BY: Neesa Berezin-Bahr
In parshat Vayigash, the family of Jacob rejoins Joseph in Egypt, setting the stage for the exile in Egypt and subsequent redemption of the people of Israel. In the Torah’s description of the journey down to Egypt, various family members are mentioned, and a previously unnoticed character, Serach bat Asher is one of the few women who are mentioned by name amongst the family.[1] Possibly due to her special mention, Chazal writes that Serach, accompanied by a gentle harp meant to ease the emotional intensity of the moment, was the one who revealed to Jacob that Joseph is still alive.[2] Upon hearing the news, Jacob’s spirit was returned to him.[3] The Midrash says that because Serach, in essence, revived Jacob’s life, she never tasted death; she is counted among the nine people who entered Gan Eden alive.[4] Serach, an eternal being, is thus attributed with other midrashim. The verb form of Serach, spelled with a samech as her name is sometimes spelled, means “to go free”, “overrun”, or “exceed.”[5] True to her name, she is a remnant through the generations.
According to Midrash, Serach was present when Joseph reveals to his brothers the secret phrase that the savior of the Jewish people in Egypt will use, “pakod pakaditi.” Serach is addressed by the nation when they are unsure of the integrity of Moses as savior and she is able to verify his legitimacy when he indeed uses that phrase.[6] When the Jewish nation is preparing to leave Egypt, Moses wants to take the bones of Joseph with them. How did Moses know where Joseph’s bones were located? Only Serach, who carried the oral tradition and was present when Joseph was buried, could locate Joseph’s bones.[7] Serach is the link between the past and the future and she signifies the strong connection between the Oral and Written Torah.[8] In Talmud Sotah, Rashi asks why the Jewish people in Egypt could not just ask their questions to Joseph’s grandchildren. According to Midrash, redemption was dependent on Serach’s knowledge; without “pakod pakaditi” and without Joseph’s bones, there would be no redemption.[9]
Chazal often utilize a tool called “conservation of Biblical personalities.” When there is an unnamed character referred to in Tanakh, the Midrash will identify him/her with a known Biblical personality for the sake of continuity within and between texts. Serach was known as a wise woman, filled with knowledge and secrets from the past. In Sefer Shmuel, a rebel named Sheva ben Bichri runs from King David and seeks refuge in a city. Yoav, David’s army general, forms a siege around the city and proceeds to engage in conversation with a “wise woman” in order to capture and kill the rebel.[10] When Chazal saw an “isha chachama, “a wise woman”, a significant yet unnamed character, Chazal identifies the character as Serach. She bridges generations and she is needed for this particular episode. The isha chachama has an entire conversation with Yoav, David’s general, over a wall, symbolically a barrier which Serach is able to bridge. The isha chachama says, “Ani Hishlamti … ” “I completed … ”, which hints to three things: the first is that she, Serach, completed the 70 “nefesh” (souls) who went down to Egypt; the second allusion is that she fills the gaps between generations, or thirdly, the isha chachama is purposely using the language of shalom, peace, because she succeeds in bringing peace in this story. [11]
Her tactic for saving the city echoes the dialogue between Abraham and G-d. When G-d has plans to destroy Sodom, Abraham pleads with G-d not to destroy the city because of a possibility that there are ten righteous people amongst the wicked.[12] Serach, the isha chachama, pleads that they not destroy the city merely because of one guilty person. Serach was well-versed in Torah Law and was aware of the ruling that if a specific person is identified by name and is deserving of death, then it is permissible to save the city and sacrifice the guilty party’s life.[13] She assumes the role of judge, careful to keep Sheva ben Bichri anonymous until the appropriate time and is therefore said to have completed the “70 nefesh”- she unto herself is a Sanhedrin, a judiciary body of 70. She blends Torah Law and human nature. She again affirms life over death.
Eternity means bringing Oral Tradition with us; it means reliving our past as a nation. Every day we are meant to feel that G-d is giving us the Torah anew. “The term pakad is like a barbed arrow, drawn by the archer of the past and directed towards the target of the future, the redemption of the people.”[14] Our past is not just past; we constantly relive it and it is as real today as was hundreds and thousands of years ago. Being eternal means living for a community that is eternal, not just for ourselves. “Maaseh Avot siman l’banim”[15] (or in our case, “maaseh avot v’imahot siman l’banim u’banot”), the actions of our forefathers and mothers are a sign for future generations; we can learn valuable lessons from our ancestors. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik says, “With one hand the Jew receives the message of the past, and with the other he passes it on to the future. Through the merging of experiential memory and experiential anticipation the Jew transcends temporal bounds and penetrates into eternity.”[16] Serach Bat Asher teaches us to remember the past, relive it, and make it come alive in all of our experiences so we can merit seeing redemption soon for all of Am Yisrael!
[1] Bereishit 46:17
[2] Midrash Hagadol 45:26
[3] Bereishit 45:27
[4] Torah Shleimah 45:26 Footnote 88
[5] In the Torah, Serach’s name is spelled with the letter “sin”, interestingly however, in the Talmud (Sotah), Torah Shleimah, Midrash Rabah, Midrash Tanchuma, Bereishit Rabah, and Pesikta d’Rav Kahane amongst other sources, her name is spelled with the letter “samech”.
[6] Shemot Raba 13
[7] Pesikta d’Rav Kahane 11
[8] Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach: 2
[9] Talmud Sotah 13A
[10] Shmuel II 20
[11] Bereishit Rabah 94:9
[12] Bereishit 18: 22-32
[13] Bereishit Rabah 94:9
[14] Adelman, “Torah of the Mothers”
[15] Ramban on Bereishit 12:6
[16] Shiurei HaRav: The Unique Experience of Judaism
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