Thursday, January 12, 2012

Parashat Shemot- Be The Change You Want to See in the World



Vatirehna ham’yaldot et Ha’Ehlohim v’lo asu ka’asher diber aleihem melech Mitzraiyim va’t’chayehna et ha’y’ladim. Vayikra melech Mitzraiyim la’m’yaldot vayomer lahem madua asiten hadavar hazeh va’t’chayehna et ha’y’ladim. Vatohmarna ham’yaldot el Paroh ki lo kanashim haMitzraiyim haIvriyot ki chayot heinah bterem tavo aleihem ha’m’yaledet v’yaladu.
And the midwives were in awe of God, and did not do as the king of Egypt told them; they let the boys live. The king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and let the boys live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women, they are like animals.  Before the midwives can come to them, they have given birth.”

All change begins with one individual. This is the message throughout history.  From Naama Margolese and her mother Hadassa, the eight year old girl in Beit Shemesh determined to learn, back through history to Craig Keilburger, founder of Free the Children; from Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, to Rosa Parks to Mahatma Ghandi and so on, all the way back to this first act of resistance by the Egyptian midwives.

Imagine the terror of the midwives to be summoned before Pharaoh. Within Egyptian culture Pharaoh was not only all-powerful he was a God.  The midwives saw a higher power, yirat shamayim, the awe and fear of heaven. These women, early medical practitioners, understood that life was holy. They sought to preserve life, not to take it, even at risk to their own lives. When summoned to answer to Pharaoh, Shifrah and Puah stood their ground and lied to this all-powerful king. 

Ain somchim al hanes; do not depend upon to the miracle. This is a steadfast rule of Jewish living.  Believe in God; have faith, but take steps to make the world a better place.  After 400 years in Egypt, God finally heard the cries of the people. Talmud teaches us that we finally merited redemption because of the merit of the righteous women. It all began with these two midwives; from there, many women stood up to Pharaoh to bring this change about.  Mitzvah goreret mitzvah; one mitzvah follows another.

Ghandi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” If we each do this, together imagine the difference we can make.

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