Parshat Shemot – Torah From The Holy Land
Torah: The Power of Women
On Friday, President-Elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. Both during his campaign and after his election, he has been incredibly disparaging of minorities, women, those with disabilities, and anyone who does not agree with him. That his inauguration coincides with Parshat Shemot, where a new king arises who did not know Joseph and proceeds to sow seeds of fear of minorities and immigrants, has been pointed out by more than a few commentators. However, a different story in Parshat Shemot can give us a reason to hope as we move forward.
A day after the inauguration, 200,000 women will march on Washington to “promote equal rights for women and to defend marginalized groups” (New York Times), with the goal of sending a “bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world, that women’s rights are human rights,” (Women’s March website). That women are stepping up to lead a movement of equality and to push human rights for all isn’t surprising; after all, it’s the essence of Feminism. What may be surprising is the emphasis of women’s leadership in this week’s parasha.
In Shemot, there is not only one female hero, but six. The first is Yocheved, the mother of Miriam, Moses, and Aaron. She had the courage to have a child despite the death sentence for male newborns, hid Moses for three months from the Egyptians, and had the faith to put Moses in a basket in the river, hoping that someone would find him and take care of him. The second is Miriam, who took on the responsibility to watch over her brother Moses as he floated down the river, and worked out a plan with Pharoah’s daughter so that her own mother would be able to nurse Moses in the palace. The Midrash even gives her credit for convincing her father, Amram, to remarry Yocheved after they had separated for fear of giving birth to a baby boy, who would be killed. Shifrah and Puah, two midwives, were the third and fourth. Despite Pharaoh’s decree to kill all male babies, they continued to help Hebrew women give birth. When caught, they told Pharaoh that the Hebrew women were so stubborn that they gave birth before the midwives could come. As a result of their faith in God and their courage to stand up in the face of injustice, they were rewarded by God. Fifth is Zipporah, Moses’s wife, who accompanies Moses on his return to Egypt, and saves his life by decisive action to circumcise their son (Ex. 4:24-26). Six, and maybe the most incredible, is Pharaoh’s daughter, who, despite her father’s decree to kill all Hebrew boys, not only saves Moses, but brings him into the palace and raises him as her own son. All of these women, in their own way, sow the seeds for redemption and freedom in opposition to a ruler who seeks to oppress them and their voices.
While these women had no official title, they exhibited outstanding leadership qualities. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks points out,
“Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron in his Responsa, Binyan Av, differentiates between formal or official authority (samchut) and actual leadership (hanhagah). There are figures who hold positions of authority – prime ministers, presidents, CEOs – who may not be leaders at all. They may have the power to force people to do what they say, but they have no followers. They excite no admiration. They inspire no emulation. And there may be leaders who hold no official position at all but who are turned to for advice and are held up as role models. They have no power but great influence.” He concludes, “Yocheved, Miriam, Shifra, Puah, Zipporah and Batya [Pharaoh’s daughter] were leaders not because of any official position they held (in the case of Batya she was a leader despite her official title as a princess of Egypt). They were leaders because they had courage and conscience. They refused to be intimidated by power or defeated by circumstance. They were the real heroes of the exodus. Their courage is still a source of inspiration today.”
Their courage is not only a source of inspiration, but also a sign of hope. The small actions of individuals standing up for human rights, equality, and freedom of speech can have an impact far greater than anyone can imagine. May their courage inspire us today and in the coming years to stand up wherever we see injustice and hatred.
T’fillah: Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitzchak, v’Elohei Ya’akov
In the middle of this week’s parasha, Moses encounters God for the first time at the burning bush.
YHVH said: ‘Do not come closer to here, remove your shoes from your feet, for the place upon which you stand is holy ground.’ and YHVH said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to gaze toward God. (Ex. 3:5-6)
These verses may sound familiar; the phrase ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ appears three times a day in first paragraph of the Amidah. Looking at this phrase in its biblical context, what new intentions can we bring to our own prayer?
Interestingly, we notice that Moses is the focus of this prayer, not the Patriarchs (and certainly not the Matriarchs). And it’s not Moses as the proud leader of the people, but Moses’ first interaction with God. Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, in his book Empowered Judaism, points out that “the Moses in this scene is not the leader we know from the rest of the Torah, but a reluctant shepherd who is about to receive the mission and purpose of his life: to redeem the people of Israel from Egypt and lead them to the promised land. Significantly, Moses doesn’t jump at this offer, but instead ‘hides his face.’” From this realization, he teaches, we can learn three things.
First, this is the first communication between Moses and God, the beginning of a Divine-Human relationship. We too are expected to treat our relationship with the Divine as if it’s brand new. If you think about it, how you act towards someone who you’re trying to build a friendship with is much different than an old friend. Most likely you’re much more intentional about you act and how often you’re in contact if you’re beginning a relationship. Further, he says “the Moses portrayed in this biblical scene is perhaps more akin to the modern-day worshiper who objects to this line in the first place: a person completely disconnected from Jewish heritage and alienated from a deep relationship with God.”
Second, this is not just a description, but a quote by God. Prayer is not only about talking to God, but also about hearing the messages that God gives to us. “What is the message of God’s speech?” He asks, “it is an invitation to ponder the mission of your life.”
Third, Moses’ reaction of hiding his face stands in stark contrast to our physical posture of prayer, which is standing with constrained movement. He says that this contrast “begs the questions: How is your relationship with God different if you stand before God as opposed to lying prostrate? What is that position meant to symbolize?”
By looking at the context from which our prayer is taken, we see the additional depths that can be revealed, pondered, and meditated on in our prayer practice. May we merit to hear our purpose in life, and dedicate our lives to the fulfillment of that purpose.
Sam Blustin is an alumnus of the Conservative Yeshiva (2014-2015) and a current Rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary (Class of 2020). You can view more divrei Torah at www.samblustin.com or contact Sam directly at samblustin@gmail.com.
