Illustration Credit: Noa Kelner
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
וַיְצַו פַּרְעֹה לְכָל עַמּוֹ לֵאמֹר
כָּל הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד הַיְאֹרָה תַּשְׁלִיכֻהוּ
וְכָל הַבַּת תְּחַיּוּן:
Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying: Every boy that is born must be thrown into the Nile.
But let every girl live.
Pharaoh’s evil decree left adults in Benei Yisrael with a horrible choice: Should they risk having children, knowing that a boy may be born and then killed by Pharaoh?
A midrash teaches that, because of Pharaoh’s decree, Amram and Yokheved decided to stop having children together. Amram was a leader, and he encouraged others in Benei Yisrael to do the same. Then Amram’s daughter, Miriam, argued with him.
אָמְרָה לוֹ בִּתּוֹ: אַבָּא, קָשָׁה גְּזֵירָתְךָ יוֹתֵר מִשֶּׁל פַּרְעֹה. שֶׁפַּרְעֹה לֹא גָּזַר אֶלָּא עַל הַזְּכָרִים, וְאַתָּה גָּזַרְתָּ עַל הַזְּכָרִים וְעַל הַנְּקֵיבוֹת. פַּרְעֹה לָא גָּזַר אֶלָּא בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְאַתָּה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּלְעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
His daughter said to him: Father, your decree is more harsh than Pharaoh’s. Pharaoh only made a decree about baby boys, but you are decreeing that neither boys nor girls will be born. Pharaoh’s decree only affects this world, but your decree affects this world and Olam Ha-Ba (the World to Come).
Miriam points out that Amram’s position has the potential to lead to a terrible outcome: the end of the Jewish people! This is what she means when she says that he is also affecting Olam Ha-Ba.
According to this midrash, Miriam’s argument is successful. Thanks to her, Amram and Yokheved have one more baby - Moshe!
- What’s courageous about having a child when times are hard? What can children represent?
- What was Miriam able to teach her father?
- Is it surprising that the child in this midrash is wiser than the parent? What perspectives or pieces of wisdom do children have today that adults could learn from? What insights do you have that you can share with the adults in your life?
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