Outreach

Midrash Rabbah - Devarim

"When you come in" - story of Batya

"When you go out" - blessing to Reuven: "Let Reuven live and not die" (Devarim, 33:6)

Midrash Rabbah - Vayikra

‘Whom Mered married’ this is Calev.
R. Abba b. Kahana and R. Yehuda b. Simon [differ in their interpretation]:
One says he rebelled (morad) against the Spies plot, and she rebelled against her father’s decree. Let the
rebel marry the rebel.
One says, he saved the flock (Israel) and she saved the shepherd (Moses).

Rashi

Because Reuben displaced up his father’s bed, the Torah considers it as if he slept with her.

And why did he move and desecrate his father’s bed?
Because when Rachel died, Jacob took his bed which was usually in her tent and put it in Bilhah’s tent, and Reuben came and demanded the honor of his mother.
He argued: If my mother’s sister was her rival, at least her sister’s maid should not be her rival. That is why he
moved the bed.

Talmud - Sotah

A Tanna taught: Amram was the greatest man of his generation; when he saw that the wicked Pharaoh had decreed 'Every son that is born to you shall be cast into the river', he said: ‘We labor In vain!’ He arose and divorced his wife. All [the Israelites] thereupon arose and divorced their wives too.

His daughter [Miriam] said to him, 'Father, your decree is more severe than Pharaoh's; because Pharaoh decreed only against the males whereas you have decreed against the males and females. Pharaoh only decreed in this World whereas you have decreed concerning this World and the World to Come. Pharaoh is wicked so there is a doubt whether his decree will be fulfilled or not, you are righteous, so it is certain that your decree will be fulfilled…

He arose and took his wife back; and then they all arose and took their wives back.

Megaleh Amukos - R' Nosson Nota Shapiro (1584-1633) - Interpretation 187

Moses wanted to enter the Land of Israel because he foresaw with prophecy that in the end of days the verse will be fulfilled ‘Then I will convert the peoples to a pure language that all of them call in the name of the Lord, to worship Him of one accord.’

That is why Moses wanted to enter Israel, to bring close those that are far, and usher them under the wings of

the Shechina, just as he began to do this during the Exodus from Egypt, taking a large multitude of Egyptians with him because he wanted to bring those alienated close.

This is what he meant ‘I beseeched to G -d,’ that his prayer was not on his own behalf it was on behalf of Gd,

to make all serve Him on one accord as will indeed be in the future…

But to this G-d answered ‘You already have much.’ This refers to what it says in the Midrash (cited earlier Source 2): ‘You shall be blessed when you come and you shall be blessed when you depart’ ‘When you come in’

refers to when Moses entered this World and he brought close the distant, meaning Batya daughter of Pharaoh who converted. ‘When you depart’ refers to when Moses left this World, and he brought close the distant referring to Reuben.

So G-d is answering him, You want to enter Israel in order to bring those that are distant close, ‘you already have much,’ meaning, you already brought many close [to G-d] both with your birth and with your passing! This is hinted to in the word [‘you already have] much’ , in Hebrew, ‘rav’, רב. This is an abbreviation for R euben and B for Batya. Reuben when you left, Batya when you came.