Chapter 114 of Tehillim, which we recite as part of Hallel, describes the parting of the Yam Suf. The chapter specifically highlights the role of the tribe of Yehuda in this story: When Israel left Egypt, the house of Yaakov [left] a people of a strange tongue, Yehuda became [hayta] His holy nation, Israel [became] His dominion. The sea saw and fled…

Rav Yaakov of Lisa, author of the Netivot HaMishpat, responds to the verse’s surprising reference to Yehuda in his Haggada Ma’aseh Nisim. What is the meaning of the specific reference to Yehuda, and why does the verse refer to Yehuda in feminine language [hayta] rather than the expected masculine term [haya]?

Rav Yaakov explains that this alludes to the actions of Nachshon ben Aminadav, leader of the tribe of Yehuda, who famously entered the sea before it split, as described by Chazal. He adds that the verse uses the feminine form in an allusion to Nachshon’s ancestor Tamar, who sanctified Hashem’s Name by not revealing Yehuda’s involvement in her pregnancy, thus sparing him from embarrassment (see Bereshit 38 and Sotah 10b).

Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein explains further in Torat HaYoledet that Tamar’s self-sacrifice – her willingness to be burned rather than embarrassing Yehuda – was a spiritual trait inherited by her descendants. Once she married Yehuda, that willingness to sacrifice and to sanctify God’s Name became part of her spiritual legacy and was transmitted to her great-grandson Nachshon. He then writes: “Fortunate is the woman in childbirth who is meticulous in mitzvot from the very first moment of her child’s life and strives to conduct all her actions according to the Torah of Hashem. For her good actions will surely influence her child to follow the path of Torah—just as Tamar’s deeds influenced all who descended from her...”

According to this powerful idea, a woman who gives birth can, through her careful observance of halacha, transmit a legacy of spiritual strength and Torah commitment to her children. In particular, a mother who is mindful of halachic guidance and the sanctity of Shabbat, even during the vulnerable and urgent process of labor, plants seeds of holiness for future generations.

As we have learned, many aspects of Shabbat are overridden by the mitzva of pikuach nefesh to ensure the safe delivery of mother and child. Still, halacha calls upon all involved to minimize Shabbat desecration where possible, including through proper planning in advance. More importantly, the very act of wanting to follow halacha, of seeing Shabbat as a value to uphold rather than a burden to bypass, becomes a spiritual merit in its own right, one that can be passed down. May we all merit to see true nachat and Torah commitment from our children and families (adapted from the English Tzurba M’Rabanan series, volume 22).

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Dedicated by Fran Broder as a zechus for everlasting peace in Eretz Yisrael in the merit of learning Hilchos Shabbos.