Miriam the prophetess Aharon’s sister took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women came out after her with tambourines and with dancing (Beshalach 20:15).
Rashi explains: They took along tambourines from Egypt, because the righteous women of the generation were certain that Hashem will perform miracles.
Jewish women and girls have a unique empowerment and special merit in their avodah. They suffer less problems from their Yetzer hara (evil inclination), and this is because their Torah study is not obligatory, but they do it voluntarily, for the purpose of knowing how to perform the mitzvos.
It is therefore expected of them to be involved more intensely in mivtza Tefillin (the Tefillin campaign) and one mitzva brings another in its train; it brings all associated mitzvos. This includes the influence (of the women) on their husbands and children, and also on their brothers and... even parents.
Especially in the times of ikvesa d’Meshicha, about which the Sages tell us (end of Sotah) that a “daughter will rise up to her mother, and a daughter-in-law to her mother-in-law”, and “the young will embarrass the face of the elders,” as this is interpreted in the positive sense, that – even when the mother or mother-in-law are lacking somewhat in yiras Shomayim, the daughter is not fazed by this, and ‘rebels’ against her mother, and against her mother-in-law, in that she is more observant than her mother and mother-in-law, and in a pleasant and tactful way, with respect (“honoring her mother”) to her mother and mother-in-law – the daughter influences her mother and mother-in-law that they should become observant like the daughter.
In this way they bring up the “Tzivos Hashem” (the army of Hashem) who leave golus with their banner and with an “uplifted arm” as it was at the Redemption from Mitzraim. This is accomplished by the righteous women of the generation.
In Rashi’s commentary we find an amazing point: Rashi explains that the righteous women of that generation were certain in the redemption of the Jewish people from Egypt, therefore they prepared musical instruments – this explains how they had the instruments.
The amazing point here is that the passuk uses the term “all the women came out after her with tambourines and dancing.” And on this Rashi says that the righteous of the generation were certain about the redemption. We see from Rashi’s commentary [which is the literal and simple interpretation], that every woman, even Shlomis bas divri (about whom the Torah says that she was the only one who was immoral - and the passuk publicized this) – she too was a righteous woman!
The coming Geulah is swiftly coming, and is compared to the redemption from Egypt. If then, prior to Mattan Torah, the women were all righteous, notwithstanding the difficulties of the golus, and they had full bitachon (trust) that they will be redeemed – as they heard from Moshe - how much more so today, after Mattan Torah and in the generation of ikvesa d’Meshicha, and as Kaballah explains (also brought in Chasidus), that the generation of ikvesa d’Meshicha is comparable to the generation of Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai, because the teachings of RaShBY will then be revealed – the tzidkoniyos will bring the Geula.
(Sicha of Yud Shevat)
