Parshas Shemos - Something to Think About

Parshas Shemos

Something to Think About

By: Daniel Listhaus

1. The Torah describes at length the beginning of Moshe's life. He was hidden for three months, put in a basket in the Nile River, adopted by Basya, and raised in the house of Pharoah himself. Moshe certainly had a very different upbringing then Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. Why was it necessary for Moshe to grow up in the house of Pharoah?
2. In Parshas Miketz we discussed how thought and speech are man's most unique facets. These two aspects of man are definitely not only a big part of what separates us from animals, but more importantly, what shapes us as a tzelem Elokim (created in the image of Hashem). We discussed that perhaps the mind could be compared to a spiritual writing board where we could understand a large spectrum of things – from dreams to Torah (specifically Torah shel ba'al peh). We then continued to explain that the mouth is used to then shape, define, and interpret how our thoughts and Torah should be expressed in the physical world we live in.

In this week's parsha, we are introduced to Moshe Rabbeinu. The fact that Moshe had a stuttering or some other speaking issue seems to be so trivial a characteristic of such an important character, that it should not be mentioned. Who cares that Moshe had a speech impediment? Yet, we find that this is a stressed fact about Moshe throughout his conversation with Hashem by the s'neh (burning bush.). Isn't it ironic that the single person in history with the mission of bringing Torah into the world and teaching it to an entire nation should have an impediment in an area we understood to be essential to bringing expressions of Torah and Tefillah into this world?

It appears that the two aspects we discussed of thought and speech are achieved, throughout the next few parshiyos, only through only a joint effort between Moshe and Aharon. Why did this have to be the case ? And does this have anything to do with their different roles as “Kohen” and “Levi”?

3. The Torah describes an unbelievable conversation that took place between Hashem and Moshe. Hashem spent several days trying to convince Moshe to lead the b'nei Yisroel out of Mitzrayim and act as a go-between between Hashem and Pharoah. The passuk (Shemos – 3:13) then relates that Moshe started thinking out loud what would happen if he would accept the role: “Behold I will come to the b'nei Yisroel and I will say to them, 'The G-d of your fathers sent me to you'. Then, they will ask me, 'What is His name?'. What should I respond when they ask me that? The passuk says that Hashem replied, “Ehyeh asher Ehyeh” - I will be as I will be. However, the passuk then says that Hashem told Moshe that he should say that Ehyeh sent him to the B'nei Yisroel.

Did Hashem forget His name? He had just told Moshe that His name is Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh and yet he tells Moshe to only say His name is Ehyeh. What is going on here?

Rashi, citing the Gemara in Berachos (9b), tells us that when Hashem said “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh”, He was hinting that “I will be with you during this tzara (time of distress) and will continue to be with you during your future times of distress while in galus”. Moshe then responded, “How could I mention to them that there will be more times of hardship? It's bad enough what they are going through now! I should hint to them now that there will be future times like this?” To this Hashem responded, “You have spoken well, Moshe. Just tell them my name is Ehyeh – saying that I am with you during this time of slavery.”

We cannot understand the intricate relationship between Hashem and Moshe. Moshe seems, at times, to speak to Hashem in ways we would never dream of. This particular segment of a lengthy conversation between Hashem and Moshe is quite difficult to understand. Even if we could somehow comprehend that Moshe told Hashem to do things differently and not give His full name, how could we understand why Hashem would agree? We know that Hashem is complete and ultimate Truth. So how could He “change his name” just so that people should be less distressed. How could we understand this? Surely the Torah's attitude is not one of “ignorance is bliss”. Instead, does this perhaps shed light on Hashem's balance of Chesed and Emes – two of the thirteen middos, of which chesed comes first between the two?

3. After running away from Mitzrayim, Moshe finds himself by a well in Midyan and also happens to be looking for a wife – what a surprise! Moshe is the third one to find himself by a well in a foreign land looking for a wife. First Eliezer went to a well looking for a wife for Yitzchak. At that point, Rivka was there and she filled up water for Eliezer, his men, and all his camels. Yaakov was the second one to find himself by a well. However, he ran into a slight difficulties as there was a boulder, which the shepherds had put, blocking the well. Now, upon Moshe's arrival at the well. He actually has to rescue the daughters of Yisro from the shepherds who weren't allowing them to get water.

What is the significance of the well? And why does there seem to be a pattern of each experience by a well getting progressively worse

4. Yisro had seven daughters and seven names. What is significant about Yisro and the number seven?