The Torah tells us that Moses, having fled Egypt after, well, that incident, was trying to settle into life in Midian. But trouble seemed to follow him.
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, a fascinating early medieval text that elaborates on biblical narratives, gives us a deeper look. It says that on the second day, Moses went out and saw two Hebrew men fighting. But who were these brawlers?
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer identifies them as Dathan and Abiram. Names that might ring a bell. Remember them? They turn up later, causing all sorts of trouble in the desert. But here they are, already at it.
Moses, seeing the injustice, intervenes. He asks the one in the wrong, "Why are you striking your fellow?" (Exodus 2:13). Simple question. But Dathan, oh, Dathan, is not one to back down. He throws Moses' past right back in his face. "What!" he sneers, according to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, "Do you want to kill me with the sword of your mouth, like you killed the Egyptian yesterday?" He then quotes Exodus 2:14, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?"
Notice something interesting. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer points out a subtlety in the Hebrew. The verse doesn't say "Are you seeking to kill me?" but "Are you speaking to kill me?" It's a slight difference, but it hints at something deeper. Dathan isn't just accusing Moses of murderous intent, but of wielding his words as weapons. Words as weapons. How often do we see that? How often do we use that? Dathan's accusation is particularly biting. He's not just saying Moses is a murderer, he's saying Moses is using his position, his words, to intimidate and control.
And it throws Moses completely off balance, doesn't it? He's trying to do the right thing, to mediate a conflict, and suddenly he's being attacked, his past sins dredged up and weaponized against him.
What does this moment tell us? Perhaps it's a reminder that even when we try to do good, we can be met with resistance, with accusations, with the baggage of our past. Maybe it's a cautionary tale about the power of words, the way they can be used to wound and manipulate. Or maybe, just maybe, it's a glimpse into the complex and flawed character of Moses, a man who, despite his past, was chosen to lead a nation. A man who, despite his best intentions, was still vulnerable to the barbs of those who sought to undermine him.
It makes you wonder, doesn’t it, what hidden depths lie beneath the surface of even the most familiar stories.