BECAUSE MAN IS MADE IN THE IMAGE OF HASHEM
In this week’s Parsha, Vaeira, just before Moshe and Aaron successfully take their people from Egypt, the Torah gives us their genealogical back-ground. It actually gives a very comprehensive family tree which includes the first two tribes of Reuven and Shimon as well as Moshe’s cousins and second cousins. What is the purpose of this tree? If it is important to know Moshe’s background should we not have been told in last week’s Parsha when Moshe and Aaron first appear on the pages of Torah?
Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch suggests that before this point of the exodus Moshe and Aaron did not succeed in their mission. In last week’s Parsha, anything they did on behalf of their people only worked against them. This week’s Parsha stands in sharp contrast where everything Moshe and Aaron do produces the world’s most remarkable display of miraculous events. It is through the miracles performed by Moshe and Aaron that HaShem was revealed in the world. The very destiny of the world is built upon the miraculous acts of Moshe and Aaron. Our Torah was therefore concerned that the men who served as messengers of HaShem to demonstrate His greatness, not be ascribed with Godly lineage. There must be no ambiguity of their human origin.
Rav Hirsch writes in his inimitable way “Right from the earliest times, it has occurred that men who have shown themselves quite strikingly to be benefactors to their people on account of their “godlike” deeds, have been invested after passing from this world, with a godly origin. We know well enough how, in later times, a Jew whose genealogical table was not available, and because it was not available, and because he brought a few sparks of light borrowed from Moshe, became considered by the nations as begotten by G.D, and to doubt his divine origin became a capital crime.”
To this end, before Moshe and Aaron are about to bring the greatest miracles revealing the Omnipotence of HaShem, the Torah shows that our great leaders came from two parents just like every other Jew. They were not of Divine origin. They had cousins and uncles and family relationships just like all other mortals.
The Rambam writes that every person has the free choice to be righteous or to be evil, the direction in which they turn is up to them. If they wish they can be as great a tzadik as Moshe or as great a rasha as Yeruvam. Behold! The Rambam takes this lesson straight out of our Parsha. Even Moshe who rose to levels higher than an-gels finds his origin among brothers and sisters and uncles and cousins.
By recognizing our leaders as being mortals we are able to find the strength and the belief to raise ourselves to the level of angels.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Paysach Diskind