Illustration credit: Rivka Tsinman
Pharaoh commands that Hebrew baby boys should be killed. Here’s what happens:
וַתִּירֶאןָ הַמְיַלְּדֹת אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים
וְלֹא עָשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵיהֶן מֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִם
וַתְּחַיֶּיןָ אֶת הַיְלָדִים׃
וַיִּקְרָא מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם לַמְיַלְּדֹת
וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶן מַדּוּעַ עֲשִׂיתֶן הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה
וַתְּחַיֶּיןָ אֶת הַיְלָדִים׃
וַתֹּאמַרְןָ הַמְיַלְּדֹת אֶל פַּרְעֹה
כִּי לֹא כַנָּשִׁים הַמִּצְרִיֹּת הָעִבְרִיֹּת כִּי חָיוֹת הֵנָּה
בְּטֶרֶם תָּבוֹא אֲלֵהֶן הַמְיַלֶּדֶת וְיָלָדוּ׃
The midwives feared God.
They did not do what the king of Egypt told them; they let the boys live.
The king of Egypt called the midwives
and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, letting the boys live?”
The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are really good at keeping babies alive.
Before the midwife can come to them, they have already given birth.”
- What do you notice? What seems special here?
- What choice do you think the midwives had to make? How do you think that felt for them? What do you imagine they thought would happen?
- In the final pasuk, are the midwives being truthful? What evidence can you find to support your answer?
- How do you imagine the midwives felt during this conversation? How did they have the courage to defend themselves when Pharaoh accused them?
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