אם הבנים שמחה

There is a Pasuk that we say during Hallel that ends with the words, אם הבנים שמחה, “that the mother of the children shall rejoice.”

This refers to the wedding of Yocheved and Amram, that was attended by Aharon and Miriam. They sensed that this remarriage would lead to the birth of the savior of the Jewish people.

It was a truly miraculous time. Yocheved was the aunt of Amram and she was 130 years old at her second wedding. The Gemara in Baba Batra describes how her youth was restored and she became a young, beautiful woman.

The reason why this was not publicized was because they were living in a miraculous time. If we take into account that there were 22,273 first born males, it is possible that the average mother had fifty children!

If all we knew was that women were giving birth to six children every six months, it wasn’t such a surprise that a 130 year old woman could marry and restore her youth.

In any case, there was room for rejoicing and when we say Hallel this Thursday, and recite the words, אם הבנים שמחה, we now know of its special meaning.