Parshas Miketz: Conceived in Rape, Saved from Death, Blessed by God

In this week’s Torah portion, Mikeitz: Genesis 41:1-44:17, Pharaoh summons Joseph from prison to interpret his dreams of feast and famine. Joseph rises to Viceroy of Egypt and marries Asenath, a young lady with an unorthodox past. Joseph keeps his identity hidden from his brothers when they arrive in Egypt to purchase grain during the famine.

Jacob Saves Dinah's Daughter

As an infant conceived from Dinah's rape, Asenath’s miraculous survival and role in Jewish history shows that wise leadership saves lives and future generations.

In Dinah’s Daughter: A Vital Link. published in the Jewish Press in 2011 and written by holocaust survivor Professor Livia Bitton-Jackson of blessed memory, the author explains that Jacob’s sons want to kill the infant in order to erase any shame from the house of Jacob. Jacob, however, believes that this infant girl should not be blamed and executed for her father’s crime. He prefers adoption to preserve the family's reputation and the baby's life.

He saves the baby from his sons by placing a gold medallion around her neck to identify her as a special child of the Almighty. One account says that the medallion is inscribed with the ‘Holy Name’ while another account says that the medallion is inscribed with, "Whoever meets you, meets the seed of Jacob." 

Dinah puts her infant daughter on the wall of Egypt. The angel, Michael,  arranges that she is found and adopted by Seleikha, Potipher’s barren spouse. When Asenath grows up, Joseph becomes aware of her and her lineage when she tosses her necklace to him during a parade.

Joseph marries Asenath, saving himself from marrying an Egyptian and restoring Dinah’s rightful place in Jewish history. Joseph and Asenath have two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Jacob later blesses the boys, who complete the 12 Tribes of Israel.

Rape is No Exception 

What an uplifting story! Jacob has wisdom and faith in God’s plan for his granddaughter. He prayerfully turns away from the prejudice of his time to save a Jewish life with a divine destiny. He demonstrates that Judaism depends upon lifesaving compassion that guarantees an ongoing Jewish presence in this world. Every child, no matter the circumstances of their conception or the inconvenience they pose, has value far beyond what a limiting self-concerned view can imagine. 

In God's eyes babies conceived in rape have equal value to every other baby. However, to humans they represent evidence of crimes committed that must disappear. They still bring shame to families. As our Torah portion teaches us, adoption is a life saving imperative with very positive outcomes.

It is customary in  many places in the world and within many religious circles to apply the ultimate banishment to these human beings: torture and death in the womb, or born alive and left to die or kept alive for organ harvesting.

Leadership Education Needed

Jacob’s action provides a powerful example for Jewish leaders today. We need Jews in leadership positions to advocate for our precious vulnerable unborn children.  Instead, most rabbis and influential community leaders remain silent even though Torah admonishes us to protect human life and allows no exception to the prohibition of child sacrifice, even for rape.

Why do most of our leaders fail to teach the sanctity of human life from conception? Many support abortion access and use their positions to advance it rather than condemn it. Those who respect human life fear losing charitable donors who support abortion access. They predict employment loss from boards governed by those unwilling to face this vitally important issue. They anticipate stirring up abortion wounds and lack the knowledge and training to help Jewish women and men who suffer. They worry that speaking out for those who cannot speak for themselves puts their friends and family at risk of attack.

A growing number of people around the world condone and even celebrate attacking and killing Jews merely because they believe we have no right to exist. We cannot and must not invoke the same argument to kill our unborn children.

We suggest that our leaders start by educating their communities about the need to save the Jewish lives that we can save, apart from those we lose in terrorist attacks. We suggest, too, that they educate themselves about abortion grief and recovery by reading through our healing program, Tikvat Rachel.  

The Special Mother Child Bond

The regular Haftarah portion this week, I Melachim (I Kings) 3:15-4:1, features King Solomon’s legendary wisdom in which he discerns the real mother of an infant from an imposter. King Solomon knows that mothers have an intuitive love for their children. Rav Simcha Wasserman,zt"l captures this sentiment. "Hashem gave women a very strong sense of intuition or Binah in order that mothers will be able to communicate with their infants and to feel and understand his or her needs.” 

The King orders the infant cut in half and divided between the two women, knowing that the real mother will surrender the baby to the imposter to save its life. When she does, King Solomon awards the mother her infant.

The Chanukah Promise

Our Chanukah Haftarah this week  Zechariah 2:14-4:7, includes the prophet’s vision of a Menorah that will light up the second temple upon its completion. The foundation is laid, but political pressure in Persia halts the work for seventeen years.

Zerubbabel, a descendant of King David and appointed governor of Judah after the Babylonian exile, despairs that the Temple will never be built. Zechariah reassures him that the Temple will be completed. Not by military force and not by physical strength, but by My spirit,' says the Lord of Hosts.

Zechariah warns Joshua to teach God's clear moral guidelines to his descendants. If he does, the Almighty promises to cleanse Israel of her sins and ultimately bring Moshiach to Jerusalem. The failure to teach the sanctity of human life from conception is a moral collapse that causes much loss of life and suffering. It also delays the coming of Moshiach.

Jacob respects human life and the Creator when he saves his granddaughter. Solomon understands that mothers naturally love their infants. Zechariah points the way towards redemption and Messiah. The Almighty promises to deliver us. Let's be respectful and wise and faithful. Let's run toward the Light!

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Cecily Routman

May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and good life upon us and upon all Israel. Amen.

Cecily Routman is the founder and president of the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation. She opposes abortion homicide in general and among Jews in particular and laments secular policy making in Israel that results in loss of Jewish life and delays the messianic redemption. Cecily envisions a Torah based holy Land of Israel and a world that respects the life of every human being from conception.

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