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The Exodus Women

Contributed by Feminist Seder- Stanford Hillel

  • TOP HAGGADAHS FOR 2023

The Talmud says, “We were only redeemed from Egypt because of the righteous women of the generation.” We gather tonight to retell the Passover story in a way that honors the women of the Exodus, who often go unmentioned and uncelebrated.

We remember the brave midwives Shifra and Puah. They dedicated their entire lives and beings to helping women bring life into the world. Even their names- Shifra, Puah- are pleasant sounds that women would make to their children to soothe them. When Pharaoh decreed that the midwives kill all baby boys, they resisted, coming up with excuses not to kill the children, and instead helping their families, giving them food and care.

We remember Miriam the child, who stood up to her father when he was so demoralized by slavery that he divorced her mother Yochaved. Miriam told him something incredibly daring: that he was worse than Pharaoh, because Pharaoh killed only boys, while her father was not permitting either baby boys or girls to have a chance to live. Her father recognized her wisdom and listened to her, and her parents remarried and conceived Moses.

We remember all the Jewish women in Egypt, who, like Miriam, knew that life was hope. They would bring food and drink to their husbands in the fields, when they were physically and mentally broken by slave labor, and seduce them, using mirrors to flirt with them. Although the women were also slaves, and although they knew that they might not be able to resist Pharaoh’s genocidal plots, they found the strength to create life and family.

We remember the courageous and rebellious Egyptian Princess, Batya, who defied her father the Pharaoh by rescuing a baby she knew was Jewish. Although her handmaidens quaked with fear and warned her against disobeying the Pharoah’s decree, Batya acted on her human compassion toward a baby she had no connection to, changing the course of history.

We remember Miriam for her intelligence and sharp thinking. When Batya pulled Moses from the river, Miriam suggested her mother, Yochaved, as a wet nurse, and made it possible for her to nurse her own son. And we remember Miriam as the great leader and prophetess she became, sustaining and guiding her people as they wandered in the wilderness.

Most of these women acted in the family sphere, as sisters, wives, and mothers, and tonight we remember that a woman is not defined by her role in the family or her ability to have children. She is as capable of making her case to Pharaoh as she is capable of delivering babies.

But although these women’s roles may have been gendered, their heroism and humanity was not. It is a testament to their incredible strength that even in a time when their agency was limited, they were able to stand against Pharaoh’s oppression and redeem their people.

Turn to the person next to you and ask one of the following thought questions:

What was a time that you felt powerful as a woman to “redeem your people?”

What was a time you were able to stand against oppression?

Which women do you admire most from the Exodus story and why?
haggadah Section: -- Exodus Story
Source: Original composition with lots of help from Rabbi Daniel

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