Sivan Rahav Meir, popular Israeli correspondent and Torah educator, recently reported that a group of construction workers who were clearing debris at a building site came upon a startling find. They discovered a cache of artifacts that had been buried and wrapped in newspaper dated from 1939. Most of the items found were Judaica, as well as household objects of value. It seems that some of the denizens of Łódź Poland  had buried precious items hoping to protect them for the duration of the war. Tragically, no one survived World War II to reclaim their belongings. 

Sivan posted a photo of the retrieved items which had been carefully placed on a table for display. I looked at the picture and saw the expected items of Menorahs and Kiddush cups as well as some household items such as cutlery. Upon closer inspection of the photograph, I was amazed to recognize a style of spoons which were identical to those that belonged to my own grandmother. She had brought her cutlery with her when she escaped Germany. I grew up seeing those spoons on my grandparents table. When we cleaned out her apartment after her passing, I kept one of those spoons as a memento of my grandparents and the miracle of their survival. 

This is but another touch of the long arm of the Holocaust. 

I was shaken to the core as I was once again reminded of how close this devastating event is to me personally, and how grateful I am that our family escaped Germany and actually had the opportunity to live a life and to use those spoons. 

How differently the story might have been if the local populace would not have complied with the Nazi oppressors. How many more might have survived if there would have been more willing to stand up to tyranny. Perhaps more people could have returned to claim the detritus of their lives. 

If one might think this is too much to ask, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks of blessed memory, points us to this week’s Torah portion. 

This week we begin the second book of the five books of the Torah, known as Exodus. 

The Parsha begins with a quick historical review of the children of Jacob moving to Egypt and proliferating and succeeding in their new environment. 

But a new Pharaoh comes to power who did not know the Joseph who had saved the ancient world from famine and made Egypt fabulously wealthy. 

All forgotten. 

Pharaoh’s concern was that the Jews were becoming too many and too mighty. 

The first version of the “Jewish problem”.

In order to curb the population explosion and to ensure that a possible savior would not rise to fight the Egyptians, Pharaoh decided to kill every Jewish baby boy at birth. 

Pharaoh commands the Jewish midwifes to do the unthinkable. He orders them to kill the newborn boys as soon as they are born. 

One can only imagine the terror they must have felt. 

The most powerful tyrant in the ancient world commanded two women to do his sinister bidding. 

And…they didn’t follow orders. 

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks calls this the first recorded instance of civil disobedience in history. 

3300 years later the Germans excused their bestial behavior by saying they were “just following orders” and had no choice but to comply. 

Rabbi Sacks says they can be held to the proper moral standard by these midwives who refused to comply because the actions asked of them were completely inhumane and “just following orders” was not an option. 

The aforementioned midwives are identified by the Sages as Yocheved and Miriam, the mother and sister of Moses respectively. But in the Torah portion they are referred to as Shifra and Puah. Those names are appellations that describe their activities as nursemaids. Shifra cleaned up the newborns, and her name comes from the Hebrew word “meshaper”, to beautify. Shifra brought the baby sweet smelling, refreshed and swaddled, to the new mom. The name Puah,  refers to the cooing noise Miriam would make as she calmed the babies, saying Poo Poo Poo. 

These are universal activities for any typical baby nurse. Why is it necessary to mention these details in the Torah at all?

Because not only did these heroic women refrain from killing the children, they also went above and beyond the call of duty to provide a greater level of care for the babies in this time of exile and danger. 

Despite the great personal risk they faced, these women were devoted and dedicated to those in their care. 

This “mesirut nefesh”, selfless dedication, exhibited by Yocheved and her daughter are bequeathed to us as a People. 

We are willing to go above and beyond in helping one another. The attribute of sharing a fellow Jew’s burden is essential to our essence as a nation. 

This attitude birthed a Moses who, despite growing up as a royal in the palace, went out to see his brethren and “saw their burdens”. He was not satisfied with his own comfort, but extended his efforts to support his people in their time of need. 

So many years after the Egyptian captivity we see how compassion and love supported people in their time of pain and gave them the strength to persevere. 

That message ensured that the Jewish nation would survive no matter the challenge. 

Had the world held up the moral standards of Shifra and Puah perhaps all those years later, in Łódź Poland perhaps there would have been someone left to retrieve their spoons. 

Shabbat Shalom and so much love!