Shemot - mighty slaves, humble prophet

There is a seeming contradiction in the very beginning of Shemot:

1:7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied and became mighty exceedingly so; and filled was the land with them. 

If bnei Israel were exceedingly mighty, vaatzmu bim’od m’od, and especially if there were so many of them to fill the land, how come they became slaves?  If Jews had money and influence, powerful lobby in Congress and majority of votes, how did they get overpowered?  What was the trick that allowed Egyptians to deal shrewdly with them?

First part of the plan involves taxes.  1:11 They appointed over them officers in charge of work tax, in order to afflict them with their burdens. The first income tax was instituted by the Pharaoh of Egypt!  Why the Jews, so numerous and powerful, did not protest against the taxes?  Ask our brothers who voted for Obama two consequent terms – we love taxes!  Ask older Russian Jews who cried, wept inconsolably, when Joseph Stalin died in 1953.  One may guess that Jews loved Pharaoh and the whole structure of the great empire, where someone else made decision on how to use their money for the greater good and took care of the nation.  We strengthen totalitarian regimes with our enthusiastic loyalty. 

The next phase of oppression, after the deal with midwives did not work – make anti-Semitism a popular cause.  1:22 Pharaoh commanded to his entire people, saying, Every son that will be born, into the River shall you throw him!  Pharaoh did not command his army, or secret police, to kill Jewish baby boys – he commanded his entire people!  So every ordinary Egyptian had an ‘honourable’ opportunity to do the will of the godlike Pharaoh, everyone could make Egypt a better place, cleansed from the abominable race. 

 4:10 Moses said to the Lord, "I beseech You, O Lord. I am not a man of words, neither from yesterday nor from the day before yesterday, nor from the time You have spoken to Your servant, for I am heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue."

The phrase meiaz daberha (from then when You [first] spoke) implies that God spoke to Moshe before, but Moshe kept it to himself, he did not have to tell anyone about his encounters.  Meeting God on mount Horeb is the first time when God commands him to pass the message to his people, has a mission for him.  It is hard to believe that Moshe who grew up as a prince of Egypt was so humble that he could not do public speaking.  His humility manifests when he has to reveal himself as a prophet. 

Moshe claims that he is awkward of speech, and the first impression is that he is a stutterer, or does not have his way with words, but further reading reveals that Moshe is uncomfortable speaking about God.  He is awkward speaking about his prophesy, as if afraid to appear crazy, or irrational.  After the event of the burning bush he comes to his father-in-law Jethro and says: 4:18 "Let me go now and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and let me see whether they are still alive." So Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

Moshe does not mention that God appeared to him, he just all of a sudden needs to check on his brothers, to see if they are still alive.  What brothers, he grew up in palace, he does not even know his family, his half-adoptive-brother new Pharaoh has a ransom on his head.  Jethro knows better, and he does not argue, he tells him to go in peace, don’t worry, its OK to be spoken to by God and go on His mission.  This is Jethro, the priest of Midian, a man who understands spiritual experience.  How can he talk about God to Hebrews, to Pharaoh?  Is not it easier to talk about God to friendly, spiritual gentiles than to sceptical Jews? That is Moshe’s challenge, he is tongue tied when it comes to talking about God, he cannot operate in terms of God. When we say that Moshe was exceedingly humble, he was too humble to announce his encounter with God, to claim relationship with God, knowledge of God.   

God commands to Moshe 4:22-23 And you shall say to Pharaoh, 'So said the Lord, "My firstborn son is Israel." ' So I say to you, 'Send out My son so that he will worship Me, but if you refuse to send him out, behold, I am going to slay your firstborn son.' "

In chapter 5 Moshe comes to Pharaoh, asks to let the Hebrews go and worship God, but nowhere does he mention the threat that God is going to slay Pharaoh’s firstborn son.   

I think the fact that Moshe grew up in Pharaoh’s palace and was educated by Pharaoh’s wise men, means that he grew up in environment where belief in Egyptian gods was probably taken with a grain of salt, if not slightly mocked.  It is possible that the sophisticated courtiers in Pharaoh’s palace did not care about the foolish myths, much as the Greek philosophers did not believe in their own gods, but considered myths useful for the population.  Growing up as a prince made Moshe value rational thought, subsequently he was embarrassed to admit his own belief in God, his personal encounter. Even if he saw the burning bush and the signs of wonder with his own eyes, and heard God’s voice with his own ears, he cannot imagine that other people will believe it!   

In the upper circles of the Soviet empire no one seriously believed the communist ideas or the infallibility of party leaders.  Cynicism was the religion of the educated elite.  Faith in God was considered a psychological weakness, religious zeal often led to involuntary confinement and was medically treated as a particularly dangerous mental disorder.   

Moshe persisted in his doubts to the point of angering God, at which point He said:
4:14 "Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite? I know that he will surely speak, and behold, he is coming forth toward you, and when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart.

Unlike Moshe, Aaron grew up among Hebrews and had no problem speaking about God.  Moshe’s encounter with Aaron is liberating as this was the first person to accept his story without reservation and support his mission.  When another person believes your however outlandish claim, then you are not alone, not crazy, not the lonely man of faith.  When you see another perfectly normal person openly believe in God, then you know that you are not hallucinating, that there is a higher reality beyond the physical world, that you are not alone.

4:29-31 So Moses and Aaron went, and they assembled all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs before the eyes of the people. And the people believed, and they heard that the Lord had remembered the children of Israel, and they kneeled and prostrated themselves.

After speaking to the elders of Israel Moshe acquires enough confidence to confront Pharaoh and demand freedom for Jewish people.  Aaron and the elders came with Moshe to Pharaoh to give him encouragement and support in face of Pharaoh’s cynicism. 

5:2 And Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord that I should heed His voice to let Israel out? I do not know the Lord, neither will I let Israel out”.

The ensuing ten plagues, the trials and tribulations build Moshe’s confidence necessary to lead Jewish people through the desert and convey to them God’s word along the journey. 

The daughter of Pharaoh bent down and drew Moshe up from the water, m’shitihu.  Moshe bent down and drew water for Zipporah and her sisters.  In 3:8 God tells Moshe that He will descend to rescue Jews from the hand of Egypt and bring them up to Eretz Israel.  That motion to descend and bring them up is like drawing the water, or drawing something out of water, out of the depths.  In order to do this, one has to descend, or bend down, to reach the rescued wherever they are, in the watery depths, or in the slavery of Egypt, and then bring them up, draw up.  To draw, למשוך,  includes he same letters as the word Mashiach, who will draw Jewish people out from galut, both physical and spiritual, and bring them up to the time and place where there is no war, no hatred, only peace and unconditional love and unashamed loyalty to one G-d.