Who is Serach bat Asher?

(46) ושם בת אשר שרה AND THE NAME OF THE DAUGHTER OF ASHER WAS SERAH — Because she still remained alive after all these long years it exeptionally mentions her here (Seder Olam, ch. 89).

There was a secret sign handed down to the Israelites in Egypt, a legacy left by Jacob, who entrusted it to Joseph, and he again to his brother Asher, who handed it down to his daughter Serach. She was blessed with longevity, and was living when Moses made his appearance before Pharaoh. The tradition was that the one who appeared in Egypt as the messenger of God with the tidings of their redemption would use the word פקד that God remembered where they were and saw what was done to them in Egypt. Thus they would know and believe that he was really sent by their God. Hence we find that when Moses used the words 'פקד פקדתי,' and not until then, the people believed that the Lord looked upon their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

(24) And Joseph said unto his brothers: ‘I die; but God will surely remember you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which God swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’ (25) And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying: ‘God will surely remember you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.’ (26) So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old. And they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Nine people entered Gan Eden alive, namely: These are them: Hanoch ben Yered, Eliyahu, the Masiach, Eliezer the servant of Abraham, Cheerem king of Tzor and the servant of the Ethiopian king, Yoavatz the son of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, the daughter of Pharoah, and Serach bat Asher, and there are those who say also Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi.

(9) And when Joseph had finished giving them his orders, he turned: and went back into Egypt, ‎and the sons of Jacob went to the land of Canaan, in joy and happiness to their father. And ‎when they came to the boundaries of the land, they said to one another: What shall we do in ‎bringing this matter before our father? For if we impart it to him suddenly, and tell him all ‎about it, he will be greatly astounded at our words and he will refuse to listen to us. And when ‎they went on until they approached their houses they met Serach coming towards them, and ‎the damsel was exceedingly beautiful and wise, and a skilled player on the harp; and they ‎called her and she came unto them and she kissed them. And they took her and gave her a ‎harp saying unto her: Go, we pray thee, before our father and sit down before him and strike ‎this harp and speak unto him according to these words. And they instructed her concerning ‎what she had to say, and she hastened unto Jacob and she sat down before him. And she sang ‎and she played beautifully upon the harp, and she sang in the sweetness of her voice: Joseph ‎my uncle is alive and he reigneth over all the land of Egypt; he is not dead. And she often ‎repeated these words. And Jacob heard her words and it pleased him greatly, and when he ‎heard her sing it twice and three times, the heart of Jacob was possessed by joy, through the ‎sweetness of her voice, and the spirit of God came over him, and he knew that all her words ‎were true. And Jacob blessed Serach for singing these words before him, and he said: My ‎daughter, may death never prevail against thee forever, for thou hast revived my spirit, only ‎repeat thou this song once more before me, for thou hast caused me gladness with thy words. ‎And she sang once more the same words and Jacob listened, and he was pleased and he ‎rejoiced, and the spirit of God came over him. And while he was yet speaking with her, his ‎sons came before him with horses and chariots and royal garments and servants running ‎before them. And Jacob arose and went to meet them, and he saw his sons dressed in royal ‎garments and all the good things that Joseph sent unto them. And they said unto him: Be thou ‎informed that our brother Joseph liveth, and that he ruleth over the whole land of Egypt, and ‎it is he who hath spoken unto us all we have told unto thee. And Jacob heard all the words of ‎his sons and his heart fainted, for he believed them not, until he saw all that Joseph had given ‎unto them and all that Joseph had sent along with them, and all the signs he had spoken of ‎unto them. And they unpacked all the things before him, and they displayed all that Joseph ‎had sent, and they gave to every one of them what Joseph had sent him. And Jacob knew ‎that they had spoken the truth, and Jacob was greatly rejoiced on account of his son. And he ‎said: It is enough, Joseph, my son, is yet alive. I will go and see him before I die. And his sons ‎told unto him all that had befallen them, and Jacob said: I will go down into Egypt, to see my ‎son and my children. | And Jacob rose up and he put on the garments which Joseph had sent ‎unto him, and he put a turban upon his head which Joseph had sent him after having washed ‎and shaved himself. And all the men of the house of Jacob and their wives dressed ‎themselves with the things that Joseph had sent them. And they rejoiced greatly on account ‎of Joseph that he was still alive and that he was the ruler over Egypt. And all the inhabitants of ‎Canaan heard the news, and they came and rejoiced with Jacob on account of Joseph that he ‎was still alive. And Jacob prepared for them a feast of three days, and all the kings of Canaan, ‎and all the great men of the land ate and drank and made merry in Jacob’s house.‎

...Seven people entered Gan Eden alive, namely: Serach, as it says, I am one of those who seek the welfare of the faithful in Israel. I am the one who completed the number of those who entered Gan Eden...

(2) They issued the ruling, and all the [other] students of the Yeshiva left. I requested permission, since [Shimon] Bar Yochai had asked the same question, and I was therefore shown what I had known before: Oh, my teacher -- there were six chambers shown to me [though only four are described here], with so many delights and pleasures! These were from that curtain-divider and beyond, where no males at all may go up.

(3) In one chamber, Batya, Pharaoh's daughter, comes, and so many thousands and thousands of women who merit to be with her. Every single one of them deserves the supernal lights and pleasures [of that place], nothing at all is withheld from any of them. Three times each day, the announcement is made: The likeness of Moshe, the faithful prophet, is coming! And Batya goes out, to that curtained area which is dedicated to her, and observes the likeness of Moshe, and bows before it, saying, "Happy is my portion, that I raised such a light!" This is her delight, above all others.

(4) Batya returns to the women, and they delve into precepts of Torah. All of them have the likenesses they had in this world, and were clothed in light, just as the clothing of the men, except not quite as much light. The precepts of Torah that they did not merit to fulfill in this world, they [now] delve into, along with their meanings, in that world. And all these women that dwell together with Batya, Pharaoh's daughter, are called serene women, and they are not troubled by the pains of gehenna at all.

(5) In another chamber, Serach bat Asher comes, and so many thousands and thousands of women who merit to be with her. Three times a day, the announcement comes: The likeness of Yosef the tzadik is coming! With joy she goes out, to that curtained area which is dedicated to her, and observes light with the likeness of Yosef. With joy she bows before it, saying, "Happy was that day, when I gave the tidings before my grandfather [that you were still alive]!" Then she returns to the rest of the women, and they delve into the praises of the Ruler of the world, and praise the Name. How many places and joys, that each and everyone of them had! Then they return and delves into the precepts of Torah, along with their meanings.

(6) In another chamber, Yocheved comes, the mother of Moshe the faithful prophet, and so many thousands and thousands of women with her. In this chamber, there is no announcement at all, but three times each day, she acknowledges and praises the Ruler of the world, she and all the women with her. They sing the Song of the Sea every day, and she herself recites from "And Miriam the Prophet...took her timbrel in her hand..." (Shmot 15:20). And all these righteous women there in Gan Eden listen to her pleasant voice, and so many holy angels acknowledge and praise the holy Name with her.

(7) In another chamber, Devora comes, and here too, all the other women with her acknowledge and sing [praises], with that very song that she sang in this world (Shoftim 5:1). Oh, my teacher! Oh, my teacher, who has seen the happiness and delight of these righteous ones, of the women who merit to serve the Holy One of Blessing?! Deeper in from these chambers, are four hidden chambers of the holy mothers, which are not passed on or revealed, and no one has seen them. All day they are separate among themselves, as I have told you; and the men also [are separate].

(8) Every night they come together, all of them as one, at the time of coupling, which is midnight, both in this world and in that world. Coupling in that world is the cleaving of soul with soul, light with light. Coupling in this world is body with body. Everything is as it should be: like after like, couple after couple, body after body. Coupling in that world, light after light. The chambers of the four mothers are called the chambers of the confident daughters, which I did not merit to see. Happy is the portion of these righteous ones, males and females, that go down the straight path in this world, and are entitled to all the delights of that world.

(9) Oh, my teacher! Oh, my teacher, if you were not [Shimon] Bar Yochai, I would not have passed it along to be revealed. The coupling of that world brings more fruit

(1) than the fruit brought in this world. Their coupling, the coupling of that world, their desire is as one. When their souls cleave one to another, it creates fruit. Lights go out from them, creating candles. These are the souls for the [future] converts that will convert, and all of them enter this particular chamber.

(2) For the conversion of a particular convert, the soul flies out from that chamber, and enters under the wings of the Shechina. And She kisses it, since it is the fruit of the righteous ones, and sends it into that convert, and it steeps within. From that moment, they are called a "Ger Tzedek" (righteous convert). This is what the verse alludes to (Mishlei 11:30), "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life." Just as the tree of life produces souls, so too the righteous person can produce fruit, by making souls.

(3) The Rav of the Yeshiva said, it is written (Breishit 11:30), "Now Sarai was barren; she had no child." When it tells us that Sarai was barren, I already know that she had no child. So why [does the verse add], "she had no child"? Rather, here is what the Rav of the Yeshiva said: She had no child born to her, but souls she had born to her, by means of the cleaving with desire. These two righteous ones [Sarai and Avram] birthed souls for converts all the time that they were at Haran, just as the righteous make [souls for converts] in Gan Eden. As it says (Breishit 12:5), "the people [literally 'the soul'] that they acquired [literally 'made'] in Haran" -- they really did create that soul!

"Her mouth opens in wisdom" - This is a wise woman that says, "Listen, listen! Speak, please, to Yoav: Come here and I will speak with you." As she saved the city through her wisdom, and this was Serach bat Asher.

(14) [Sheba] had passed through all the tribes of Israel up to Abel of Beth-maacah; and all the Beerites assembled and followed him inside. (15) [Joab’s men] came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah; they threw up a siegemound against the city and it stood against the rampart. All the troops with Joab were engaged in battering the wall, (16) when a clever woman [Serach] shouted from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come over here so I can talk to him.” (17) He approached her, and the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “Yes,” he answered; and she said to him, “Listen to what your handmaid has to say.” “I’m listening,” he replied. (18) And she continued, “In olden times people used to say, ‘Let them inquire of Abel,’ and that was the end of the matter. (19) I am one of those who seek the welfare of the faithful in Israel. But you seek to bring death upon a mother city in Israel! Why should you destroy the LORD’s possession?” (20) Joab replied, “Far be it, far be it from me to destroy or to ruin! (21) Not at all! But a certain man from the hill country of Ephraim, named Sheba son of Bichri, has rebelled against King David. Just hand him alone over to us, and I will withdraw from the city.” The woman assured Joab, “His head shall be thrown over the wall to you.” (22) The woman came to all the people with her clever plan; and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it down to Joab. He then sounded the horn; all the men dispersed to their homes, and Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.

I am one of those who seeks the welfare of the faithful of Israel. I am one of the inhabitants of the city, who is complete and believes in Israel and the king. Midrash says that she was Serach bat Asher, I am the one who completes the faithful to the faithful, as I revealed the coffin of Yosef to Moses, and as I told Jacob that Yosef was still living.