וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֶת־אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ׃

The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, while her maidens walked along the Nile. She spied the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to fetch it.

Exodus 2:5

Discussion Questions

1. What if these characters were queer women?
2. What themes does this passage hint at that are relevant to queer women?
3. How does centering queer women change the meaning of the text?

Commentary

Chava Session (Summer 2018)

Fire

What is Pharoah’s daughter’s relationship with her maidens and the slave girl? Does she see Moses inside the basket? If so, she has chosen to raise a child in partnership with her maidens rather than in partnership with a man.

Air

Perhaps Pharoah’s daughter lies with her maidservants—which would make her a zona, which would prohibit her to marry a priest. This also implies, according to other rabbis, that she is sexually promiscuous. She is able to save baby boy because of trust with maidservants.

Water

Because all women and “conduct of Egypt” may not be seen as beholden to Pharoah’s laws/patriarchy and thus can save boy’s life the imperative to avoid “lesbians” known to the community may be to avoid example of female-centered power relations as in Egypt/female agency.

Earth

Attempting to queer this passage perhaps feels disingenuous (women making do with subtext). All we can say is that Pharoah’s daughter wasn’t alone in this moment.