Midwives
Pioneers of Faith
Childbirth, perhaps more than any other life event, is an experience
that demands a strong dose of faith and surrender. No matter how
well planned or organized we may be, the inevitable moment will
arise where the birthing woman must face the fact that there is a
force at play that is larger than herself. As her baby moves down
the narrow passage towards birth, and contractions rush through her
body with the force of a tidal wave surging towards land, the
birthing woman is presented with a sublime choice: to faithfully
submit to its power, or to fight it tooth and nail. There is a
precious body of women who for centuries have been intimately
connected with this simple truth, and have continuously chosen
faith. They are called midwives.
A midwife's role, among other things, is to encourage a birthing
mother to "let go"
A midwife’s role, among other things, is to encourage a birthing
mother to "let go" and allow herself to become a conduit for this
great Force to flow through. Trust in the natural process of labor
and in a woman’s body to birth normally and safely is the hallmark
of midwifery care. Every culture and religion has their own words
and metaphors to describe their reverence and awe of this process. But for Jewish midwives, this reverence stems from an understanding
that birth is Godly in nature. Their faith in birth is inexorably
bound with their faith in God.
We have an historical precedent for the midwife’s inherent faith in
God in the Torah portion, Shemot, where we are introduced to two of
the most powerful Jewish leaders in our history, both extremely
faithful and righteous women. They are our first recorded midwives, Shifra and Puah.
They practiced their trade during a time where the very existence of
the Jewish people was hanging by a delicate thread. Pharaoh’s
astrologers had predicted that a Jewish male would rise amongst the
Hebrews and overtake his throne. In a paranoid attempt to curtail
the Jewish birth rate, he ordered all Jewish men into backbreaking
slave labor (Ibn Ezra). But when the Jews continued to multiply,
Pharaoh, driven by evil and desperation, commanded Shifra and Puah
to kill all newborn Jewish boys.
"The midwives, however, feared God; so they did not do as
the king of Egypt had spoken to them, but they enabled the boys to
live." (Exodus 1:17)
Pharaoh didn’t count on the midwives defiance or their faith in God.
Despite the danger of defying Pharaoh’s command, Shifra and Puah
decided to continue their holy calling. With whole-hearted faith in
the Creator, they swam against a very strong and dangerous political
tide, fully knowing that disobedience of Pharaoh’s decree meant
death for them. But their fear of God far surpassed their fear of a
human king.
They helped to nurture and sustain all the newborn babies
From then on, not only did Shifra and Puah help birth the Jewish
women, but they helped to nurture and sustain all the newborn
babies. Before each birth they prayed to God to assist the Jewish
women to birth quickly and safely and they prayed for the health and
well being of all the babies under their care. The Midrash states
that Shifra and Puah actually became God’s partners in creation,
granting life to the Jewish children (Shemot Rabba 1:19).
"God bestowed goodness upon the midwives, and the people multiplied
and became very strong. It was because the midwives feared God, that
He made houses for them." (Exodus 1:20-21)
The "Houses" God made for Shifra and Puah were in fact dynasties
born through them. Our Sages explain that Shifra was a pseudonym for
Jochebed, and Puah was another name for Miriam. The name "Shifra"
comes from the Hebrew word "meshaperet" which means "to beautify",
and/or "to swaddle and clean" (i.e. a baby). Miriam was called Puah,
from the Hebrew verb "Po’ah" that means "cry, coo or groan" because
of the way she soothed and cooed the crying newborn infants.
Jochebed was blessed to give birth not only to her daughter Miriam,
but also to Moses and Aaron. Through Jochebed (Shifra), a nation of
priests was born. And Miriam (Puah) was blessed to mother the Royal
dynasty, the "House of David."
There is something about being present at a birth… about standing at
the threshold between born and unborn that transforms a person.
Perhaps it is because of their trade that Shifra and Puah developed
such faith in their conviction. Perhaps it was because they
witnessed the miracle of life unfold before their eyes that they
found the strength to face the challenge to kill or be killed… and
overcome it with power and grace.
Shifra and Puah never entertained the idea of fighting God’s will. Instead, they fought for God’s will. And they won. This strength has
been handed down all the way from our ancestral midwives to the
modern midwives of today. May God bless them to continue in the
paths of Shifra and Puah, fearing God, not man, and through their
faith in the Godliness of birth, bless them to be His partners in
creation.
By
Sarah Zadok
Sarah Zadok is a childbirth educator, doula and freelance writer. She is also a very popular teacher at Mayanot Women's Yeshiva in
Jerusalem. She lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel, with her husband
and four children.
'Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them
from the ends of the earth,
Among them the blind and the lame,
The woman with child and The one who labors with child, together,
A
great throng shall return there...And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the LORD.'
Jeremiah 31:8, 14~~~
©2009 Charis Childbirth
Services, All Rights Reserved
Feel free to forward this newsletter to friends in its entirety,
leaving all attribution intact.
February 2010
|