The Princes of Egypt

The Rebbe has suggested that the Final Redemption will be ushered in by our dedication to the teachings of Maimonides—the second Moses—who has illuminated the world with the light of the entire Torah. Moreover, more than any other Jewish scholar, Maimonides has taught us about—thereby preparing us for—the final Redemption.

“From Moses to Moses…”

“From Moses to Moses, none arose like Moses.“

This extraordinary praise forms the text of the epitaph etched on Moses Maimonides’ tombstone in his burial place in Tiberias. And it is fortuitous that the anniversary of Maimonides’ passing, his Yahrtzeit, on the 20th of Tevet, usually coincides with the reading of the parsha that introduces the first Moses.

What was it—besides the name they shared—that linked these two great Jewish leaders?

Upon deeper reflection it is apparent that they had much in common.

Firstly, both Moshe Rabbeinu (Hebrew for “Moses our teacher”—the title ascribed to the first Moses) and Rabbeinu Moshe (Hebrew for “Our teacher Moses”—the inverted title ascribed to Maimonides) were lawgivers. It was Moses who served as G-d’s agent to transmit the teachings of the Torah to the Jewish people. Similarly, Maimonides was the foremost authority on Jewish law and was the author of the most authoritative and comprehensive code of Jewish law entitled “Mishneh Torah.”

The parallel is even more striking when one considers that no other scholar has succeeded in presenting all of Jewish law in one work as Maimonides did. In this regard Maimonides resembled his namesake in that Moses was the one who transmitted all of Torah knowledge to the Jewish people in the one book – the Torah.

It is interesting to note that all of Jewish law is based on and is represented by the 613 commandments. Indeed, Maimonides prefaces his Mishneh Torah with an enumeration of all the 613 commandments. This list is accompanied with the assertion that all of Judaism is based on them. It is thus remarkable that the numerical value (Gematria) of both Moses’ title “Moshe Rabeinu” and the inverted title applied to Maimonides “Rabeinu Moshe” is exactly 613!

Secondly, both “Moses” were not just lawgivers, but were also devoted leaders of their respective generations. Moses took the Jews out of Egyptian bondage and Maimonides took the Jews of his generation out of the spiritual darkness in which they were shrouded. Incidentally, Maimonides lived most of his life in Egypt.

Maimonides lived in a time and place that was permeated with obsessive rationalism and a preoccupation with Greek philosophy. People were utterly confused by the contradiction they saw that existed between Greek thought and Judaism. This theological dilemma threatened to undermine their adherence to the Jewish way of life. For this perplexed audience Maimonides wrote the Guide for the Perplexed (Moreh Nevuchim) that demonstrates that, to a large extent, there are no real contradictions between Greek thought and Torah, thus liberating his generation from a spiritual form of bondage.

“And she saw that he was Good”

Concerning the birth of Moses the Torah relates in this week’s parsha that “and she [Moses’ mother] saw that he was good.” Our sages provide us with two explanations as to what the Torah means that it was recognizable that Moses was good as soon as he was born. The first explanation is that when Moses was born the entire house was filled with light. The second explanation is that Moses was born circumcised.

Symbolically, this means that Moses was destined to illuminate the world with the light of Torah, but at the same time he would also remove the undesirable traits of the Jewish people through the process of the Exodus. This removable of the negative is symbolized by the act of circumcision.

Maimonides, likewise, illuminated the world with his unprecedented presentation of the entire spectrum of Jewish knowledge, while simultaneously combating the alien influences of the dominant culture that threatened the Jewish community.

Was Maimonides the Messiah?

Our sages inform us that just as Moses was the first redeemer of the Jewish people, so too will Moses be the final redeemer of the Jewish people. This raises an obvious question. According to tradition, the final redeemer— Moshiach-Messiah—cannot be from the tribe of Levi but from the tribe of Judah. How then can Moses—a Levite—be the final redeemer?

One of the answers to this question is that it is the spirit of Moses that will imbue the Moshiach with his ability to liberate the Jews.

It may even be suggested that the final redemption will be ushered in by our dedication to the teachings of Maimonides—the second Moses—who has illuminated the world with the light of the entire Torah and whose leadership and teachings have enabled us to realize the age concerning which it is written: “and I will circumcise the foreskin of their hearts.“ Moreover, more than any other Jewish scholar, Maimonides has taught us about—thereby preparing us for—the final Redemption. Virtually all works on Jewish law since the compilation of the Talmud have not included the laws concerning the future Era of Redemption, the Third Temple etc. Maimonides is a notable exception. Through his teachings, we will live to see the age when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the sea“ (a quote from the Book of Isaiah with which Maimonides concludes his Mishneh Torah).

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Shmos by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.