As a professor in the school of Marketing, I often instruct my students of the importance for a company to construct a Marketing Plan. One of the earlier stages in the formulation of a Marketing Plan is the objectives of the organization. It is necessary that these goals are tangible, time sensitive and most importantly, obtainable.

 

When upper management creates unrealistic expectations, goals that are completely out of reach, the typical employee won’t even attempt try. After all, even with the greatest effort, they would fall short of the mark. The overall morale and motivation will be to just quit right away. Instead, goals must be at arms-length, within our grasps, within our reach.

 

This leads to a very difficult problem found in this week’s Parsha. Pharaoh issues the evil decree that every Jewish boy must be tossed into the Nile River to be left to drown. Yocheved, a daring young mother, shortly after childbirth took her baby son and placed him in a basket to float down the Nile.

 

In the meanwhile, an Egyptian woman saw from afar a basket with a precious infant inside. She stretched out her hand and took the child safely to dry land. Rashi comments on the word “Amatah” to mean cubits. In other words, Batya’s hand miraculously grew many cubits long until she was able to reach the child. This baby was clearly out of her reach. Why then did Batya bother to reach toward the infant, when she clearly saw the basket was so far away? It is comparable to a person sitting at a table, wishing to obtain a sefer from the bookshelf. You’re not going to stretch out your hand to get the book. So why did Batya do any differently?

 

I believe the answer comes from Batya herself. In the very next Pasuk she says, “Miyalday HaIvrim Zeh-this is a Jewish child.” Batya really knew nothing about miracles. She only knew that a Jewish child’s life was being held in the balance and that he had to be saved. To do nothing was not acceptable, for she, an Egyptian, realized the value attributed to each and every Jewish child.

 

It is no coincidence that the name of this baby was Moshe. In truth, this was not Moshe’s only name. The Medrash states that Moshe actually had ten names. His father Amram called him Chaver. His mother Yocheved called him Yekuthiel. His sister Miriam called him Yered. His brother Aaron called him Avi Zonach. The Gemara in Sotah (12A) states that Moshe’s real name was Tuvia or Tov. These are a wonderful array of Jewish names. Why then did he choose to go by a name given to him by Batya, an Egyptian princess? Why didn’t he embrace the names given to him by his parents or by his siblings?

 

Moshe’s name means “Ki Min HaMayim Mishisihu-because he was drawn from water.” Moshe wanted to constantly remind himself the only reason why he was capable of reaching the highest of heights as an adult was due to the compassion bestowed upon him as an infant. If Batya had refused to stretch herself and assist the child, there would have been no Moshe Rabbaynu, no Moshe Kibel Torah MiSinai.

 

We too must stretch our hands toward the Jewish children. Especially in the light of the current economic downturn in which many Yeshivot and community day schools are struggling to remain open. It is imperative that each and every one of us support these Yeshivot for the betterment of our future. As challenging as this may be, it is necessary to stretch ourselves, as Batya did, to save Jewish children’s lives from the destructive turbulent waters of the outside world that they are immersed in. It is the efforts that we make today that can promise our Jewish youth a successful future and brighter tomorrow. May we merit to learn from Moshe Rabbaynu, our teacher, to never underestimate the importance of early impressions in children.

 

Shabbat Shalom

 

THE WEEKLY SIDRA- SH’MOS

Rabbi Moshe Greebel

 

     How many times have we balked at doing the right thing, or been unable to stand up for our convictions, because we were subject to other pressures?  Avraham Avinu stood fast against Nimrod, who threw him into a Kivshan Ha’Aish (fiery furnace).  Tamar resolved herself at the risk of being burned to death, not to shame her father-in-law publicly.  Mordechai refused at all cost, to abide by the king’s command of bowing before Haman.  Such is the character of Torah.

 

     In this week’s Sidra, we have our very first encounter with the daughter of Pharaoh (Basya), a lady of great stature, who was determined to do the correct thing, even though it placed her at odds with her own father:

 

     “And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to fetch it.”  (Sh’mos 2:5)

 

     In his text Toras Moshe, the Chasam Sofer (Rabbi Moshe Sofer [Schreiber] of Pressburg 1762- 1839) of blessed memory, made the following observations concerning this great lady. 

 

     Commenting on the above Passuk (verse), the Gemarah in M’gilah 11a (and Sotah 12b) has this to say:

 

     “Rabbi Yochanan said that she went down to cleanse herself from the idols of her father's house.”

 

     Now, posed the Chasam Sofer, there are two immediate questions that come to mind here.  Initially, why specifically at this time, did the daughter of Pharaoh decide to cleanse herself from idolatry?  Secondly, why did Rabbi Yochanan not simply say that she went down to cleanse herself from the idols of idolatry?  Why did he specify the idols of her father’s house?

 

     In order to resolve these questions, explained the Chasam Sofer, we must look at an earlier series of P’sukim (verses) in this Sidra:

 

     “And there arose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Yosef.  And he said to his people, ‘Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we!  Come on, let us deal wisely with them…..’”  (ibid. 1:8-10)

 

     Why, questioned the Chasam Sofer, was this introduction of not knowing Yosef, declared before the Pharaoh revealed his plans of persecuting the B’nai Yisroel? 

 

     In reality, expounded the Chasam Sofer, years earlier, it was made known to all Egypt by its second in command ruler Yosef, that when Ya’akov descended to Egypt at the age of 130 years, and gave Pharaoh a B’racha (blessing), the Nile immediately overflowed its banks, ending the famine. 

 

     The Bamidbar Rabbah 8-4 instructs:

 

     “And Ya’akov blessed Pharaoh; which means to say, he blessed him that the famine should come to an end.”

 

     The Bamidbar Rabbah 12-2 teaches:

 

     “When Ya’akov came to Pharaoh, he did not take leave of him before blessing him….. What blessing did he give him? He expressed the wish that the Nile might rise to his feet.”

 

     Rashi in B’raishis 47:10 learns:

 

     “…..What kind of a B’racha did he (Ya’akov) bestow to him (Pharaoh)?  That the Nile should rise to his (Pharaoh’s) feet.  For the land of Egypt receives no nourishment from rain.  Rather, the Nile rises and irrigates.  And, from the B’racha of Ya’akov and onward, the Pharaoh would come to the Nile, and it would rise up to greet him, and irrigate the land.” 

 

     That is, it was the B’racha of Ya’akov that caused the Nile to rise regularly.   

 

     Now, continued the Chasam Sofer, there was not anyone in Egypt at that time, who could possibly have had any ill feelings towards those in whose honor the terrible famine ended, and the Nile rose on a regular basis.  And, it would be a very difficult task, to say the least, for any Pharaoh at this time, to have convinced his people to harm the B’nai Yisroel- not the least of which would have been the killing of their first born.  Such a return of evil for good is certainly beyond the conception of human comprehension.

 

     That is why the Pharaoh labored hard for years, to literally brainwash his people into forgetting everything about Yosef and the B’racha of Ya’akov concerning the Nile  Only after succeeding in this, did he declare himself a deity, as we see from what HaShem said to Pharaoh, as found in Y’chezkail:

 

     “…..Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great crocodile that lies in the midst of his streams, which has said, ‘My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.’”  (Y’chezkail 29:3)

 

     Declaring himself to be a deity, the Pharaoh claimed to have created the Nile for his own pleasure, negating everything that Yosef had told the Egyptians about his father’s B’racha.  Only when the population of Egypt was convinced that the Nile nourished the land through Pharaoh’s command, did the Pharaoh then begin announcing his plans of persecuting the B’nai Yisroel..

 

     Therefore, concluded the Chasam Sofer, the daughter of Pharaoh at this juncture, was initially involved in cleansing herself from the idols of her father’s house, from the falsehood of Pharaoh being a deity.  That was her immediate priority, after hearing her father declare himself ‘divine’ at this specific time.  For, she would never allow herself to forget that only through Ya’akov’s B’racha, did the Nile regularly overflow its banks.

 

     And, concluded the Chasam Sofer, that is specifically why she saved baby Moshe, when he floated in the Nile.  For, how could she judge death for the children of a nation through which all of Egypt was blessed?  This great lady, who would raise the future leader of the B’nai Yisroel in her home, openly and bravely opposed her father’s dictates. 

 

     May we as well, have the resolve to always do what is correct, to stand up for our convictions, to be truthful about all things, and to always take the path that leads to a Kiddush HaShem (sanctification of HaShem).

 

     May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendency- and in our times.  Good Shabbos.