Even Moses, arguably the most important prophet in Judaism, tried to avoid his divine calling. And, as the Legends of the Jews (Ginzberg) tells us, he paid a price for that reluctance.

So, what happened? God appears to Moses in the burning bush and tasks him with freeing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Seems straightforward enough, right? But Moses, overwhelmed by the enormity of the task, keeps making excuses.

"But, behold, they will not believe me," Moses argues, "nor hearken unto my voice, for they will say, 'The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.'" (Exodus 4:1).

God, understandably, isn't thrilled. According to Ginzberg, God basically says, "You deserve to be punished! You held back until I revealed the secret of My Ineffable Name – the Shem HaMeforash – and then you refuse?" The Shem HaMeforash, by the way, is the explicit name of God, a powerful and closely guarded secret.

To demonstrate His power, God performs a few miracles. First, He turns Moses’ staff into a serpent and back again. Then, He makes Moses' hand leprous and then heals it. These weren't just parlor tricks. The Zohar tells us that these signs were meant to communicate deeper meanings. The leprosy, for example, symbolized the defilement of the Israelites by the Egyptians, and Moses' healing foreshadowed their eventual purification.

But Moses still isn't convinced. He claims he's not eloquent enough. He argues that Pharaoh won't listen to him. He even suggests that God should send someone else – "Send by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send!" (Exodus 4:13). Ouch.

According to Midrash Rabbah, God patiently tries to persuade Moses for seven whole days. He doesn't want to be seen as abusing His power, forcing someone against their will. But Moses remains "obdurate," unyielding.

One of Moses' arguments, as recounted in Legends of the Jews, is particularly interesting. He says that Pharaoh's court is filled with people who speak all seventy languages of the world (a symbolic number representing all the nations). If he, Moses, can't speak all those languages, he'll be mocked! God's response? "Adam, who was taught by none, could give names to the beasts in the seventy languages. Was it not I that made him to speak?"

Moses even tries to suggest that God should send both him and Aaron. He implies that one person can't handle both the tasks of chastising Egypt and redeeming Israel. God responds, "The holy spirit hath already come upon thy brother Aaron, and even now he is awaiting thee…and when his eyes rest upon thee he will rejoice."

But, why was Moses so hesitant? The text offers a fascinating insight. God showed Moses a vision of future generations of scholars interpreting the Torah, all acknowledging that their knowledge stemmed from Moses himself. He saw Rabbi Akiva, a towering figure in Jewish law, explaining the "crowns upon the letters" of the Torah. Essentially, Moses realized the immense responsibility and legacy that awaited him. He saw the weight of the Torah, of wisdom, of the future, and he was daunted.

So, what was Moses' punishment for his stubbornness? According to Legends of the Jews, two things. First, the priesthood was taken away from Moses' descendants and given to Aaron's. God had originally intended Moses to be the High Priest, but because of his refusal, that honor went to his brother. (Though it's noted that Moses himself still performed priestly duties in the Tabernacle). Second, God refused to cure Moses' speech impediment completely. Moses had complained about being "slow of speech and of a slow tongue" (Exodus 4:10), and while God would help him, He wouldn't fully remove this limitation.

It's a harsh lesson, isn't it? Moses, despite his greatness, wasn't exempt from consequences. And it begs the question: why? Why was he punished so severely for simply being afraid?

Perhaps it's because leadership requires a leap of faith. Maybe it’s because sometimes, the greatest among us are called to step up even when they don't feel ready. And maybe, just maybe, the story of Moses' initial reluctance is there to remind us that even the most extraordinary individuals are still human, with doubts and fears just like us.

What do you think? Is Moses' punishment fair? And how does this story resonate with your own experiences of being asked to do something difficult?