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ShareShifra and Puah were the midwives who refused Pharaoh’s orders to kill any boys born to an Israelite family. When confronted by Pharaoh, they lied and claimed that they simply couldn’t get there before the babies were born. These midwives risked their own lives to help save the Israelites from destruction and genocide. They practiced civil disobedience from their unique position of influence and refused to “just follow orders” when those orders were unjust.
(טו) וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ שִׁפְרָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פּוּעָֽה׃ (טז) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן֙ אֶת־הָֽעִבְרִיּ֔וֹת וּרְאִיתֶ֖ן עַל־הָאָבְנָ֑יִם אִם־בֵּ֥ן הוּא֙ וַהֲמִתֶּ֣ן אֹת֔וֹ וְאִם־בַּ֥ת הִ֖יא וָחָֽיָה׃ (יז) וַתִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃ (יח) וַיִּקְרָ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֔ת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ן מַדּ֥וּעַ עֲשִׂיתֶ֖ן הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃ (יט) וַתֹּאמַ֤רְןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה כִּ֣י לֹ֧א כַנָּשִׁ֛ים הַמִּצְרִיֹּ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת כִּֽי־חָי֣וֹת הֵ֔נָּה בְּטֶ֨רֶם תָּב֧וֹא אֲלֵהֶ֛ן הַמְיַלֶּ֖דֶת וְיָלָֽדוּ׃ (כ) וַיֵּ֥יטֶב אֱלֹהִ֖ים לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֑ת וַיִּ֧רֶב הָעָ֛ם וַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּ מְאֹֽד׃ (כא) וַיְהִ֕י כִּֽי־יָֽרְא֥וּ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיַּ֥עַשׂ לָהֶ֖ם בָּתִּֽים׃
(15) The Pharoh spoke to the midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, (16) saying, “When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the baby: if it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” (17) The midwives, fearing God, did not do as Pharoh had told them; they let the boys live. (18) So Pharoh summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you let the boys live?” (19) The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women: Before the midwife can come to them, they have given birth.” (20) And God dealt well with the midwives favorably; and the Hebrew people multiplied and increased greatly. (21) And because the midwives feared God, God established households for them.
What does it mean for them to be courageous in each situation?
What do they have to lose?
What are you willing to lose everything for?
Have you seen anybody be brave like this?
Yocheved was the mother of Moses, Miriam, and Aaron. When Moses was born, she hid him from the Egyptians and their orders to kill the first born son for as long as she could. When she could hide his cries no longer, she placed him in a basket to send him down the Nile, putting his fate in God’s hands. Yocheved made the impossible choice to do whatever might be necessary to give her child a chance at life. She shows us what resistance to oppression can demand, and what it can cost.
(1) A certain man [Amram] of the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman [Yocheved]. (2) Yocheved conceived and bore a son; and when she saw how beautiful he was, she hid him for three months. (3) When she could hide him no longer, she got a wicker basket for him and caulked it so it would float. She put the child into it and placed it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.
Pharaoh’s daughter, known in our tradition as Batya, was bathing in the river when she noticed the basket holding the infant Moses. She understood that he was an Israelite baby whose life was in danger. She resolved to adopt him, despite the risk it might carry if her father learned of Moses’ origins. Batya used her privilege and position to have the impact that she could; she teaches us to look beyond our own comfort, to take risks with the privilege we do have, and to allow our empathy and compassion to drive us towards righteous action. We honor her commitment.
(5) The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, while her aides walked along the Nile. She spied the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to fetch it. (6) When she opened it, she saw that it was a child, a boy crying. She took pity on it and said, “This must be a Hebrew child.” (7) Then his sister [Miriam] said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a Hebrew woman to nurse the child for you?” (8) And Pharaoh’s daughter answered, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother [Yocheved]. (9) And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the Yocheved took the child and nursed it. (10) When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who made him her son. She named him Moses, explaining, “I drew him out of the water.”
Miriam, daughter of Yocheved and sister of Moses and Aaron, played many parts in the story of Exodus. One midrash (traditional legend) credits her for convincing her parents—exhausted and traumatized by slavery—to conceive Moses, a hero of the Jewish people. She was also brave enough to risk asking the daughter of Pharaoh if Yocheved, Moses’ (and her) mother, could serve as a wet-nurse for the baby. Her bravery and charm thus enabled the family to stay together and earn wages. Miriam later led the women and children—the backbone of Jewish life—safely to shore across the Red Sea, dancing and singing. The Torah teaches that she was a prophet; she reminds us caring for women, children and families is a critical part of our connection to the holy.
We honor her tenacity.
(4) And Miriam stationed herself at a distance, to learn what would befall him [Moses].
(7) Then his sister [Miriam] said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a Hebrew woman to nurse the child for you?”