The seven Aliyahs of Shemot
This parsha, though known for the burning bush is actually a testament to the courage of women who risked themselves to save others.
top right – It starts with the midwifes Shriprah and Puah who refused to kill the newborn boys demanded by the megalomaniacal Pharaoh, as he forced the Jews into slave labor.
top left – Here Pharaoh’s daughter Batyah extends her arms – magically much longer – to rescue the child floating on the basket. For her to take on this Jewish male child was a risk for her. Watched over by the Shekhina – the feminine aspect of Hashem – and also Moses’ mother and sister Miriam.
top center – Moses (green for the Sephirot associated with him, Netzach, victory) sees that a slave master has sexually abused a Jewish wife and then killed her husband and Moses reacts by destroying the slave master who slips buried into the sands. Moses then sees Jews fighting with each other and wants to stop this, but he is accused by descendants or Reuven, Dathan and Abiram of that murder and Moses escapes. He later meets Zipporah feeding her flocks and the two marry.
bottom right – Moses is confronted by the burning bush after rescuing a lost lamb, and the voice says that “I will be That I will be.”
bottom left – Told to go speak for the enslaved Jews and demand their freedom, Moses resists the call. Finally, Hashem in harshness to convince Moses to take on the task, shows Moses some miracles: his staff becoming a snake, his hand becomes white leprous, a drop turns water to blood. He also is told his brother Aaron, the color orange of the Sephirot, Hod, acceptance will speak for him as Moses stutters.
bottom center – Again a woman is a savior, here Zipporah circumcises their son, something Moses had not done, and Midrash says a snake was in the process of consuming him until she did this in a lodging. Aaron speaks to leaders of the enslaved Jews of their intention to confront Pharaoh.
center center – Pharoah’s reaction to Moses and Aaron is to increase the cruelty toward the now enslaved Jews.
May there be women in our lives who help protect us!