Shemot
By Rabbi Eliezer Shemtov
In this week’s Torah portion, Shemot, we read about Moses, raised in Pharaoh’s palace as the stepson of the princess Batya, going out to see his Hebrew brothers laboring as slaves.
“And Moses grew and went out to his brothers… And he saw an Egyptian man striking… And he struck the Egyptian… And he went out the next day… And he said to the wicked one: Why do you strike?… And [the man] said, ‘Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?’ And Moses was afraid and said, ‘Surely the matter is known.’ Pharaoh heard… and sought to kill Moses. And Moses fled…”[1]
Rashi cites the words, “And Moses was afraid,” and comments: “Literally. On a homiletical level: he became concerned upon seeing that there were informers among the people of Israel. He said, ‘Perhaps this is why they are not deserving of redemption.’”
This raises a question: Why isn’t Rashi satisfied with understanding Moses’ fear in its literal sense? Why does he also provide an interpretation that isn’t directly hinted at in the text?
We can explain that what draws Rashi’s attention is the Torah’s mention of Moses’ fear without clarifying its significance. We don’t see Moses taking any specific action as a result of this fear. He fled to Midian only after Pharaoh found out about the Egyptian’s death and sought to kill him. What does the mention of Moses’ fear add to the narrative?
Rashi therefore offers the interpretation that Moses’ fear reflected his concern about whether the people were worthy of redemption. Nonetheless, since the text cannot be divorced from its literal meaning, Rashi also acknowledges that Moses was literally afraid.
But the question remains: Why does the Torah tell us this? What lesson does it convey to us?
Fear: positive or negative?
Our sages note that there are two individuals to whom G-d promised protection, yet they were still afraid: Jacob, the choicest of the patriarchs, and Moses, the choicest of the prophets [2].
There are two opinions regarding what we can learn from this. Some say it is praiseworthy to feel fear, even when G-d promises protection, as one might worry that he may have lost divine favor due to some personal wrongdoing. This is a sign of humility. Others believe the lesson is the opposite: one should not feel fear if G-d promised protection.
Let's examine this second opinion for a moment. Isn’t it more virtuous to fear that one’s conduct may have been flawed rather than to assume it is perfect and everything will be fine?
One of the foundations of Jewish faith is trusting in G-d that everything will turn out well. This trust is not based on the belief that one deserves it, but on the understanding that G-cd is benevolent even when we are undeserving.
Why should one be confident that everything will turn out well even if punishment might be warranted?
There is a story about someone who came to the third Chabad Rebbe, known as the Tzemach Tzedek, to seek a blessing for a gravely ill relative. The Tzemach Tzedek replied, “Think positively, and it will be good!” The implication here is that a positive outlook itself can influence reality.
How does this work?
Our trust in G-d is not merely a result of believing that He does good even when we don’t deserve it. Our trust is in the power that this trust has to cause a positive outcome. When we fully trust with no uncertainty that G-d will bring us good in a way that we can perceive, this itself evokes a corresponding response from Him: perceived goodness, no matter how worthy or unworthy we might be. Conversely, a lack of trust can itself cause negative outcomes.
This was evident from Moses’ fear. It was because Moses feared that Pharaoh learned of the matter, sought to kill him, forcing Moses to flee. Had Moses not been fearful of any negative consequences stemming from his good deeds —expressing this fear verbally— Pharaoh would not have found out about it or been affected, and there would have been no need to flee.
The Lesson for Us
Whenever we face challenges in fulfilling a mitzvah, we should know that success or failure depends on our attitude. With complete confidence that everything will work out well, combined with making every natural effort to address the situation, we have the promise of “Think positively, and it will be good”; everything will turn out the best possible way.
This applies to our general current situation in exile. Fully trusting in the imminent arrival of the Messiah will help hasten the redemption itself.
Summary of Likutei Sichot, vol. 36, pp. 1–6.
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Exodus, 2:11-15
Bereishit Rabbah, Chapter 76
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