Dear Friends,
And now for something completely different. Just kidding. Yep, it’s another midrash about a little know badass woman from the Torah. Writing feminist midrash has been an incredibly empowering experience. If anyone knows Judith Plaskow, can someone tell her thank you? If you’ve been enjoying this pieces and want to make sure you never miss one, subscribe by clicking this button!
Shavuah tov, dear readers.
Love, Meg
There are a few stories of women saving baby boys in Torah. A lesser known one comes in 2 Kings (or 2 Chronicles as quoted below) when Jehoshebeath saves and stows away her nephew and heir to the throne, Joash. Here is how the story goes:
2 Chronicles 22:8-12
So it came to pass that when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, he came upon the officers of Judah and Azaiah’s relatives, who had been attending Azaiah, and slew them. He then searched for Azaiah who was caught hiding in Samaria. Then they brought him to Jehu, put him to death and buried him, for they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought Adonai with all his heart.” Then there was no one in the house of Azaiah to hold power over the kingdom.
Now when Athaliah, Azaiah’s mother, saw that her son had died, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah. But Jehoshebeath (yeh-ho-sheh'-baht, "God is an oath,") , the king’s daughter, took Joash the son of Azaiah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being slain, and put him and his nurse in the bedroom. Because Jehoshebaeath, daughter of King Jehoram and wife of Jehoiada the kohen, was the sister of Azaiah, she could hide him from Athaliah so she could not kill him. He remained hidden with them in the House of God for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.
A very similar text can be found earlier in 2 Kings 11.
What was Jehoshebaeath thinking when she saved baby Joash? What does it mean to save a life? What will proceed is an original midrash attempting an answer.
The story of Yocheved’s strength was told often in our home. Pregnant with Moses, she’d walk down the street to such harassment it doesn’t bear repeating but her spirit was firm. And when he was born she called a family meeting. “Listen,” she said, “this new soul is ours to protect. Who knows what the years will bring but today we do know we are able to save him. Even if just for the night.” And they did. We know how the story goes. For three months he was kept until again, another family meeting was called. What do we do now? I always wish I knew what was said at that family meeting. We only know the outcome.
It was this story that was playing in my head when the queen started her madness. How could she kill like that? Destroy her entire family for what? Some say she truly went mad. Some say it was her way of ending this monarchy which was doomed from the start – taking it into her own hands – some twisted and premature hand of fate.
Ahaziah and I had always been close. As kids, we were inseparable – refusing to eat meals without the other at the table. I miss him now. It’s hard to eat. The night Athaliah started her slaughter, I knew I owed him everything I could.
We went in the middle of the night. Joash, the young prince, was sleeping quietly. Breathing easily and blissfully unaware of the carnage around him. His nurse gathered the essentials and the rest we would figure out once we arrived at the temple, where he would remain. That night, the temple became a fortress.
If I had known it would be six years, maybe we would have fled – found a life somewhere where he could run free, outside. Maybe on the coast so he could dip his toes in the sea. Or maybe we would have boarded a ship and changed our names. I finally understand why Yocheved put Moses in the basket – what it meant for her to “choose life.”
Barush HaShem it has ended. And I know he will become a great king in time. But now he is seven years old and I’m taking him to the forest at midnight. No guards and he must leave his crown at home.