Carolyn:

Rashi: The righteous women of that generation were confident that the Holy One, Blessed be He, would make miracles for them, so they prepared tambourines and dances."

If it wasn't for the righteousness of women of that generation we would not have been redeemed from Egypt. (Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 9B) There are many instances in Jewish history that show the strong faith of women.

While Moses led Israel out of Egypt because he was commanded to do so by G-d, six remarkable women acted heroically, not because they were commanded, but because of their strong moral sense.

Leah:

1. Yocheved, Moses' mother had the courage to bring a baby into the world after the decree had been issuesd by Pharoah to drown every Jewish boy in the Nile.  This was a supreme act of hope in the midst of despair. 

2. Miriam, Yocheved's daughter and Moses' sister, followed the basket containing Moses as it floated down the Nile. Seeing it taken out of the water by an Egyption princess (Pharoah's daughter), she approached her, offering to find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child, so that Moses was brought home to his family. 

3. Pharoah's daughter Bitya rescued Moses from the Nile, knowing he was a Hebrew child. To raise an Israelite child in the palace of the ruler who had issued the decree of death took great moral determination. She is akin to and set the precedent for the righteous gentiles who saved Jews during the Nazi years. Bitya gave Moses his name which means child in Egpytian.

Jesse:

4. Tzippora, Moses' wife and a Midianite, accompanied Moses on his return to Egypt to lead the Jews out of Egypt, despite the hazards of the journey and the fact that the Israelites were not her people. 

5 and 6. Shifra and Pua, the midwives whom Pharoah instructed to kill every Hebrew child, defied the King's orders in the name of humanity and morality. Their act of heroism is the first recorded instance of civil disobedience. 

Girls Together Raise cup:

These are the living waters, God's gift to Miriam which gave new life to Israel as we struggled with ourselves in the wilderness. Blessed are You God, Who brings us from the narrows into the wilderness, sustains us with endless possibilities, and enables us to reach a new place. 


haggadah Section: Introduction