Rabbi Jon’s Reflection on This Week’s Torah Portion
1.5.2024
Shemot 2024: What is Bravery?
A short reflection on Shemot (Exodus 1:1 - 6:1)
As we start a new book of our Torah, we find ourselves in the land of Egypt. Our numbers had swelled from the 70 that originally entered the land to over two million. A pharaoh who did not know Joseph began to worry about this large minority population living inside of his country. Our Torah teaches us that he said, “Let us deal shrewdly with them.” Pharaoh then enslaved our ancestors and put taskmasters over them. Once they were under his control, he had them build garrison cities like Pithom and Raamses. But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more they increased in number. Pharaoh devised a new plan. Pharaoh turned to Shifrah and Puah, the midwives responsible for delivering the Israelite children.
He told them, “When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the birthstool; if it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” He believed that there was a moment during the birthing process when a midwife could end a baby’s life without anyone knowing. But, Shifrah and Puah did not listen to the Pharaoh. They allowed the Israelite children to survive. When Pharaoh confronted them on the continuing growth of the Israelite population, the midwives told him that the Hebrew women were so strong, they gave birth before they arrived. Pharaoh didn’t respond to their words but God did.
The Torah teaches us, “And because the midwives feared God, God established households for them” (ex 1:21). A traditional reading would have us believe that they feared that God would strike them down, hence their actions. But, the Hebrew word translated as fear is closer in definition to the word awe. They were in awe of God and God’s holiness. These midwives saw holiness in God and in each life that was born. They knew that there was something holy, godlike inside of each of us. They were in awe of this holiness. If they killed the baby boys, they would not only kill the holiness of a young child but also their own as well. The midwives were fearful of losing what was holy inside of them. Therefore, they disobeyed Pharaoh, risking their own lives.
The Bible tells us that God “dealt well” with them. God built them batim, households. Many commentators believed that these weren’t physical households, these households were a protective shelter which God placed over them and their families. This protective shelter saved them from the wrath of the Pharaoh.
These midwives were willing to risk their lives by lying to Pharaoh rather than denying the holiness found inside of each new life. Their “fear” was not a fear of physical harm but of spiritual harm. These women showed their bravery and demonstrated their morals by the actions they took and the words they spoke.
How often do we find ourselves in situations where our souls could be lost if we took the wrong action? How often have we taken actions that lead to regret and despair? We are always being given choices and are always being challenged. This is part of life. What does it take for your bravery to shine forth?
When we face fear, we learn who we truly are. We must always remember that in the moments when we are the most frightened, we can be the most brave.
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SHEMOT SUMMARY FROM THE URJ
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The new king of Egypt makes slaves of the Hebrews and orders their male children to be drowned in the Nile River. (1:1-22)
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A Levite woman places her son, Moses, in a basket on the Nile, where he is found by the daughter of Pharaoh and raised in Pharaoh's house. (2:1-10)
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Moses flees to Midian after killing an Egyptian. (2:11-15)
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Moses marries Zipporah, the daughter of Midian's priest. They have a son named Gershom. (2:16-22)
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God calls Moses from a burning bush and commissions him to free the Israelites from Egypt. (3:1-4:17)
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Moses and Aaron request permission from Pharaoh for the Israelites to celebrate a festival in the wilderness. Pharaoh refuses and makes life even harder for the Israelites. (5:1-23)
For more on this Torah portion from the URJ go to:
https://reformjudaism.org/torah/portion/shmot
