D'var Torah

The name of this week's Torah portion refers to the names of Jacob's sons who are listed in the opening sentences. We are told that after they all had died, a new Pharaoh came to power.  Fearing the Jewish people, the new ruler orders taskmasters to enslave them.  When that doesn't work, he orders the Hebrew's midwives to kill the male babies but the midwives refuse. Finally, Pharaoh orders all Jewish male children drown in the Nile.  Defying that order Yoheved places her son in a basket and casts the basket down river. Pharaoh's own daughter finds the infant, rescues him, and adopts him as her own son. She names him Moses. Moses grows up in the Pharaoh's palace but one day sees an Egyptian beating a Jew. Moses defends the Jew and kills the Egyptian. Fearing for his life, he flees to Midian.  There he meets Jethro the priest, whose daughter Zipporah he will later marry. It is in this parasha that Moses discovers the burning bush and hears God's voice come from within it. Moses accepts God's charge to go to Pharaoh and demand that the Jewish people be given their freedom. Pharaoh refuses bringing the plagues in the next parasha.

There is a wonderful irony in the first part of this Torah portion that I have always enjoyed. The new pharaoh is worried about the growing Israelite community - they are increasing in numbers and in strength. So, he decides that if he kills the males the problem will be solved. The irony of this is that it is the women who actually keep the Israelites alive and well. First, when Pharaoh instructs the midwives to kill the baby boys, they tell him that the Israelite women deliver too quickly, and they can't get to the babies. This may have been true, or it may have been their way of practicing civil disobedience. Next Pharaoh has the boys thrown in the Nile. Of course, Moses' mother and sister defy that order. Finally, Pharaoh's own daughter saves Moses. It is as if Pharaoh was experiencing gender confusion. Had he really wanted to suppress the growing Israelite community he should have killed the females not the males.

This reminds me of how often I (and I suppose we) incorrectly identify the source of a problem, the cause of a situation or even the place where power and control can be found. Isn't it amazing how a pain in your back can be caused by a problem in your foot? Or how an executive may not be able to effect a change that an admin person can easily accomplish? This story reminds us that the obvious approach is not always the correct one. It encourages us to look at situations from many angles to access all of the factors that influence a particular outcome. I am not in the world of business, but it seems to me that this parasha teaches a great lesson about making assumptions as well as about unexpected outcomes. Could there be a new way to tackle that problem; a different question that should be asked; or another approach to solve a problem. Consider it. Pharaoh - luckily for us - did not.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Amy Schwartzman