Parshat Shemot

How should we understand this pasuk (verse)? Why are the midwives rewarded at this point? What is the correct syntax of the pasuk? ‘Batim’ might seem to mean houses so why might houses be the reward for the midwives?

We will focus on the last of these questions.

According to Rashi, batim in fact means descendants in this context. Rashi explains that the various groups of Cohanim, Levi’im and Melachim (kings) were all called a ‘bayit’ (the singular of batim). As Rashi has already explained (1:15), at least with regard to Miriam, the two midwives were Yocheved (Moses’ mother) and her daughter Miriam. From Yocheved descended the Cohanim and Levi’im whilst from Miriam descended the Melachim.

Chizkuni partially agrees with Rashi. He writes that ‘batim’ refers to children in general, not to the particular groups identified by Rashi. We may suggest that at this time for the Jewish people, the blessing of being given children, especially with such a distinguished future, was even greater than usual.

However, in a second comment Chizkuni explains that Pharaoh constructed physical houses for the midwives so that there was a central station for Pharaoh to direct the baby boys towards so that the midwives could do the job that Pharaoh envisaged. Rashbam writes similarly.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein charts a path for us to harmonise these differing approaches although he would appear to find Rashi’s explanation most appropriate. The midwives carried out their work in conditions of great danger. As such, they needed physical protection, which a physical house would provide for them regardless of who constructed it. The midwives fear of G-d and love of their fellows was a great example to anybody who advocates for the Jewish people, be they a teacher or community worker, to name but two examples.

Therefore, the midwives combined physical and spiritual reward was in having some potentially illustrious descendants in the form of the various ‘batim’ of the Cohanim, Levi’im and Melachim who were descended from the midwives.

This approach helps us to understand why the Mefarashim (commentators) find differing understandings of the word ‘batim’ and how we can also harmonise differing peirushim (explanations) to give us a fuller appreciation of the words of the Torah.