Our starting point is the verse "This month shall be for you" (Exodus 12:2). But Shemot Rabbah, in its characteristic way, finds a connection to Micah 6:4: "I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you." It’s a reminder that the Exodus story isn't just about a miraculous escape, but also about the individuals who paved the way.
The text then beautifully connects this to Psalm 43:3: “Send Your orekha [light] and Your amitekha [truth]; they will lead me.” The Rabbis interpret "light and truth" as allusions to Moses and Aaron. How so? Well, the Urim ve’Tumim, oracular talismans worn by the High Priest, are literally translated as ‘lights and virtues’ (Deuteronomy 33:8). And, as we're told in Malachi 2:6, the Torah of truth was in Aaron's mouth. See how these verses start to weave together? It's like the tradition is building a beautiful tapestry, thread by thread.
But here's the kicker: The Midrash then reveals a profound insight about Moses's initial reluctance. "I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you” (Micah 6:4) – this teaches that he [Moses] was not seeking to redeem Israel." Think about that for a moment. The man we know as the great liberator, the one who spoke to God face-to-face, initially didn't want the job!
According to this passage in Shemot Rabbah, Moses questioned God, asking, "Who am I [that I should go]?" (Exodus 3:11). He points out God's promises to Abraham ("I will judge" - Genesis 15:14) and Jacob ("I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely take you up" - Genesis 46:4). He was essentially saying, "Isn't this Your job, God? Why are you sending me?" It's a very human moment, filled with doubt and humility.
Moses is essentially asking: You promised our ancestors that You would redeem them. Are you really asking me, a mere mortal, to fulfill these promises? The idea is, according to Shemot Rabbah, that Moses is saying, "I'm just flesh and blood. How can I possibly accomplish what You promised You would do?"
The Holy One, blessed be He, responds with a powerful reassurance: "By your life, I will go down and deliver them." God reminds Moses of the story of Sarah, how God intervened when Pharaoh abducted her (Genesis 12:17). The text argues that, if God descended for one woman, surely He would do so for six hundred thousand men, women, and children.
However, God still asks Moses to go first, to inform the children of Israel that their redemption is at hand. "You go first and inform My children that I am redeeming them and then I will deliver them.” This is why it is written: “Send Your light and Your truth; they will lead me.” That is why He said: “I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before you.”
So, what does this all mean? It suggests that even the greatest leaders have moments of doubt and insecurity. It highlights the collaborative nature of redemption – God working with humanity. And it reminds us that sometimes, being asked to do something seemingly impossible is actually an invitation to witness the Divine at work.
Maybe, just maybe, those moments when we feel most inadequate are precisely the moments when we are most open to becoming instruments of something far greater than ourselves. What do you think?