The Heavy Hands of Moses and Sharing the Pain of the Community

"And the hands of Moses were heavy" (Exodus 17:12). Rabbi [Judah the Prince] said: At the hour the community is in distress, the individual who separates from the community - the two ministering angels who accompany a person place their hands upon his head and say, So-and-so, who separated from the community, let him not see the consolation of the community. And whoever shares in the distress of the community merits and sees the consolation of the community. For so we find with Moses our teacher, who afflicted himself together with the community, as it is said, "And the hands of Moses were heavy, and they took a stone" - now did Moses have no cushion or pillow to sit upon? Rather, thus said Moses: since Israel dwell in distress, I too will be with them in distress. Lest a man say, Who testifies against me? - the stones of a man's house testify against him, as it is said, "For the stone shall cry out from the wall" (Habakkuk 2:11). Rav Shila says: the two angels who accompany a man testify against him, as it is said, "For He will command His angels concerning you" (Psalms 91:11). Rabbi Hiyya said: a man's soul testifies against him, as it is said, "from her who lies in your bosom guard the doors of your mouth" (Micah 7:5). And the Sages say: a man's limbs testify against him, as it is said, "You are My witnesses, says the LORD" (Isaiah 43:10). "And the hands of Moses were heavy" - from here, that a man should not delay in performing the commandments; had Moses not said to Joshua, "Choose for us men," he would not have suffered. Thus they said: the hands of Moses grew heavy at that hour like a man who has two jugs of water hanging from his hands. "And Aaron and Hur supported his hands" - for he kept raising and lowering them. "And his hands were faithfulness" - this teaches that they were fasting, the words of Rabbi Joshua. Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in says: sin grew heavy upon the hands of Moses at that hour, and he could not withstand it. What did he do? He turned toward the deeds of the fathers, as it is said, "and they took a stone" - these are the deeds of the fathers; "and he sat upon it" - these are the deeds of the mothers. "And Aaron and Hur," and so on - what does Scripture teach by saying "one" and "one"? Rather, Aaron would recall the deeds of Levi, and Hur the deeds of Judah. From here they said: there should be no fewer than three persons who pass before the ark. "And his hands were faithfulness" - with one hand, in which he received nothing from Israel; and with the other hand Moses said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the universe, through my hand You brought Israel out of Egypt, and through my hand You split the sea for them, and through my hand You did for them miracles and mighty deeds, and so too through my hand You will do for them miracles and mighty deeds at this hour. "Until the going down of the sun" - because we have learned of all the kingdoms that they make war only until six hours, but this guilty kingdom makes war from morning until evening.