Burning Interests

Parshas Shemos

Posted on January 15, 2025 (5785) By Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky | Series: Drasha| Level: Beginner

 

In Jewish history, there is a hardly an object more expounded upon than the burning bush. Its symbolism is analyzed, its significance expounded upon, and its impact is noted for generations. This week, rather than discuss the actual burning bush and its meaning, I’d like to view the event from a totally different approach — Moshe’s.

 

The Torah tells us in Exodus 3:1- 4 that Moshe was shepherding the sheep of Yisro, his father-in-law, when, “an angel of G-d appeared to him in a blaze of fire from amidst the bush. Moshe saw the event and behold, the bush was burning in fire and yet the bush was not consumed. Moshe said, ‘I will turn from my course and see the marvelous sight — why does the bush not burn?’ Hashem saw that Moshe turned from his path to see the sight and He called out to him from amidst the bush and said, ‘Moshe Moshe… ‘” The conversation ultimately leads to our exodus from Egypt.

 

However, the entire narrative, from the moment that Moshe notices the burning bush until Hashem speaks to him from its midst, seems overstated. After Moshe sees the amazing sight, why does the Torah mention that Moshe says “I will go look at the amazing sight?”

 

Further, why does the Torah preface Hashem’s charge to Moshe with the words, ” Hashem saw that Moshe turned from his path to see the sight, and He called out to him from amidst the bush?” It seems that only after Hashem openly acknowledges Moshe’s interest in the spectacle does he call out, “Moshe, Moshe,” thus beginning the process of redemption.

 

The Torah, which never uses needless words, could have simply stated, ” Moshe saw that the bush was burning and yet the bush was not consumed. Moshe turned to marvelous sight, and Hashem called out to him from amidst the bush and said, ‘Moshe Moshe… ‘”

 

The Midrash Tanchuma expounds upon the verse, “Moshe turned from his path to see the sight.” There is an argument whether he took three steps or just craned his neck. The Midrash continues. Hashem said, “you pained yourself to look, I swear you are worthy that I reveal myself to you.”

 

The Medrash was definitely bothered by the extra wording regarding Moshe’s decision to look and Hashem’s open commendation of that decision. But it is still very difficult to understand. Moshe sees a spectacle of miraculous proportions and looks. Why is that such a meritorious act? Doesn’t everyone run to a fire? Aren’t there hoards that gather to witness amazing events?

 

In the early 1920’s, Silas Hardoon, a Sephardic Jewish millionaire, made his fortune living in China. Childless, he began to give his money away to Chinese charities. One night his father appeared in a dream and implored him to do something for his own people. Silas shrugged it off. After all, there were hardly any of his people in China. But the dreams persisted, and Silas decided to act. The next day he spoke to Chacham Ibraham, a Sephardic Rabbi who led the tiny Chinese Jewish community. The Chacham’s advice sounded stranger than the dreams. He told Silas to build a beautiful synagogue in the center of Shanghai. It should contain more than 400 seats, a kitchen, and a dining room. Mr. Hardoon followed the charge to the letter.

 

He named the shul “Bais Aharon” in memory of his father. A few years later Mr. Hardoon died leaving barely a minyan to enjoy a magnificent edifice, leaving a community to question the necessity of the tremendous undertaking.

 

In 1940, Japanese counsel to Lithuania Sempo Sugihara issued thousands of visas for Kovno Jews to take refuge in Curaçao via Japan. Included in that group was the Mirrer Yeshiva. They arrived in Kobe but were transported to Shanghai where they remained for the entire war.

 

The Mirrer Yeshiva had a perfect home with a kitchen, study hall and dining room — Bais Aharon! The building had exactly enough seats to house all the students for five solid years of Torah study during the ravages of World War II. The dream of decades earlier combined with action became a thriving reality.

 

Moshe our Teacher knew from the moment he spotted that bush that something very extraordinary was occurring. He had two choices: approach the spectacle or walk on. If he nears the bush he knew he would face an experience that would alter his life forever. Hashem knew that Moshe had this very difficult conflict. His approach would require commitment and self sacrifice. He took three steps that changed the course of history. Hashem understood the very difficult decision Moshe had made and declared that such fortitude is worthy of the redeemer of my children.

 

In many aspects of our lives we encounter situations that may commit us to change. It may be a new charity we decide to let through our doors, or a new patient we decide to see, or even a new worthy cause we decide to entertain. They all require us to take three steps and look. If we walk away, we may not just be ignoring a burning issue. We may be ignoring another burning bush.

 

Leadership Qualities

Parshas Shemos

Posted on January 15, 2025 (5785) By Rabbi Naftali Reich | Series: Legacy | Level: Beginner

 

Moses, the chosen messenger of the Master of the Universe, came riding out of the desert into the fabled kingdom of Egypt. With nothing more than the staff in his hand and his brother Aaron at his side, he strode into the royal palace, confronted Pharaoh and demanded, “Let my people go!”

 

Thus began the spectacular story of the Exodus. Time and again, Moses confronted the belligerent Pharaoh, and after each refusal, he visited a shattering new plague onto Egypt until it was beaten into submission, and the enslaved Jewish people were finally free. As for Moses, he has come down to us as the greatest leader of all time, the man who single-handedly took on the might of the entire Egyptian kingdom and prevailed.

 

But let us stop and think for a moment. Wherein exactly lay the greatness of Moses in his mission to Egypt? Every step he took, every word he spoke, every move he made was choreographed by Hashem. Hashem told him exactly when and where to go, exactly what to say, exactly what to do. All Moses had to do was follow his instructions faithfully. He had no personal input into any aspect of his spectacular performance. Why then is Moses considered such a towering figure in the history of the Exodus?

 

The commentators explain that the one critical element that would determine the success or failure of his mission was entirely in Moses’s control. “I want you to know,” Hashem said to him, “that you are going on the condition that you perform my wonders in front of Pharaoh without fearing him.” Without fearing him. This was the key.

 

As Hashem’s chosen messenger, Moses enjoyed full divine protection, and he knew full well that Pharaoh could not harm him. But it is one thing to know this intellectually and quite another to feel it in one’s heart. According to the Midrash, Pharaoh’s throne was surrounded by snarling lions and fierce warriors, and Pharaoh himself was an exceedingly intimidating tyrant.

 

No matter how sure Moses was that he would come to no harm, could he enter such a scenario without a twinge of trepidation in his heart? And yet, if he had exhibited the slightest tremor in his voice, the slightest flutter of his heart, the slightest blink of his eye, he would have compromised his entire mission. Hashem had sent Moses to demonstrate His absolute mastery over Pharaoh, to show that Pharaoh was utterly nothing, putty in the hands of Heaven.

 

Therefore, had Moses felt any fear, he would have acknowledged Pharaoh as an adversary, albeit an infinitely weaker one, and thereby doomed his mission to failure.

Here then lay the greatness of Moses. He saw clearly that there is no power in the world other than Hashem, that Pharaoh in contraposition to G-d was a total nonentity, unworthy of even the slightest smidgen of fear. Therefore, when Moses walked fearlessly into Pharaoh’s palace, everyone, Egyptian and Jew alike, knew that Hashem was in absolute control.

 

A great general, who was in the process of mounting an invasion of a neighboring country, called a meeting of his most trusted advisors. “Gentlemen, I have a problem,” the general began. “I had hoped to win fame and glory for our armies during this campaign by thoroughly trouncing the enemy. But wherever my armies appear, the enemy flees. We have still had no opportunity to engage them in battle and destroy them. How can we get the enemy to stand and fight?”

 

“We take hostages,” said one advisor. “That will force them to fight.”

 

“We plan ambushes,” said another. “We cut off their escape routes.”

 

Other advisers suggested yet other ruses to force the enemy to fight.

 

“You are all wrong,” said one old advisor. “If the enemy flees whenever your armies appear, what greater glory can there be?”

 

In our own lives, we often face trials and challenges that strike fear into our hearts. Whether the threat is to our health, financial security, family life or anything else, the effect can be frightening and, indeed, devastating. But if we can find the strength to look at the world in the broader perspective, if we recognize that we are all messengers of Heaven doing his bidding here on the face of the earth, we will discover that there is nothing to fear but fear itself. As long as we connect ourselves to the infinite reality of the Creator, all our worries pale into insignificance.

 

 Text Copyright © 2009 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.

 

True Leadership

Parshas Shemos

Posted on June 7, 2002 (5762) By Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Series: Lifeline | Level: Beginner

 

“And G-d said to him, ‘what is in your hand?’ And he said, ‘a staff.’ And He said, ‘cast it to the ground,’ and he cast it to the ground and it became a snake, and Moshe ran away from it.” [4:2-3]

 

The Medrash tells us the following story (Shemos Rabba 3): A Roman matron said to Rebbe Yossi, “my god is greater than your G-d.” He asked her why. So she explained, “at the moment that your G-d revealed Himself to Moshe in the bush, Moshe covered his face [but did not move]. But when he saw the snake, which is my god, immediately ‘Moshe ran away from it!'”

 

Rebbe Yossi replied that she did not understand. “When our G-d was revealed in the bush, there was no place to run. Where would he run — to the heavens, the sea, or to dry land? What does it say concerning our G-d? ‘Behold, I fill the heavens and the earth…’ With the snake, which is your god, if a person merely runs two or three steps away he can escape and save himself, and this is why it says ‘Moshe ran away from it.'”

 

Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Hertzberg zt”l sees within this conversation a message about leadership.

 

The Roman matron’s god was the snake, because that was the type of leadership to which she was accustomed. Her leader was a snake then. Snakes will strike without cause or benefit, and we still find leaders of this variety today: dictators, who punish their people without cause or personal benefit, but only in order to demonstrate how powerful they are.

 

He also points out that those who spread gossip are like snakes, because their only “benefit” is malicious — the sense of superiority which they get from putting down others. The dictator and gossip work together: the power of the dictator depends upon the gossip that people tell about one another, even that ministers tell. No one dares make a misstep, and thus the dictator rules from fear.

 

Our teacher Moshe ran away from “leadership” of this nature. He wanted no part of it, for it runs completely contrary to the kindness and generosity of our forebears, the kindness demanded of us by the Torah. The Jewish path towards leadership is built upon humility, mercy and righteousness, not the methods of a snake. The Jewish path is indicated only a few verses later, when G-d says, “in order that they will believe that the G-d of their forebears appeared to you, the G-d of Abraham, the G-d of Isaac, the G-d of Jacob.” [4:5]

 

Jewish leaders should inspire people to recognize and have faith in the G-d of our forebears, by demonstrating an entirely different — and sanctified — style of leadership. The Jewish leader may use his staff, but only out of concern for his land and his people, not for personal reasons, and certainly not out of malice.

 

This lesson applies to all of us: when we behave with kindness, consideration, and love for others, we inspire respect for ourselves, for our people, and for our G-d.

 

Good Shabbos