Our ancestor Moses knew that feeling all too well.

Imagine this: God Himself appears to you, commissioning you to lead an entire nation out of slavery. Sounds pretty epic, right? But Moses's response? Not exactly a resounding "Yes!"

According to Ginzberg's retelling in Legends of the Jews, Moses flat-out refused.

His reasoning is fascinating. He basically says, "Wait a minute, God! You promised Jacob You would bring them out of Egypt! (Genesis 46:4). You said You would do it! Now you want to send me?"

And it wasn't just about the logistics. Moses was deeply concerned about the practicalities. How would he feed everyone? The sheer number of people overwhelmed him. "Many are the women in childbirth," he argued, "many are the pregnant women and the little children. Whence shall I procure dainties for those who have borne babes, whence sweetmeats for the pregnant, and whence tidbits for the little ones?" It's a very human concern, isn't it? Thinking about the real needs of real people.

Then there was the small matter of personal safety. Moses had, shall we say, a bit of a history in Egypt. "How may I venture to go among the Egyptian brigands and murderers?" he asks. "For Thou art bidding me to go to mine enemies, to those who lie in wait to take my life." He was a fugitive! Who could blame him for being nervous?

But perhaps the most profound reason for his reluctance lies in his doubt about the Israelites themselves. "Why should I risk the safety of my person," he wonders, "seeing that I know not whether Israel possesses merits making them worthy of redemption?" This is a really important point. Moses wasn't just worried about his own skin; he was questioning whether the people were even ready for freedom. Did they deserve it?

And finally, he brings up a point of theological math! "I have reckoned up the years with care," he says, "and I have found that but two hundred and ten have elapsed since the covenant of the pieces made with Abraham, and at that time Thou didst ordain four hundred years of oppression for his seed" (Genesis 15:13). Basically, he's saying, "God, the timeline doesn't even add up! We're not supposed to be freed yet!"

So, what do we take away from Moses's initial refusal? It's a reminder that even the greatest leaders have moments of doubt, fear, and a healthy dose of questioning. It shows us that confronting injustice isn't always a straightforward, heroic leap. Sometimes, it’s a hesitant, complicated process filled with very human concerns. And maybe, just maybe, that's what makes Moses such a relatable figure, even across millennia. He wasn't perfect. He was real.