I. Compare and Contrast to the Holocaust
A. The Egyptian Midwives/Bat Paroah
(יז) וַתִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃
The Although Pharoah told the midwives to kill the Jewish boys, they didn't do so, because they feared Hashem
When Pharaoh's daughter came to bathe in the Nile, she came across a basket. Upon opening the basket, she saw a small, baby crying. Instead of throwing the baby into the water, as her father commanded, Bat Pharoah took pity on the child and saved him
The midwives comforted the babies, as if no one else in the world mattered. Not only did they save the babies, but they provided for them, and helped them live.
(ד) ותחמול עליו. לפי מה שפירשנו כי נתכונה מתחילה ובראשונה להציל הילד טעם החמלה חדשה לא להצילו מהיאור אלא יגיד הכתוב שבקשה להניקו, והעד מה שאמר בסמוך ותאמר אחותו וגו' האלך וקראתי וגו' ואמרו ז''ל (סוטה יב:) שהחזירתו על מניקות גויות וכו':
Batya was determined to not only save the baby but to provide for him as well. Even after deciding to save him, she decided to feed/provide for him in the best way possible.
During the horrors of the Holocaust, there were numerous gentiles who out of the kindness of their heart, decided to help Jews in need. One of these people were Elisabeta Strul, a lady from Romania. On June 29, 1941, a 21-year-old Strul took in over 20 Jewish people and hid them in her storehouse. Despite being beaten on multiple occasions by German officials, Strul worked hard to not only help her people survive but to provide for them. Strul brought warm clothing and food to her Jews. This is similar to Bat Pharaoh and the midwives. Not only did Bat Pharoah save a foreign baby, but she also risked her life further, by bringing in a Jewish wet-nurse to provide Moshe with the best possible nourishment. Furthermore, Bat Pharoah not only saved Moshe but also raised him as her own in the best possible living space. Similarly, the midwives, instead of just saving the babies and giving them to their mothers, decided to provide and care for the babies too. They made sure that the babies were healthy and comfortable before leaving.
https://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/righteous-women/strul.asp
B. Jew vs. Jew - שני אנשים עברים נצים
After accidentally killing an Egyptian, Moshe went out the next day and found 2 Jews fighting. When he asked them about it, one of the fighters asked Moshe, "Who made you chief ruler over us? Are you going to kill us like you killed the Egyptian? When Moshe heard this, he understood that his actions would soon be made public, and he had to run away from Pharaoh.
This Jew was implying that Moshe was just a child, and didn't have authority over him. The word שר was added to show that even if he was old enough, no one appointed him. The word שופט is added to show that even if Moshe was a judge (which he wasn't) he was still too young to have authority over the fighting Hebrews. The Tur is emphasizing that fact that the Hebrew had no intention of listening to Moshe or his authority. They would do what they wanted to do, and little, insignificant Moshe couldn't do anything about it.
During the Holocaust, the Nazi's employed Jews to implement Nazi policies over the Jews. These people, known as the Judenrat, were responsible for certain tasks, such as transferring the Jews from their homes to the ghettos and preventing fights within the ghettos. While a few Jews were okay with them, many viewed these people as traitors. They believed that these Jews were putting their own needs before the needs of the community as a whole, and didn't respect them as leaders since they weren't real political figures. Similarly, the two Jews who were fighting felt that Moshe shouldn't be telling them what to do. He was too young and inexperienced to be bossing them around, and in their mind, Moshe wasn't even appointed by any significant figure.
C. The Themes of Slavery and the Holocaust Still Live On
(9) And he said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us. (10) Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground.”
In this article, the writer highlights the fact that Pharaoh's and Hitler's plans were similar but didn't end with them. While both of those incidents were genocides towards Jews, the hatred that was shown to the world still exists today. As shown by the source shown above, Pharaoh had no solid reason to enslave the Jews (wanted to prevent the slim chance that there would be a rebellion). Similarly, Hitler had no reason for the mass killing of 6,000,000 Jews, other than the Jews being "a great misfourtune to humanity". Anti-semitism was around 3,000 years ago and is still prevalent in our daily lives, as made clear by the adverse event in Pittsburg. Unfortunately, this didn't end with Pharoah or with Hitler. As the author puts it, "Anti-Semitism is mankind’s oldest hatred, irrational, obsessive, and seemingly indestructible."
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2012/04/18/hitler-pharaoh-and-anti-semitic-culture-victimhood-victims-who-persecute/Hph5XM6IfgWN7VkObPAasI/story.html
II. The Emergence of a Leader
A. R' Moshe Lichtenstein on a Young Moshe
https://etzion.org.il/en/shemot-young-moshe
(כא) וַיּ֥וֹאֶל מֹשֶׁ֖ה לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶת־הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיִּתֵּ֛ן אֶת־צִפֹּרָ֥ה בִתּ֖וֹ לְמֹשֶֽׁה׃ (כב) וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר גֵּ֣ר הָיִ֔יתִי בְּאֶ֖רֶץ נָכְרִיָּֽה׃ (פ) (כג) וַיְהִי֩ בַיָּמִ֨ים הָֽרַבִּ֜ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיָּ֙מָת֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מִן־הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּ וַתַּ֧עַל שַׁוְעָתָ֛ם אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים מִן־הָעֲבֹדָֽה׃ (כד) וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־נַאֲקָתָ֑ם וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־בְּרִית֔וֹ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶת־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽת־יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (כה) וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּ֖דַע אֱלֹהִֽים׃ (ס) (א) וּמֹשֶׁ֗ה הָיָ֥ה רֹעֶ֛ה אֶת־צֹ֛אן יִתְר֥וֹ חֹתְנ֖וֹ כֹּהֵ֣ן מִדְיָ֑ן וַיִּנְהַ֤ג אֶת־הַצֹּאן֙ אַחַ֣ר הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר וַיָּבֹ֛א אֶל־הַ֥ר הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים חֹרֵֽבָה׃
(21) Moses consented to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah as wife. (22) She bore a son whom he named Gershom, for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.” (23) A long time after that, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites were groaning under the bondage and cried out; and their cry for help from the bondage rose up to God. (24) God heard their moaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. (25) God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them. (1) Now Moses, tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, drove the flock into the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
(כו) וַֽיְחִי־תֶ֖רַח שִׁבְעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיּ֙וֹלֶד֙ אֶת־אַבְרָ֔ם אֶת־נָח֖וֹר וְאֶת־הָרָֽן׃ (כז) וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ תּוֹלְדֹ֣ת תֶּ֔רַח תֶּ֚רַח הוֹלִ֣יד אֶת־אַבְרָ֔ם אֶת־נָח֖וֹר וְאֶת־הָרָ֑ן וְהָרָ֖ן הוֹלִ֥יד אֶת־לֽוֹט׃ (כח) וַיָּ֣מָת הָרָ֔ן עַל־פְּנֵ֖י תֶּ֣רַח אָבִ֑יו בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מוֹלַדְתּ֖וֹ בְּא֥וּר כַּשְׂדִּֽים׃ (כט) וַיִּקַּ֨ח אַבְרָ֧ם וְנָח֛וֹר לָהֶ֖ם נָשִׁ֑ים שֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־אַבְרָם֙ שָׂרָ֔י וְשֵׁ֤ם אֵֽשֶׁת־נָחוֹר֙ מִלְכָּ֔ה בַּת־הָרָ֥ן אֲבִֽי־מִלְכָּ֖ה וַֽאֲבִ֥י יִסְכָּֽה׃ (ל) וַתְּהִ֥י שָׂרַ֖י עֲקָרָ֑ה אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ וָלָֽד׃ (לא) וַיִּקַּ֨ח תֶּ֜רַח אֶת־אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֗וֹ וְאֶת־ל֤וֹט בֶּן־הָרָן֙ בֶּן־בְּנ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ שָׂרַ֣י כַּלָּת֔וֹ אֵ֖שֶׁת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּצְא֨וּ אִתָּ֜ם מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד־חָרָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם׃
(26) When Terah had lived 70 years, he begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. (27) Now this is the line of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begot Lot. (28) Haran died in the lifetime of his father Terah, in his native land, Ur of the Chaldeans. (29) Abram and Nahor took to themselves wives, the name of Abram’s wife being Sarai and that of Nahor’s wife Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah. (30) Now Sarai was barren, she had no child. (31) Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan; but when they had come as far as Haran, they settled there.
- While the emergence of Avraham and Moshe are similar in the sense that their adult lives are both skimmed over by the Torah, the skimming over is different in both cases. By Avraham, his main story happens after the Torah's silence. However, with Moshe, the Torah's silence happens in the middle. There are pesukim about Moshe before his adulthood, pesukim after, but nothing in the middle.
- Throughout Perek Bet, Moshe is undergoing his own identity crisis. At the beginning of the Perek, Moshe is a morally sensitive person, and cannot hold back his desire to help his fellow Jews. As demonstrated by both the stories of the Egyptian beating the Jew and the argument between Jew and Jew, Moshe cannot hold back his urge to help others in need. However, this all changes when he leaves Egypt. Upon coming to Midyan, the seemingly missing pesukim tell the reader everything. The Torah's silence shows that Moshe was in a self-imposed state of isolation and seclusion. Similar to Eliyahu, who also went into isolation when he was depressed, Moshe could not cope with the bitterness and sadness in the everyday lives of his people and was unable to cope with the harsh reality or empathize with the weak, causing him to isolate himself.
- Moshe has to accept a moral reality: life isn't so sweet and luxurious all the time. Growing up in the palace, Moshe didn't realize this. Once exposed to the outside world, the first thing he saw was an Egyptian beating a Jew. Then, he saw two Jews fighting. Moshe had to understand and accept this truth, that life isn't always so great.
- The purpose of the burning bush was to teach Moshe that a life of seclusion and an individual connection to G-d wasn't right for him. Moshe needs to get up and save a nation. As high on a spiritual level as Moshe was while away, none of it mattered if he didn't go out and free the Jewish people. The burning bush was meant to show Moshe that.
B. Moshe vs. Shaul
אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, מִי שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ לִרְעוֹת הַצֹּאן אִישׁ לְפִי כֹחוֹ, יָבֹא וְיִרְעֶה בְּעַמִּי. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים עח, עא): מֵאַחַר עָלוֹת הֱבִיאוֹ לִרְעוֹת בְּיַעֲקֹב עַמּוֹ. וְאַף משֶׁה לֹא בְחָנוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶלָּא בַּצֹּאן, אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, כְּשֶׁהָיָה משֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם רוֹעֶה צֹאנוֹ שֶׁל יִתְרוֹ בַּמִּדְבָּר, בָּרַח מִמֶּנּוּ גְּדִי, וְרָץ אַחֲרָיו עַד שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לַחֲסִית, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לַחֲסִית, נִזְדַּמְּנָה לוֹ בְּרֵכָה שֶׁל מַיִם, וְעָמַד הַגְּדִי לִשְׁתּוֹת, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ משֶׁה אֶצְלוֹ, אָמַר אֲנִי לֹא הָיִיתִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁרָץ הָיִיתָ מִפְּנֵי צָמָא, עָיֵף אַתָּה, הִרְכִּיבוֹ עַל כְּתֵפוֹ וְהָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, יֵשׁ לְךָ רַחֲמִים לִנְהֹג צֹאנוֹ שֶׁל בָּשָׂר וָדָם כָּךְ חַיֶּיךָ אַתָּה תִרְעֶה צֹאנִי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֱוֵי: וּמשֶׁה הָיָה רוֹעֶה.
Being a shepherd was a quality that Hashem demanded out of a leader. Whoever was able to tend to sheep with great care and sensitivity, will certainly be able to tend to a nation. The same applies to Moshe, who was chosen because of his talents as a shepherd. One day, one of the baby sheep ran away, and Moshe, being the sensitive leader that he was, ran after that sheep, until they reached a pool. After taking a drink, the sheep was carried on Moshe's back all the way back to Yitro's flock. This proved to Hashem that Moshe, who tended so carefully to the sheep of Yitro with love, he'll certainly be able to watch over the divine flock, the Jewish people.
(ז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה רָאֹ֥ה רָאִ֛יתִי אֶת־עֳנִ֥י עַמִּ֖י אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וְאֶת־צַעֲקָתָ֤ם שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י נֹֽגְשָׂ֔יו כִּ֥י יָדַ֖עְתִּי אֶת־מַכְאֹבָֽיו׃ (ח) וָאֵרֵ֞ד לְהַצִּיל֣וֹ ׀ מִיַּ֣ד מִצְרַ֗יִם וּֽלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ֮ מִן־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִוא֒ אֶל־אֶ֤רֶץ טוֹבָה֙ וּרְחָבָ֔ה אֶל־אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ אֶל־מְק֤וֹם הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַ֣חִתִּ֔י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י וְהַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃ (ט) וְעַתָּ֕ה הִנֵּ֛ה צַעֲקַ֥ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּ֣אָה אֵלָ֑י וְגַם־רָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־הַלַּ֔חַץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִצְרַ֖יִם לֹחֲצִ֥ים אֹתָֽם׃
(7) And the LORD continued, “I have marked well the plight of My people in Egypt and have heeded their outcry because of their taskmasters; yes, I am mindful of their sufferings. (8) I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the region of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (9) Now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me; moreover, I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them.
(טז) כָּעֵ֣ת ׀ מָחָ֡ר אֶשְׁלַח֩ אֵלֶ֨יךָ אִ֜ישׁ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ בִּנְיָמִ֗ן וּמְשַׁחְתּ֤וֹ לְנָגִיד֙ עַל־עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אֶת־עַמִּ֖י מִיַּ֣ד פְּלִשְׁתִּ֑ים כִּ֤י רָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־עַמִּ֔י כִּ֛י בָּ֥אָה צַעֲקָת֖וֹ אֵלָֽי׃
(16) “At this time tomorrow, I will send a man to you from the territory of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him ruler of My people Israel. He will deliver My people from the hands of the Philistines; for I have taken note of My people, their outcry has come to Me.”
2. The reaction of refusal of Moshe and Shaul
(יא) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים מִ֣י אָנֹ֔כִי כִּ֥י אֵלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְכִ֥י אוֹצִ֛יא אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
שמות ד׳:א׳
(א) וַיַּ֤עַן מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֹּ֔אמֶר וְהֵן֙ לֹֽא־יַאֲמִ֣ינוּ לִ֔י וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמְע֖וּ בְּקֹלִ֑י כִּ֣י יֹֽאמְר֔וּ לֹֽא־נִרְאָ֥ה אֵלֶ֖יךָ יְהוָֽה׃
שמות ד׳:י׳
(י) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶל־יְהוָה֮ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנָי֒ לֹא֩ אִ֨ישׁ דְּבָרִ֜ים אָנֹ֗כִי גַּ֤ם מִתְּמוֹל֙ גַּ֣ם מִשִּׁלְשֹׁ֔ם גַּ֛ם מֵאָ֥ז דַּבֶּרְךָ אֶל־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֧י כְבַד־פֶּ֛ה וּכְבַ֥ד לָשׁ֖וֹן אָנֹֽכִי׃
(11) But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and free the Israelites from Egypt?”
Exodus 4:1
(1) But Moses spoke up and said, “What if they do not believe me and do not listen to me, but say: The LORD did not appear to you?”
Exodus 4:10
(10) But Moses said to the LORD, “Please, O Lord, I have never been a man of words, either in times past or now that You have spoken to Your servant; I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
שהרי שאול ברח ממנה...
It is human nature that after one ascends to a prestigious position he does not wish to lose it. As evidence of this principle, Saul initially fled from the kingship, as he did not wish to be king, as stated in the verse: “When they sought him he could not be found…Behold he has hidden himself among the baggage” (I Samuel 10:21–22)...
3. Anointed by "accident"
Seemingly, Moshe came across the burning bush by accident. If he didn't lead his flock into the desert right past that bush, perhaps he wouldn't have encountered the bush.
Interestingly enough, Shaul approaches Shmuel, not the other way around. The pesukim seem to imply that Shaul, by chance, bumped into Shmuel on his quest to find the special man in his city.
4. Bnei Yesrael as a "flock"
(ח) וָאֵרֵ֞ד לְהַצִּיל֣וֹ ׀ מִיַּ֣ד מִצְרַ֗יִם וּֽלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ֮ מִן־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִוא֒ אֶל־אֶ֤רֶץ טוֹבָה֙ וּרְחָבָ֔ה אֶל־אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ אֶל־מְק֤וֹם הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַ֣חִתִּ֔י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י וְהַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃
(8) I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the region of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
(יח) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל (פ) כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אָנֹכִ֛י הֶעֱלֵ֥יתִי אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וָאַצִּ֤יל אֶתְכֶם֙ מִיַּ֣ד מִצְרַ֔יִם וּמִיַּד֙ כָּל־הַמַּמְלָכ֔וֹת הַלֹּחֲצִ֖ים אֶתְכֶֽם׃
(18) and said to them, “Thus said the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘I brought Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’
Shaul:
-After not wanting the leadership position, he cannot give it up, when Dovid threatens his power
-After the Navi comes to him, Shaul doesn't immediately protest the power; He waits until he's about to be anointed to protest his leadership
Moshe:
-After not wanting the leadership position, on the backend, he's still willing to give it up on the backend to Yehoshua
-After Hashem comes to him, he protests the power right away