This week we begin Sefer Shemot – the Book of Names. In Judaism the concept of a name symbolizes more than just an identity, it signifies the essence of an individual. This second Book of the Torah is also referred to as Sefer Hageula – the Book of Redemption. As we will see, one of the fundamental truths of Jewish faith is that the key to redemption lies not in the many and in the numbers, but in the power of the individual.
The Sefer begins by listing each the names of the sons of Yaakov after their death. Rashi here notes:
He again counted them at the time of their death, to express His love for them. For they are like the stars, which He takes out and brings in by number and name (Shemot 1:1)
In exploring the deeper symbolism of what it means to be likened to the stars, the Baal Shem Tov notes that from a distance, the stars appear to be tiny, indistinguishable, and insignificant particles in the distant sky. But, as one gets closer to the stars, one realizes that each star is a unique and insurmountable element that brightens the dark sky. So too, the Baal Shem Tov suggests, the Jew is not always aware of one’s own uniqueness, greatness, or ability to shine – but as we get to know ourselves, the more inner goodness and individual potential we recognize in ourselves.
Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Weinberg points to the insight of Rav Moshe Feinsteinan as alternative understanding of Rashi’s metaphor of the stars: He notes that just as the stars are dependable and consistent in fulfilling their role in the skies, so too the Jewish people should strive to be as consistent in fulfilling each of our own roles in this world. Perhaps, in the light of the words of the Baal Shem Tov, it is only when the individual is aware of his own unique potential that he is moved to work towards in seizing the opportunities to fulfill our missions, our unique roles.
Indeed it is in this week’s portion that we see Moshe Rabbeinu, one of the most integral figures in the history of Am Yisreal, discover and begin to actualize his own inner potential. In one of the most pivotal moments in the story we read this week, Moshe Rabbeinu transitions from the “prince of Egypt” to the man that he was destined to be:
He turned this way and that way, and he saw that there was no man; so he struck the Egyptian and hid him in the sand (2:12)
Midrash Rabbah explains that certainly there were other people in the field, but when Moshe looked around, he saw that there was nobody else willing to step up to defend the Jewish man – so Moshe became that man. All too often when others are not willing to take a stance, we become convinced that the cause is not worth fighting for. In a similar vain, we often think that if nobody else is acting, then just one individual act of mine alone will have no affect. In reading about the development of Moshe Rabbeinu we are reminded not only of the potential, but also the responsibility of each individual to take action – even when nobody else seems to be, perhaps especially when nobody else seems courageous enough to do so.
While the parsha is primarily about the transformation of Moshe into the leader and savior that he became, the parsha is also about the several important figures that played an indirect, but integral part of the redemption of the Jewish people.
The first of these characters were Shifra and Puah - the maidservants who risked their lives to save the Jewish people – defying Pharaoh’s decree to kill the children born to all Jewish women. Scores of Jewish people were saved because of their righteousness and virtue. The Midrash tells us that these two righteous women were Yocheved (Moshe’s mother) and Miriam (Moshe’s older sister).
These two women continued to change history in a less obvious, but equally notable way as Moshe. Firstly, Chazal explain that Miriam convinced her father with insightful and powerful words to have children in spite of the decree that Pharaoh made against Jewish boys. It was her wise words that were responsible for the birth of Moshe Rabbeinu – it was because she stood up for what she believed that the savior of the Jewish people was born. Subsequent to his birth, Yocheved risks her life to hide Moshe for 3 months and then does perhaps one of the most difficult act of giving up her beloved son - placing her son in the Nile as the only hope for his survival. It was her act of courage, faith, and sacrifice that Moshe did survive and grow up to the leader of Klal Yisrael.
A third figure who demonstrates the influence of the individual is the daughter of Pharaoh. In quite a surprising scene, the daughter of the evil king finds compassion for baby Moshe and decides to rescue him from the water. Though none of these figures could not have realized it at the time, the individual actions of Yoheved, Miriam, and Bat Pharaoh were essential in saving Moshe and ultimately an entire nation.
Like Moshe, his mother and sister and well as the daughter of Pharaoh could have easily taken more passive stances. The maidservants certainly were not obligated to risk their lives - as they could easily have accepted that they had no choice in the matter but to follow the demands of their ruler. Likewise, the daughter of Pharaoh could have easily allowed the young boy to carry on without following her impulse to save him. Though they each had an easy and even excusable way out, none of these individuals surrendered to the safe, passive choice – instead they changed the course of history with their actions. While they could not have known the extent to which they would influence generations to come, they did understand that on some level their choices were impacting and important and that living according to one's values is of utmost importance in all situations that we are in.
Interestingly, Rabbi Moshe Taragin notes that the name Moshe itself symbolizes the ability to step out of one’s comfort zone to fulfill their mission, and ultimately to achieve greatness. The Torah tells us that the name Moshe is derived from the words, min hamayim mishitiyhu. To be drawn from the water, Rav Taragin notes, is to be taken out of the natural and passive course of the life by which we are so often swept away- Moshe could have remained comfortable in the palace of Pharaoh, he could have overlooked the incident of the Egyptian hitting the Jew, and he could have ignored the plight of the entire Jewish people. But, along with the other remarkable individuals of this week’s parsha, Moshe chose to do what was right despite the challenges and even sacrifices it might bring. Again, Moshe was only motivated to make these sacrifices because he understood the potential he had to make an impact with the actions he would take! When we can appreciate that we are each given the potential, on our own level, to make an impact on our surroundings, then we too can be motivated to take actions that are not always easy, but are worthwhile and add meaning and purpose to our lives.
It is in light of this parsha that we can better appreciate the Jewish concept that one should not count a group of Jews by number. When a person is labeled by number, the individual is not only stripped of identity, but also of character, of mission. We must each recognize the potential that lies in each of us – it is important to look into ourselves to be able to recognize our strengths and potentials. Even when those inner strengths are not so obvious to us, we must trust that they are there; even when the impact we are making seems so trivial, we must trust that our choices and actions can and do have a far reaching impact on our own lives and the lives of people around us. Each star - which seems so insignificant and useless when amidst the hundred other identical dots up in the heavens - actually plays an essential role in the heavens. So too each member of Klal Yisrael has a unique and fundamental role to fill and we must be committed and motivated to discovering and fulfilling those roles.
As we will continue to see in Sefer Shemot and throughout Jewish history, the power of the Jewish people is not in number or size - our survival has always been in the hands of the few individuals willing to act on behalf of the greater Klal - these are the individual that recognize both their ability and responsibility to do so. So too on an individual level, greatness is not measured by number or by the amount that we do relative to others – rather, greatness is defined by the extent to which we make choices that are aligned with our values and virtues in every situation we find ourselves in. Let us all try to see ourselves with immeasurable potential that Hashem gives us and sees in us, and may we see the life circumstances that Hashem creates for us that lend us the opportunity to fulfill our unique roles. May Hashem continue to give each of us the ability to shine as brightly as we can as we continue to work towards discovering and actualizing our unique qualities and passions that will help us to live up to our greatest potentials!
Shabbat Shalom, Taly
