The highlight of this week’s Torah reading (Exodus 13:17–17:16) is the splitting of the Red Sea as the Jews make their final escape from their Egyptian oppressors. In trying to interpret the miracle, according to an ancient midrashic collection, the rabbis got help from a figure mentioned only three times in the Hebrew Bible: Serach, the granddaughter of Jacob, who, as Rabbi Rachel Adelman writes, “like Elijah, . . . shows up in the Hall of Study to resolve disputes.”

Adelman connects this tale to a variety of other rabbinic traditions that portray Serach daughter of Asher—the only female mentioned in the genealogy of the Israelites who went down to Egypt at the end of the book of Genesis—as having an extremely long, perhaps unending, lifespan, and as providing crucial assistance that made the exodus possible:

In Pirkey d’Rabbi Eliezer, a mid-8th-century narrative midrash, Serach plays a pivotal role in Moses’ appeal to the elders of Israel, after God appoints him to lead Israel out of Egypt. . . . When the elders are gathered, they turn to their elder Serach, now well over two-hundred years old, to determine whether Moses is legitimate.

She is the last survivor of the generation that came to Egypt from Canaan and therefore the sole link of the promise to the forefathers. True to her name, which means “hangs over,” Serach exceeds the normal life span, and overlaps the generations.

In this version of the story, “Asher son of Jacob delivered the secret of the redemption to Serach, his daughter.” Serach only admits Moses’ authenticity when he makes esoteric reference to the “secret of redemption,” and only then do the people believe him. Reading the story of Exodus through the lens of these midrashic tales reveals something important. On the one hand it is a story of revolution: the slaves gain their freedom; Pharoah’s reign and the religious beliefs that undergird it are overthrown; and the Israelites are taken to the wilderness to receive an entirely new set of laws and a new moral system. On the other hand, the Exodus depends on the continuation of tradition: it is the “God of your fathers” who appears to Moses; and it is Serach, the ultimate conveyer of ancient knowledge, who ensures his message is heard.

On Tuesday, representatives of Hamas met with their counterparts from Fatah—the faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) once led by Yasir Arafat that now governs parts of the West Bank—in Beijing to discuss possible reconciliation. While it is unlikely that these talks will yield any more progress than the many previous rounds, they constitute a significant step in China’s increasing attempts to involve itself in the Middle East on the side of Israel’s enemies.

By contrast, writes Tuvia Gering, Taiwan has been quick and consistent in its condemnations of Hamas and Iran and its expressions of sympathy with Israel:

Support from Taipei goes beyond words. Taiwan’s appointee in Tel Aviv and de-facto ambassador, Abby Lee, has been busy aiding hostage families, adopting the most affected kibbutzim in southern Israel, and volunteering with farmers. Taiwan recently pledged more than half a million dollars to Israel for critical initiatives, including medical and communications supplies for local municipalities. This follows earlier aid from Taiwan to an organization helping Israeli soldiers and families immediately after the October 7 attack.

The reasons why are not hard to fathom:

In many ways, Taiwan sees a reflection of itself in Israel—two vibrant democracies facing threats from hostile neighbors. Both nations wield substantial economic and technological prowess, and both heavily depend on U.S. military exports and diplomacy. Taipei also sees Israel as a “role model” for what Taiwan should aspire to be, citing its unwavering determination and capabilities to defend itself.

On a deeper level, Taiwanese leaders seem to view Israel’s war with Hamas and Iran as an extension of a greater struggle between democracy and autocracy.

Gering urges Israel to reciprocate these expressions of friendship and to take into account that “China has been going above and beyond to demonize the Jewish state in international forums.” Above all, he writes, Jerusalem should “take a firmer stance against China’s support for Hamas and Iran-backed terrorism, exposing the hypocrisy and repression that underpin its vision for a new global order.”