Shmot is a portion of opposites. It begins with the names of Jacob’s sons who traveled to Egypt. The 11 brothers are listed by name. Furthermore, we read that the number of souls who made this journey totaled 70. Memory is crucial to the Jewish people. Author Jonathan Safran Foer said memory is our sixth sense. And it is not only an individual sense but a collective one that reaches through the ages in both directions.
And yet, “A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.” The rabbis suggested that he CHOSE not to remember the deeds of Joseph, the Israelite who saved the Jewish people. Or did the new king KNOW Joseph but was embarrassed that his country was saved by a foreigner? Historians suggest that it was the custom of new rulers to erase the history of previous rulers. In essence, to erase history.
When the Israelites cried out, God heard their pleas and remembered the covenant made with their ancestors. For us, history is eternal. We are history. Pharaoh and the Egyptians imposed horrific tasks upon the Israelite slaves. The worst was a decree to kill all baby boys. Pharaoh’s heart, mind and soul were closed to the cries of humanity.
Pharoah was arrogant. He believed he was a god. He was ruthless. His actions hardened his heart. While God may have begun the process, Pharaoh’s hubris made it routine.
Moses, on the other hand, was a soul of humility. Did he think that God was asking the impossible of him? He could not envision a mission of success. God was tasking him with monumental responsibility. Moses’ name means “one who draws out, rescue.” Moses needed to rescue his self-confidence. He needed to find his purpose. Amos and Jeremiah were also reluctant prophets.
Moses encounters a burning bush, but it is not consumed. Opposite functions that normally do not occur together. Midrash, Sh’mot Rabbah, believes that “just as the bush burns with fire but is never consumed, so Egypt will never destroy Israel.” The light from the flame burns continuously. It is our faith that can never be diminished or extinguished. Moses sees the burning bush, but he must develop faith in God and faith in himself.
And then we have the six women of the Exodus who act out of love of humanity. In the Talmud (Sota 11b), we learn, “By the merit of the righteous women of that generation, Israel was redeemed from Egypt.” This contrasts with the heaviness of silence we feel in this portion. This silence, that resonates in each generation is never an acceptable approach.
This portion is about character. It is about the choices we can and should make when all others are silent. As Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks of Blessed Memory wrote, “They (Yocheved, Miriam, Bitya, Tzippora, Shifra and Puah) acted because they had a strong moral sense, indomitable humanity, and an intuitive grasp of what heaven asks of us on earth.”
To hear the cries of others and be an agent of change. To find faith that is not consumed, and to remember our history to create a future, is to actively live with chesed, with acts of loving kindness. These acts sustain us and the world.
Proverbs, Chapter 22, begins, “Rather a good name than much wealth, and favor is better than silver or gold.”
Our name and reputation are one. As a line in “The Dybbuk” reads, “The mirror is glass and the window is glass, but when you add silver to glass, you only see yourself.”
“Have you ever noticed how an icicle is formed? If you have, you have noticed how it froze one drop at a time until it was a foot or more long. If the water was clear, the icicle remained clear and sparkled almost as brightly as diamonds in the sun; but if the water was slightly muddy, the icicle looked foul and its beauty spoiled. Just so our characters are forming — one little thought at a time, one action at a time.” (“Stories for Public Speakers,” compiled and edited by Morris Mandel)
Find the flame. Hear the voices. Embrace your history. Open your heart and create for yourself a Shem Tov — good and worthy name.
Rabbi Elizabeth Hersh serves Temple Emanuel and is a member of the St. Louis Rabbinical and Cantorial Association, which coordinates the d’var Torah for the Jewish Light.
