Chanuka Women & Redemption

R. Avira expounded: As the reward for the righteous women who lived in that generation the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt.

Women were also included in the miracle ...so too regarding the reading of the megillah we say that we were redeemed (from Haman) because of Queen Esther and similiarly regarding the miracle of channukah...

The verse states: “And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took for a wife a daughter of Levi” (Exodus 2:1). The Gemara asks: To where did he go? Rav Yehuda bar Zevina says: He went according to the advice of his daughter Miriam, as the Gemara will proceed to explain. A Sage teaches: Amram, the father of Moses, was the great man of his generation. Once he saw that the wicked Pharaoh said: “Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive” (Exodus 1:22), he said: We are laboring for nothing by bringing children into the world to be killed. Therefore, he arose and divorced his wife. All others who saw this followed his example and arose and divorced their wives. His daughter, Miriam, said to him: Father, your decree is more harsh for the Jewish people than that of Pharaoh, as Pharaoh decreed only with regard to the males, but you decreed both on the males and on the females. ... Amram accepted his daughter’s words and arose and brought back, i.e., remarried, his wife, and all others who saw this followed his example and arose and brought back their wives.

The decree of the Greek-Assyrians regarding the virgins approaching marriage who were forced to first have relations with the Greek ruler - and it was by the hand of a woman that this miracle was done [eliminating this decree]

(20) And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

"With timbrels and with dances." From this certainty and faith, she was considered righteous, because they believed that God would make miracles for them, and therefore they brought timbrels from Egypt.

(22) And the men came upon the women, all whose hearts moved them, all who would make an elevation offering of gold to the LORD, came bringing brooches, earrings, rings, and pendants—gold objects of all kinds.

(8) במראת הצבאת OF THE MIRRORS OF THE WOMEN crowding— The Israelite women possessed mirrors of copper into which they used to look when they adorned themselves. Even these did they not hesitate to bring as a contribution towards the Tabernacle. Now Moses was about to reject them since they were made to pander to their vanity, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Accept them; these are dearer to Me than all the other contributions, because through them the women reared those huge hosts in Egypt!” For when their husbands were tired through the crushing labour they used to bring them food and drink and induced them to eat. Then they would take the mirrors, and each gazed at herself in her mirror together with her husband, saying endearingly to him, “See, I am handsomer than you!” Thus they awakened their husbands’ affection and subsequently became the mothers of many children.

... On Rosh Chodesh it is permitted to work, but women have a custom not to work on Rosh Chodesh

... 'My son, have pity on me; I carried you nine months in my womb and suckled you three years, fed you and reared you to the age you are now, and provided for you.

I implore you, my child, look at the earth and sky and everything in them, and consider how G-d made them out of what did not exist, and that human beings come into being in the same way.

Do not fear this executioner, but prove yourself worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that I may receive you back with them in the day of mercy.'