- Please introduce yourselves to one another, pronouns are encouraged.
- Choose a topic to study together: Batya, the Midwives, or Moses. One option is to read and think about a contemporary midrash about Moses written by some awesome 8-13 year old students who would love to know what you think. Find each section below.
- Choose someone to help keep track of time.
- Read the text out loud together.
- Respond to the question prompts, or discuss whatever the text brings up for your group. Focus on the BOLD questions and if you have time go back to the rest.
- Thank your discussion group and return to the main group.
(ה) וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֶת־אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ׃ (ו) וַתִּפְתַּח֙ וַתִּרְאֵ֣הוּ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וְהִנֵּה־נַ֖עַר בֹּכֶ֑ה וַתַּחְמֹ֣ל עָלָ֔יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מִיַּלְדֵ֥י הָֽעִבְרִ֖ים זֶֽה׃ (ז) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֲחֹתוֹ֮ אֶל־בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֒ הַאֵלֵ֗ךְ וְקָרָ֤אתִי לָךְ֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה מֵינֶ֔קֶת מִ֖ן הָעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת וְתֵינִ֥ק לָ֖ךְ אֶת־הַיָּֽלֶד׃ (ח) וַתֹּֽאמֶר־לָ֥הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵ֑כִי וַתֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ הָֽעַלְמָ֔ה וַתִּקְרָ֖א אֶת־אֵ֥ם הַיָּֽלֶד׃ (ט) וַתֹּ֧אמֶר לָ֣הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֗ה הֵילִ֜יכִי אֶת־הַיֶּ֤לֶד הַזֶּה֙ וְהֵינִקִ֣הוּ לִ֔י וַאֲנִ֖י אֶתֵּ֣ן אֶת־שְׂכָרֵ֑ךְ וַתִּקַּ֧ח הָאִשָּׁ֛ה הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַתְּנִיקֵֽהוּ׃ (י) וַיִּגְדַּ֣ל הַיֶּ֗לֶד וַתְּבִאֵ֙הוּ֙ לְבַת־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַֽיְהִי־לָ֖הּ לְבֵ֑ן וַתִּקְרָ֤א שְׁמוֹ֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַתֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֥י מִן־הַמַּ֖יִם מְשִׁיתִֽהוּ׃
(5) The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, while her maidens walked along the Nile. She spied the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to fetch it. (6) When she opened it, she saw that it was a child, a boy crying. She took pity on it and said, “This must be a Hebrew child.” (7) Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a Hebrew nurse to suckle the child for you?” (8) And Pharaoh’s daughter answered, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. (9) And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. (10) When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who made him her son. She named him Moses,*Moses Heb. Mosheh from Egyptian for “born of”; here associated with mashah “draw out.” explaining, “I drew him out of the water.”
(א)לרחוץ על היאור. בחדר של מלך שהיה סמוך ליאור ומביט בו. כי אמנם כבודה בת מלך פנימה בלי ספק לא יצאה אל היאור:
(1) לרחוץ על היאור. She had a view of the river, her room in the palace bordering on the embankment. No doubt, royal etiquette would not permit an Egyptian princess to actually bathe in the river. [the author was alerted by the preposition על instead of ב, “in,” in front of the word יאור. Ed.]
- Verse 5: Why might Pharaoh's daughter (later named Batya) come down to "bathe" in the Nile if she's not really coming down to bathe?
- Verse 5: Why might Batya's "maidens" or serving women be walking along the Nile with her? What might be the significance that these other women are with her in this moment?
- Verse 5: "She spied the basket among the reeds. . ." Do you think she was surprised to find the basket? If so, what indicates her surprise? If not, what indicates her non-surprise?
- Verse 6: If not a "Hebrew child" what other baby would be in a basket in the river? For whose benefit is she saying these words?
- Verse 7: "his sister", an enslaved young woman or girl (later named Miriam), who we were just told was hiding now speaks directly to the daughter of Pharaoh. What do you make of that? What does that say about the sister? What does that say about Pharaoh's daughter?
- Verse 9: Batya tells the woman to nurse the baby "for me, and I will pay your wages." What new insight does this give us about Batya and her response to the economic and social structure within which she lives?
- Yocheved and Batya are the two women chosen in our story to mother Moses. What might we learn from them, but in this case particularly from Batya?
- What might we learn from the "maidens" who walked along the Nile with Batya?
- What might we learn from Miriam?
- What is particularly interesting to you after looking more closely at this text?
- Thank your group!
(טו) וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ שִׁפְרָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פּוּעָֽה׃
(15) The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,
(א)למילדות. רב ושמואל ח"א אשה ובתה יוכבד ומרים וח"א כלה וחמותה. יוכבד ואלישבע: ד"א למילדת חסר וי"ו למד שלא היתה כי אם מילדת אחת והיינו יוכבד אבל מרים נערה היתה ולא היתה מילדת אלא פועה לילד ולכך אמרו חז"ל פועה זו מרים מהרב משה כהן. ד"א שפועה לילד בבטן וקוראה לו צא והוא יוצא:
(1) למילדת “to the midwife;” there is a disagreement in the Talmud regarding the identity of these two women. According to one opinion they were Yocheved and her daughter Miriam. According to the second opinion, they were mother-in- law Yocheved, and her daughter-in-law. Elisheva, wife of Aaron. (Talmud Sotah, folio 11) An alternate interpretation: this interpretation takes its cue from the fact that the Torah spelled the word מילדת in the singular mode instead of with the letter ו, seeing that there were two women. According to the spelling there was only a single midwife, Yocheved. Miriam was a teenager not capable yet of acting as a midwife, rather she acted as a bleater, to help the infant cry while still inside its mother’s womb encouraging it to emerge from the womb as fast as possible.
- Verse 1:15 : The text doesn't tell us exactly where this conversation took place. Where do you think this conversation took place?
- Verse 1:15 How have you understood these midwives in the past? Are they Hebrew midwives, or Egyptian midwives to Hebrew women? Why would the distinction matter? What would the one answer mean for the story? What would the other answer mean for the story?
- Verse 1:15 Note that the ruler of Egypt is very involved with the reproductive experience of the Hebrew women in this story. What connections do you make with this aspect of the story?
- Consider that the midwives are not Egyptian, but are Israelite, and if the midwives are Yocheved and Elisheva, the wife of Aaron - now imagine what is happening in Yocheved's home and family compound. Her family includes herself, her husband Amram, their son Aaron and his wife Elisheva, Miriam, and soon Moses. What conversations might be taking place there?
- Consider that the midwives are Yocheved and Miriam, or that is it just one midwife and that Miriam is the "bleater" assisting and helping the infant cry while still inside its mother's womb. Why might the rabbis want to imagine Miriam helping an infant, still in a narrow place, cry?
- Thinking about the way this story plays out, that soon Batya (Pharaoh's daughter) will come down to the Nile with her maidens and take Moses out of the water and talk directly with an enslaved girl/young woman, Miriam, and then pay wages to an enslaved woman, Yocheved, return to verse 1:15. When you read that verse again, widen the lens. Who else is with Pharaoh when he is having this conversation? What are their facial expressions? What do they think of the decree? What servants and enslaved people overhear this conversation? What might they do with what they hear?
- What is the significance to you of there being people inside the palace - Egyptians like Batya and the servants and other enslaved peoples - invested in the lives of the people outside the palace, specifically in the lives of the Israelites?
- What is particularly interesting to you after looking more closely at this text?
- Thank your group!
I pull the wool blanket up over my head.
“Gershom!”
I don’t want to get up! Come ON! I know, I know! I’m 9, there is a lot to do, and I’m the older brother . . . I’ve heard it all. But, seriously!
“Gershom! It’s your turn!”
That’s my cousin Zimran. He had the last shift.
“Coming!” I whisper-call.
“Meeeehhhh,” complains my goat, giving me the evil eye. Chickpea, my dog, doesn’t even look at me. He just keeps snoring, curled up in my blanket. Eliezer, my little brother, is also still asleep. He’s 6. I didn’t have to start taking night shifts until I was 8. Eema is asleep on the other side of the tent. She works harder than all of us cousins put together! I don’t see Abba. Strange.
“It’s your turn, and you’re late. Tomorrow night you can take a double shift,” he says.
He always says that, but he never means it. We cousins all take turns watching the sheep overnight to protect them from wild animals.
It’s Abba. Why is he up so early? This is very suspicious.
Last night when he brought the sheep in he was even more quiet than usual, and Abba never talks much.
Uh oh.
“Abba, I know I overslept. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again,” I say all in a rush.
“You oversleep a lot. That isn’t what this is about.”
Uh oh.
“Abba, I know I should have helped clean up more yesterday like Eema said, but I . . .”
“Yes, you should have. That isn’t what this is about, either. Shush and listen.”
I put one hand over my mouth and gave him a thumbs up.
“I already told Eema and your grandfather last night. I will tell Eliezer when he wakes up. I know this will be hard to believe, but I need you to use all of your imagination and really try.”
“I have a lot of imagination!” Oops. I put my hand back over my mouth. Abba smiles.
“Yes, you do.”
“What? Oh. Yes! I mean, I got a little distracted wondering about how the sheep reacted to the bush being on fire and hoping none of them got lost while you were busy talking with God, so I started counting them.”
“I know. You were counting out loud.” Abba smiles again. He doesn’t seem mad.
“How were the sheep while you were talking with God?”
“The sheep? At first they were skittish. The air felt strange and it got dark even though it was the middle of the day. The birds were singing songs I’ve never heard before and dust blew all around. But then, once I heard God’s voice, they all calmed down and just stood still . . . looking at me.”
“What did God want?”
“God wants me to go back to Egypt, to where I was born. God wants me to talk with Pharaoh and demand that he let the enslaved Israelites go.”
“Aren’t you scared?” I ask my dad.
Abba looks out over all of the sheep. He looks at them one at a time.
“Why do you and your cousins watch over the sheep all night?” he asks me.
“So wild animals don’t get them,” I say. “And thieves. They’re nice sheep. Someone might come and steal them.”
“And what would you do if you thought they were in danger?”
“I would make noise and get everyone up and have them all come out here so we could all protect the sheep,” I answer.
Abba nods.
“That’s like God talking to you and getting you to go back to Egypt, isn’t it,” I say.
Abba nods again.
“And what if it was weather, or fire? What if the sheep couldn’t be safe here? What would we do then?” he asks me.
Now it’s my turn to look out at all of the sheep.
“Yeah,” I admit.
“Would we do it anyway?” He wants to know.
We would. I know we would.
“I don’t want to go to Egypt,” I say. “My cousins are here. Our whole family is here. All my friends are here.” I feel like I’m going to cry. Abba looks back out at the sheep again.
“You are staying with your mom for now,” he says.
“But you told God you would go?” I ask. “That you would go and be a people-shepherd?”
“Yes. I told God I would go and be a people-shepherd,” he says.
“Good thing,” says Abba, wrapping his arms around me.
1. In what ways does this midrash resonate with you?
2. What new questions or ideas do you have about Moses as a figure or character in our story?
3. If you were imagining part of Moses's story from the inside, what scenes feel particularly provocative to you?
4. What other thoughts are you having?
5. Thank your group!
(ב) וַתַּ֥הַר הָאִשָּׁ֖ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֹתוֹ֙ כִּי־ט֣וֹב ה֔וּא וַֽתִּצְפְּנֵ֖הוּ שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה יְרָחִֽים׃
(2) The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw how beautiful he was, she hid him for three months.
The verse states with regard to the birth of Moses: “And the woman conceived, and bore a son; and when she saw him that he was a goodly [tov] child, she hid him three months” (Exodus 2:2). It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir says: “Tov” is his,Moses’, real name, as it was given to him by his parents when he was born. Rabbi Yehuda says: His name was Toviya. Rabbi Neḥemya says: They said he was good because they saw that he was fit for prophecy. Others say: They said he was good because he was born when he was already circumcised. And the Rabbis say: At the time when Moses was born, the entire house was filled with light, as it is written here: “And when she saw him that he was a goodly [tov] child,” and it is written there: “And God saw the light, that it was good [tov]” (Genesis 1:4).
(טז) וּלְכֹהֵ֥ן מִדְיָ֖ן שֶׁ֣בַע בָּנ֑וֹת וַתָּבֹ֣אנָה וַתִּדְלֶ֗נָה וַתְּמַלֶּ֙אנָה֙ אֶת־הָ֣רְהָטִ֔ים לְהַשְׁק֖וֹת צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶֽן׃ (יז) וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ הָרֹעִ֖ים וַיְגָרְשׁ֑וּם וַיָּ֤קׇם מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיּ֣וֹשִׁעָ֔ן וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ אֶת־צֹאנָֽם׃ (יח) וַתָּבֹ֕אנָה אֶל־רְעוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִיהֶ֑ן וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַדּ֛וּעַ מִהַרְתֶּ֥ן בֹּ֖א הַיּֽוֹם׃ (יט) וַתֹּאמַ֕רְןָ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י הִצִּילָ֖נוּ מִיַּ֣ד הָרֹעִ֑ים וְגַם־דָּלֹ֤ה דָלָה֙ לָ֔נוּ וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ אֶת־הַצֹּֽאן׃ (כ) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֶל־בְּנֹתָ֖יו וְאַיּ֑וֹ לָ֤מָּה זֶּה֙ עֲזַבְתֶּ֣ן אֶת־הָאִ֔ישׁ קִרְאֶ֥ן ל֖וֹ וְיֹ֥אכַל לָֽחֶם׃ (כא) וַיּ֥וֹאֶל מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶת־הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיִּתֵּ֛ן אֶת־צִפֹּרָ֥ה בִתּ֖וֹ לְמֹשֶֽׁה׃ (כב) וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר גֵּ֣ר הָיִ֔יתִי בְּאֶ֖רֶץ נׇכְרִיָּֽה׃ {פ} (כג) וַיְהִי֩ בַיָּמִ֨ים הָֽרַבִּ֜ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיָּ֙מׇת֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מִן־הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּ וַתַּ֧עַל שַׁוְעָתָ֛ם אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים מִן־הָעֲבֹדָֽה׃ (כד) וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־נַאֲקָתָ֑ם וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־בְּרִית֔וֹ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶת־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽת־יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (כה) וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּ֖דַע אֱלֹהִֽים׃ {ס}
(16) Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock; (17) but shepherds came and drove them off. Moses rose to their defense, and he watered their flock. (18) When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?” (19) They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” (20) He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why did you leave the man? Ask him in to break bread.” (21) Moses consented to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah as wife. (22) She bore a son whom he named Gershom,*Gershom Associated with ger sham, “a stranger there.” for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”
- Exodus 2:16 The priest of Midian, who we later learn has several names, among them Yitro and Reuel, has seven daughters. Pause for a moment with this verse, what does it evoke for you? (think of sevens, of priests, of Midian)
- Exodus 2:17 "but shepherds came and drove them off . . . " - on the surface, the pshat, of the text, what's happening here?
- Exodus 2:17 "Moses rose to their defence . . ." Moses is a stranger in this place, what do you know about him that might explain his motivation? Consider: Why would he respond in this way? What is his interest in these seven women? What is his connection with the male shepherds from whom he is defending them? What might this moment add to our understanding of Moses?
- Exodus 2:17 ". . . and he watered their flock." With which of our ancestors does this connect Moses? Who else watered a whole flock/herd? Why might that be relevant in our read of Moses as a character, and of the parenting of Batya (Pharaoh's daughter/adoptive mother of Moses) and maybe also continued parenting in some way of Yocheved (birth mother)?
- Exodus 2:19 "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds, he even drew water for us and watered the flock." We already know this detail. We saw it happen. Why is the Torah telling us again? Why is the Torah having Yitro/Reuel's daughters tell us? What's different in this verse compared with verse 17 - what do we know now about Moses that we didn't know then?
- Exodus 2:20-21 Yitro/Reuel invites a stranger, identifiably an Egyptian stranger, to his home for dinner and to stay. He allows his daughter Zipporah to marry him. What don't we know? (hint: What doesn't Yitro/Reuel seem to know about Moses?)
- Exodus 2:21 Moses consented to stay and marries Zipporah who we know is Midianite because her father is a priest of Midian. Note that we don't know who her mother is. Zipporah is neither an Israelite nor an Egyptian. Later Miriam calls her a Cushite woman, so it's possible her mother is from Cush - now Ethiopia. What might that add to what we could know about Moses?
- Exodus 2:22 Moses names his first son Ger (stranger) sham (there) - Gershom saying "I have been a stranger in a foreign land." Where was Moses a stranger? (Where wasn't Moses a stranger?)
- The name Toviya is also Tuvya and Tevya. All the same name with the same meaning and all originating as far as we know with this first name for Moses. What might that piece of Talmud add to these verses about Moses with the seven daughters and the priest of Midian?
- What is particularly interesting to you after looking more closely at this text?
- Thank your group!