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Moshe’s Lessons from Midyan | Rabbi Neil Winkler
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uh uh for the last week and the week
before that about the redeem ofel and
each time we have gone a step closer and
closer um toward the end but as I told
you one of I have many reasons why I
enjoy these
classes uh one of them is that I didn't
I don't feel a need that I have to
finish now or finish this and therefore
you know we do go on and I said okay we
we'll finish it next speak and in fact I
what I had prepared now is that um if if
indeed we
finish you know before I thought we
would be finishing I have the next class
ready to start and I have the source
sheets for that also so you don't have
to worry about it okay
[Music]
um when we were when we last left Moshe
MOS we had gone
through really the
remarkable um impact of the women on uh
and the
upbringing and the I guess a
personality molding of um Moshe
rabenu and I point that I we pointed out
both
theun and the
Ezra uh the approach
even the name of
Moshe it is questionable who was it TW
seen from the text itself that V that it
was
um who called him and indeed it
says I'm calling him Moshe for I have
drawn him out of the water and that was
not that was not his his by olcal mother
who did that but rather bought par and
we went through the as I said thei and
we went through um that of the izra as
to whether it really had its source of
name of Moshe as an Egyptian name I I
even pointed out that the what is
claimed by I think the Ezra uh it really
more was a um not an Egyptian name but
actually
it was a um probably a Greek form of the
um a name either way uh that would make
sense and Moshe though we
said it's a root form of the Hebrew word
show to pull out to take out to draw him
out um how would she know Hebrew so one
said she learned it from the mother
though the mother herself was telling
her why not call him the Hebrew name of
mosha that's what it means um uh but
more likely uh most would say it was
indeed a originally a um Egyptian name
which was hebra
azed um you know all the people who were
con when they were in Europe it became
kogan when they came here uh so the the
name was the HEB brazed as Moshe the
point that I'm making here is the very
fact that the Torah leaves it
somewhat you know vague as to precisely
who called him Moshe that we can have uh
the maim saying well it could be this it
could be that you know not sure I
think points to the idea that you know
what they both this these two women
really were both the mothers of mosha
rabenu and in effect therefore they were
the impact of his
upbringing both houses both did it but
we haven't touched upon yet is the um
the experiences and the story of Moshe
in Midian when he escapes from Egypt and
I want and will touch upon that too but
before that I just want to get through
with some of the uh
uh uh important events that we can see
and we have already we most of us are
already
realized the events that the Torah
indicates uh that we clearly know were a
reflection of the type of individual
that mosha was even uh when he just had
grown up by on the begin of the world so
we can we I suppose can uh separate the
three basic stories that the text allows
us to uh to know about uh weer the first
thing uh that we have let's see if this
is in the um sources I think it is uh I
will tell you
exactly as soon as I find it it is okay
um the first thing right in Source
number
seven story that we're going to uh that
we all know that we see what the
impact those days it's an interesting
thing it's a beginning of seemingly a
different era or a
different time the first part we have
Moshe basically being an infant and
being brought to the palace and being
brought up as far as we know he was two
or three he was weaned nothing
else uh so the text tells us Tor lets us
know was during these days meaning there
was a passage of time in which it
says he grew up
hello you know kids they go up to fast
anyway yeah mosha grows
up and that means he becomes more
independent and that's what it
is and we see as we see in the English
some time after that when Moses had
grown up he went out to his Brethren he
went out to his Brethren which already
tells us he knew who his Brethren were
right he didn't say oh my brethren was
my you my cousin who's the prince of
hoopy Dy and this was my my my aunt
who's the prince his Brethren he seemed
to know that he was an Israelite right
and and he witnessed their
labors now I'm going to touch on this
which I'll B with later in Hebrew the
com the idea of
V ra is generally referred to generally
translated and generally but it means he
saw but more than that it also means he
understood it's a deeper thing that just
I saw you know like we say it says to
listen but also means to
understand um so there are time that's
why Hebrew is a remarkable language in
that way so the idea when you see V
don't simply dismiss it as
being as we'll see sometimes it's deeper
than that he so and understood I think
that's true here and when it says here
you see how even here in eng doesn't say
he saw their labors but he witnessed
them that also implies he understood
what's happening there one say okay fine
let's go
out it impacted him right what did he
do now the
specific
event he saw an Egyptian beating a
Hebrew and um
what does the Torah again add to that
one of his brethen already now we
beginning to sense that mosha knew these
were his
Brethren knew he was an
Israelite uh and that's what
happen so he sees that he's the
being his
Brethren so he turned this way and that
mean he looked around around what was he
looking around for but we see he saw no
one about so he struck down the Egyptian
and hid him buried him really in the
sand you can't bury people you can't
hide people in sand unless you're got
bury in the sand very in there good
um how would you say why was he looking
around here and
there that's want I get caught he knew
this isn't something that would give him
a Nobel Prize you know wasn't like it
Obama he made a speech or something he
actually knew that this was not a
positive thing to
do and I think yeah you he was the
prince even that being
true as I pointed out last time this
concept of him being Prince we have to
understand in certain things was he
really a prince did pyro say tatala
you're my next guy no he was was a usual
amount of people of children from the
Aram and stuff and uh if as we
see this act of Moshe becomes a threat
to the power of the Pharaoh doesn't care
who this guy was he was gonna get get
him that's why he has to run away but
anyway that's what happens over here so
as I pointed out this repres this
repetition of Brethren of aov his
brothers
is is very clearly done for a good
reason the Torah wants its future
readers to pick up on sometimes little
thisw some ideas and if these repeating
said his brothers his brothers it means
he recognize them as
Brethren and
um it happens right away after as it
says he he goes out what does it mean
he went out he went out where what he
was locked in the rooms he wasn't
allowed to go
outside he went out to see his Brethren
he went out in effect to see the real
world of Egypt maybe he was in the
palace he saw the you know let them eat
cake type of thing she had you know
people don't
understand Maria Antoinette was not a
terrible person per se although I didn't
know it personally I don't know you know
she never invited me to any of the
parties anyway
she dis understand if you have no bread
to eat cake she didn't understand that
people were that poor or they didn't
have anything they don't even have bread
and she just thinks will so this is also
when you're in a a uh
culture where everything is great
everything is fine you get what you want
and then you go out to the real world
What's happen I don't have to go back
into ancient history come on look at the
royal families we see today I we we
mostly identify with what was happening
in the um the British Ro
family I would say it's crazy then again
it happens to every other family too but
anyway
the when you have everything you don't
really connect to the real world I mean
you look at some of these Sports Heroes
who suddenly were
struggling in the real world and you
know and they they're giving they giving
hundred million dollars
and there's no limit the only limit you
have is I can't think of enough things
to buy you have everything you so the
idea of I I used to say when I first
started the rapping it before I was wise
enough to say don't say things like this
I used to say you look around when the
most difficult thing for people who have
you know who are in comfortably is to
hear the word
no to hear the word no that's why you
appreciate the the Orthodox world of
people who have done very you know who
have everything they need and are still
very careful in their observance of the
Mitzvah because and you when you have
everything and you're never told no
you're brought up in a house where I
want this I want that sure here
sweetheart you can have you can have
this and you suddenly develop this thing
well I can have whatever I want and if I
ask something you're I'm gonna get
it and if my father won't get it my
mother will get it to me or I know get
you know and even if God says no go I
don't want I want to do what I want to
do so to be able to live in a world of
success but nonetheless understand that
there is someone who does limit what you
should and can do it's a very good step
very nice healthy Step at any rate so
there was Moshe he goes out to the world
to see and what does he see for us as he
sees looks I would think he went out to
look to his his Brethren and sees it
them being beaten and so he reacts to
that right and um in spite of the fact
that he's brought up in the palace he
sees who his e are his Brethren are
which means that
B par was wonderful she did she she she
didn't tell him you know she didn't
speak ish to him and tell him really
Jewish that's something he took from his
home where he was brought up by his uh y
I don't know and I it's not written and
perhaps I'm I'm jumping to conclusions
here the fact that she weaned him does
that mean that she had no more
connection to him I think we touched
upon this last time I wouldn't have been
surprised if she came and tuted him all
so much in the palace kenzine I don't
know it could be but anyway his
knowledge of the Brethren that he is an
Israelite uh certainly was planted in
him when he was in the house of his
mother of Y his biological
mother all right the next story we all
know and that's of course in 7B turned
over the page and there you have the
story of this
confrontation with with one Hebrew who
is whipping another Hebrew right and
uh the names are not given but they
identified simply as Rasha there was a
wicked one and there was one who's the
victim one um yes I know what
sayaz have a great time with that
anything bad that happened
in anything but that's why they do and
and for a good
reason not necessarily that literally it
was although well very well could have
that that was that type of
behavior um but either way he was the
Russ and he was
beating a another Hebrew uh and that's
what it says when he went out the next
day he found two Hebrews fighting is
this literally the next day yeah I'll
tell you what we know that so he went
out again to see more maybe he wanted to
see make sure no Egyptians are beating
and trying to kill just was beating he
was beating him to death he had to stop
that um but he went out he saw them two
of them fighting two Hebrews now um he
said to the said the rash so they when I
said they the
offender he he wasn't a bad person he
was just an offense he was just
offensive yeah said to the wicked one
the Defender the one who was attacking
the attacker why do you strike your fell
what you me help anything so he retorted
who may youth Chief and ruler Over
Us boy is that a
common God forbid you try to tell
somebody please don't talk in doing I'm
trying to doing but who are you you're
gone that is unfortunately a not
uncommon response to somebody who gets
very defensive knowing that he's wrong
um and something like even a you should
be talking oh Mr holy they always some
kind of response like
that fortunately they don't say that to
Rabbi but behind his back anyway um this
is really what happens it's a common
thing said oh Big Shot you going to kill
me like he'll kill them aha
you know we say in Hebrew po k a
commment it means this is this is
exactly the problem here right here and
that's what it is when he sees that um
emotions was frightening because he
realized indeed the matter is now known
mean meaning that he thought he looked
back and forth nobody saw him what he
did got away with it and now he finds
out I didn't get away
and he knows because he knew that he
didn't want to get caught doing it and
he knew what might happen to
him and as we see um the next suim say
he that pyro tried to pursue him and
catch him so he flees to midot they had
the map in front of me they like do so
here is Israel right here is a Sinai
there's a desert here here's Egypt
mion's sorry wait mion's over there so
you have to cross through Sinai to get
to midan over here that's what he did
the question that's how it goes and
fortunately he had some ways on him he
knew exactly how to get there look
people in the ancient world there were
commonly trails that go the traitors
would go their camels and out you know
especially C of camels through the um
desert not only camels but been beasts
of Burden many you know donkeys and
stuff so he knew the way there he makes
his way
to he would have gone back to his family
and told this great time
there are a couple of reasons here one
he wasn't so sure that the victim was
necessarily going to not tell on him if
would be he didn't know if the victim
was a good guy he could also have not
been two
um people talk a lot you know what my
son said he was going to get beaten and
this mosa guy he killed it and then it
begins to spread the Lord spread he was
afraid of that no D isn't just oh he
knew it if he knew it there were others
who saw it I thought there was nobody
there but obviously there were others
who were there and therefore that's what
he was afraid no the fact the matter my
secret has been known once you know one
everybody knows that was his fear
yeah yeah because it
says the second day second to what to
the last day yes right
um so those that's second number two
that that's a question so we here we see
in the episode pitting Jew versus Jew or
Hebrew versus Hebrew here two um he
doesn't matter who was doing what was
still one who was an offender and one
who was a victim and he takes on the
victim and he really doesn't he take on
the victim says Hey Okay stop to stop
him whereas the day before he had to
kill the Egyptian to stop him here he
just said okay stop try to make peace in
effect right um and the third story of
course um is
um through episode that we have and in
see and that is um when Pharaoh learned
exactly they said of the matter he
sought to kill
Moshe right so and that was maybe that
was MOS was afraid of him when he found
out that he's that he was being you know
it could be as you said that maybe he
wasn't afraid right he was afraid that
perhaps he's gonna have something's
gonna happen when he heard that the
Pharaoh indeed wanted him now he was not
only afraid now he had to get out of
there that's what happened uh right he s
to kill Moses but Moses fled from parro
and what did he do best way to get rid
of the the king and the emperor of Egypt
is to leave Egypt which he does uh he
arrived in the land of Midian and he sat
down beside well he rested there
perhaps V is a fascinating word and I've
mentioned it before we always he's sad
that means he lived he stayed it can be
any of these things
by know doesn't mean he sat there it
means he lived there he settled there
okay and so does that mean that he
settled there does it mean that he was
just resting for a while does it mean
that he found a little Hut to sit there
next to a well so he had something and
he planed to just stay there nether of
these explanations are logical and could
be true anyway he's by the well and one
day by the well uh what does he see um
and
[Music]
um before we let you know the story we
have to tell a little background that's
what the Torah does he said uh now the
priest of midan and as I told you commun
an officer a high officer could be both
could be the head of the religion there
whatever at any rate he had seven
daughters another
name anyway they came to draw water the
daughters did and filled the troughs to
water their father's plock in other
words they already drawn the water they
filled up the trough which is you know a
big old thing with so that so that the
animals could now go and and drink from
there can't drink from a well which is
very now right but the Shepherds came
said why do we have to draw water you
did it for us thank you very much and
they drove them off chose them away now
they can they can water their own flocks
when mosa saw that he rose to their
defense and he watered their FL so
question number one interesting isn't
it be watered there
FL remember that story and
uh wifa watered the flock of the the I'm
sorry the
camels what did yob
do I'm saying when in his time what did
yob do it has to do with a wall with a
well he moved the Rock and what did he
do right after
that and he watered the flock of Rachel
oh of Lavan really but she was the
shepherd this and so instead of her do
he now Waters it for her well and do I
see a similar thing
here that Rifka
did because V
says no she doesn't he
he he is the one who who I said Waters
and it sounds like it's a sprinkler
going around around somebody's a grass
but is a I found out after years of
using watering as also the way of giving
water to flocks uh I was correct that is
a correct thing so he
Waters he now does the water and allows
the Sheep of yro that were being uh
shephered by the Seven Daughters now he
not only chases away them he let he
Waters them for them
so in effect whether he knows it or not
though in effect he is
um re doing what what uh yakob did and
what did yakob do
eventually he marries one of those the
shepherd what's what's mosha gonna do
now he's going to marry one of the
shepher exactly one of the seven yeah it
was a tough thing you know behind this
door you know
be he chooses it's a fascinating
parallel we see here okay and F wife at
any R so we see this what do we learn
from these things this is a story of
medanite versus medanite is it not it
was the medanite Shepherds who were
chasing away the mid Mite Shepherd
thises and there too
the Torah underscores this story and I I
in effect I'm saying why do you think
the Torah I promise you in the first 40
Years of of Moses's life more than three
things happened to him what does the
Torah indicate these three stories
because again it's telling you why God
is chose what kind of personality God
sees in Moshe that he wants him to
Shepherd his block Shepherd Israel so so
here you have it now where it's not you
know go against a Jew or Jew against a
Jew now it's go against go it it was not
a matter of who it was matter matters
who was right and who was wrong who was
right and here here again mosha sees
who's right and who's wrong to protect
the weak to oppose the evil like like
chasing away other people right fight
for justice this is a pretty remarkable
and that's what the is saying this is
the god you understand now and if I
understand beforehand how nice that he
was brought up in the
palace and how nice he learned what it
is to be a leader and how One conducts
oneself and to be also educated by
mother and mother uh to sens sensitize
himself empathy sympathy and to find
Justice we now see this
personality and
um he chased them away that's how he was
able
to yeah he chases them away and then
right instead of going back and going to
sleep and having the girls go and work
what he did it himself just like he did
step back and see the two Jews go Jews
arguing he stepped up and he says and
doesn't say please don't what are you
hitting him
for he's very very positive here very
active and the first time he killed
someone the third time very much he he
he's it says V where does it say there
in Hebrew and he it
says right in the beginning I see right
um
oh so the Shepherds came and drove the
girls
off mosha got
up and he saved them how does he save
them but they were taking over the the
water the Shepherds were saying you
can't have the waters we're going to
water our flocks and now he comes over
and he is the one who saved them how
he said he takes the water for them but
the others couldn't take the water he
chased them away otherwi there one guy
Moshe chased away all the Shepherds
otherwise what you he he did and he sat
there he let them take all the water
then he went over and he watered them
that's not what by yosan means he saved
them he saved them from
what that's right I said Shepherd this
is and shepher yeah yeah
you I I just told that one word that is
essential here Vos and he saved them he
saved them from what a bad cold he saved
them from the Shepherds who had been
taking over the water that's what it is
and when you think about the fact that
there wasn't one Shepherd so he chased
them away way however he did it that's a
Act of real courage so it's very active
and he really and this here you have
that irrespective of who it is who's
right and who's wrong he stands there to
protect the weak protect the people the
victims okay and uh this was important
in him both by m by both moms you know
by B and
by herself
so now we bring with the third part
which I in effect gave title to this
part of the thing and that is very nice
great stories love it why did God have
mosa have to go to
Mid what was the experience in midan
that's going to somehow make him more
proper to be the next Redeemer of Israel
that's really basic question um you know
he hasn't had a real home do he's had
the he had the home of the the palace
how much of a home that he have in with
his mother don't know next thing you
know when he grows up he has to run
away say he was 40 years old so you know
it's it's hard to understand the years
it is true because you know he was 80
years old when he stood before
par so when he says he grew up and then
he learned two days of and then he has
to run away and they say he ran away
when he was 40 no so the the the the
timing of the whole thing is an
interesting thing to look for but uh
traditionally and to a certain extent
very logically yeah he grew up uh does
that mean that when he was 16 he went
out or he grew up got to learn more
about name when he got up and started
hanging and that he was 20 or 30 is when
this happen and he was able to don't
know either way not that important but
um clearly there's now time that goes by
I know that because the very next verse
tells us that
um that after the story of the
midianites and you know it says there
that
many years passed by and the Pharaoh
died so many has half passed by and
um so therefore now he's going to midan
for what
purpose so in in the the studies I had
with the
razak he says he sees it as
the importance of meeting the
daughters of seeing seeing the women in
midan seeing their home living in that
home because that too will impact him
and his personality and when I started
with this whole lecture she about how
women really impacted the very life and
personality and greatness of
[Music]
of Moshe that perhaps our rabbis when
they said that um because of the
righteous women so did the was Israel
removed and taken out of and redeemed
from Egypt could that very well have
been uh subconsciously or behind that
saying yeah the women who impacted Moshe
who indeed took the matter of Egypt and
so that's what they wanted and when you
inw the events of midan you come to the
realization that these women consciously
or not are really a very important part
of this story certainly he marries seora
which by the way that be next week's uh
that's about Sora and we spend some time
on three verses um one verse is vers
than the other anyway so we're going to
bring that please God I we'll finish
this I think this today that will be
next week that's very important so
certainly Zora as wife uh impacted his
life um he and she gives him two son
Sons that we know of the Elder son is
gon um and the other one G actually and
the other one is um elezar G and elzar
what those name M names being uh we will
get to probably next
week uh and that's important to and um
why do I say that seora had a very
important I'll even say she saved
moshe's life do anybody know when and
where did chor saved Mosa's
life very good it's a Britney
L that's that's next week's thing
the whole story is very strange well
just know how strange it is and uh that
is certainly a way yeah you know could
have died she saved your life I guess it
sort of impacts your life just a bit
that's what he did she saved his life
now the fact the Brilliance of the fact
that a midnight woman saw the importance
of Brit Mila that's next very
interesting okay and that's how
um but it's also the true that he
yeah well it's we well no we know that
in the ancient world this is the Brit
wasn't just the first one to that going
to a Britney lot you know imagine
100 are you kidding you know what this
it was it was a followed by certain we
know that says this in otherwis we know
that beond the Arabs of course who are
from Ismael there were other nations who
did the Britney law what where I don't
know but it was an ancient thing it was
a practice that was done done so they
knew about it but at any rate
um living in the house of
the of a a leader a perhaps an officer a
high officer and yeah maybe even a man
of cloth doesn't me was a tayor I mean
he was also perhaps in a
um
religious could be right a we call him a
faith-based
individual faith-based that's was very
important when consider the story of the
burning
bush it begins by telling us and number
eight when mosha was tending the flly of
his father-in-law yro and drove the
flock Into the Wilderness and came
to what was called the Mountain of
God Mountain of God this mountain of
God one could say well yeah it it would
eventually be the Mountain of God
because eventually God's going to give
the that's God's going to give the Torah
there that sounds very
good but it would seem said there was
already in the ancient world a concept
that this is a Holy
Mountain even then it was called
har was called a mountain of God others
had saw it
also why would he
Moshe when he is tending sheep end up
going to the Mountain of God Perhaps
Perhaps his father-in-law the man of
faith has been teaching him things
whether he told them to do it or told
them you know there's this holding M
there whatever it is that caused them to
become the most sensitive to the
religious concept of a real of a
Divinity is something interesting to see
and here again we come to what I started
to say before look how often you see and
I underline the words in Hebrew and I
did it in English too uh good for me
it says v v
v all these things you see it says he
appeared to him he gazed um look saw all
of them the same Hebrew
word and it's all being defined and
properly I would
say as a little different you know he
gazed at it or he saw it he looked at it
and then the the passive he appeared to
it that again that you know
um is yes see but what did I mention
last time it's not only to see it is
to to understand better to to I'm
looking for the word to to go deeply
into it to absorb to absorb what you're
seeing this ain't just yeah thank you
very much internalize I have difficulty
with any know word that's more than one
syllable so than you
here they he not only observed it he
internalized the impact of that wait a
minute you know and he says he says uh
here was a bush and it's all a flame why
is it not being consumed right that's
what the Torah says he said he
understood that there was more in this
non-consuming burn
Bush and The crucial part of that is is
God sees that he realizes this because
God is impressed with Moser Renu as it
goes on it says when Hashem saw that he
Moshe had turned aside to look God
called it wasn't that he saw even that
he understood even that he saw it was
deep it says there when he saw he went
over to see I want to went over to see
what they said
I once had a teacher who said who knows
how many people saw it passed by said
it's crazy and walked
by Moshe didn't walk by
mosha he went over there because he
wanted to see what this was God says
that's a pretty important guy that's a
guy I want one who sees not only the
pain not only victim things like that he
also sees a Divine thing he senses there
something beyond the natural here aha
this is somebody
special how did he learn that well maybe
that's exactly what he learned in his
father-in-law the faith guy maybe that
that's why God wanted him in the house
of yro
exactly and so here we see
now that um when God saw this future
leader saw mtion to be a s um future
leader because he sees he understands
just like
V he saw and understood the suffering of
his Brethren he said this is somebody
who can do what I want him to
do and perhaps at this point I don't
know perhaps we begin to
realize how this entire
story came to be
why was mosha looking for
pastures because he was shepherding what
was he shepherding the flocks of whom of
VRA right why did he wander so far I
couldn't tell you again map from midan
toim which is not so close why was he
wanding
because perhaps unconsciously or
consciously as I said he was attracted
to this holy place
again I didn't know about this place
being
holy
so for that very
reason Hashem gives mosha a sign that he
would succeed in the mission I'm
skipping the whole part of the argument
that mosha
God voice from Heaven comes out and
burning bush and says you shall go to
Israel and mosha says I really don't
want it I
mean that whole story is
unbelievable and but any R
um God gives him point a says I'm going
to prove to you that you will be
successful and this is the sign I'm
giving you when you take them the people
people out I tell you you will you are
going to worship me here at this
mountain but that you saw and realized
is a Holy Mountain that's a the fact
that you were drawn to this mountain you
yourself don't know why how it was you
know I mid that one of the sheep ran
away and he ran to get to get the sheep
and God says oh look this he cares about
one lamb now that I see that much deeper
than that there was a certain uh
attraction he had to this Divine this
this very spiritual thing he just felt
that speci and he comes over then what
and it's allal perhaps the impact of yo
himself and um in effect it says mosha
you have now arrived to the
point because of what your biological
mother had taught you but because what
your
stepmother and princess has taught have
t taught you in the palace's home and
now you have learned who you can be in
your midan home that's it all three
really how can I put this became a
cocoon
for Moser raenu and preparing him for
this Divine Mission a mission that has
now
flowered to being the man that God
wanted
to we'll stop here and Sh will then
start with oim about the story of the
britley that will be mem next week