The Moses Within

Moses was chosen by G-d to lead the Jewish People because he exhibited two very endearing personal qualities:  Humility and Empathy. G-d chose Moses as an example for all of us to emulate because we are all capable of refining these two character traits.

G-d is not expecting the impossible. Success does not come when we chase notoriety and want to outshine others, which derives from a competitive spirit. On the contrary, success evolves from a place of love—from seeing the good in others, from desiring to assist others with compassion, and from utilizing our strengths in service rather than to bolster our ego. Not only was the Torah given on the smallest mountain—Mount Sinai—indicating humility, but it was also not given in a valley. The deeper meaning is that we must not downplay our talents either, causing us to forget to use them in a constructive manner. Yet, on the flip side, we must not boast about our strengths, which is why the Torah was revealed on the most diminutive of mountains.

Moses was a Levite. The job of those from the tribe of Levi was to study Torah and get close to G-d, singing His praises. Moses was also raised as an Egyptian prince with every amenity. Thus, on two counts G-d removed him from the bondage that engulfed his Jewish brothers and sisters. Yet Moses’ great compassion moved him to get involved when he saw injustice. He never compromised his values. He rebuked, with compassion, those who did wrong. Aaron, his older brother, also was not subjected to the physical torment of Pharaoh, but he, too, felt the pain of his brethren.  Both brothers sought to move out of their comfort zone and help those in need, those who were oppressed by avodas parech, meaningless work doled out by Pharaoh to the Jewish slaves in order to break their spirit. There is a lesson here for all of us to contemplate how we spend our time.

Moses got involved. He saved a Jewish slave who was being beaten by an Egyptian taskmaster; he broke up an argument between two Jews; and he interceded to stop the shepherds in Midian who were harassing Yitro’s daughters. He did all these things with tact and with heart-felt concern, as when he saved a lamb that had wandered away from Yitro’s flock. The message for us is clear:  To do what we can to show our gratitude for the blessings in our lives by utilizing our abilities with humility to help others. All of us are capable of being leaders in our own right.

G-d, most assuredly, was speaking to all of us when he chose Moses to be His voice.

The irony was that Moses was of “heavy tongue”:  He could have used his speech impediment as an excuse to rationalize not accepting his role as a leader. Indeed, there was a point at which he questioned G-d’s choice and suggested his brother Aaron be the leader and spokesperson. He soon realized, however, that G-d chose Him for a reason and that G-d would be there to support him. The handicap he had was for his own good, for it served as a reminder to him to never drift away from the Almighty. With Hashem’s help we can all be great. When we combine our passion with the proper dose of humility and compassion for others, we, too, can rise above our differences and unite in the spirit of emuna and in the hopes of true and everlasting peace and freedom.

As long as Moses stayed close to the Almighty, he remained an open channel for G-d to direct him in the fulfillment of his mission of leadership. This is how we must all think. We must not allow ourselves to stand in the way of our own greatness by failing to take responsibility and ignoring the signs that the Creator sends our way. We bolster our belief in ourselves by tapping into the power of our connection to Hashem when we speak to Him regularly in personal prayer. The closer we come, the more He reveals the Moses within each of us.