D'var Torah

Though it seems like just moments ago Joseph, son of Israel, had saved the entirety of the Egyptian population from famine, in the opening verses of the first chapter of Exodus, we learn that some years went by, a new king arose, and all of Joseph’s good deeds were forgotten. The Israelites had grown too numerous in the land of Egypt for this new king’s comfort, and so he enslaved them. Thus, our Exodus story begins.

It seems unimaginable that this new king could so quickly forget the good deeds of Joseph, and the close relationship he had with the previous ruler. It’s almost unfathomable that this new king could so cruelly cast aside the descendants of the person who had helped to sustain his kingdom in times of strife. But we know this is our story, and we read how the Egyptians ruled harshly over the Israelites.

As this first chapter goes on, we read the beginning of the story of Moses. His story is special in so many ways and is importantly marked by a number of heroic actions by women- both Israelite, and Egyptian. First, we meet two midwives, Shifra and Puah, who though receive a command from Pharoah to kill all Israelite male babies, disregard the order, and instead save the babies. We read of Moses’ mother and sister, placing their faith in the river, bravely trying to save the baby by placing him in a basket and watching him float away from afar. Later, Pharaoh’s daughter rescues this same Israelite baby from the Nile River, saving his life, and raising him as her own. All of these women and girls act quietly, but effectively, saving lives, and changing the fate of the Jewish people.

Though we as a Jewish community observe Yom HaShoah, a remembrance day for the Holocaust that takes place in the spring, International Holocaust Remembrance Day takes place on January 27. Though many of us probably feel that we know the stories of the Holocaust well, as the amount of living survivors decrease, it is on us not only to hold the stories, but also to share them widely. The opening of Exodus shows too well how easy it is to forget and to move on. When we say, “Never Again,” we must be committed to remembering, so that no “new king” can arise and erase our stories.

Additionally, Shemot teaches us another important thing about memory. While we must hold on to the sorrows of our past, we must also remember the triumphs. Just as this new Pharoah should have remembered the great deeds of Joseph and his people, we must hold up stories of heroism and good deeds in our community. We must remember and share the stories of Shifra and Puah, of partisans who fought the Nazis, Miriam who danced with her timbrel, and of modern Jewish heroes and those who supported them.

We must not forget the stories of survivors, the pain, the suffering, and the deaths, but we must also remember the resilience and the bravery, of those who in the face of pure evil, preserved music, art, science, religious practice, love, and joy. As we enter into this new secular year of 2024, I pray it be a year of grounding ourselves in our history, traditions, and memory.

Cantor Sydney Michaeli