Parashat Shemot
January 3, 2024
Seth Pertain, High School Talmud Teacher
Turning curses into blessings…
“וַאֲבָרֲכָה מְבָרְכֶיךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ אָאֹר” – “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.”
This promise that God made to Abraham has a hidden dimension that makes it even more potent – our attitude toward what happens ultimately shapes what is a curse and what is a blessing. This may seem obvious when thinking about blessings; after all, who doesn’t react well to hearing others’ praise. However, ironically, it may be that our reaction to curses is our actual super-power.
This promise that God made to Abraham has a hidden dimension that makes it even more potent – our attitude toward what happens ultimately shapes what is a curse and what is a blessing. This may seem obvious when thinking about blessings; after all, who doesn’t react well to hearing others’ praise. However, ironically, it may be that our reaction to curses is our actual super-power.
Exodus 2:22 explains Moshe’s mindset when naming his first son:
“וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמ֖וֹ גֵּרְשֹׁם כִּי אָמַר גֵּר הָיִיתִי בְּאֶרֶץ נָכְרִיָּה” – “She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, ‘I was a stranger in a foreign land.’”
We often accept this text at its face value – Moshe acknowledges that he’s different. However, I would like to propose a new reading based on the verse’s juxtaposition to a verse using an almost identical word. Five verses earlier, we have the verse in which Moshe meets his future wife. While trying to feed their flocks, a group of shepherds chases away the daughters of the Priest of Midian. The term used, “וַיְגָרְשׁוּם” (va’yigarshoom) means “they chased them away.” The second half of the verse goes on to say that, not only did Moshe stand up to the marauders, but that he saved them (the seven daughters of Yitro) – using a term that is often associated with redemption. The name גֵּרְשֹׁם (Gershom) seems to be a response to those shepherds’ actions. The marauders intended to intimidate, control, and chase others away. Moshe will create a future from that same action verb by transforming it into the name of his son. Thereby, Moshe will invert the negative intention of those shepherds “chasing away” the daughters to a name that represents the positive continuity of Moshe’s family and the generations of the Jewish people.
There is no shortage of bad press and accounts of harassing behavior in the news today. We really only have two options if continuity is important to us. We can wait with anticipation for God to turn our harassers’ curses back on them. We were promised that would happen. However, on the week when we read the first account of our being referred to as a nation, the alternative reaction may be the better one. If we choose to emulate Moshe’s actions and actively turn their curses into our blessings, we partner with God in ensuring that those who bless us will be blessed and those who curse us will ultimately be cursed.
Shabbat Shalom!
“וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמ֖וֹ גֵּרְשֹׁם כִּי אָמַר גֵּר הָיִיתִי בְּאֶרֶץ נָכְרִיָּה” – “She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, ‘I was a stranger in a foreign land.’”
We often accept this text at its face value – Moshe acknowledges that he’s different. However, I would like to propose a new reading based on the verse’s juxtaposition to a verse using an almost identical word. Five verses earlier, we have the verse in which Moshe meets his future wife. While trying to feed their flocks, a group of shepherds chases away the daughters of the Priest of Midian. The term used, “וַיְגָרְשׁוּם” (va’yigarshoom) means “they chased them away.” The second half of the verse goes on to say that, not only did Moshe stand up to the marauders, but that he saved them (the seven daughters of Yitro) – using a term that is often associated with redemption. The name גֵּרְשֹׁם (Gershom) seems to be a response to those shepherds’ actions. The marauders intended to intimidate, control, and chase others away. Moshe will create a future from that same action verb by transforming it into the name of his son. Thereby, Moshe will invert the negative intention of those shepherds “chasing away” the daughters to a name that represents the positive continuity of Moshe’s family and the generations of the Jewish people.
There is no shortage of bad press and accounts of harassing behavior in the news today. We really only have two options if continuity is important to us. We can wait with anticipation for God to turn our harassers’ curses back on them. We were promised that would happen. However, on the week when we read the first account of our being referred to as a nation, the alternative reaction may be the better one. If we choose to emulate Moshe’s actions and actively turn their curses into our blessings, we partner with God in ensuring that those who bless us will be blessed and those who curse us will ultimately be cursed.
Shabbat Shalom!