According to tradition, after Pharaoh's daughter discovered the infant Moses nestled among the bulrushes, she brought him back to the palace. She presented him to her father, claiming that the Nile itself had gifted her the child. And so, because it was the princess’s wish, Pharaoh and his court accepted the baby into their home. But, as the Sefer ha-Yashar and other sources tell us, not everyone was convinced of the child's blessed origins.
One of Pharaoh's sorcerers, harboring suspicions that the child was Hebrew, secretly plotted against him. He waited, patiently, for an opportunity to expose the truth. That moment arrived when Moses was just three years old.
Imagine the scene: little Moses is sitting on his (adoptive) mother’s lap at the table. Pharaoh sits next to her, his crown gleaming. Drawn to the glittering gems, Moses reaches out and knocks the crown right off Pharaoh's head! Can you feel the tension?
The sorcerer seized the moment. "Do not ignore this sign from fate, my lord!" he exclaimed. "This child may be destined to usurp your throne!"
Pharaoh, understandably alarmed, consulted his advisors. But little did he know, the angel Gabriel, sent by God to protect Moses, was already at work. Disguised as one of Pharaoh's counselors, Gabriel offered a seemingly reasonable solution.
"Surely the child meant no evil," he said. "Why not test him? Present him with two bowls: one filled with precious jewels, the other with burning coals. If he reaches for the jewels, it proves his understanding. But if he grabs the coals, it shows he's just an innocent infant."
Pharaoh agreed, and the test was set. As the bowls were placed before Moses, the invisible Gabriel stood close. Moses, naturally drawn to the sparkling jewels, reached for them. But Gabriel intervened, guiding his hand towards the burning coals instead.
Before Moses could even register the heat, he touched a coal to his tongue, singeing it. He burst into tears, solidifying the perception that he was just a baby. Pharaoh, reassured, allowed Moses to remain in the palace.
But the story doesn’t end there. As Midrash Rabbah and other sources recount, that brief encounter with the burning coal left Moses with a speech impediment, a stutter that would stay with him for the rest of his life. This, the tradition explains, is why Moses later enlisted his brother, Aaron, to speak on his behalf when he stood before Pharaoh to demand the release of the Israelites.
Isn’t it amazing how even a seemingly small event, like a child's innocent curiosity, can shape the course of history? This midrash (a traditional Jewish story that explains or interprets a biblical text) offers us a glimpse into the intricate tapestry of fate, divine intervention, and the making of a leader. It also reminds us that even our perceived weaknesses, like Moses' stutter, can ultimately be woven into our strengths. This, as the commentary suggests, is a perfect story for children because it speaks to their understanding of simple cause and effect. A bright jewel would be more attractive to an infant than a burning coal.
So, the next time you think about Moses, remember this story. Remember the burning coals, the quick thinking of an angel, and the unexpected way in which a future leader was shaped. What parts of your life that you've always seen as weaknesses could actually be strengths?