(20) Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels. (21) And Miriam chanted for them: Sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver He has hurled into the sea.
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל לְטָבִי עַבְדֵיהּ פּוּק זְבֵין לִי צֵדוּ טָבָא מִן שׁוּקָא, נָפַק זָבַן לֵיהּ לִשָּׁן, אָמַר לֵיהּ פּוּק זְבֵין לִי צֵדוּ בִּישָׁא מִן שׁוּקָא, נָפַק זָבַן לֵיהּ לִשָּׁן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַהוּ דֵּין דְּכַד אֲנָא אָמַר לָךְ צֵדוּ טָבָא אַתְּ זָבַן לִי לִשָּׁן, וְכַד אֲנָא אֲמַר לָךְ צֵדוּ בִּישָׁא אַתְּ זָבַן לִי לִשָּׁן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִינָּהּ טָבְתָּא וּמִינָהּ בִּישְׁתָּא, כַּד הֲוָה טַב לֵית טָבָה מִנֵּיהּ, וְכַד בִּישׁ לֵית בִּישׁ מִנֵּיהּ.
Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel told his servant: "Go buy me something good from the market." He went and bought a tongue. Rabbi Shimon said: "Go buy me something bad from the market." The servant returned with another tongue. Said Rabbi Gamliel: "I told you to buy something good and something bad and you returned with the same thing. How is this possible?" Answered his servant, "From the tongue comes good and bad. When it is good there is nothing better than it, but when it is evil, there is nothing more evil than it."
Miriam's Song / by Debbie Friedman
And the women dancing with their timbrels
Followed Miriam as she sang her song Sing a song to the One whom we've exalted
Miriam and the women danced and danced the whole night long
And Miriam was a weaver of unique variety
The tapestry she wove was one which sang our history
With every strand and every thread she crafted her delight
A woman touched with spirit, she dances toward the light
And the women dancing with their timbrels
Followed Miriam as she sang her song Sing a song to the One whom we've exalted
Miriam and the women danced and danced the whole night long
When Miriam stood upon the shores and gazed across the sea
The wonder of this miracle she soon came to believe
Whoever thought the sea would part with an outstretched hand
And we would pass to freedom and march to the promised land
And the women dancing with their timbrels
Followed Miriam as she sang her song Sing a song to the One whom we've exalted
Miriam and the women danced and danced the whole night long
And Miriam the prophet took her timbrel in her hand
And all the women followed her just as she had planned
And Miriam raised her voice in song She sang with praise and might
We've just lived through a miracle We're going to dance tonight