Find Your Own Moses: Shavuot, AI, and the Modern Quest for Knowledge

Image Credit: Orly Lavi Travish

In the modern era, where artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually changing our lives, we face a challenge similar yet different from the event at Mount Sinai, where the Torah was given to the people of Israel all at once; therefore, each one of us must “find their own Moses” – a mentor or guide – to navigate the changing AI landscape, and develop personal responsibility for learning and applying this technology wisely and ethically, just as every Jew is responsible for learning and applying the Torah.

We recently celebrated Shavuot, the third holiday of the “Shaloshet haRegalim,” the three pilgrimage holidays of the year. Shavuot marks the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, occurring seven weeks after Passover and known as the Festival of Weeks. Shavuot customs include all-night Torah study, reading the Book of Ruth, and eating dairy foods.

During this holiday, I couldn’t stop thinking about the foundational event we celebrate when אֲדֹנָי, God, gave the Torah to the People of Israel; hence one of the names of the holiday is “Zman Matan Torah,” the time of the giving of the Torah, and comparing it to our current era. We are experiencing another foundational event in which artificial intelligence,”AdonAI,” is descending upon us. (This a play on the Hebrew word “Adon” (אדון) meaning “mister” or “sir,” as distinct from “Adonai” (אֲדֹנָי) which refers to God). While during the giving of the Torah the foundation of Jewish values was received all at once, artificial intelligence is breaking into our lives and gradually changing the way we use technology. I want to believe that during the giving of the Torah there were people who asked questions and engaged in critical thinking about the Torah that they received just as people ask questions and think critically about technology.  

Indeed, this freedom to question and adapt is evident everywhere around us. Los Angeles’ public spaces are changing rapidly. Delivery robots and autonomous vehicles are now commonplace. Once startling, driverless cars are now barely noticed, much like the delivery robots with their mysterious purposes. Robotaxis will soon be common. Restaurants use robot servers, and bus stops feature 3D-printed designs resembling science fiction. Virtual reality offers immersive experiences like walking the Titanic or entering digital gaming worlds in high-tech stores. 

The line between physical and digital worlds is blurring. Apple’s AR (Augmented Reality) apps let students create virtual objects and place them in real spaces. Google Arts & Culture provides virtual museum tours, making cultural sites and treasures accessible to everyone, not just those who can travel.

This is our new reality—a world where artificial intelligence has quietly woven itself into the fabric of daily life, transforming everything from how we receive our meals to how we experience history and entertainment.

As I reflect on this past Shavuot, the holiday commemorating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, I find myself contemplating a striking parallel between that ancient moment of collective revelation and our contemporary relationship with artificial intelligence. The contrast is as illuminating as it is profound.

According to Jewish tradition, the entire nation of Israel stood together at Mount Sinai and received the Torah simultaneously. As the Talmud tells us, “All of Israel heard the voice of God at once.” This was not a gradual learning process or an individual journey of discovery—it was a unified, transformative moment where divine wisdom was transmitted to an entire people at the same time.

The beauty of the Sinai experience lies in its universality and simultaneity. Rich and poor, young and old, scholar and simple person—all received the same revelation at the same moment. There was no privileged access, no early adopters, and no learning curve that favored some over others. The playing field was entirely level.

Fast-forward to our digital age, where artificial intelligence represents perhaps the most significant technological revelation of our time. Unlike the Torah at Sinai, AI knowledge is not being bestowed upon humanity all at once. Instead, we each must embark on our own individual journey of discovery, understanding, and integration.

Some, including me, embraced AI early, diving deep into its capabilities and limitations. Others approach it cautiously, taking measured steps. Still others resist entirely, perhaps overwhelmed by its complexity or fearful of its implications. Unlike the collective “na’aseh v’nishma” (we will do and we will listen) declaration at Sinai, our response to AI is fragmented, personal, and uneven.

This is where the concept of “finding your own Moses” becomes crucial. Moses served as the intermediary between the divine and the people, translating the ineffable into the comprehensible, the universal into the practical. In our AI age, we each need to find our own guides, teachers, and interpreters who can help us navigate this new landscape of artificial intelligence.

For Hebrew language educators like me, this means seeking out mentors who understand both pedagogy and technology. It means finding communities of practice where we can share discoveries and learn from each other’s experiments. It means identifying the “Moses figures” in our field—those innovators who can help translate AI’s potential into practical applications for language teaching and cultural education.

Here’s where the Shavuot parallel becomes even more meaningful. While the Torah was given to all of Israel collectively, each individual was still responsible for their own understanding, observance, and transmission of that knowledge. This insight was powerfully reinforced for me during Shavuot when I listened to a Dvar Torah by Dr. Miriam Heller Stern, CEO of the Los Angeles BJE, at our synagogue. Her teaching about taking personal responsibility in Jewish learning resonated deeply with me, particularly as I considered our modern relationship with AI.

As the Talmud teaches us in Kiddushin 30a, “A person who teaches his son’s son Torah, the verse ascribes him credit as though he received it from Mount Sinai.” This powerful statement emphasizes that the revelation at Sinai was not a one-time event, but an ongoing responsibility that each generation must embrace and transmit.

The tradition further teaches us about “Veshinantam”—the obligation to sharpen and review our learning continuously, not just to repeat mechanically. As Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira reminds us, we must take personal responsibility for our spiritual and intellectual growth, understanding that true learning requires both receiving wisdom and actively engaging with it to make it our own.

Similarly, while AI tools are available to everyone, the responsibility for learning how to use them effectively, ethically, and meaningfully rests with each of us individually. We cannot wait for a collective revelation about AI. We must each take responsibility for our own AI literacy, just as each Jew takes personal responsibility for their relationship with Torah study and observance—not as passive recipients, but as active participants in an ongoing process of discovery and application.

As educators, we have a unique opportunity—and obligation—to become “Moses” figures for our students. We can help them navigate the AI landscape, teaching them not just how to use these tools, but how to think critically about them, how to maintain their humanity while leveraging artificial intelligence, and how to use technology to enhance rather than replace genuine learning and connection.

In my work with Hebrew language learners, I’ve discovered that AI can be a powerful ally when used thoughtfully. It can provide personalized practice opportunities, instant feedback, and cultural context that might otherwise be difficult to access. But it requires careful guidance, clear boundaries, and constant reflection on pedagogical goals.

Perhaps most importantly, unlike the singular moment at Sinai, our relationship with AI is an ongoing revelation. Every day brings new developments, new capabilities, and new questions. This means we must cultivate not just knowledge, but wisdom—the ability to discern how and when to apply what we learn.

For Hebrew language educators specifically, this quest is both urgent and full of potential. We stand at a unique crossroads where ancient language meets cutting-edge technology, where traditional pedagogical wisdom must merge with innovative AI tools.

I took this responsibility upon myself in August, 2023, when I first launched IvriTech – 972EduKenes, pioneering the integration of artificial intelligence into Hebrew language classrooms. To my joy, Hebrew teachers from around the world registered for that first conference—not enough teachers yet, but I’m hopeful that by the third conference, we’ll reach even more educators who are ready to embrace this transformation.

This is why I’m excited to announce IvriTech#3, my upcoming conference that will be filled with “Moses figures” for Hebrew as a second language teachers around the world. Just as the Israelites needed Moses to help them understand and apply the revelation they received, we Hebrew educators need guides who can help us navigate the integration of AI into our teaching practice while preserving the essence of Hebrew language and Israeli culture education.

IvriTech#3 will bring together pioneering educators, technology experts, and pedagogical innovators who are already walking this path—our modern Moses figures who can translate AI’s potential into practical, meaningful applications for Hebrew language teaching. Among our presenters, I’m particularly excited to introduce a very young Moses: NehorAI (his professional name), a 15-year-old Israeli student, who will teach us, the teachers, how to create relevant, authentic videos for Generation Z, Alpha, and Beta students. Sometimes our greatest teachers come in the most unexpected packages, and this young innovator embodies the very spirit of finding wisdom across generations that we discussed earlier.

Whether you’re taking your first steps into AI-enhanced education or looking to deepen your existing practice, this conference will provide the guidance, community, and inspiration you need to find your own path forward.

In this quest for meaningful AI integration in Hebrew education, may we all find teachers worthy of the name Moses—and may we, in turn, serve as guides for those who come after us.

The journey from Sinai continues, and in our digital age, each of us must become both student and teacher in the ongoing revelation of what it means to educate with wisdom, purpose, and humanity.