Rabbi Roodyn

This week’s sedra describes the world’s first recorded population explosion. Jacob’s family descend to Egypt numbering some seventy souls and within a short time we are told that, ‘The children of Israel were fruitful and swarmed and increased and became very very strong, and the land became filled with them.’ (Shemot 1:7). It is at this point that our ancestors make the transition from being a family to a nation.

Pharaoh becomes fearful of the growing power of the Israelites and proposes a ‘final solution’ to ensure that they can never take over his country.  Israelite boys are massacred at birth, family life is disrupted and slave labour becomes the order of the day. In the midst of this all, through a twist of fate, there is one man born into freedom. Instead of being drowned at birth or born into slavery, Moshe is brought up in Pharaoh’s palace, living a life of luxury in splendid isolation from the tyranny that exists outside.

Upon reaching adulthood, Moshe steps out onto the street and sees what is going on with his own eyes. He observes their burdens and takes their pain to heart (Shemot 1:7). Rather than being a disinterested outsider, he immediately identifies with their pain. The sages of the Midrash explain that Moshe started to work shoulder to shoulder with his new found brothers. In fact some commentaries explain that he event had the audacity to petition pharaoh for better work conditions for his wretched brothers and sisters.

Even at this early stage of life, Moshe demonstrates the qualities that are required of a leader, namely care and empathy. He could have remained aloof, but instead he goes out to feel their pain. This had the dual effect of giving strength and encouragement to the enslaved Jews and of inspiring him committing himself to make a difference to their lives, risking his own security and comfort. The seeds of Moshe’s leadership are sown in the desert plains of Egypt and are a lesson for us all.