Parashat Shemot kicks off the saga of the Israelites in Egypt – the central story of the Israelites. It details the origin of the Israelites oppression in Egypt, owing to the Pharoah’s fear of this growing, strange population that migrated into their territory. In Pharoah’s mind, making the Israelites’ lives terrible might somehow curb their growth and, thereby, his own fear of them.  

It doesn’t work. The opening of the Exodus story details a few different moments of Israelites and those who cared about them working to prevent Pharoah’s fear from destroying our ancestors:  

Shifra and Puah, two midwives for the Israelites, refused to participate in the systematic killing of Hebrew babies that Pharoah ordered, quietly saving each one they can.  

Yocheved saves her son, Moses, sending him down the Nile in hopes of a better future than what seems possible given Pharaoh’s harsh decrees, even if that means losing him. Batya, Pharoah’s daughter, finds Moses and shelters him throughout his childhood.  

And finally, once Moses grows up, he sees the injustice around him and feels moved to fight it on a larger scale, first gathering the Israelites together to demand better conditions and finally lobbying Pharoah and demanding freedom.   

Each of these actions has a different realm of influence – Moses’s are large and structural advocating for the whole population. Batya’s is individual, providing a single person refuge. And yet, each step was integral in ultimately bringing the Israelites out from oppression and into a better future.  

In a world rife with oppression and injustice, each of us has a role to play in bringing about a better world, whether helping individuals or advocating for structural changes. While our individual acts may seem small – donating a coat, calling a senator, attending a rally – as with the small acts in Shemot, their impact may be felt for generations. Is there something, big or small, you have done recently to support others in your community who may be facing oppression? What might you do in the week ahead?