The geulah didn’t begin with THE SEA SPLITTING or Matan Torah.
It began with sparks.
Small, brave sparks.
A little light that someone decided to shine.
A mother.
A sister.
A daughter.
Bizchus nashim tzidkanios nigalu avoseinu they say… and it will be US women, who redeem our people, once again.
No pressure. (Pressure’s on )
Yocheved
It’s all started with a little spark from Yocheved. She chose to shine light in a world of darkness. She chose LIFE when all Pharaoh wanted to do… was end it.
That light she chose to bring into this world was ONE choice! Just one! That one choice was baby Moshe! A baby that led us out of Mitzrayim. They tried to drown her hope, but when you try drowning a Yiddishe mama, you know what we’re gonna do? We’re gonna raise redeemers!
This is us! Try us!
Miriam
It’s not just the Yiddishe mamas, it’s the girls whom we raise. The Miriam’s of the world!
Miriam, just like her mother – chose to shine her light! How? She dared to hope. To watch. She waited. She BELIEVED! She never gave up! And all that, from such a young girl. According to Chazal, Miriam was about 6 years old when she stood watching Moshe in the Nile.
Basya
Then we have another hero… introducing Basya! She wasn’t even part of our people! She wasn’t, how does the term go? Oh, yes… “One of us!” And yet, she reached as far as humanly possible. But, why?
She didn’t owe that baby anything. She wasn’t Jewish. He was. Saving him meant defying her father, her culture, her safety, her identity. Yet, there she was! Reaching into a river of death, and, ultimately, pulling out redemption. So much to unpack here, so let’s start, shall we?
Everything in the Torah is meant for us to dig deeper! To apply it to our lives today… in our own personal way and the challenges we face.
In life, there are people who are not ‘like us.’ Not in our group.
Not dressed like us.
Not holding where we’re holding.
Not thinking like we think. And sometimes our instinct is to stay comfortable. Stay inside our circle.
But Basya teaches something incredible: Redemption starts when we EXPAND the circle.When we stop judging. When we stop categorizing.
When we stop asking “Are they like me?”
And start asking, “How can I ‘Be the reason someone SMILES,’ no matter their background!”
My holy sisters, one might think we’re referring only to outside relationships. But what about right at home?!?! Your spouse, your child, or even… YOURSELF!
Geulah didn’t begin with a miracle. It began with unity. With compassion crossing lines.
It takes one to truly step out of their comfort zone, to let go and to really dig deep in order to reach another person. That’s not easy because in order to change a situation, we must first change ourselves and look inward… for we could never change anyone but ourselves!
This isn’t just about Basya. This is about us as parents standing at our own riverbanks. It’s a parenting story. Because sometimes our children don’t walk exactly in our path.
They question.
They test.
They pull away.
They choose differently than we imagined.
And in those moments, we stand at our own Nile. We can say:
“This isn’t what I expected.”
“This isn’t how I raised you.”
“This isn’t MY way.”
Or we can stretch.
Basya didn’t say, “When you look like me, THEN I’ll love you.”
She reached out first!
And that’s unconditional love.
If you’re reading this, hug your child! If you’re reading this, hug a child that has no parent to hug and hold them. But whatever you do, reach out!
Sometimes, the real miracle is not splitting seas. It’s breaking barriers inside OURSELVES!
When we choose to see the Neshamah before the behavior. That’s breaking barriers! And that stretch pulls redemption into a home.
Maybe geulah doesn’t only come to a nation. Maybe it begins in a living room, when a parent says, “No matter where you’re holding, I WILL LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT!” I could ONLY imagine what that image will look like! I’m crying already!
This Pesach, I pray, there will be so much redemption in your homes, in your hearts, and in your relationships! And, lastly, I want to focus on Miriam once more, if I may 🙂
I heard something so beautiful from one of the fathers who spoke at a Bas Mitzvah I performed at, Daddy Koslowe. He said that Miriam didn’t sing TO the people, she sang WITH them!
She invited a response! She wanted to make sure that EVERYONE was part of the singing! Even the ones who felt empty, broken, or too tired to believe… even they could answer back! That was such a powerful lesson for me, personally, as an entertainer.
I’m constantly singing and dancing with women and girls of all ages and backgrounds. And I realized something: Sometimes people don’t need a performance.
They need permission. Permission to breathe again. Permission to hope again.Permission to find a voice they forgot they had.
Miriam didn’t wait for everyone to be strong before singing. Ain’t nobody got time for that! She sang so they could become strong. And that’s the message I pray to leave you off with Even if life knocked the wind out of you…
Even if your song feels stuck in your chest… Someone else’s belief can help you unlock your own.
Borrow the strength.
Answer back.
Whisper if you have to.
But SING! And dance!! Even in the darkest hour.
You don’t have to be whole to sing; You sing, my friend, and THAT’S how you become whole!
Never forget Yocheved, Miriam and Basya.
There were no fireworks.
No headlines.
JUST FLICKERS. Flickers of light and hope that 3 women decided to shine on this world. A little light and a little light, a little light… was the START of the redemption!
So? My holy ladies!! What are you waiting for? BE the light! Spread your light! And let’s get ready to greet Mashiach front and center with our tambourines!
And don’t worry – I have TUTUS for everyone!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Nashim Tzidkaniyos / Pesach.
