It’s a story ripe with divine intervention, clever tests, and a whole lot of fire.

As the tale goes, when Moses was just a babe in arms, the king – some say it was Pharaoh himself, others a different ruler entirely – was understandably nervous. Prophecies swirled that a Hebrew child would rise to challenge his power. So, a test was devised. A rather… intense one.

They placed before the infant Moses two items: a glittering onyx stone and a glowing, hot coal. The idea? To see what the baby would reach for. Wisdom, symbolized by the stone, or base desire, represented by the coal. If Moses chose the stone, it would prove he was a threat, acting with knowledge and intent. If he chose the coal… well, a baby playing with fire is just a baby, right?

Now, here’s where it gets really interesting. As Moses reached for the dazzling onyx, the angel Gabriel – yes, that Gabriel – intervened! According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, Gabriel guided the baby’s hand, not toward the glittering jewel, but toward the burning coal. Can you imagine?

Instinctively, Moses grabbed the coal, and just as quickly, recoiled in pain. He lifted his burned hand to his mouth, searing his lips and tongue. Ouch! This, the story tells us, is why Moses became "slow of speech and of a slow tongue," as the Torah itself describes him later (Exodus 4:10).

Seeing this, the king and his advisors breathed a sigh of relief. A baby who grabs a burning coal? Clearly not a threat to the throne! He acted without knowledge or understanding. But was it really chance? Or was it a clever act of divine providence? We see examples of this type of divine action throughout the Jewish cannon.

The king, convinced Moses was no danger, spared his life. Moses's foster mother, possibly Pharaoh’s own daughter, quickly whisked him away, ensuring he received the best education. The Hebrews, aware of his special status, placed their hopes on him. But the Egyptians, still wary, watched his development with suspicion.

So, what are we to make of this fiery tale? It's a reminder that even our heroes have flaws, sometimes acquired in the most unexpected ways. And it highlights the constant, often unseen, hand of the divine, subtly shaping events and guiding destinies. Is Moses's speech impediment a weakness? Or does it serve to amplify his message, forcing him to rely on God and the words of his brother Aaron? Perhaps, like the coal itself, it's both a source of pain and a catalyst for something greater.