by Rabbi Margie Cella
This week we begin the second book of the Torah, which tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Parashat Shemot describes the origins of our slavery at the hands of a cruel and despotic Pharaoh. We also read of the birth of Moses, the future redeemer of the nation. At age 80, he receives his commission from God, who speaks to him from a mysterious bush that appears to be on fire and yet does not burn.
The parashah tells of three women who are instrumental in assuring the survival of the Israelite baby boys, whom Pharaoh had decreed should all be drowned in the Nile. Shifrah and Puah, the two Israelite midwives, defy Pharaoh’s order, instead allowing all the babies to live. Later, the princess of Egypt defies her father’s order when she finds the infant Moses drifting in a basket in the Nile, placed there by his own mother, desperate to save her son; she adopts the baby and raises him as her own, with the full knowledge that he is a Hebrew child. The nation survives because of these courageous women.
What can we do today to assure the safety and survival of the next generation of Jews? We can contribute to the Shifrah and Puah Maternity Center for the Abayudayan women in Uganda, or to other similar facilities at home or abroad. We can also donate to scholarship funds for Jewish education of all ages. And We can volunteer our time to work in Hebrew schools and preschools. The responsibility of providing for future generations of Jews belongs to us all.
Am Yisrael Chai! All people of Israel Live!
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