Man Up! Shemot 5786
As the adopted grandson of Pharaoh saw the Hebrew slave being beaten, we are told that “he turned this way and that way” before striking the taskmaster. The plain read of the text is that Moses was checking to ensure that there were no witnesses before lethally striking the taskmaster. After concluding that there was “no man” in the vicinity Moses delivered the fatal blow.
The idea of “no man” being present can be understood on a deeper level as well. Moses realized that because there was “no man,” nobody else was available to come to the aid of the lowly Hebrew slave. If he didn’t come to the rescue, nobody would. Moses intuitively understood what Hillel would later teach in the Mishna, “in a place where there is no man, you should endeavor to be that man.” As we say in common parlance, “man up!”
Ironically, those who inspired Moses’ decision to “man up” were undoubtedly women. Certainly, Moses had grown up hearing stories about the courageous midwives who thwarted Pharaoh’s plans to have the Hebrew male babies killed, who according to the one view, were none other than his own mother and sister. Likewise, Moses’ adopted mother, the daughter of Pharaoh, defied her father’s genocidal decree in an act of civil disobedience, rescuing the condemned infant Moses from the river. Because these women were able to “woman up” in the face of crisis, Moses was able to muster the moral fortitude to “man up” in the moment.
In light of this, we can also understand why God did not accept Moses’ argument that he was unsuited to confront Pharaoh. By choosing to forsake a life of privilege and instead come to the aid of the lowly slave, Moses had already demonstrated that he did have the ability to rise to the occasion. If anything, Moses’ hesitancy to return to Egypt as the liberator makes him more relatable. As it’s been said, courage is not a lack of fear but the ability to overcome it. Despite Moses’ fear, with the assistance of his brother, Aaron, he succeeded in the divine charge to free his people.
While Moses is faulted for his reliance on Aaron, it taught him crucial lessons. Stepping up doesn’t always mean being in total control, it means having the self-confidence to relinquish control and delegate when appropriate. After crossing the sea, Moses wisely heeded the advice of his father-in-law who counseled him to delegate authority to lower-level officials, who would ease his burden, by assisting him in judging the people. Later, Moses was gladly willing to share the divine spirit, which God had placed upon him with the 70 elders, who began to aid Moses in matters of governance. These 70 elders became the basis of the Sanhedrin (high court).
According to Jewish mystical thought, God created the world through an act of tzimtzum, contracting himself in order to make room for humanity. Yet, when necessary, God reaches down back into the world, as he did, to liberate his people. By doing so, God role models good parenting skills, giving his children room to grow but nevertheless, remains available to intervene when needed.
And when God calls on you for assistance, as he called upon Moses, don’t be afraid to answer the call by “manning” or “womaning up.” If you’re hesitant to answer the call, ask yourself WWMD – “what would Moses do?” You’ll be reminded that you can be that man or woman who is able to step forward when needed, as well as to step back when needed to make room for others, whose assistance will only make you a better leader. We learn from Moses that life is a dance, at times you step forward, at other times back and by doing so you eventually end up in the right place.
