"Shalom, this is Or Sahar, a Company commander in Artillery. Between the cold weather and the dust at the Shivta camp, I managed to find a few spare moments to write to the soldiers about this week's Portion. In the week in which we turn into a Nation, we should pay attention to how this happens: it starts with the two midwives, Shifra and Puah. How much courage one needs to stand like they did in front of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, who decreed to throw all newborn male babies into the Nile. How much courage one needs to understand that what is happening does not make sense and to act against it. The midwives understood the enormity of their responsibility, their important role, and saw in it a rare opportunity to change reality. The two continued delivering babies, were very active and succeeded. Another person who chose not to ignore the situation is Moshe Rabbenu:"And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren." Moshe, just like the two midwives, his mother, and his sister, could have turned a blind eye, ignored things and stayed at the palace. Instead, Moshe chose to go out to his brethren, to recognize his Jewish identity and to go out of his comfort zone. Later on, he was chosen, of course, to lead the People of Israel. The desire to change a grim reality sometimes seems impossible to us. Sometimes everything seems corrupt, tough, too big for us to handle. But the Portion calls upon us to pay attention to when opportunities for a small-big change in the world come our way. We just must adhere to our values and not be indifferent. I wish for all of us that we should recognize these small opportunities and act right."
