What would you do?
The story of Moses' birth, as told in Exodus, is familiar, but the Legends of the Jews, as compiled by Louis Ginzberg, gives us a richer, more detailed picture. We learn that Jochebed actually gave birth after only six months of pregnancy – a detail not found in the biblical text itself! Talk about a surprise.
Now, the Egyptians were, shall we say, thorough. They kept a close eye on all pregnant Hebrew women, eager to snatch up any newborn boys for… well, we know what for. They expected Jochebed to deliver in another three months. This unexpected early arrival bought her and her husband, Amram, precious time.
For those three months, they managed to keep the baby hidden. Can you imagine the stress? According to Ginzberg's Legends, every Israelite house was guarded by two Egyptian women, one inside and one outside! That's intense. It paints a vivid picture of a community living under constant surveillance, the ever-present threat of discovery hanging over them.
But time ran out. Keeping the baby a secret became too dangerous. Amram, filled with fear, faced a terrible dilemma. He worried that if their secret was discovered, both he and his son would be put to death. And so, he came to a heartbreaking conclusion: they had to expose the child.
This wasn't an act of abandonment, though. It was an act of faith. Amram, as Ginzberg tells us, was convinced that God would protect the boy. He believed in God's promise, in His word. So, with heavy hearts, they entrusted their baby's fate to Divine Providence. It's a powerful moment, a testament to the resilience of faith even in the face of overwhelming odds. It asks us: what do we do when we feel we have no other options but to trust in something bigger than ourselves?