Setting Up The Geulah

This week we begin Sefer Shemos, which is of course centered on the Galus Mitzrayim, the eventual Geulah, and the beginnings of Bnei Yisroel's time in the Midbar.

This week's Parsha begins by telling of Pharaoh's enslavement of Bnei Yisroel, which came after the Bnei Yaakov passed from this world. Early in the Parsha we are also told of the birth of a baby boy, who must be hidden by his parents in order to escape his murder by decree of Pharaoh. This baby, as we know, turns out to be Moshe Rabeinu.

It is interesting to note that we learn of Moshe's life beginning at birth—which is not true of any of the other leaders mentioned in the Torah. We don't learn much of the Avos until they are adults—the Torah speaks of Yaakov's birth, but just a few Pessukim later he is a grown man, the Ish Tam Yoshev Ohalim. Similarly we don't "meet" the Shevatim until they are at a more advanced age: the Torah relates that they were born but does not say anything about their early lives. When it comes to Moshe, however, the Torah records almost his entire life, from birth to death.

The Ramban, in his Hakdama to Sefer Shemos, calls this the Sefer HaGeulah. He explains that each and every part of Sefer Shemos is in someway related to either the Galus Mitzrayim or the Geulah. While we may think that the Geulas Mitzrayim ends after Parshas Beshalach, when the Mitzriyim are dispatched for good, the Ramban explains that this is only the end of the physical Galus, but the spiritual Galus continued to affect Klal Yisroel until Kabalas HaTorah and the building of the Mishkan. Only once both aspects of the Geulah were complete, was the Galus truly over. Thus, every aspect of Sefer Shemos is directly related to the Galus or the Geulah.

How are we to understand the details of the early life of Moshe Rabeinu, brought in this week’s Parsha, in the context of this Ramban? Certainly the Torah is not merely reporting biographical information; we don’t need background information on Moshe Rabeinu for the purposes of character development. There must not only be a reason for the fact that the Torah tells us these details, but they also must be directly related to the Galus or the Geulah in some way.

As we read about this baby, we are not told his name, he is referred to as either “Ben” or “Yeled.” Only once he is rescued from the Nile by the Bas Pharaoh is he given a name: "VaTikrah Es Shemo Moshe, VaTomar, Ki Min HaMAyim Mishisihu: and she named him Moshe, and she said 'Because I saved him from the water'."

The Torah continues the story of Moshe, telling us that once he was weaned from his mother he was taken to the king's home, where he was brought up as Bas Pharaoh's son.

As we take stock of Moshe's life story, as told to us by these Pesukim, an important point comes to light. If any of us were writing the story of Geulas Mitzrayim, if we had to construct the biographical information for the Moshian Shel Yisroel, we would certainly choose someone who grew up in a home steeped in Torah and Ma'asim Tovim, someone who could legitimately claim to be a link in Mesoras Avoseinu. Instead, we see that Moshe Rabeinu, who was no doubt born to illustrious parents, spent the better part of his youth in the Bais Pharaoh—hardly a breeding ground for Gedolei Yisroel. How are we to understand that the greatest man that ever lived—Lo Kam K'Moshe Od—grew up in such circumstances?

Further, the Medrash tells us that Moshe Rabeinu had ten names—one of which was presumably given to him by his parents. Why then is he only ever referred to by the name "Moshe" which was given to him by Bas Pharaoh? Chazal tell us: “Shemo Garam” a person's name affects him. We are also told that parents are given a special Siyata D'SHmaya, maybe even a level of Ruach Hakodesh, when they name their children. A person's name is a very important part of who they are and we are affected by our given names—why was Moshe known by the one name that was given to him by a non-Jew?

I think the Torah is sending us an important message through the telling of the story of Moshe's early life., especially in the greater context of Sefer Shemos.

The Ibn Ezra explains that it was necessary for Moshe to be brought up in the Bais HaMelech precisely because he was to be the leader of Klal Yisroel. In order to be an effective Manhig, Moshe would be required to exhibit a certain amount of fortitude and strength that would be difficult to develop if he had grown up among the general population of Klal Yisroel who were subjugated as Avodim. Serving as a slave--or in the case of Shevet Levi who were not themselves enslaved but lived among slaves—affects a person's mindset and makes him more subservient.

The Ibn Ezra highlights this point in Parshas Beshalach where he raises an interesting question: why was Klal Yisroel so paralyzed in fear of Pharaoh's perusing army? They were 600,000 strong and presumably could have put up quite a resistance, why was the prospect of having to fight so terrifying to them? He explains that because they had lived as slaves for so many years, Bnei Yisroel lacked the confidence to face their aggressors head on—the thought of facing Pharaoh's army in battle was therefore absolutely paralyzing.

Moshe, as a leader, needed to have the opposite nature. He had to be able to stand up to those whose actions were incorrect—as we see in the case of the Ish Mitzri—and he had to be able to face not only external enemies, such as Pharaoh, but also the elements within Klal Yisroel whose actions were threatening.

Our instinct is that in choosing a leader for Klal Yisroel, one would shy away from a person that grew up in the Bais Pharaoh. At best we might say that Moshe exhibited greatness in that he overcame his upbringing to become the Moshian Shel Yisroel. The Ibn Ezra tells us that just the opposite is true: because he was to become the leader of Klal Yisroel, Moshe had to grow up in the Bais HaMelech!

A similar idea can be seen in the choice of Moshe as his called name.

The Medrash at the beginning of Sefer Vayikra speaks about Moshe’s name: “Amar Lo Hakadosh Baruch Hu L’Moshe Chayecha, MiKol Shemos Sheyesh Lecha, Ayni Korecha Ela B’Shem Shekorascha Bar Pharaoh: Hashem said to Moshe ‘Of all the names you have, I will only call you by the name that Bas Pharaoh called you.” We know that Moshe is called by that name for a specific reason, but it seems from this Medrash that he is called Moshe because that is what Bas Pharaoh called him, not despite this fact.

R’ Chaim Shmulevitz gives the following explanation for this Medrash: When Bas Pharaoh saved Moshe from the Nile, she was Mosser Nefesh for an act of Chesed. Her father, the king, had decreed that all Jewish boys should be killed, and had she been caught saving Moshe she would have been brutally punished. Nonetheless, she could not stand by and ignore another human’s suffering, and so she risked her own life to save Moshe’s.

R’ Chaim explains that in doing this act, she transferred these Kochos to Moshe: because he was saved through an act of Chesed that was done with Mesiras Nefesh, he was imbued with these very same abilities and sensitivities. Moshe’s entire life was owed to an act of selfless Chesed, and he therefore excelled in this area.

As we know from various Divrei Chazal, these qualities are essential in a leader of Klal Yisroel. The Medrash says that before Moshe was selected as the Moshian Shel Yisroel, Hashem tested his capacity for Chesed through his flock of sheep. When it was shown that Moshe was indeed capable of selfless Chesed, he then saw the S’neh and began his journey as the Goel and Manhig of Klal Yisroel.

It is for this reason that Moshe is always referred to by the name that was given to him by Bas Pharaoh. His ability and qualification to be the leader of Klal Yisroel came from the “Min HaMayim Mishisihu,” this act—and its resulting affect on Moshe’s Tchunas Hanefesh—was an integral part of his development into the Manhig of Klal Yisroel.

With these thoughts in mind, we can understand how the details of Moshe Rabbeinu’s life are directly related to the Geulas Mitzrayim, as the per the words of the Ramban. Klal Yisroel would need a leader, a Manhig to lead them out of both the physical and spiritual Galus in which they were entrenched. This leader would need certainty qualities: an ability to stand strong in the face of opposition and a sense of selflessness and commitment to Chesed. No one is born with these qualities, they must be developed over time, and in order to excel at these, a person must be put into the right circumstances., The fact that Moshe Rabeinu grew up in the Bais Pharaoh is not something to “overlook,” it was an integral part of his development as a Manhig. That this young child was saved by Bas Pharaoh and given a name related to the episode is not a minor detail in his life story: it is a major contributing factor to his growth and abilities. The Geulas Mitzrayim is inexorably tied to the life development of Moshe Rabeinu.

I think there is an important lesson to be learned from this.

When it comes to Geulas Mitzrayim, we have the benefit of being able to see the entire story unfold, from beginning to end, through the words of the Torah. As we learn through Sefer Shemos we see Bnei Yisroel gradually become slaves, we learn of Moshe and Ahron’s efforts at convincing Pharaoh to free them, and then of the Maakos that Hashem brings upon Mitzrayim as punishment and also incentive to free the Yidden.

It would therefore be easy to think that we know the whole story—we can trace the narrative from Point A to Point B. But as we see from this week’s Parsha, there is much that lies below the surface. There are many things that seem inconsequential—such as Moshe’s rescue from the Nile—or even counter to our perception of appropriate—such at the environment of Moshe’s upbringing—that are in fact integral to the ultimate Geulah.

We go through our own lives without the being able to see the whole story—as we can for Geulas Mitzrayim—we are blind to the master plan and the eventual Geulos that await us personally and communally. It is therefore vital that we realize that there is no event or circumstance that can be waved off as insignificant, coincidental or even adverse to our goals. Just as we see that there were parts of the Geulas Mitzrayim that could only be understood with the benefit of hindsight—and of course the insight of Chazal—there are parts of our lives whose impact we cannot perceive until later, if at all.

As we go through the trials and tribulations that comprise everyday living, we can gain strength from the realization that these very ordeals might be the beginning of the Geulah.