Were You Invited to the Inauguration?

The capacity to detach oneself from the exalted palace life, literally or figuratively, in order to see another’s plight is the first criterion for a liberator. The second criterion is to never look down at the person one goes out to. And the third criterion is the ability to go into the other person’s mind and heart, to totally and sincerely empathize with them. Moses, our liberator and first leader acted this way towards every one of his brothers and sisters.

Moses’ qualifications

Moses was the first leader of the Jewish people and according to tradition, “Moses will be the last redeemer,” meaning that Moshiach’s capacity to be a liberator derives from the spirit of Moses. This week’s parsha, Shemos, details the birth of Moses and his assumption of the position of leadership of the Jewish people.

One is entitled to ask, how was he selected for and inaugurated into this position? What qualified Moses to be the leader and liberator of the Jewish people?

When we peruse this week’s parsha, the answer to our question becomes apparent. No sooner does Moses have the capacity to leave Pharaoh’s palace where he was raised, he goes out to see his brothers and their pitiful plight. As the Torah relates: “Moses grew up and he went out to his brothers and saw their burdensome labors.” Upon closer analysis, the Torah seems to be telling us far more about Moses than is evident by just reading this verse casually.

There are three points that emerge from this verse:

First, it says “and he went out.” It could have simply stated, “And Moses grew up and he saw their burdensome labors.” Why the emphasis that he “went out?”

Second, it says that he went out “to his brothers.” It could have stated, “He went out and saw the Hebrews’ burdensome labors.” Why the emphasis that they were his brothers?

Third, it could have consolidated this verse by stating that “he went out and saw his brothers burdensome labors,” instead of “and he went out to his brothers” and then “he saw their burdensome labors.” Why does it place the words “his brothers” in the beginning of the verse in conjunction with his going out, rather than in conjunction with seeing their burdensome labor?

Going out

Upon closer scrutiny it is obvious that the Torah wishes to convey to us the unique character of Moses. As the Prince of Egypt, Moses could have just been casually going about surveying his country. Instead Moses goes out. Moses leaves the comfort, status and mindset of the palace and his role as the Prince of Egypt to connect to his brothers. Moses’ leaving was not just a physical movement away from his home. It was a psychological and spiritual detachment from all that was precious to him, much like Abraham’s leaving his land, birthplace and father’s house. The only difference was that Abraham was commanded by G-d to do it; Moses did it on his own.

But even when one “goes out” of their secure state of being to relate to the needs of others, they do it because they sense the lowly state of others and therefore consent to condescend to help them. While they might force themselves to “go out” of their status to help, they quickly retreat back inside upon completing their mission of mercy.

His brother’s empathetic keeper

Moses, however, did not view them simply as Hebrew slaves, the unfortunate victims of tyranny, and whose heart went out to them. He viewed them as his brothers, his equals. He went “out” of his place to enter into their space, but he did not go “down” to them. There was no condescension.

But even when a person goes out of his own space to relate to others, they can still see the other through the prism of their own experiences. Moses, the Torah relates, saw them “in their burdensome labor.” Not only did he go out of his mindset but, moreover, he entered into their world and saw them within the context of their suffering.” He entered into their minds and hearts to feel what they were feeling.

This capacity to detach oneself from the exalted palace life, literally or figuratively, in order to see another’s plight, is the first criterion for a liberator. The second criterion is to never look down at the person one goes out to. And the third criterion is the ability to go into the other person’s mind and heart, to totally and sincerely empathize with them. Moses acted this way towards every one of his brothers and sisters.

A spark of Moses and Moshiach in all of us

Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the great Chassidic Master known as the Alter Rebbe—whose anniversary of his passing occurs on the 24th of Tevet, often coinciding with this week’s parsha—states in his classic work, the Tanya, that every one of us possesses a spark of the soul of Moses. The Ba’al Shem Tov also said that each one of us has a spark of Moshiach. Notwithstanding the unparalleled greatness of Moses and Moshiach, every individual possesses the ability to emulate their ways by reaching out—not down—to everyone and then reaching in to everyone, helping them out of all that prevents them from being liberated.

Our Sages inform us that the generation of the Exodus will be reincarnated into the generation of the Redemption. It follows that all of us (inasmuch as we firmly believe that we are on the threshold of the final redemption) were “present” at the “inauguration” of Moses as the leader and liberator of the Jewish people. By emulating these qualities, with which Moses and Moshiach were/are endowed, we will imminently cross over that threshold to witness the ultimate and imminent Redemption.

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