As Moses had said, all the firstborn Egyptian males died precisely at midnight. The Egyptians urged the Jews to leave, showering them with silver, gold, and clothing. The Jewish women, confident that G‑d would perform miracles for them, also brought timbrels to celebrate with.
Faith in the Redemption
וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל . . . וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם כְּלֵי כֶסֶף וּכְלֵי זָהָב וּשְׂמָלֹת:
(שמות יב:לה)
The Israelites . . . requested silver and gold utensils and clothing from the Egyptians.
Exodus 12:35
By also bringing along timbrels, the women demonstrated more faith and trust in G‑d than did the men. The women of our generation, too, can lead the way by demonstrating their faith that the final Redemption is imminent. To be sure, until the moment of redemption arrives, we should all feel the bitterness of the exile and pray fervently that G‑d bring it to an end. But at the same time, our unshakable confidence that G‑d will fulfill His promise of redemption should fill us with overflowing joy. Women, on the strength of their innately more deep-seated faith, can already begin celebrating the Redemption – even with music and dance – and this will inspire the men to follow suit.1
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