The Unethical Life? #10: Moses & Justice

(27) And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up (Exodus 2:11). Moses was 20 years old at the time, and some say 40 years old.
"When Moses was grown up" - and does not everyone grow up? Rather, this tells you that he grew up [in a manner] unlike the whole world.
"He went out unto his brethren." This righteous man went out twice, and the Holy One Blessed is He wrote them one after another. "And he went out the second day" (Exodus 2:13)--this is two.
"And [he] looked on their burdens." What is, "And [he] looked?" For he would look upon their burdens and cry and say, "Woe is me unto you, who will provide my death instead of yours, for there is not more difficult labor than the labor of the mortar." And he would give of his shoulders [i.e. use his shoulders to] assist each one of them. Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yose the Galilean said: [If] he saw a large burden on a small person and a small burden on a large person, or a man's burden on a woman and a woman's burden on a man, or an elderly man's burden on a young man and a young man's burden on an elderly man, he would leave aside his rank and go and right their burdens, and act as though he were assisting Pharaoh. The Holy One Blessed is He said: You left aside your business and went to see the sorrow of Israel, and acted toward them as brothers act. I will leave aside the upper and the lower [i.e. ignore the distinction between Heaven and Earth] and talk to you. Such is it written, " And when the LORD saw that [Moses] turned aside to see" (Exodus 3:4). The Holy One Blessed is He saw Moses, who left aside his business to see their burdens. Therefore, "God called unto him out of the midst of the bush" (ibid.).

He saw there was no one, that [the Egyptian] was [liable] for death. Rabbi Yehudah said: That there is no one zealous for the Holy Blessed One who will kill him [the Egyptian]. Rabbi Nehemiah said: There was no one who would call on God's Name and kill him. The Rabbis said: He saw there was no advantage to the righteous ones that would come from him, or from his own offspring until the end of generations. Since he noticed this, he discussed with the angels, and said to them, 'Is this murder obligatory?' They said, 'Yes', as it says, 'He saw there was no one who would account him legitimacy to his action...He said to the evil one, why do you hit your fellow? He did not say, 'Why did you hit', rather why, 'will you/would you hit?' From this story we learn that a person who raises his hand to hit his fellow, even though he does not hit him, he is considered an evil one...

(15) The one who sees a pursuer going after his friend to kill him or after a woman to rape her and is able to save [the pursued] and does not, this one has cancelled a positive commandment: "and cut off her hand' (Deut. 25:12) and has transgressed two negative commandments: "do not turn away your eyes" (Deut. 25:12) and "do not stand idly by your neighbor's blood" (Lev. 19:16.)

Moses thought one of his fellow Hebrews standing around would stand up to the Egyptian and save his fellow who was struck with a deathly blow.//He saw there was not one among them who was willing to demonstrate strength, and no one was paying attention to the suffering of a fellow [Israelite] to try and save him...

Moses sought advice on what to do about the Egyptian.

He looked for someone to report the wrongdoing, [but] all were joined together against the Israelites.

In a place where there is no 'person' [mensch, upright person], strive to be the mensch.(Quoting Mishnah Avot 2:5)

"Moses turned this way and that way": Moses observed (took into account?) what he [the taskmaster] did at home and in the field.

"He saw there was no one": No one descending from this Egyptian would convert (to Judaism).

"He struck the Egyptian": Moses was set from the six days of Creation to do this deed, to kill the Egyptian, since the power of the Egyptian is the power of Cain who represents impurity...

Know that Moses' striking was done with words. He killed the Egyptian with the force of his lips, and the Sages taught he killed him with [the power of speaking] God's Holy Name...

(2) לא תעמד על דם רעך NEITHER SHALT THOU STAND AGAINST THE BLOOD OF THY FELLOW — witnessing his death, you being able to rescue him: if, for instance, he is drowning in the river or if a wild beast or a robber is attacking him (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 8; Sanhedrin 73a). (3) ‎'אני ה‎‎ I AM THE LORD — Who am faithful in paying reward to those who obey My commandments and Who am certain to punish those who transgress them.

(2) Do not stand idle when your fellowman is in danger [literally: Do not stand upon your fellowman’s blood] One must not become involved with men who shed blood... (3) I am God Who sees all that you do in private.

(2) לא תעמוד על דם רעך, do not stand by idly but go to his assistance.