Parshas Shmos 5760: Waiting for the Geulah
By: Mordechai Dolinsky
There is a Rashi in this week’s Parsha that in its simplicity is quite striking but when one gives it some serious thought it becomes revealing. The Chazal that Rashi quotes in the text of the Medrash Rabbah is a little clearer. “Moshe Rabbenu was greatly perplexed. In what way was Klal Yisroel worse than all the nations that caused them to be subjected to this bondage. After he heard the slander that was being said about him he concluded that the cause of their affliction was their indulgence in Loshon Horah”.
There was so much wrong with Klal Yisroel that there were many factors with which to attribute their terrible terrrible afflictions. There was a lot of material for serious Rabbanim to give strong sermons about. A lot of material for “Mashgichim”, “Magidim”, “Menahalim”, to give rebuke for. The spiritual fall was catastrophic, down to the lowest, the 49th level of defilement.
There was, however, one great Talmid Chacham, one great leader, one great prophet, that had nothing to say; his name was Moshe Rabbenu. There was nothing that Klal Yisroel was doing that could have been responsible for their awful plight—no Egyptian ‘disco’, plays, or whatever. Punishment is with rules, Middah Kineged Middah, these sins can cause that punishment. Moshe Rabbenu knew all the rules and he knew that as bad as everything was there wasn’t anything that was so bad that could have caused such anguish. Moshe Rabbenu was the only one that had no sermon, no rebuke, no Chizuk. Then he witnessed the Loshon Horah and he knew the answer.
Isn’t this awesome? There are no chiddushim here, no new insights, just repetition of the Medrash. Shmos 1:20—awesome.
The following is an insight what this Loshon Horah caused, sharing a thought that is simple, but I never heard it mentioned. Let’s speculate the alternative. What could have been without the Loshon Horah about Moshe Rabbenu? The salvation of Purim came about because Esther was chosen to become the wife of the king and was able to assert her influence in that role. What a miracle.
Moshe Rabbenu was the son of Pharoh—he was accepted as a member of the royal household—lock, stock and barrel. Although his nationality was known, and his origin was perpetuated through the name that Basya gave him; Moshe—was drawn from the water. He was not a biological son, but he was an accepted member of the royalty, the palace, and the household. Moshe the beloved son of Pharoh, yet the brother of the slaves of Egypt—what a miracle.
How the miracle of Yetzias Mitzrayim, the going out of Egypt, could have been, if not for the Loshon Horah that was spread concerning Moshe.
“You have me as your representative in the palace,
THERE IS SO MUCH I CAN DO FOR YOU AND I AM WILLING TO DO FOR YOU, TO EXERCISE MY INFLUENCE AS PHAROH’S SON
And you talk against me and you spread detrimental, devastating slander, destroying my relationship and position with Pharoh.
How evil, how blind.
I can’t go any further. The flow of tears is diluting any further words on the page. Good Shabbos.