Parshat Shemos: Home Sweet Home

BS"D

I dedicate these divrei Torah b'zechut Yitzchak Levi haCohen ben Chana, for a blessed and speedy refuah sheleima.

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Last Tuesday, I had the good fortune of being able to participate in a little Sichos class led by my teacher Mrs. Nechama Laber.  Over the course of our study, we learned many Chiddushim (novel insights) from two of the Rebbe's talks.  The latter was studied directly from the text, while the former was given over orally by Mrs. Laber, who used the Gutnick Chumash as a reference.  I am honored to relay to you what I learned (focusing on the first Sicha) as I draw from my many notes.

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In this week's parsha, we recount the narrative of Paroh's heinous gezeirah (decree) to eliminate all Hebrew baby boys by drowning in the Nile, in order to preserve his Hebrew workforce from the man predicted to rise as savior of the Jewish People from Egypt's crucible.  He directed this tragic command to his own men, and in addition, to the two Hebrew yaldos (midwives) by the names of Shifra and Puah.  Rashi brings down from our Sages that the true identity of these two special women was indeed Yocheved and Miriam, mother and sister of Moshe Rabbeinu!

"Vatirena ham'yaldos es-ha'Elokim v'lo asu ka'asher diber aleyhen melech Mitzrayim vat'chayeyna es-hay'ladim - The midwives, however, feared G-d, and they did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them, but they enabled the boys to live." {Shemos 1:17}

Shifra/Yocheved and Puah/Miriam rebelled against the wicked plan, and caused no children to die; they negated Paroh's decree even at the risk of their own lives.  To quote my classmate and friend Chaya Donat, "They feared Hashem more than they feared Paroh."  For their integrity...:

"Vayeitev Elokim lam'yaldos vayeirev ha'am vaya'atzmu m'od. Vayihi ki-yaru ham'yaldos es-ha'Elokim vaya'as lahem batim. - G-d was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong.  And it came to pass when the midwives feared G-d, that He made houses for them." {Shemos 1:20-21}

Rashi comments on "vaya'as lahem batim - and He made them houses," and interprets these words to mean houses of honor - dynasties.  They were the Kehuna (priesthood) and Leviyah (Levitic family), offspring of Yocheved, and the Malchus (royalty) which has its roots in Miriam, a forerunner of Moshiach.

What a legacy...  Yet still, some of the greatest Jewish minds in our history find room for further inquiries.  The Lubavitcher Rebbe of righteous memory posed the question of why couldn't Rashi make peace with a literal understanding of the verses (i.e. Shifra and Puah's alternative identities, and "batim" as figurative houses)?  Rashi himself is puzzled by two difficulties:  1.) How could only two midwives care for a nation who "paru vayish'rtzu vayirbu - were fruitful and swarmed and increased," and bore sextuplets at once?  2.) The strong and skillful Jewish women didn't require assistance giving birth, as the yaldos reported to Paroh.  Was this truthful?  If so, why, then, were midwives necessary at all?  And why exactly did they deserve to receive such tremendous reward as Hashem granted them?

The answer is stunning.  Although it was physically impossible for Yocheved and Miriam to be present at every single birth, they were key in raising the entire nation of women's spirits by their mere presence and appointment as leaders!  All the new mothers were assured that they could call out to Yocheved and Miriam for any of their needs, whether in ruchniyus (spiritual) or gashmiyus (material), wise counsel or hope for the future.  This sense of security and knowledge alone - simply that they were there for them - was of profound strength and inspiration.  It was an incredible psychological, emotional and spiritual support.  They sacrificed everything in their duty to caring for the others, and prepared to even lay their life on the line to do so.

As for Rashi's dissatisfaction with the plain meaning of "houses..."  The nuances of the language of the verse suggest otherwise, for:  a.) It states "...Elokim vaya'as lahem batim. - ...G-d, that He made houses for them."  Hashem established these for them, and clearly not Paroh, for in that case they'd surely be physical;  b.)  "...Elokim vaya'as lahem batim. - ...G-d, that He made houses for them."  "Made," but not "built" in the conventional sense; and c.) "Vayeitev Elokim lam'yaldos... - And G-d was good to the midwives..." 

This hints to something Divinely gratifying:  Shifra/Yocheved and Puah/Miriam were not mainstays exclusive to the walls of their own home and immediate family; rather, on account of their dedication to, special way of, and success in preserving the spark and existence of Jewish homes, and readying future leaders of the Jewish People for all generations to come with Hashem's help, they are eternally regarded and praised as "mothers" of them all!!! 

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Now, one of the primary climaxes and greatest values of learning Torah, is when we can truly apply its wisdom.  Torah is forever, and always has an awe-inspiring message relevant for every generation, age, and event.

Learning about the unique manner of support Yocheved and Miriam provided for their soul-sisters, I remembered an unprecedented teaching, one which is especially exemplified by Chabad Chassidus.  The neshama is comprised of ten strengths; the first three of which are intellectual (Chochma/Wisdom, Bina/Understanding, Da'as/Knowledge - ChaBaD in short), and the last seven which are emotive.  The intellect is superior to the emotions, and therefore we explain, our thoughts give birth to our emotions. 

Each and every one of us can reflect Yocheved and Miriam today!  We all have the ability to encourage and guide this new life to come into existence, by evoking and sustaining positive thought - even simply by assuring others that we are here for them for whatever encouragement and fellowship they need - which will in turn lead to positive action, and ultimately, something new and great - a future of redemption!

Whom will you make this love and support of yours known to?  How can we encourage positive thought, emotion, spirit and action in the world around us, and break free from our own "Egypts" today?  What metaphorical "house" do you yearn to build?  You never know the full reach and impact of your deeds...

Pesach Reflections - Miriam: Of Confidence and Convictions

BH

Hello everyone!  Hope you all had a good and uplifting Pesach! 

Ours was, Baruch Hashem, fantastic!  Very meaningful, and full of family time, learning, and memories. 

I'm sorry I haven't written and posted in a while-- I missed sharing here for Pesach.  However, I'm not going to let the chag of cheiruseinu and simchateinu go by on here unmentioned!  Before Pesach, I was asked to share at an online Jewish Girls Unite celebration(*), and speak about Miriam haNavia (Miriam the Prophetess). 

Here is the dvar Torah I shared, hope you enjoy.

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Miriam haNavia is an exemplary role model for us, in numerous ways.
Her empowering messages live on for all Jewish women and girls to follow.
One of the greatest lessons of character Miriam can teach us, is that of possessing confidence and convictions.

The eighth pasuk of Eishes Chayil is recited as follows:  “Chagra b’oz matneha, vateametz zro’oteha – She girds her loins with might and strengthens her arms.”

Who girds their loins?  A warrior.  She prepares for battle, hanging her weapon at her waist, and bracing herself for the challenge.

The eishes chayil this pasuk alludes to, is Miriam, the prepared prophetess.
She was prepared for the dark times of slavery and persecution that lay ahead, armed with her prophecy of a brighter future, that the Jewish People would be led out of bondage by a leader designated by Hashem.

She confidently shared her nevua, her prophecy, with others, and tried to encourage and strengthen them.

Time passed, the suffering wore on, and people doubtfully asked her “What became of your prophecy?”

Miriam was not to be deterred.  She had faith in Hashem, and remained positive in their dire situations, and confident with her prophecy.  Hashem gave her this gift, so she wasn’t going to doubt it.  Her words were Hashem’s words, and sure to be fulfilled.  Her confidence, even when she could’ve been bitter from those scorning her, was what kept her going in those bleak times.
A warrior must stand strong, and not be afraid to fight back.

Miriam endangered her life, risking igniting Paroh’s wrath, by defying his command to kill all baby boys that she helped the Jewish women to deliver.  She was there with them to help, nurture, and carry on life and tradition.  She held onto her ideals, even in the face of her personal danger.
Talmud (Sotah) teaches us that “In the merit of righteous women, the Jewish People were redeemed from Egypt.”

Miriam was certainly one of those beacons, and a leader to her people.  In the immoral and idol-worshipping Egyptian environment, she preserved her morals, inspiring others with her strength.  She held fast to her convictions.

Rabbi Boruch Leff, in his book Shabbos for the Soul, shares a profound insight, and paraphrases the Satmar Rav:

The Hebrew word for Egypt, “Mitzrayim”, is rooted in the word “meitzar,” meaning ‘narrow or constricting’, and combined with “yahm,” connoting water, which symbolizes materialism and physicality.  Therefore, it implies how the Egyptians lived– they were trapped in out-of-control desire for physical things, and they allowed their animal-neshamas to  rule over their daily lives.
Even the word “Paroh”, comes from “parua – wild, and unrestrained”.

The unholy environment of Egyptian civilization was so antithetical to that which the Jews strove for, that it was constricting and suffocating for us.

Even today, there is a little voice inside of us, that sneakily tells us ‘You don’t have enough of such-and-such– you always need more.  Enough isn’t enough.”  This is the Paroh within us.  We have to tell him “no”.  We have to fight back against this ta’avah, temptation, and cry out “I AM NOT YOUR SLAVE!”

And now, back to Miriam.

In those hard times, we needed someone to stand as an example for us, a person we could become inspired by and emulate.  One of those leaders was Miriam.

She epitomized the mentality “I AM NOT YOUR SLAVE!” in all areas of her leadership, from being a rebel against Paroh, to holding onto her convictions.

Pesach is our holiday of freedom.  We must seriously ask ourselves, “What is true freedom?”
True freedom, is when you can say what you want to say.  When you’re allowed to express your own ideas and opinions.  When you have the chance to make your own choices, unaffected by external forces.

We are so fortunate, since most of us today possess that freedom, and that we can practice our Yiddishkeit openly, and spread it to others, without worrying about being persecuted for it.
It wasn’t so easy for the Jews of Mitzrayim.  Much hard labor was forced upon them, under the hand of brutal taskmasters.

They were slipping and sinking in their spirituality and religious observance.
They had to conceal what they had left.

But Miriam was different.  She refused to be negatively affected by her circumstances.  She continued to persevere, shine her light, hang on to what she believed was right and true.  Although she lived in Egypt, and suffered along with her brethren daily, she wasn’t really chained.  She didn’t feel bound, spiritually and emotionally.

It was her choice!

We can choose how we let our situations affect us.  Perhaps this is the truest form of freedom, one that is forever yours.

You can face your fears.  You don’t have to let the negativity break you.  No one can take away your soul and spirit!

Miriam chose not to be a slave in her mind, soul, and heart.  She was her own ruler.

Hashem requires all people to have anavah, humility.  It is a necessary and basic character trait, and one of the three core middos of every Jew. Hashem Himself is extremely humble, so we must mirror Him.

But, Hashem doesn’t want us to walk around with our heads down silently.  He does want us to have some pride, to a certain degree, as long as we use this pride to sanctify Hashem.

Miriam once more demonstrates for us.  Sometimes a warrior  must launch herself to the forefront, when she is fighting for a higher purpose.  She can’t be quiet and meek.  She battles with vigor, for what she believes is right.
To be a strong chayelet (soldier), she must have confidence in Hashem, and in herself!  

Hashem has given us so many unique gifts to use wisely.  So when you have confidence for this reason, it doesn’t contradict your humility.

Even in the darkest of times, we must be ‘loud and proud’, spreading our message, our Torah, our convictions.  Don’t waver when you’re standing up for what’s important and true.
Miriam always sang her song of hope, and victory!

And when we follow these ideals, we’ll always win the fight for Hashem, and we’ll always find the light!

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{For those of you who don't know, Jewish Girls Unite, which is affectionately known by many as "JGU", is a global online community for Jewish girls and women, where we empower and inspire each other through experiences and discussion; learn and grow, following the path of our forebears, and emulating the great Jewish women of our past; and share and shine our talents and "inner light", bringing our souls to the forefront, in a safe and loving atmosphere.  To learn more about JGU's beautiful website, blog, and online workshops, please visit: https://jewishgirlsunite.com/ .  Or, contact the founder and global director Rebbetzin Nechama Laber, and send your questions to: jewishgirlsunite@gmail.com}