Pharaoh, you'll remember, had ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all newborn baby boys. But these women – Shifra and Puah are their names in Exodus 1:15 – defied him. They feared God more than they feared the king. Pharaoh, understandably, wasn't thrilled.
When he summoned them for a second time, demanding an explanation for their disobedience, they gave him a rather… interesting answer. As Ginzberg recounts, drawing from various Midrashic sources, they said, "This nation is compared unto one animal and another, and, in sooth, the Hebrews are like the animals. As little as the animals do they need the offices of midwives." Basically, they claimed the Hebrew women were so fertile and strong, they gave birth without needing assistance! It’s quite a line, isn't it? Bold and clever.
Now, what happened to these brave women? Well, according to tradition, their defiance didn't go unnoticed by the Almighty. They were richly rewarded for their piety. Pharaoh, remarkably, did them no harm. But the blessings didn’t stop there. They became the ancestors of greatness.
Yochebed, identified by some traditions as Shifra, became the mother of Aaron the priest and Moses the Levite. Think about that for a moment: Moses, the liberator, the lawgiver, descended from a woman who stood up to tyranny.
And Miriam, often identified as Puah, also had a remarkable destiny. From her union with Caleb sprang the royal house of David! Can you see the threads connecting these acts of defiance to the very lineage of kingship in Israel?
But the blessings didn't end with ancestry. The hand of God was visible in Miriam’s own life. She suffered a terrible illness, one that seemed certain to claim her. Yet, she recovered. And not only did she recover, but God restored her youth and beauty. It’s said that her husband experienced renewed happiness, a reward for his own piety and faith during her long illness.
There's more! Miriam was also privileged to bring forth Bezalel, the artisan who built the Mishkan (Tabernacle), that portable sanctuary that accompanied the Israelites through the wilderness. He wasn't just any craftsman; he was endowed with chochmah, celestial wisdom, enabling him to create a sacred space for the Divine Presence to dwell. As Exodus 31:3 says, God filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship.
What's the takeaway here? Perhaps it’s this: even seemingly small acts of courage and faith can have monumental consequences. These midwives, by choosing righteousness over obedience to a cruel decree, became the wellspring of leadership, priesthood, kingship, and artistry. Their story, woven into the fabric of Jewish legend, reminds us that our choices matter, that even in the face of overwhelming power, we have the ability to shape the future. It makes you wonder what kind of legacy we're building with our own choices, doesn’t it?