Midrash & Imagination: Passover Edition
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ShareSource sheet for Midrash & Imagination workshop focused on Passover. Includes sources and writing prompts.
Opening Reflection Question: What is an image from the Passover story that you return to each year?
"The Midwives Saw and Feared" by Orna Pilz in Dirshuni, English Edition Edited by Tamar Biala
He [the king of Egypt] said [to the midwives]: When you deliver the Hebrew women, look (u’rei-ten) at the birth stool. If it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live. The midwives feared God in awe (va-tir-ena) and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them. They let the boys live. (Exod 1: 16-17).
The midwives were asked: Where did you get your fearful awe of God?
And they answered: From the great and deep things that we saw at the birth stool, from the mystery that embraces us morning and evening: human being after human being coming into the world; where does he come from and what does she bring with her? The goodness that her mother sees in him, the compassion and the love that she awakens, crying babies bursting forth from exhausted bodies, and the soft seal of God’s finger imprinted on their faces.
And they answered: From the great and deep things that we saw at the birth stool, from the mystery that embraces us morning and evening: human being after human being coming into the world; where does he come from and what does she bring with her? The goodness that her mother sees in him, the compassion and the love that she awakens, crying babies bursting forth from exhausted bodies, and the soft seal of God’s finger imprinted on their faces.
The midwives were challenged:
But didn’t it happen at Sinai that All the people saw (ro-im) the thunder and the lightning and the voice of the Shofar and the smoking mountain and the people saw it and trembled and stood far off . . . and Moses said to the people do not fear (al ti-ru), for God has come to test you, to keep the fearful awe of God (yir-a-to) before you so that you will not transgress (Exod 20:15–17). The fearful awe of God comes from the place of thunder and lightning!
And the midwives answered:
There is fearful awe (yir-a) that comes from external seeing (re-i-ya) and there is fearful awe that comes from internal vision (re-i-ya); a person can be frozen in terror, witnessing a supernatural miracle, which awakens and strengthens her sense of fearful awe. But for us, it doesn’t work like that.
Our fearful awe is not in the heavens (Deut 30:12). Our fearful awe of God arises precisely from within nature, from within the pain of what we witness on the birth stool. From there we learn to choose what is good, to protect life, to fight against death, and to resist evil.
Our fearful awe is not in the heavens (Deut 30:12). Our fearful awe of God arises precisely from within nature, from within the pain of what we witness on the birth stool. From there we learn to choose what is good, to protect life, to fight against death, and to resist evil.
Reflection Questions
1) What strikes you here? What is surprising?
2) What lines or phrases stand out?
3) What questions do you have about this text?
2) What lines or phrases stand out?
3) What questions do you have about this text?
Warm-Up Writing Prompts
Spend 30 seconds - 1 minute on each of the following prompts. Do not worry about finishing your writing - the goal is to get your pen moving and ideas flowing.
1) List three things from the natural world that inspire a sense of wonder
2) Describe two "awe"some sounds
1) List three things from the natural world that inspire a sense of wonder
2) Describe two "awe"some sounds
Main Writing Prompts
1) The midrash plays with the idea of awe that motivates action. Write about something awe-some from the “natural world” that inspires you to act differently. What does it look like, sound like, smell like? Where or when have you encountered it? Imagine having a conversation with this motivating source of awe – what might it tell you about the moment we are living in? What might it ask of you?
2) The Passover story is about miracles, but it is also about choices – the midwives make a choice to not comply with Pharaoh’s order. Instead, they take their cues from birth, nature, and the awe/fear it inspires. Write about a time you took – or will take – a stand for/against something you believed in, and what motivated you to do so?
2) The Passover story is about miracles, but it is also about choices – the midwives make a choice to not comply with Pharaoh’s order. Instead, they take their cues from birth, nature, and the awe/fear it inspires. Write about a time you took – or will take – a stand for/against something you believed in, and what motivated you to do so?
Moving to Action
For more about Dayenu’s Climate Torah and climate action, visit www.dayenu.org.
