What if the very people meant to lead us to freedom are born into the darkest of times? Times so bleak, even love itself seems impossible. That's the story of Amram and Jochebed, the parents of Moses, whose lives were a testament to faith, courage, and the enduring power of hope.
The story begins with Pharaoh's horrific decree: Hebrew baby boys were to be cast into the Nile. In response, Amram, a respected leader – the president of the Sanhedrin, no less – made a painful decision. Seeing no other way to protect the children, he divorced his wife, Jochebed. This was meant as an example, and all the men of Israel followed suit, separating from their wives.
Now, Amram wasn't just any man. According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, he was held in high regard. He was a Levite, and the tribe of Levi remained faithful to God even in the face of Egyptian oppression, while other tribes, sadly, wavered and even abandoned the covenant of Abraham.
But here’s a question: Why would God allow such suffering? Well, some traditions tell us that the Hebrews themselves brought this hardship upon themselves through their impiety. It's a harsh lesson, isn't it? They had angered God, so much so that the Egyptians’ love for them turned into hatred, and they resolved to destroy them. Pharaoh, initially grateful for Joseph's wise rule, resisted, but eventually, the Egyptians deposed him until he agreed to their malicious plans.
Amram was an exceptional man, distinguished even among the pious Levites. The text says he was one of only four individuals so righteous – so completely without sin – that death would have had no power over them, if mortality hadn’t been decreed for all humanity after Adam and Eve's transgression. The others were Benjamin, Jesse (David's father), and Chileab (David's son). What an incredible standard to live up to!
The text goes on to say that Amram’s piety even helped bring the Shekhinah (שְׁכִינָה), the Divine Presence, closer to humanity. Originally, the Shekhinah dwelt among people, but after Adam's sin, it withdrew, step by step, to the seven heavens, pushed further away by each successive generation's sins: Cain, the generation of Enoch, the Flood, the Tower of Babel, the Egyptians in Abraham's time, and finally, the people of Sodom. Six righteous men – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kohath, and Amram – drew the Shekhinah back down, one heaven at a time. And then, through the seventh, Moses, it returned to dwell among us once more. The Midrash Rabbah tells a similar story of the Shekhinah leaving and returning.
And it wasn’t just his piety; Amram was also incredibly wise. The Egyptians initially enslaved the Hebrews through trickery, offering them a shekel for each brick they made, tempting them to work harder. But later, they forced them to work without pay, demanding the same output. Except for Amram. He hadn't fallen for their initial ploy, being content with just one shekel and one brick per day. So, that's all they could demand from him later. Clever, right?
Now, let's talk about Jochebed (יוֹכֶבֶד). Amram’s wife was also his aunt, born on the very same day as him. Her name means "Divine Splendor," and she was said to radiate celestial light. A fitting name, don't you think? She was the daughter of Levi, a woman of incredible courage, one of the midwives who risked her life to save the Hebrew babies. According to the text, Pharaoh even sent his guards after her and her daughter, Miriam, but God made them invisible!
Their first child was a daughter, named Miriam (מִרְיָם), meaning "Bitterness," because her birth coincided with the start of the Egyptians' cruelty. Their second child was a boy, Aaron (אַהֲרֹן), whose name means "Woe unto this pregnancy!" a reference to Pharaoh's decree to kill all male Hebrew children, which was announced during Jochebed’s pregnancy with him.
So, what can we take away from this story? Amram and Jochebed faced unimaginable circumstances. They lived in a world of oppression, fear, and seemingly impossible choices. Yet, they held onto their faith, their integrity, and their love for one another. They made difficult decisions, yes, but their actions ultimately paved the way for the birth of Moses, the one who would lead their people to freedom. Their story reminds us that even in the darkest of times, hope can be born. And sometimes, the greatest leaders are forged in the fires of adversity.