You can lead a Global Day of Jewish Learning (theglobalday.org) event in your community by inviting people to study together on Sunday, November 17, 2019. At the same time you are learning, hundreds of diverse communities across the continents will also join this experience. Communities receive free learning resources to help facilitate the experience (this source sheet is adapted from the full 2014 curriculum - Heroes and Villains, Saints and Fools: The People in the Book). The 2019 theme is "Speaking Volumes" exploring how and why words matter. Together we can unite the Jewish people.
Introduction
(5 minutes)
The Jewish people are inspired by the biblical and rabbinic texts that describe our ancestors—the challenges that they faced and the choices that they made. Looking at biblical narratives offers us some models of heroic behavior and challenges us to think about our notions of heroes and leaders.
Moses is considered the greatest leader in the history of the Jewish people. The Bible illustrates his leadership capabilities in numerous episodes. What were the circumstances which contributed to his becoming a great leader? Was he simply born that way?
This unit will examine the early life of Moses and raise some questions for us to explore:
1. What shapes the development of a leader?
2. What is the essence of a leader?
Part One: The Birth of Moses
(20 minutes)
o Ask your participants to form groups of two or three for the chevruta style of learning. Chevruta, or partnered learning, has the added benefit of two people sharing ideas and insights as they learn together.
o Ask your chevruta pairs to read the next four texts together. Each describes aspects of the birth of Moses.
o Ask them to discuss with their chevruta and make notes on the answers to these questions as they read:
1. How does the text represent Moses’s parents?
2. How does the text describe the circumstances of Moses’s birth?
3. Why would the text portray Moses’s origins in this way?
(א) וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אִ֖ישׁ מִבֵּ֣ית לֵוִ֑י וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־בַּת־לֵוִֽי׃
(ב) וַתַּ֥הַר הָאִשָּׁ֖ה וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֑ן וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֹתוֹ֙ כִּי־ט֣וֹב ה֔וּא וַֽתִּצְפְּנֵ֖הוּ שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה יְרָחִֽים׃
(ג) וְלֹא־יָכְלָ֣ה עוֹד֮ הַצְּפִינוֹ֒ וַתִּֽקַּֽח־לוֹ֙ תֵּ֣בַת גֹּ֔מֶא וַתַּחְמְרָ֥ה בַחֵמָ֖ר וּבַזָּ֑פֶת וַתָּ֤שֶׂם בָּהּ֙ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וַתָּ֥שֶׂם בַּסּ֖וּף עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר׃
(ד) וַתֵּתַצַּ֥ב אֲחֹת֖וֹ מֵרָחֹ֑ק לְדֵעָ֕ה מַה־יֵּעָשֶׂ֖ה לֽוֹ׃
(ה) וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֶת־אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ
(ו) וַתִּפְתַּח֙ וַתִּרְאֵ֣הוּ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וְהִנֵּה־נַ֖עַר בֹּכֶ֑ה וַתַּחְמֹ֣ל עָלָ֔יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מִיַּלְדֵ֥י הָֽעִבְרִ֖ים זֶֽה׃
(ז) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֲחֹתוֹ֮ אֶל־בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֒ הַאֵלֵ֗ךְ וְקָרָ֤אתִי לָךְ֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה מֵינֶ֔קֶת מִ֖ן הָעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת וְתֵינִ֥ק לָ֖ךְ אֶת־הַיָּֽלֶד׃
(ח) וַתֹּֽאמֶר־לָ֥הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵ֑כִי וַתֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ הָֽעַלְמָ֔ה וַתִּקְרָ֖א אֶת־אֵ֥ם הַיָּֽלֶד׃
(ט) וַתֹּ֧אמֶר לָ֣הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֗ה הֵילִ֜יכִי אֶת־הַיֶּ֤לֶד הַזֶּה֙ וְהֵינִקִ֣הוּ לִ֔י וַאֲנִ֖י אֶתֵּ֣ן אֶת־שְׂכָרֵ֑ךְ וַתִּקַּ֧ח הָאִשָּׁ֛ה הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַתְּנִיקֵֽהוּ׃
(י) וַיִגְדַּ֣ל הַיֶּ֗לֶד וַתְּבִאֵ֙הוּ֙ לְבַת־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַֽיְהִי־לָ֖הּ לְבֵ֑ן וַתִּקְרָ֤א שְׁמוֹ֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַתֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֥י מִן־הַמַּ֖יִם מְשִׁיתִֽהוּ׃
(1) A certain man of the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman.
(2) The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw how beautiful he was, she hid him for three months.
(3) When she could hide him no longer, she got a wicker basket for him and caulked it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child into it and placed it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.
(4) And his sister stationed herself at a distance, to learn what would befall him.
(5) The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, while her maidens walked along the Nile. She spied the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to fetch it.
(6) When she opened it, she saw that it was a child, a boy crying. She took pity on it and said, “This must be a Hebrew child.”
(7) Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a Hebrew nurse to suckle the child for you?”
(8) And Pharaoh’s daughter answered, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.
(9) And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it.
(10) When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who made him her son. She named him Moses, explaining, “I drew him out of the water.”
(20) Amram took to wife his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the span of Amram’s life was 137 years.
The next text was written by Josephus, a Jewish historian who lived in the 1st century.
Josephus. Antiquities Book 2. Bolding added for emphasis by curriculum author.
A man whose name was Amram, one of the nobler sort of the Hebrews, was afraid for his whole nation, lest it should fail, by the want of young men to be brought up hereafter, and was very uneasy at it, his wife being then with child, and he knew not what to do. Hereupon he betook himself to pray to God; and entreated Him to have compassion on those men who had nowise transgressed the laws of His worship, and to afford them deliverance from the miseries they at that time endured, and to render abortive their enemies’ hopes of the destruction of their nation. Accordingly God had mercy on him, and was moved by his supplication. He stood by him in his sleep, and exhorted him not to despair of His future favors. He said further, that He did not forget their piety towards Him, and would always reward them for it, as He had formerly granted His favor to their forefathers, and made them increase from a few to so great a multitude… Know therefore[, said He,] that I shall provide for you all in common what is for your good, and particularly for thyself what shall make thee famous; for that child, out of dread of whose nativity the Egyptians have doomed the Israelite children to destruction, shall be this child of thine, and shall be concealed from those who watch to destroy him: and when he is brought up in a surprising way, he shall deliver the Hebrew nation from the distress they are under from the Egyptians. His memory shall be famous while the world lasts; and this not only among the Hebrews, but foreigners also.
(שמות ב, א) וילך איש מבית לוי- להיכן הלך? אמר רב יהודה בר זבינא: שהלך בעצת בתו. תנא: עמרם גדול הדור היה כיון גזר פרעה הרשע "כל הבן הילוד היאורה תשליכוהו" אמר "לשוא אנו עמלין". עמד וגירש את אשתו, עמדו כולן וגירשו את נשותיהן.
אמרה לו בתו: "אבא, קשה גזירתך יותר משל פרעה, שפרעה לא גזר אלא על הזכרים ואתה גזרת על הזכרים ועל הנקיבות! פרעה לא גזר אלא בעוה"ז, ואתה בעוה"ז ולעוה"ב. פרעה הרשע, ספק מתקיימת גזירתו, ספק אינה מתקיימת. אתה צדיק, בודאי שגזירתך מתקיימת"!... עמד והחזיר את אשתו, עמדו כולן והחזירו את נשותיהן.
The verse states: “And there went a man of the house of Levi"... To where did he go? Rav Yehuda bar Zevina says: He followed his daughter's advice. It was taught Amram was the leader of his generation. Once wicked Pharaoh made the decree that all boys should be thrown into the Nile, [Amram] said: ‘We are striving for nothing!’ He then divorced his wife. Every man followed him and divorced their wives. His daughter said to him: ‘Father, your decree is worse than Pharaoh’s. Pharaoh’s decree applies only to boys, but yours applies to boys and girls. Pharaoh’s decree extends only to this world, but yours extends to this world and the world to come. The wicked Pharaoh’s decree might or might not be acted upon [in any given situation], but you are a righteous person so your decree will take effect. [Amram] went and brought back his wife. All the men brought back their wives as well…
o Discuss the following questions as a full group:
1. Consider each text. Does it portray Moses as being of noble or humble origins?
2. Which account is most appealing to you? Why?
3. Do you think our society and/or our Jewish community more highly regards a leader born of humble origins or one born of “righteous” or “noble” parentage?
Part Two: Early “Leadership”--3 Episodes of Taking Action
(15 minutes)
Following Moses’s birth, he was raised as a prince in the Egyptian royal palace. As Josephus comments, Moses is indeed “brought up in a surprising way”—the future leader of the Hebrew slaves is raised in the house of their oppressor.
o Discuss with your chevruta:
1. What is the significance of Moses’s being brought up in the royal palace?
The great medieval Biblical commentator, philosopher and scholar, R. Abraham Ibn Ezra (12th century, Spain) suggests a fascinating response to this question.
ומחשבות השם עמקו, ומי יוכל לעמוד בסודו, ולא לבדו נתכנו עלילות. אולי סבב השם זה שיגדל משה בבית המלכות להיות נפשו על מדרגה העליונה בדרך הלימוד והרגילות, ולא תהיה שפלה ורגילה להיות בבית עבדים. הלא תראה, שהרג המצרי בעבור שהוא עשה חמס. והושיע בנות מדין מהרועים, בעבור שהיו עושים חמס להשקות צאנן מהמים שדלו. ועוד דבר אחר, כי אלו היה גדל בין אחיו ויכירוהו מנעוריו, לא היו יראים ממנו, כי יחשבוהו כאחד מהם.
(3) The thoughts of God are deep; who can perceive His secret? To Him alone the plot is clear. Perhaps God caused it to come about that Moshe would grow up in the royal palace, that his soul might be habituated to be on the highest level, not lowly and accustomed to being in a house of slaves. For do we not see that he kills the Egyptian for performing an act of unjust violence? And he saves the Midianite daughters from the shepherds, for they (the shepherds) perform unjust violence in watering their flocks from the water drawn by them (the daughters of Re’uel). And moreover: had he grown up among his brethren, such that they had known him since his youth, they would not be in awe of him, for they would consider him as one of them.
Ibn Ezra suggests that Moses’s position in the royal palace exposed him to “highest level” ideals, such as that “unjust violence” is reprehensible.
o Ask:
1. According to Ibn Ezra, if Moses had been brought up a slave he would not have been able to lead the people from slavery. Do you agree? Why or why not?
2. Does someone need to have shared experiences with the group he or she wishes to lead? In your opinion, who makes a better leader—an outsider or an insider? Why?
As the story of Moses continues in Exodus Chapter 2, Moses goes out amongst his brothers and sees their suffering. This leads into three separate episodes in which Moses takes center stage. These three episodes are described in the following text.
o Read the next text and discuss the questions with your chevruta.
(יא) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיִּגְדַּ֤ל מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֵּצֵ֣א אֶל־אֶחָ֔יו וַיַּ֖רְא בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיַּרְא֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י מַכֶּ֥ה אִישׁ־עִבְרִ֖י מֵאֶחָֽיו׃
(יב) וַיִּ֤פֶן כֹּה֙ וָכֹ֔ה וַיַּ֖רְא כִּ֣י אֵ֣ין אִ֑ישׁ וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־הַמִּצְרִ֔י וַֽיִּטְמְנֵ֖הוּ בַּחֽוֹל׃
(יג) וַיֵּצֵא֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשֵּׁנִ֔י וְהִנֵּ֛ה שְׁנֵֽי־אֲנָשִׁ֥ים עִבְרִ֖ים נִצִּ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לָֽרָשָׁ֔ע לָ֥מָּה תַכֶּ֖ה רֵעֶֽךָ׃
(יד) וַ֠יֹּאמֶר מִ֣י שָֽׂמְךָ֞ לְאִ֨ישׁ שַׂ֤ר וְשֹׁפֵט֙ עָלֵ֔ינוּ הַלְהָרְגֵ֙נִי֙ אַתָּ֣ה אֹמֵ֔ר כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הָרַ֖גְתָּ אֶת־הַמִּצְרִ֑י וַיִּירָ֤א מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר אָכֵ֖ן נוֹדַ֥ע הַדָּבָֽר׃
(טו) וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וַיְבַקֵּ֖שׁ לַהֲרֹ֣ג אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּבְרַ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־מִדְיָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב עַֽל־הַבְּאֵֽר׃
(טז) וּלְכֹהֵ֥ן מִדְיָ֖ן שֶׁ֣בַע בָּנ֑וֹת וַתָּבֹ֣אנָה וַתִּדְלֶ֗נָה וַתְּמַלֶּ֙אנָה֙ אֶת־הָ֣רְהָטִ֔ים לְהַשְׁק֖וֹת צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶֽן׃
(יז) וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ הָרֹעִ֖ים וַיְגָרְשׁ֑וּם וַיָּ֤קָם מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיּ֣וֹשִׁעָ֔ן וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ אֶת־צֹאנָֽם׃
(11) Some time after that, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his kinsfolk and witnessed their labors. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsmen.
(12) He turned this way and that and, seeing no one about, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
(13) When he went out the next day, he found two Hebrews fighting; so he said to the offender, “Why do you strike your fellow?”
(14) He retorted, “Who made you chief and ruler over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was frightened, and thought: Then the matter is known!
(15) When Pharaoh learned of the matter, he sought to kill Moses; but Moses fled from Pharaoh. He arrived in the land of Midian, and sat down beside a well.
(16) Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock;
(17) but shepherds came and drove them off. Moses rose to their defense, and he watered their flock.
o Discuss in chevruta:
1. Summarize these three different episodes. What are their differences and similarities?
2. The incidents described in these verses are the only pieces of information that we are given in the Bible about Moses’s youth and adolescence. Before them, he is a child in the very heart of the Egyptian corridors of power. After them, he will marry and receive the revelation of God at the burning bush in Exodus Chapter 3, inaugurating him as a prophet and messenger of God and redeemer of the Jewish people. As formative events, then, what do these incidents reveal about the character of Moses?
Part Three: Essential Traits of Leaders
(15 minutes)
What is the essence of a leader?
Let’s consider two texts that explore this issue. The first is from the commentary of Nechama Leibowitz (a 20th century Israeli Bible scholar) on the sources we just saw in Exodus (2:11–17). The second, by Rabbi Steinsaltz, addresses leadership more broadly.
Nechama Leibowitz. Studies in Exodus.
Moses intervened on three occasions to save the victim from the aggressor. Each of these represents an archetype. First he intervenes in a clash between a Jew and a non-Jew, second between two Jews and third between two non-Jews. In all three cases Moses championed the just cause…Had we been told only of the first clash, we might have doubted the unselfishness of his motives. Perhaps he had been activated by a sense of solidarity with his own people, hatred for the stronger oppressing his people rather than pure justice. Had we been faced with the second example…perhaps he was revolted by the disgrace of watching internal strife amongst his own folk, activated by national pride…Came the third clash where both parties were outsiders, neither brothers nor neighbors. His sense of justice and fair play was exclusively involved.
o Discuss in the full group:
Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz. “Who will be our rabbis?” Times of Israel 27 December 2013.
What, then, is a true Jewish leader? The Torah (Numbers 1:15) calls the leaders “the heads of the thousands of Israel.” This defines their essence. The Torah is thus telling us that a true leader is like a head. The head is the part of the body that knows what is happening in all of the other organs, and feels the pain of each and every one of them. Similarly, the leader is supposed to sense the problems and feel the pains of everyone.
o Ask:
Conclusion
(5 minutes)