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Torah Studies

Moses And His 'Mother'
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Change Of Mothers - Change Of Destiny

Foiling Pharaoh's Decree

Pharaoh decreed that
"every Hebrew son that is born shall be cast into the river."  Against her will, Moses' own mother placed him in an ark in the river, thus fulfilling Pharaoh' decrees.  The child's life was indeed in grave danger.

Who would YHVH use to nullify Pharaoh's evil decree? None other than Pharaoh's own daughter, by drawing Moses from the river!  Even at the moment when Pharaoh's decree seemed to attain its objective - to the point where Israel on their own submitted themselves to it - we find the Divine agent from within Pharaoh's own royal palace, coming to cancel the decree.

Pharaoh's daughter continued the work of the Egyptian midwives, who not only refused to cooperate with Pharaoh's instructions but also actively
"gave life to the children."  Pharaoh's daughter not only failed to cast one of the Israelite children into the river, but actually drew him out from there and was ready to bring him up under her guardianship and in her home, in order that the child may live.

When Moses entered Pharaoh's daughter's home and received his new name from her, (Moshe/Moses) it became clear to him and his parents, that a great change has taken place in his life.  A new destiny has been added to his existence - a destiny for which he must grow up in Pharaoh's palace.  The child drawn from the water by Divine grace and through the good heart of a righteous Egyptian woman, was destined to devote his entire life to drawing his brethren from the waters of Egypt - the troubled waters in which they were trapped, and the waters of the Red Sea through which they will pass as redeemed people.

Pharaoh's Daughter - YHVH's Vessel

"And she stretched out her arm and she took it."  (Ex 2:5)

The rabbis say that YHVH enabled Pharaoh's daughter's arm to stretch out (miraculously lengthen) to save Moses.

Why did she stretch out her arm in the first place? Didn't she know that Moses was a Hebrew child and that it would be 'impossible' for her to rescue him?

At the crucial moment, when she faced the river and made her decision to act against her father's decree, Pharaoh's daughter showed compassion on the Hebrew baby. According to her father's decree, he should have been cast into the river to die.  By saving Moses' life and by adopting him as her son, Pharaoh's daughter expressed her opposition to her father's policy of enslavement and murder.

She made no attempt to hide from Moses the fact that he was a Hebrew, nor was she motivated by personal gain. Moses grew-up knowing that he was an Israelite, and following in his 'mother's footsteps' he learned to oppose the oppression of his people as well.  It is likely that his excursion to witness the suffering of his brothers was actually inspired and encouraged by his adoptive mother.

This outstanding high character of Pharaoh's daughter teaches us to stand for what's right and always try to do everything we can to save someone.  Even if we think that our efforts cannot possibly succeed, we must try anyway. With YHVH supernaturally 'stretching our arm', our efforts will prove to be fruitful.

"Nothing is impossible.  We can do all things through Messiah."