STANDING UP TO INJUSTICE
Shemos
The greatest leader of the Jewish people was Moshe Rabbeinu, our first redeemer and Manhig. In Parshas Shemos we read about the birth of Moshe, his flight to Midian and how at the Burning Bush, he is charged with the mission of redeeming the Jewish people from Egypt and leading them to receive the Torah and to enter Eretz Yisroel.
Unlike the detailed stories of the Avos, the Torah tells us very little about Moshe Rabbeinu in his youth. But in the few stories that we do read, we see the important qualities that made Moshe worthy of being the great leader of Klal Yisroel.
After being ‘adopted’ by the daughter of Pharaoh and given back to his own mother to nurse him, the Torah teaches ויגדל הילד, that Moshe grew up and was brought back to the palace. Only a few verses later, the Torah repeats ויגדל משה, that Moshe grew up.
Rashi teaches that whereas the first verse refers to growing in the literal sense of becoming older, the second reference refers to Moshe becoming great in his stature - that he attained greatness. The Tiferes Shlomo explains that Moshe’s greatness is reflected in the next words ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלתם, that he went out to his brothers and saw their suffering.
Moshe did not just physically see their suffering. Rashi teaches that he “set his eyes and heart to be pained” by it. More than just witnessing their oppression, Moshe empathised with their plight and genuinely felt their pain.
And he did not just feel their pain and move on. The Torah proceeds to illustrate how despite the personal risk involved, Moshe took take action in the face of injustice, to protect the weak and those who were being mistreated.
When Moshe saw an Egyptian overseer striking a Jewish slave, he could of looked the other way. But he took action and killed the Egyptian. The next day, when he saw the two Jews, Dasan and Aviram fighting, he did not ignore it and look the other way. He called out the wrongdoer who had raised his hand to strike his fellow.
Moshe did this all at great personal risk. After these episodes, Dasan and Aviram reported Moshe’s actions to the Egyptian authorities. Moshe was arrested and sentenced to be executed and after miraculously being spared, was forced to flee to Midian.
As a prince in the Egyptian palace, Moshe could have ignored the plight of the lowly slaves and enjoyed his life of luxury, wealth and comfort. He could have ignored the slave being beaten and he could have buried his head and not mixed in to the quarrel of two Jewish trouble makers.
When he arrived in Midian, he again encountered injustice when the daughters of Yisro were being harassed by the local shepherds. You would think that after all that he had lost, Moshe had learned that it is better to keep your mouth shut and not get involved. But again, Moshe stood up to the aggressors to protect the victim.
This was Moshe’s greatness and the strength of character that he displayed that showed his readiness to be a leader.
At the end of the Parsha, Moshe is prepared to stand up against G-d Himself in the face of the suffering of Bnei Yisroel. After Pharaoh decreed that the slaves would no longer be given straw with which to make bricks, Moshe cast his words against the Almighty; “Why have You done evil to this people… and You have not saved Your people.”
To challenge Hashem’s running of the world was the greatest risk of all and Moshe was sternly rebuked for it. But when faced with the suffering of his people and the perceived injustice of Golus, personal risk was the furthest thing from his mind.
How often do we see or hear of someone being mistreated or being bullied or harassed. We see someone abused and yelled at or worse, physically assaulted. It is far easier to ignore it. To go about our business and pretend nothing happened, especially when the aggressor is someone with great prominence, wealth or power. Why get involved and put myself out of their good-graces or bring untold risk and repercussions on myself?
The Alter Rebbe teaches us that every Jew has a spark of the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu inside of them. The Torah is very clear what that ‘Moshe’ should do; to be a leader, to empathise, to speak out and to rise up and take action.
Unlike the detailed stories of the Avos, the Torah tells us very little about Moshe Rabbeinu in his youth. But in the few stories that we do read, we see the important qualities that made Moshe worthy of being the great leader of Klal Yisroel.
After being ‘adopted’ by the daughter of Pharaoh and given back to his own mother to nurse him, the Torah teaches ויגדל הילד, that Moshe grew up and was brought back to the palace. Only a few verses later, the Torah repeats ויגדל משה, that Moshe grew up.
Rashi teaches that whereas the first verse refers to growing in the literal sense of becoming older, the second reference refers to Moshe becoming great in his stature - that he attained greatness. The Tiferes Shlomo explains that Moshe’s greatness is reflected in the next words ויצא אל אחיו וירא בסבלתם, that he went out to his brothers and saw their suffering.
Moshe did not just physically see their suffering. Rashi teaches that he “set his eyes and heart to be pained” by it. More than just witnessing their oppression, Moshe empathised with their plight and genuinely felt their pain.
And he did not just feel their pain and move on. The Torah proceeds to illustrate how despite the personal risk involved, Moshe took take action in the face of injustice, to protect the weak and those who were being mistreated.
When Moshe saw an Egyptian overseer striking a Jewish slave, he could of looked the other way. But he took action and killed the Egyptian. The next day, when he saw the two Jews, Dasan and Aviram fighting, he did not ignore it and look the other way. He called out the wrongdoer who had raised his hand to strike his fellow.
Moshe did this all at great personal risk. After these episodes, Dasan and Aviram reported Moshe’s actions to the Egyptian authorities. Moshe was arrested and sentenced to be executed and after miraculously being spared, was forced to flee to Midian.
As a prince in the Egyptian palace, Moshe could have ignored the plight of the lowly slaves and enjoyed his life of luxury, wealth and comfort. He could have ignored the slave being beaten and he could have buried his head and not mixed in to the quarrel of two Jewish trouble makers.
When he arrived in Midian, he again encountered injustice when the daughters of Yisro were being harassed by the local shepherds. You would think that after all that he had lost, Moshe had learned that it is better to keep your mouth shut and not get involved. But again, Moshe stood up to the aggressors to protect the victim.
This was Moshe’s greatness and the strength of character that he displayed that showed his readiness to be a leader.
At the end of the Parsha, Moshe is prepared to stand up against G-d Himself in the face of the suffering of Bnei Yisroel. After Pharaoh decreed that the slaves would no longer be given straw with which to make bricks, Moshe cast his words against the Almighty; “Why have You done evil to this people… and You have not saved Your people.”
To challenge Hashem’s running of the world was the greatest risk of all and Moshe was sternly rebuked for it. But when faced with the suffering of his people and the perceived injustice of Golus, personal risk was the furthest thing from his mind.
How often do we see or hear of someone being mistreated or being bullied or harassed. We see someone abused and yelled at or worse, physically assaulted. It is far easier to ignore it. To go about our business and pretend nothing happened, especially when the aggressor is someone with great prominence, wealth or power. Why get involved and put myself out of their good-graces or bring untold risk and repercussions on myself?
The Alter Rebbe teaches us that every Jew has a spark of the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu inside of them. The Torah is very clear what that ‘Moshe’ should do; to be a leader, to empathise, to speak out and to rise up and take action.