The Making of a People. The Making of a Leader.
If we may consider Bereshit the book of the birth of all life and mankind and the chosing of the families from which the Jewish people will grow, than allow Shemot to be the Book of the establishment of the Jewish people as one united people. After all, all stories in Bereshit are about personalities like Adam, Cain, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. All Parashot so far center on their actions and significances. Now, scroll on into Shemot and suddenly the Torah refers to the grandchildren of Jacob and his sons as “People.” And, interestingly enough it was Pharaoh himself who calls them “The People of the Children of Israel” first.
“U-vnei (Bnei) Israel paru vyishretzu vayirbu vaya-atzmu bimeod meod.”
“The children of Israel proliferated, swarmed, multiplied and grew more and more.” Rashbam sees the odd style of words: “bi-meod meod” not as quantity but rather as “very powerful.”
Paraoh’s concern grows with the words: “Look, the Israelite people have become too many and too strong for us.” Followed by the chilling words: “Come, let us deal shrewdly with them”, admitting that he’s starting to think of a final solution for them. What follows next, is nothing short of the same slow suppression we will see during the thirties in Germany.
Could Pharaoh have foreseen that by causing fear and slavery he laid the groundwork for a non-people to become a united people?
Much has been said about the reason why Bnei Israel was punished so severely for so many years in a land where their forefathers enjoyed such wealth and freedom. The Midrash writes: “They said, let us be like Egyptians. Because they did so, the Holy One blessed be He turned the love which the Egyptians bore them into hatred…” Meaning that HaShem caused bondage as punishment for the total assimilation the Jewish People sought. They were about to lose their identity. Ha’amek Davar states: “They were punished for violating Jacob’s wish that they should live apart from the Egyptians in Goshen.”
Fascinating is the command to the midwives to kill the male newborns. It is the first sign of rebellion. And it’s women who stand up against Pharaoh first! It is Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Rashban and Ramban who agree with the Talmud in thinking that these midwives were Jewish. They all read: “…LaMeyaldot Ha-ivriyot” as “the Hebrew Midwives,” thereby making this a Jewish heroism. But why would Pharaoh put his trust in Jewish women killing Jewish male newborns? This contrast does not escape others who think that the words should be read as “the midwives OF the Israelites!” The Midrash writes that two of them “feared HaShem” and thus the discussion goes that these two heroines, Shifrah and Puah, could have been converts (according to Shadal and Imrei No’am).
Enters Moses. The Torah doesn’t prepare us much into why Moses notices the wrong doings of his brethern and becomes the champion of his fellow Israelites. In fact there’s only one mentioning of his turn-about: …when Moses was grown, and he went out to his brethern, and saw their burden.” Rashi interprets this seeing, or looking as Moses’ sharing their burden with his eyes and heart. As if Moses opened his heart and felt their suffering. And also feeling one with them.
This is the turning point. Here Moses takes the direction to eventually become the Leader of all Leaders Bnei Israel has ever seen. Next, Moses intervenes three times on behalf of the victim:
1- between Jew and Non-Jew.
2- between Jew and fellow Jew.
3- between Non-Jew and Non-Jew.
Brilliantly does the triple test serve as indubitable proof that it is about justice and not revenge. Moses breaks every law and it is as if he cannot go back. This is it, he is without doubt destined to become leader.
It is unclear how long the time was between Moses’ rebellion, his life as a shepherd and his rise to become Moshe Rabbenu. But we know that Moses didn’t take his calling at the thornbush likely. Five times he refuses his mission. “Who am I to go to Pharaoh and take the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Rashi believes that Moses found himself undeserving to perform such a task and that Moses also thought that Israel was underserving of a miracle.
This may be interpreted as the making of the leader Moses at the hand of HaShem. As if to clearly state that the God fearing Moses didn’t rise up out of anger but as a chosen leader. Or is it that Moses wanted to know how much HaShem would help him?
As Moses with Aaron on his side declares the first “Let my People go”, his heart must have been pure and convinced of HaShem standing there next to him as well. We will see in the rest of the book of Shemot the strengthening of a leader and that of Bnei Israel into one people. It has to be done word for word, foot by foot, miracle after miracle. After all, this is not just about freedom; it is just as much about the birth of Am Israel.
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