COURAGE AND CONSCIENCE

   Tonight on the 19th of Teves, is the Yahrzeit of my beloved Mother, 

Rae Mehlman,ריבה בת יחיאל ע׳ה

  I worshipped the ground she stood on, for the way she dedicated herself to our family, especially for her devotion to our father and her love of her children and grandchildren. She was truly the spiritual and physical glue that kept our family together and inspired all of us to greater heights of 

G-Dliness and Menshlikeit. As I remember her, this week's Parsha comes to mind, as we are introduced to the leaders of עם ישראל, while they were in Mitzrayim. In addition to Moshe the מנהיג של ישראל, we are introduced to a group of outstanding women, who were the true saviors of Israel, during a very difficult time in Galut.

    For me there were six heroines, all courageous women. This chapter in our history began with יוכבד, the wife of Amram, and mother of Miriam, Aaron, and Moshe.  At the height of Egyptian persecution she feared no one and continued to have children.  She gave birth to Moshe, even after being threatened by the King, that all future children would be killed at birth. 

        The second is Miriam, who kept watch over baby Moshe as the ark floated down the river, until Basya, the daughter of Pharaoh retrieved the basket.  While holding the baby, Miriam suggested that he be nursed by a Jewess. With this act she exhibited fearlessness and presence of mind. 

  With these righteous women, we must include the two midwives, Shifrah and Puah, who frustrated Pharaoh’s attempt at genocide. However, their fear of G-D, did not permit them to kill the male Jewish children at birth, and with great courage and G-Dlinesss they disobeyed the King's order, placing their lives in jeopardy. 

  My final Hall of Fame woman, is Tziporah, a daughter of a Midianite Priest, who was willing to accompany Moshe on an arduous trip and task to bring the Geulah for the Jewish slaves in Egypt, despite the fact that she had no reason to risk her life. In fact, later, she saved Moshe from death, when, courageously, seeing her son was not circumcised, did so on her own. 

  We must, always,, remember the daughter of Pharaoh, Batyah, who was willing to go against her own fathers orders, and rescued a Jewish child, and brought up Moshe as her own, thereby, saving his life. 

  These are women, who were truly,נשי חיל, women to whom we owe our very existence, women who must become our emulating examples, by which to follow, for with them at our side, our future success as עם קדוש, is assured.

  These are our Women of Courage, and more so our Women of Conscience, who refused to be defeated when it came for them to rise to the ethical occasion of bringing about the glorious future of עם ישראל.

        We are always to be reminded of an insightfulYalkut Shimoni, "אין הדורות נגאלין אלא בשכר נשים צדקניות שיש בדור, A generation is only redeemed by grace of the Righteous women". 

      The question I pose, “Are we ready to stand as courageous as they were, to fend off the assimilation that seems to be engulfing our Jewish Society and their mores that are threatening especially our youth throughout our country?”  

      These are difficult times for K’llal Yisrael, and for Eretz Yisrael.  Now is the time to lift our voices in prayer, 

   “ וגאלנו במהרה למען שמך  Redeem us speedily for the sake of Your Name!!”

   At the same time, as we pay homage to our mothers, let us not take them for granted and continue to use their lives as our emulating examples of kindness and benevolence for ourselves and for our family.