Let’s go back to his mother, Jochebed, during her pregnancy. According to the legends, she knew, deep down, that the child she carried was meant for extraordinary things. It wasn't just a mother's intuition; it was a palpable sense of destiny. Ginzberg, in his Legends of the Jews, recounts this with such wonder.
And here's something truly amazing: Jochebed experienced no pain throughout her pregnancy. None! And even more incredibly, she felt no pain during childbirth. Why? Because, we're told, pious women are exempt from the curse placed upon Eve, the curse that decreed sorrow in conception and childbirth. This idea of righteous women being spared the pain of childbirth is found elsewhere in Jewish tradition too.
But the miracles didn’t stop there. Oh no.
The moment Moses was born, the entire house, and I mean the entire house, was filled with a radiant light, a light so intense it rivaled the sun and the moon! Can you imagine witnessing that? It's a powerful image, isn't it?
And then, an even greater miracle occurred. This newborn, not even a day old, began to walk. And not just walk, but to speak with his parents! He conversed with them as if he were a grown adult. It's mind-boggling, isn't it?
But here’s the kicker: He refused to drink milk from his mother’s breast. Why? Perhaps, even from the moment of his birth, he was set apart, destined for something beyond the ordinary, something so sacred that even the most basic human needs were different for him. The Legends of the Jews paints a vivid picture, doesn’t it? It makes you wonder, what does it mean to be chosen? And what signs might we miss if we aren't paying close enough attention?