Love is the antidote to antisemitism (for adults only!)

⚠ This post contains some sensitive subjects from the parashah

This week's parashah is Shemot which deals with the slavery of the Jewish people in Egypt. You don't need me to retell the entire story. Dayenu! That's what Pesach is for. I would like to focus on one aspect: Survival.

Despite the hard labor, despite the decree ordering the slaughter of the newborn boys, and despite the drowning of those boys, the Jewish people survived. The famous commentator Rashi explains in a later parashah how this survival came about.

There, in Parashat Vayakhel (38:8), the Torah tells us the Jewish women donated their copper mirrors for the building of the washbasin in the mishkan, aka tabernacle. Rashi explains that Moshe Rabbeinu had his reservations at first. These mirrors weren't to check for food rests between the women's teeth. The women used these mirrors to seduce their husbands. They would beautify themselves with the help of these mirrors, and meet their husbands in the fields where they worked. Next, they would bring their husbands food and drink. Then they'd have their husbands look into the mirror with them, and remind them of their beauty. This enticed their husbands. As it states in Shir haShirim 8:5 "I awakened your love under the apple tree."

Rashi states that Hashem tells Moshe that the donation of these mirrors is dearer to them than any other contribution. These women's love for their husbands and their children is the reason for the Jewish people's survival. 

But the Torah is not a history book. We're meant to apply the parashah's lessons to our lives today. This past year has been excruciating. In the wake of October 7th, we have experienced a lot of hate for our people. I've seen several posts from women saying they find it more difficult to connect with their husbands intimately since that day. This is understandable. I don't pretend to know the answers on how to get through this all. But I do know that love is part of it. We need to keep our love alive. And love helps us survive. 

With love,

Tamar aka Telem

P.S. I think there should be an anthology for the love stories that have spread hope in this terrible climate. Whatever happened to the woman who wrote her phone number on the meals she made for soldiers? I hope someone married her. Or the girl who held up a sign during the Washington DC rally saying that Jewish babies are the best revenge? I wonder if she has babies now. If you know about them, or others, please comment below.