This month, I’ve been thinking a lot about Shabbat Shirah, one of the rare moments in the Torah where women’s leadership and initiative take center stage.
 
In these stories, it’s the women, often working quietly and at great personal risk, who resist tyranny and choose life. Their bravery reminds us that history is not only shaped by those who lead armies or stand at the front of the stage, but by those who nurture, shield, and sacrifice so life can continue.
 
That truth feels especially resonant right now. In dark or uncertain times, our tradition urges us to look to the people who sustain life, who care for others, who quietly resist injustice even when the risks are real. Their courage is a powerful reminder that the path toward freedom and redemption is often paved by acts of compassion, defiance, and deep moral conviction. I’ve been holding these lessons close to my heart this month.
 
It also reminds me of these words from Rabbi Ari Hart from early January when we read the story of the Exodus: 
 
"Look to the women.

This is a deep teaching in this week’s Torah portion, Shemot/Exodus.

The beginning of Exodus describes a dark descent into tyranny, slavery, and genocide.

Who saves innocent lives? Who fights back against the machine of hate and violence?

Who successfully stands up for what’s right?

In Shemot, it’s not really Moses. He appears, but his early activism fails, forcing him to flee.

It’s the women.

It’s Shifra and Puah: Midwives who bravely defied an evil decree to protect innocent life.

It’s Yocheved: A mother who refused to give in to despair, doing whatever it took to hide her child and give him a future.

It’s Miriam: A sister who stood watch over her baby brother until she knew he was safe.

It’s Bat Pharaoh: A tyrant’s daughter whose moral awakening helps her shed her father’s hate and save a crying Hebrew child.

It’s everyday women, of different nations and stations, simply doing what’s right because they knew it was right.

When the world feels dark and the path forward is unclear, look to those who give life, nurture life, and sacrifice for life."