Summary

When Moses grew up he was made aware that he was Jewish, and he took a strong interest in the Jewish slave labourers. Moses alleviated the travails of the suffering Jews. "One shall share in the yoke of one's fellow." Whenever Moses saw an injustice he would get involved and put himself on the line, whether the victim was a Jew or a gentile, a man or a woman. These incidents are not recorded in the Torah just to teach us how pious Moses was but to instruct us how we shall conduct ourselves in our daily life. Moses' compassion was not limited to human beings, it included animals as well. Every being was created for a purpose and everything that exists must be respected and utilized in a positive way.

Moses' strong interest in his Jewish brethren

In this week's parasha, the Torah relates the amazing story how Moses, the saviour of the Jewish people, was brought up in the palace of the very same Pharaoh who had decreed that every newborn Jewish male should be killed. The Ramban explains that as Moses grew up he was made aware that he was Jewish, and he took a strong interest in the Jewish slave labourers. As it says (Shemos 2:11): "And it was in those days, and Moses grew and he went out to his brethren and he saw their burdens."

Moses alleviated suffering

The Midrash Rabbah (Shemos 1:27-28) describes various ways how Moses managed to alleviate the travails of the suffering Jews. First of all, he went out to the sites where they worked and pretended to assist the Egyptian slave-masters. However, in reality he lowered his shoulders and carried the heavy bricks together with the poor labourers. Secondly, Moses went to Pharaoh and told him that if he makes them work seven days a week he will work them to death. He explained that they would produce much better if he gave them one day off. Pharaoh agreed to Moses' plan and instructed him to implement it. Moses immediately went and instituted that no work should be done on Shabbat.

Share yoke

Moses could have stayed in the royal palace and enjoyed a carefree life. He would have had a valid excuse not to get involved with the Jewish slave labourers, as it would easily arouse Pharaoh's suspicion that Moses was Jewish himself and endanger his life. But Moses did not care so much about himself as he cared about his suffering brethren. He exemplified par excellence, what it says in Pirkei Avos (6:6) that one shall share in the yoke of one's fellow.

Not matter Jew or gentile

Moses conducted himself in this fashion not only when he saw another Jew who suffered. The Torah continues to relate how Moses had to flee from Egypt and escaped to Midyan. There he witnessed how a group of girls were harassed and abused by some shepherds. As it says (Shemos 2:16-17): "And the minister of Midyan had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's sheep. And the shepherds came and pushed them away and Moses got up and saved them and watered their sheep." Whenever Moses saw an injustice he would get involved and put himself on the line. It did not matter to him whether the victim was a Jew or a gentile, a man or a woman. He did not just feel bad for the other person and give a sigh in sympathy. He experienced the other person's pain as his own, and even when the victims were total strangers, he felt that he had to get involved to protect and save them.

Daily life

These incidents are not recorded in the Torah just to teach us how pious Moses was, but to instruct us how we shall conduct ourselves in our daily life. The Talmud (Sotah 21b) teaches that a man who is informed that a woman is drowning in the sea and says that he cannot get involved to save her, for it would not be proper for him to look at her, is a pious fool. This applies as much nowadays as it did in Biblical and Talmudic times and has very practical applications for the many hatzolah organizations worldwide. Just recently the Torah-observant organization ZAKA gave a course on home safety and accident prevention to Israeli Arabic women. The founder of ZAKA, Rabbi Yehuda Meshi Zahav, commented that the Torah teaches that "man was created in the image of G'd" (see Bereishis 1:26), and everyone deserves aid and assistance regardless of religion, race or creed.

Moses and the kid

The Midrash Rabbah shows that Moses' compassion was not limited to human beings but included animals as well. After saving the seven sisters, he married one of them and stayed in the house of Yisro, his father-in-law. The Midrash (Shemos 2:2) relates how Moses tended to Yisro's flock. Once when Moses was pasturing the herds one kid ran away. Moses ran after it and caught up with it at a little pond near some greenery where the kid had stopped to drink. When Moses saw this he said, "I did not realize that you ran away to quench your thirst, you must be tired now." And he put the kid on his shoulders and carried it back to the flock.

Compassion for animals

G'd shows compassion to all His creatures, as we say every day in Ashrei (Tehillim 145:9): "G'd is good to all, and His mercies are on all His creatures." The Talmud (Bava Metzia 85a) relates how Rabbi Yehuda the Prince, who compiled the Mishnah, was punished and suffered severe pains for several years because he did not show sufficient compassion to a calf that sought his protection when it was taken to the slaughterhouse. His pains only went away when he took mercy on some young weasels that were about to be swept away by a maid.

Not destroy anything useful

The Torah educates us and expects us to refine our character traits to show mercy and compassion on the highest level. The Torah also instructs us to look after the environment. The Midrash Rabbah (Koheles 7:13) describes how G'd took Adam and showed him all the trees in the Garden of Eden and said to him: "Look how beautiful and good My works are, all that I created, I created for you. Make sure that you not spoil and destroy My world." The Torah actually prohibits us from cutting down trees that produce fruit (see Devarim 20:19-20). The Rambam (Law of Kings 6:8-10) elaborates on this and teaches that we may not destroy anything useful.

Everything created for a purpose

Every being was created for a purpose and everything that exists must be respected and utilized in a positive way. G'd does not allow anyone or anything to be in this world for no reason, and it is up to us to extend ourselves to others and make good use of this beautiful world that G'd created for our benefit.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

Shalom. Michael Deverett