Jan. 9, 2026 – Shemot

An Ounce of Compassion: The Courage of Pharoah’s Daughter and Call to Action

Sometimes an ounce of compassion amid an ocean of cruelty can make all the difference. Take for example this week’s Torah portion. As Exodus begins, the Hebrews have been subjected to slavery and systematic murder of their infant sons when the narrative finally takes a turn for the better:

“The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, while her maidens walked along the Nile. She spied the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to fetch it. When she opened it, she saw that it was a child, a boy crying. She took pity on it and said, ‘This must be a Hebrew child.’” (Exodus 2:5-6)

Pharaoh’s daughter did not have to be kind. Nobody told her she had to rescue this child. She takes it upon herself to assume the risks of whatever questions or consequences her father, the ruler of Egypt, might have in mind. She could not have known that this helpless infant would grow up to liberate an entire people. It is impossible to imagine Exodus without Moses, and his survival is predicated on her decision to take pity on him.

The moral courage of Pharaoh’s daughter contains a message for us. Tutoring a child, feeding a family, housing a homeless person, defending the oppressed might not seem like a life-changing, game-changing or world-changing act at the time we do it, but we do not know. All we know is that it makes a difference in the here and now. Pharaoh’s daughter could not peer into the future any more than we can. She takes action not because she knows Moses will be a great person but because she knows Moses is in great peril. May her example inspire us to use our position, power and privilege to support fellow human beings who need our help.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Wirtschafter