The True Meaning of Gedulah

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, פסוקי דזמרה, ברוך שאמר א׳

(א) ברוך שאמר צריך לאומרו בניגון ובנעימה כי הוא שיר נאה ונחמד. וכתב בספר היכלות שיש בו פ"ז תיבות וסי' ראשו כתם פז (טור או"ח נא)

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Pesukei Dezimra, Barukh She'amar 1

(1) This blessing introduces the Pesukei Dezimrah . It was mentioned by Rabbi Isaac Alfasi (Rif) over 800 years ago in his commentary to Maseches Berachos 32. The Taz (Orach Chaim 51:1) states that this prayer was instituted by the “Men of the Great Assembly.” The blessing contains eighty-seven words suggesting the numerical value of פָּז poz, refined gold.

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, פסוקי דזמרה, ברוך שאמר ב׳

(ב) [...] נְהַלֶּלְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ בִּשְׁבָחוֹת וּבִזְמִירוֹת נְגַדֶּלְךָ וּנְשַׁבֵּחֲךָ וּנְפָאֶרְךָ וְנַזְכִּיר שִׁמְךָ וְנַמְלִיכְ֒ךָ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ. יָחִיד חֵי הָעוֹלָמִים. מֶֽלֶךְ מְשֻׁבָּח וּמְפֹאָר עֲדֵי־עַד שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה מֶֽלֶךְ מְהֻלָּל בַּתִּשְׁבָּחוֹת:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Pesukei Dezimra, Barukh She'amar 2

(2) [...] We will extoll You, Adonoy our God, with praises and with psalms; we will exalt, praise, and glorify You; we will mention Your Name, and proclaim You—our King, our God. Unique One, Life of the worlds, King, praised and glorified forever is His great Name. Blessed are You, Adonoy, King, Who is extolled with praises.

The pasuk [verse] in this week’s parsha says, “The boy grew up (vayigdal hayeled) and she brought him to the daughter of Pharoah and he was a son to her. She called his name Moshe, as she said ‘For I drew him from the water'” [Shemos 2:10]. The very next pasuk says, “It happened in those days that Moshe grew up (vayigdal Moshe) and went out to his brethren and saw their burdens” [2:11].

שמות ב׳:י׳-י״א

(י) וַיִּגְדַּ֣ל הַיֶּ֗לֶד וַתְּבִאֵ֙הוּ֙ לְבַת־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַֽיְהִי־לָ֖הּ לְבֵ֑ן וַתִּקְרָ֤א שְׁמוֹ֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַתֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֥י מִן־הַמַּ֖יִם מְשִׁיתִֽהוּ׃ (יא) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיִּגְדַּ֤ל מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֵּצֵ֣א אֶל־אֶחָ֔יו וַיַּ֖רְא בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיַּרְא֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י מַכֶּ֥ה אִישׁ־עִבְרִ֖י מֵאֶחָֽיו׃

Exodus 2:10-11

(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.” (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.

The Ramba”n comments that these two juxtaposed pasukim both use the same term — ‘vayigdal’ — to indicate the growth of Moshe. The Ramba”n points out that the first pasuk is referring to Moshe’s physical growth and the second pasuk is referring to his spiritual growth. In the first pasuk, Moshe grew physically. In the second pasuk, he became a ‘Gadol’ — a man of spiritual stature. This pasuk provides an insight into who the Torah considers to be an ‘Adam Gadol’ [great person].

רמב"ן על שמות ב׳:י״א:א׳

(א) ויגדל משה ויצא אל אחיו שגדל והיה לאיש. כי מתחלה אמר ויגדל הילד (שמות ב׳:י׳), שגדל עד שלא היה צריך לגמלה אותו, ואז הביאתהו לבת פרעה ויהי לה לבן כי לפני מלכים יתיצב, ואחרי כן גדל ויהי לאיש דעת:

Ramban on Exodus 2:11:1

(1) AND WHEN MOSES WAS GROWN UP HE WENT OUT UNTO HIS BRETHREN. This is to be understood that he grew to manhood. It has already been said, And the child grew, which means that it was no longer necessary to wean him, and then the mother brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son, for he was to stand in the presence of kings. (See Proverbs 22:29) After that, he grew to manhood in maturity of mind.

The Medrash, on the phrase “Moshe grew up and went out to his brethren and saw their burdens,” states that Moshe saw their burden and cried over them. He would moan “Woe is me over your fate. If only it could be me who would suffer rather than you.” He would then roll up his sleeves, so to speak, and participate in their hard labor.

שמות רבה א׳:כ״ז

(כז) וַיְהִי בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם וַיִּגְדַּל משֶׁה, [...] וַיַּרְא בְּסִבְלֹתָם. מַהוּ וַיַּרְא, שֶׁהָיָה רוֹאֶה בְּסִבְלוֹתָם וּבוֹכֶה וְאוֹמֵר, חֲבָל לִי עֲלֵיכֶם מִי יִתֵּן מוֹתִי עֲלֵיכֶם, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ מְלָאכָה קָשָׁה מִמְּלֶאכֶת הַטִּיט, וְהָיָה נוֹתֵן כְּתֵפָיו וּמְסַיֵּעַ לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵהֶן.

רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר רָאָה מַשֹּׂוֹי גָדוֹל עַל קָטָן וּמַשֹּׂוֹי קָטָן עַל גָּדוֹל, וּמַשֹּׂוֹי אִישׁ עַל אִשָּׁה וּמַשֹּׂוֹי אִשָּׁה עַל אִישׁ, וּמַשֹּׂוֹי זָקֵן עַל בָּחוּר וּמַשֹּׂוֹי בָּחוּר עַל זָקֵן. וְהָיָה מַנִּיחַ דְּרָגוֹן שֶׁלּוֹ וְהוֹלֵךְ וּמְיַשֵּׁב לָהֶם סִבְלוֹתֵיהֶם, וְעוֹשֶׂה כְּאִלּוּ מְסַיֵּעַ לְפַרְעֹה. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אַתָּה הִנַּחְתָּ עֲסָקֶיךָ וְהָלַכְתָּ לִרְאוֹת בְּצַעֲרָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְנָהַגְתָּ בָּהֶן מִנְהַג אַחִים, אֲנִי מַנִּיחַ אֶת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְאֶת הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, וַאֲדַבֵּר עִמְּךָ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמות ג, ד): וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי סָר לִרְאוֹת, רָאָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמשֶׁה שֶׁסָּר מֵעֲסָקָיו לִרְאוֹת בְּסִבְלוֹתָם, לְפִיכָךְ (שמות ג, ד): וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו אֱלֹהִים מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה.

Shemot Rabbah 1:27

(27) “It was in those days, Moses grew and went out to his brethren, and he saw their burdens; he saw an Egyptian man beating a Hebrew man of his brethren” (Exodus 2:11). [...] “He saw their burdens.” What is “he saw”? He would see their burdens and cry and say: ‘Woe is me over you; would that I could die for you. There is no labor more arduous than labor with mortar.’ He would shoulder [the burdens] and help each and every one of them. Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili says: He saw a large burden on a small man and a small burden on a large man; the burden of a man on a woman and the burden of a woman on a man; the burden of an elderly man on a lad and the burden of a lad on an elderly man. He would leave his royal guard and would arrange their burdens, feigning as though he was helping Pharaoh. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘You left your affairs and went to observe the Israelite’s suffering, and you treated them in a brotherly manner; I will leave the upper and lower worlds to speak with you.’ That is what is written: “The Lord saw that he had turned to see” (Exodus 3:4); the Holy One blessed be He saw that he turned from his affairs to see their burdens; therefore, “God called to him from the midst of the bush” (ibid.).

The juxtaposition of the term “Gadol” (which the Ramba”n attributes to spiritual greatness) and the mention of Moshe’s participation in the suffering of his brethren is a clear indication that the Torah’s definition of a Gadol is someone who cares about the fate of his fellow Jew. The degree to which a person feels the pain and trouble of another Jew, defines how much of a “Gadol” he is.

This could also be the interpretation of the age-old prayer (recited at a circumcision) of “This little child will become a Gadol” (zeh haKatan Gadol yiheyeh). Of the millions and millions of little children who have had this prayer recited at their circumcisions how many have really gone on to become “Gedolim”?
Perhaps we are not necessarily requesting that the little baby become a “Gadol” in learning only. A person can become an “Adam Gadol” in other ways as well. This eight-day-old baby, who is now only interested in one thing – himself, will one day become a “Gadol”. He should grow up and expand his horizons such that he becomes more than a self-centered individual (ANI l’atzmi).

People are born with clenched hands. After 120 years, when a person dies, the custom is to unclench the fists. A common proverb is that when a person enters the world, he acts like he wants to grasp it all for himself. But when a person leaves the world, he leaves with his hands open. The task in life is to open up a person’s hands so that his concern is not just the “I”, but extends to the entire world.

For more on this, see 'What Constitutes a “Gadol”?'
Rav Yissocher Frand on Parshas Shemos
(https://torah.org/torah-portion/ravfrand-5764-shemos/)