Parashat Shemot

Exodus 1:1 - 6:1

Timothy Snyder in his book "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons to Learn from the 20th Century" describes how we can learn from the mistakes of the past century and how to deal with tyranny. Shemot could well be titled in the same way although with modifications, something like "On the tyranny in Shemot: lessons to be learned from the women who rebelled against the tyranny of Pharaoh".

And I don't say it, it says it, with other words, the Tosafot to Talmud Megilah 4ª. And not only women, Moshe is also an example of rebellion against said tyranny, but it must also be said that Moshe had some excellent teachers: his mother, his sister, his adoptive mother.

But above all it is the example of the midwives or midwives that is the loudest in this parashah, and so much so that God rewards them with "great houses", that is, probably with great offspring, for having learned a few lessons from which Timothy Snyder gives a good account: not obeying in advance, taking responsibility for the world you live in, remembering professional ethics, standing up against tyranny, staying calm when asked to do the unthinkable, and being as brave as you can be.