterness came such a Simcha. This is a big consolation for all of us, when we suffer these days from the cruelties of Hamas, Y'mach Sh'mam. We should look at it as a sign for the Geula K’rova.
The holy Zohar says that there is no light unless it comes from darkness. The more it is dark, the more you can expect even more light.
