Even after God revealed Himself in the burning bush, even after all the reassurances, Moses still hesitated. "But," he argued, "they will not believe me! They won't listen. They'll say, 'The Lord hasn't appeared to you!'"
God, with infinite patience, responded with a question of His own: "What is that in your hand?"
"A rod," Moses answered. A simple shepherd's staff.
And here, according to the Legends of the Jews, things took a sharp turn. God’s tone becomes… well, let's just say less patient. "You deserve to be castigated with it!" God declared. Think about that for a moment. Castigated by your own walking stick!
Why such a strong reaction? The text implies Moses's reluctance was more than just nerves. God says, "If you didn't intend to take My mission upon yourself, you should have said so in the beginning!" It's as if Moses was dragging his feet, and in doing so, making things more complicated.
And what was the complication? The revelation of the Shem HaMeforash (שֵׁם הַמְּפֹרָשׁ), the Ineffable Name of God. God accuses Moses of waiting until this profound secret was revealed before voicing his refusal, almost as if to gain leverage. "Now that I've told you the secret," God seems to imply, "you think you can back out?"
The stakes were high. God had intended to use Moses as an instrument for miracles. But Moses's lack of faith, his suspicion of the Israelites, was a stumbling block. God even compares him to the slanderous serpent from the Garden of Eden! And the punishment? Leprosy – the same affliction that befell the serpent, according to this tradition.
It’s a harsh lesson. But perhaps it's a reminder that when we doubt, when we hesitate, we not only hinder ourselves, but we also risk delaying the very miracles we're meant to bring into the world. Could Moses's initial reluctance have inadvertently brought on the very plagues he was destined to overcome? It's a question worth pondering.