That feeling isn't new. It goes all the way back to Moses and Aaron facing down Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. Think about it: They’re walking into the lion's den, asking the most powerful ruler on Earth to let his workforce, his slaves, go for three whole days!
Our text, Shemot Rabbah – a classic collection of rabbinic interpretations on the book of Exodus – dives deep into just one verse: Exodus 5:3. "They said: The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go, please, three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He afflict us with pestilence or with the sword.”
Notice anything interesting about that verse? Something maybe a little…off?
The Rabbis did. According to Shemot Rabbah, Moses and Aaron are worried they messed up their initial approach. The text suggests that maybe Pharaoh questioned them because they altered God's original message. Instead of saying exactly what God told them – “So said the Lord, God of Israel” – they softened it. So they switched tactics. This time, they specifically said, “The God of the Hebrews.”
But it's the next part that really gets me: "Lest He afflict us with pestilence or with the sword." Shouldn't it say, "Lest He afflict you?" After all, Pharaoh is the one they're trying to convince!
Shemot Rabbah offers a fascinating explanation. The "us" isn't a mistake. It's deliberate. It demonstrates deference. The Rabbis are teaching us a profound lesson: even when standing up to power, respect is paramount.
Why? Because, the text says, "a person is obligated to accord deference to royalty.” It's a delicate dance, isn't it? Speaking truth to power while still acknowledging the position, the authority, even of someone you profoundly disagree with.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? In our own lives, how often do we sacrifice politeness for the sake of being "right?" And how often might we be more effective, more persuasive, if we remembered the lesson of Moses and Aaron: that even in the face of injustice, respect can open doors. Maybe not the doors to freedom immediately, but doors to dialogue, to understanding, to something more than just a slammed gate.