Shemot 5772

In this week’s parsha Moshe (Moses) is born in Egypt. Torah tells that “a man of the House of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi.”

Why doesn’t Torah name Moshe’s parents at this point in the narrative, but only five chapters later (Amram and Yocheved, in next week’s parsha) when Moshe has already reached adulthood and it is established that he will lead the Jews out of Egypt?

The reason Torah does not name Moshe’s parents at this point is because Torah wants the world to know that Moshe is a regular person born to regular parents. While in other cultures and religions, leaders are believed to be descended from gods, Judaism makes it clear that our leaders are human and descended from ordinary people. All of us have the potential for greatness.

Moshe’s mother is, in fact, named in this parsha, but we only know this from the Midrash. Torah says: “Now the King of Egypt spoke with the Hebrew midwives, the one who was named Shifra and he second, Puah.” Midrash says that Shifra is Moshe’s mother and Puah is his sister, Miriam. These courageous women defy Paroh’s (Pharoah’s) orders to kill all newborn Jewish male babies. Moshe’s mother gives birth to him and hides him for three months. Then, she lovingly places him in a basket in the Nile River and Miriam watches as Paroh’s daughter retrieves him. Miriam offers her mother as Moshe’s nursemaid and Moshe’s mother raises him until he is old enough to move into Paroh’s palace.

After being raised in the Egyptian palace, Moshe goes into the field and sees an Egyptian smiting a Jew. “He looked this way and that way, and when he saw there was no man, he smote the Egyptian.”

The literal interpretation is that Moshe looks to see if anyone is watching. When he determines that there is no witness, Moshe defends the Jew. Rabbi Avi Weiss has a different explanation. He writes on www.torah.org; “Moshe was raised in an Egyptian home, but nursed by his biological Jewish mother. As a consequence, Moshe was unsure who he really was. When seeing an Egyptian smiting a Jew, he looked within himself to ascertain whether he should help the Egyptian or defend the Jew. When he fully grasps that he had not firmly established his identity, he makes a decision – he smites the Egyptian part of himself and declares – I am a Jew.”

Nursed by a Jewish mother, and following the example of her bold and courageous actions to protect the Jewish people, Moshe stops wavering, identifies himself and steps in to make a difference.

As parents, we must make certain that we do not waver, and that we identify ourselves boldly and clearly as Jews.  Our confidence and certainty will do much to ensure that our children are secure in their identities as Jews.