The tale begins when Moses, at the ripe old age of 67, leaves Ethiopia. Ginzberg, in Legends of the Jews, tells us this was the moment divinely appointed to liberate Israel from the harsh rule of the descendants of Ham. But here's the thing: Moses was understandably hesitant to return to Egypt, what with that whole "killing an Egyptian" incident hanging over his head. So, he heads to Midian.
Midian itself is an interesting place. It gets its name from a son of Abraham and Keturah. And in this city lived a man named Jethro. Now, Jethro wasn't just anyone; he was a priest... a priest serving idols.
But here's where it gets interesting. As time passed, Jethro began to question everything. The futility of idol worship gnawed at him. His priestly duties became abhorrent. Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. He decided to resign.
Imagine the scene: Jethro stands before his community and declares, "Until now, I've served your idols, but I'm too old for this. Choose someone else!" He hands over all the paraphernalia, all the ritual objects associated with the idol worship, and basically says, "Your call now."
But the people of Midian? They weren't stupid. They suspected Jethro's motives. They figured he was up to something, maybe even renouncing their gods. And so, they placed him under a herem (חֵרֶם), a ban. No one was allowed to help him, not even in the smallest way. The shepherds refused to graze his flocks. He was completely ostracized.
And so, what was Jethro to do? He had seven daughters, and out of necessity, he entrusted them with the task of tending his flocks. A former priest, now dependent on his daughters for survival, living under a cloud of suspicion. It's a far cry from the burning bush, right?
It's these little-known details, these quiet moments before the storm, that often reveal the most about the characters we think we know. They show us the world Moses was entering, the kind of society he was about to encounter. And perhaps, they even hint at the kind of leader he was destined to become.
What does it mean to stand up for what you believe in, even when it means facing isolation? Maybe, just maybe, it's precisely that kind of courage that prepares you for something truly extraordinary.