Parashat Shemot 5786

by Rabbi Margie Cella

This week we begin the study of Exodus, the second book of the Torah. It opens with a listing of the names of the sons of Jacob who had come down to Egypt. With the passage of time, Joseph was forgotten and his descendants were enslaved by Pharaoh, who commanded the midwives who attended the Hebrew women to drown all the baby boys in the Nile River. They refused to comply, meriting a great reward from God.

Next, we are introduced to a family of Leviim who were blessed with a new son. When his mother could hide him no longer, she set him afloat in a basket in the river, under the watchful eye of his sister, who stood watching nearby. The child was discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter, who realized he was a Hebrew baby but decided to keep him alive. His sister offered to find a wet nurse from among the Hebrews and returned with her mother, who was therefore able to nurse her own son.

The name of both the parashah and the book is Shemot, meaning “names.” While the baby is named Moses by the Egyptian princess, the three women credited with saving his life are unnamed! We know from later in the book that his mother is Yocheved, and his sister is Miriam, and the book of Chronicles identifies Pharaoh’s daughter as Bityah.

For far too long, women were the silent participants in the history of the Jewish people. Today, our voices can be heard in the synagogue, in the classroom, and just about everywhere else. Our names are recorded and our contributions are noted along with those of our male counterparts.

Oseh Shalom, Maker of Peace, may each of us find our place in history, inserting our names into the story of the Jewish people.