Take this one from Exodus 2:6, describing Pharaoh’s daughter discovering the infant Moses adrift in the Nile: "She opened it and saw the child [yeled], and behold, a boy [na’ar] crying. She had compassion for him and she said: This is from the children of the Hebrews."
Simple enough, right? But the Rabbis of Shemot Rabbah, a classic collection of Midrash, dive deep. It’s not just what happened, but how it happened, and why.
First, the verse says "she saw him, the child" – not just "she saw the child." Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina offers a breathtaking interpretation: she saw the Shechinah, the Divine Presence, with him. Think about that for a moment. This isn't just about rescuing a baby; it's about encountering the very essence of God.
Then there’s the curious use of both na’ar (lad) and yeled (child) to describe Moses. Was he a baby or a boy? Rabbi Yehuda suggests he sounded like a na’ar, even as a yeled. But Rabbi Nehemya rejects this, arguing that it would imply a blemish, a defect in Moses. Instead, the Midrash offers a beautiful image: his mother had placed a chuppah, a canopy for grooms, in the basket with him. A symbol of hope, of future blessing, even in the face of certain death.
And why was he crying so intensely? The text suggests he cried out, fearing he wouldn't see his sister again, the one watching over him. Or perhaps, the Midrash offers, he acted like a na’ar, displaying a maturity beyond his years. Another interpretation says Gabriel, the angel, struck Moses to make him cry, ensuring Pharaoh’s daughter would feel compassion. What a thought – even divine intervention played a role in eliciting her mercy.
How did she know he was a Hebrew child? Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina says it was because he was circumcised. A simple, yet powerful, marker of identity.
And then, a fascinating legal and theological point. Pharaoh had decreed all Hebrew baby boys be thrown into the Nile. But Pharaoh’s daughter declares, "This is from the children of the Hebrews," implying that this child would be saved, and the decree was, in a sense, over. The Midrash brings in Rabbi Elazar, citing Isaiah 8:19, to explain how Pharaoh's astrologers predicted the redeemer of Israel would be condemned by water. But they were wrong about when and how that condemnation would play out. As soon as Moses entered the water, they mistakenly believed their decree had worked and rescinded it. They didn't realize he would later be "stricken over the waters of dispute," as Numbers 20:13 tells us, referring to a later incident involving Moses.
Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa even specifies the date Moses was cast into the Nile: the twenty-first of Nisan. The angels protested before God: "Shall he who is destined to recite a song at the sea on this date be stricken by water on this day?" Rav Aḥa bar Ḥanina offers an alternate date, the sixth of Sivan, and the angels ask, "Shall he who is destined to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai on this day be stricken on this day?" A seemingly contradictory opinion places his birth on the seventh of Adar. The text reconciles these views by suggesting that it was a leap year, and the overlapping months still account for the three months he was hidden.
What does it all mean? This single verse, seemingly simple, explodes with layers of meaning. It shows us the power of interpretation, the Rabbis' dedication to uncovering hidden truths, and the constant interplay between divine will, human action, and the unfolding of destiny. It makes you wonder, what other secrets are hiding in plain sight, waiting for us to uncover them?