We get glimpses in the Torah, of course, but the aggadah, those beautiful, imaginative expansions of the biblical narrative, fill in the gaps and paint a much richer picture.
One charming detail, found in Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, is how Bithiah, Pharaoh's daughter, orchestrated Moses' arrival at court. To ensure he received the treatment befitting a prince, she pretended to be pregnant for quite some time before "miraculously" producing him, having him brought from his true parents. Imagine the lengths she went to protect this child!
And once he was with her, she couldn't bear to let him out of her sight. She showered him with affection, constantly caressing and kissing him. Why? Because, as the aggadah emphasizes, Moses was exceptionally beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that people couldn't stop staring at him! Bithiah, understandably, was protective.
But it wasn't just his looks. Even as a young child, Moses displayed an extraordinary intellect. His teachers marveled at his quick comprehension, far beyond what was expected of a child his age. According to the legends, all his actions in infancy hinted at the greatness he would later achieve. Even at three years old, God blessed him with remarkable stature.
Think about it: people would literally stop in their tracks, abandoning their tasks, just to gaze at him as he was carried through the streets. The child’s loveliness was so captivating that it held their gaze. It’s a powerful image, isn’t it?
Pharaoh's daughter, recognizing that Moses was no ordinary child, decided to adopt him as her own, since she was childless. She approached her father, Pharaoh, with a proposition: "I have brought up a child, who is divine in form and of an excellent mind, and as I received him through the bounty of the river in a wonderful way, I have thought it proper to adopt him as my son and as the heir of thy kingdom." This adoption narrative is recounted in Legends of the Jews, drawing from earlier midrashic sources.
And how did Pharaoh react? He took the infant Moses into his arms and hugged him close to his chest. Can you imagine the scene? The most powerful man in Egypt, embracing the future liberator of the Israelites, completely unaware of the destiny that awaited this beautiful, intelligent child. It's a moment pregnant with irony, isn't it? A reminder that even the mightiest rulers are often blind to the forces of history unfolding before their very eyes.