It might seem like just a simple Hebrew word meaning "was," but in the world of Jewish thought, it can unlock hidden meanings, destinies, and connections.
Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, dives deep into this very idea. It suggests that when the word haya is used in relation to someone, it hints at their preordained fate. Think of it like a cosmic spotlight shining on their purpose.
The text illustrates this point with a series of examples. Remember the serpent in the Garden of Eden? "The serpent was cunning." (Genesis 3:1). The Shemot Rabbah explains this means he was destined for punishment. Noah "was faultless" (Genesis 6:9) so he was fated for salvation. Joseph "was…" (Exodus 1:5)? Destined to provide sustenance. Mordechai? Destined to bring deliverance. And Moses? Well, Moses was destined to bring…salvation. According to this interpretation, their very creation held the seeds of their future roles.
But the passage doesn't stop there. It moves on to another intriguing question: Why did Moses lead his flock into the midbar—the wilderness? Rabbi Yehoshua offers a beautiful reason: because he foresaw that Israel would eventually emerge from the wilderness, triumphant. He quotes the Song of Songs (3:6): “Who is this coming up from the wilderness…?" : the manna, the quail, the well, the Tabernacle, even the Divine Presence itself – all came to them in the wilderness.
Or consider this: the Hebrew word midbar also means "speech" or "utterance" (dibbur). The Holy One, blessed be He, essentially tells Moses, according to this midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), that he is destined to lead Israel out of Egypt because of the merit of Abraham, with whom God dibbarti—spoke—"between the pieces" (referring to the Covenant of the Pieces in Genesis 15). The wilderness, therefore, becomes a place of divine communication, a space where God's promise to Abraham would be fulfilled.
Rabbi Levi adds another layer, saying God tells Moses that the wilderness will be a sign: "You will leave them in the wilderness, and from the wilderness you are destined to restore them in the future." This echoes the prophet Hosea (2:16): "Therefore, I will allure her and I will lead her into the wilderness…" It's a powerful image of renewal and restoration.
Yet another interpretation suggests Moses leading the flock into the wilderness foreshadows the destruction of nations: “The end of the nations will be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert" (Jeremiah 50:12). And, more somberly, it hints that the generation of Israelites who left Egypt would ultimately perish in the wilderness.
We even get a glimpse into a poignant exchange between Moses and God, based on the verses from the Song of Songs (1:7-8), where Moses seems to be pleading for the well-being of the Israelites. He asks about the mothers, the pregnant women, the nursing mothers. God's response? "If you do not know… go out in the footsteps of the flock." In other words, Moses would shepherd the offspring, but only in the lands east of the Jordan. He would not lead them into the Promised Land.
Finally, the passage touches upon Mount Horev, the mountain of God, also known by many other names: Mount Bashan, Mount Gavnunim, and Mount Sinai. Each name reflects a different aspect of its significance. It’s called the Mountain of God because it was there that Israel accepted God. Mount Bashan, because everything we eat is thanks to the Torah given on that mountain, linking Torah observance to prosperity, as (Leviticus 26:3-4) suggests. Mount Gavnunim is described as pure as cheese (gevina), symbolizing the purity of the mountain, untouched by idol worship. Mount Horev, because from there, the Sanhedrin (the supreme rabbinic court) received the authority to execute justice. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman connects the name Horev to the destruction (harov yeheravu) of idolaters, citing (Isaiah 60:12). And Mount Sinai, because from it descended hatred (sina) for idolaters, a consequence of their rejection of the Torah.
So, what does all this mean for us? Perhaps it's a reminder that even seemingly simple words and places can hold profound depths of meaning. It urges us to look beyond the surface, to consider the layers of history, symbolism, and divine intention woven into the fabric of our tradition. And maybe, just maybe, it invites us to reflect on our own haya—our own destined purpose in this vast and wondrous world.
Another interpretation: “Moses was [haya].” Everyone in whose regard haya is written, was fated for this [for what follows]: “Behold, the man has become [haya] [like one of us, knowing good and bad, what if he should extend his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever?]” (Genesis 3:22); death was fated to come to the world, as it is stated: “With darkness upon the surface of the deep” (Genesis 1:2) – that is death, which darkens the faces of the people. “The serpent was [haya] … cunning” (Genesis 3:1); he was fated for punishment. Regarding Noah it is written: “…was [haya] faultless” (Genesis 6:9); he was fated for salvation. Regarding Joseph it is written: “Joseph was [haya]” (Exodus 1:5); he was fated to [provide] sustenance. Regarding Mordekhai it is written: “There was [haya] a Jewish man” (Esther 2:5); he was fated to [bring] deliverance; and Moses, to [bring] salvation. From their original creation they were fated for this. “And he led the flock into the wilderness [midbar].” Rabbi Yehoshua said: Why did he seek the wilderness? It is because he saw that Israel would come up from the wilderness, as it is stated: “Who is this coming up from the wilderness” (Song of Songs 3:6). For it was from the wilderness that they had the manna, the quail, the well, the Tabernacle, the Divine Presence, priesthood, kingship, and the clouds of glory. Alternatively, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘You are destined to take Israel up from Egypt due to the merit of he with whom I spoke [dibbarti] between the pieces, that is Abraham.’ And midbar means nothing but speech [dibbur], as it is stated: “Your mouth [umidbarekh] is lovely” (Song of Songs 4:3). Rabbi Levi said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘This is a sign for you, you will leave them in the wilderness, and from the wilderness you are destined to restore them in the future, as it is stated: “Therefore, I will allure her and I will lead her into the wilderness” (Hosea 2:16). Alternatively, why did he seek the wilderness? It is because he saw that he was destined to destroy the cities of the nations of the world, as it is written; “The end of the nations will be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert” (Jeremiah 50:12). Another interpretation: “And he led the flock into the wilderness” – He informed him that Israel, which is called a flock, will die in the wilderness. Likewise, when Moses entreated [God for] Israel’s needs, 6The exchange between Moses and God that follows is based on Song of Songs 1:7–8: “Tell me, You whom my soul loves, where do You shepherd, where do You rest them at noon? For why should I be like one who veils herself by the flocks of Your companions? If you do not know, the fairest among women, go you out after the sheep and shepherd your kids, by the tents of the shepherds.” he said to him: ‘O Holy One blessed be He, “tell me, He whom my soul loves…” (Song of Songs 1:7) – how many birth mothers are among them, how many pregnant women, how many wet nurses have you provided for the babies, how many delicacies have you prepared for the pregnant women?’ The Holy One blessed be He responded to him: “If you do not know” (Song of Songs 1:8); if you do not know, ultimately you will know. “Go out in the footsteps of the flock”; in other words, you will herd the sheep and the lambs , but you will only herd the offspring, “by the tents of the shepherds;” in the land of Siḥon, .7Moses will only lead the second generation in the conquest of the lands on the eastern side of the Jordan, he but will not lead them into the Land. “…he arrived at the mountain of God, to Ḥorev.” It has five names: “The mountain of God, Mount Bashan, Mount Gavnunim” (Psalms 68:16), Mount Ḥorev, Mount Sinai. The mountain of God – because it was there that Israel accepted the Holy One blessed be He as their God. Mount Bashan – as everything that a person eats with his teeth [beshinav] is thanks to the Torah that was given on the mountain. Likewise it says: “If you follow My statutes…I will provide your rains in their seasons” (Leviticus 26:3–4).8Agricultural prosperity will depend upon keeping the Torah. Mount Gavnunim – it is as pure as cheese [gevina],9Cheese is pure in that it can be made only from the milk of kosher animals. Mount Sinai was pure, as there was never idol worship there. and they were pure without blemish.10The midrash is alluding to a tradition that all of the physical blemishes of Israel were healed when they received the Torah at Mount Sinai. Mount Ḥorev – from it, the Sanhedrin received license to execute with the sword [ḥerev]. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: It was from there that idolaters received their death sentence, as it is stated: “The nations will be destroyed [ḥarov yeḥeravu]” (Isaiah 60:12) – from Ḥorev they will be destroyed. Mount Sinai – from which hatred [sina] for idolaters descended.11This is because they refused to accept the Torah.
