Shabbos Parashas Shemos - 5777

Shabbos Parashas Shemos - 5777

Rabbi Hal Miller

It happened in those days that Moshe grew up and he went out to his brethren and saw

their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man, of his brethren.

[Shemos 2:11]

You are adopted. You are living in the lap of luxury. You have a good job and fantastic

future. Although you may be very curious about your birth family and may go to great

lengths to find information, maybe even make contact, would you throw away all that

wonderful life for a distant relative you don't even know? Moshe did. Why?

Nechama Leibowitz asks our question directly. "The Torah does not relate to us how

Moshe, the adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter, came to the resolve to ruin his chances

of following a 'brilliant career' as a member of the Egyptian royal house, and throw in his

lot with his persecuted brethren, whose very customs and habits were foreign to him. We

are not told whether he arrived at this decision suddenly or gradually." She finds the

answer in a few points in our verse. Beginning with "saw their burdens, she cites Rashi,

"He directed his eyes and heart to share their distress." Although this was an everyday

occurrence where people might understandably become immune to the issue, Moshe

did not ignore it. Leibowitz cites Abarbanel, who ties the phrases "grew up" and "of his

brethren" to note that Moshe became attached to Yocheved and family while she was

nursing him, and now that he had grown to manhood, remembered the compassion and

kindness he found in their home. Associating it to the Hebrews, and just at this point

discovering his own biological past, Moshe knew that compassion and kindness were

build into him.

Nachshoni is not so certain that Moshe knew he was Hebrew. "The Torah does not tell

us just when Moshe became aware of his Jewishness nor how his feelings for his people

became so magnified that he came to their aid." Nachshoni then cites Ramban who tells

us that the phrase "he went out to his brethren" shows that Moshe just found out about his

past, which puts our episode chronologically immediately afterward. Thus, "shocked

by their harsh suffering, he killed an Egyptian attacker."

Rav Hirsch smartly steps around the question. He notes that the Jewish redeemer and

prophet had to be someone who was wise, straight, independent-thinking, and strong

both of mind and body. Rather than ask how Moshe fit that bill to become the prophet,

Rav Hirsch says that he became the prophet specifically because he did fit that bill.

Moshe's background prepared him for the role. As an Egyptian prince he learned the

intellectual side, and became physically strong. As a Hebrew, he had compassion.

As an outsider to the slavery, he was able to see what was there, rather than look past

it without taking note. His very being was set to take action. That distant relative Moshe

didn't know was his brother.