דרש רב עוירא בשכר נשים צדקניות שהיו באותו הדור נגאלו ישראל ממצרים
R. Avira expounded: As the reward for the righteous women who lived in that generation the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt.
of the other times that "they" tried to kill us?
שאף הן היו באותו הנס - כדאמרינן (סוטה דף יא:) בשכר נשים צדקניות שבאותו הדור נגאלו וכן גבי מקרא מגילה נמי אמרינן הכי דמשום דע"י אסתר נגאלו וכן גבי נר חנוכה במסכת שבת (ד' כג.):
...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...
But what exactly did we do to merit this awesomeness?
(יז) וַתִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃
(17) But the midwives feared God, and didn't do as the king of Egypt commanded them, and kept the male-children alive.
Do we have anything comparable to this in our lives today?
Yehudis, the daughter of Yochanan cohen Gadol fed the greek general cheese to increase his thirst, and then gave him wine to drink until he became inebriated. She then cut off his head, and this sight caused the enemy soldiers to flee.
serving alcohol or beheading, so what can WE learn from this source?
"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.