The Life of Moses Before the Exodus

 Nadene Goldfoot                      

                             Moses Found In The Bulrushes

The story of Moses is primarily told in the "Old Testament" or Five Books of Moses, our Torah, starting in Exodus chapter 2 and spanning through Deuteronomy. His life begins with his birth and adoption (Exodus 2:1-10), continues with his calling at the burning bush (Exodus 3), the plagues on Egypt (Exodus 7-12), the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 14), and ends with his death in Deuteronomy. The Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai and subsequently delivered to the Israelites, with the primary account found in Exodus 20:1–17. A second, slightly different recitation of the commandments occurs in Deuteronomy 5:4–21.

Jochebed was Moses' mother and his father was Amram, both from the tribe of Levi, who lived as Hebrew slaves in Egypt. Amram was the son of Kohath, and Jochebed was his aunt (father's sister). They were also the parents of Miriam and Aaron.

     Egyptian slaves making bricks

    Just before Moses was born, the midwives were told by Pharaoh that when  they were delivering babies, and you see it on the birthstool, if a boy, kill him.  Shifrah and Puah, midwives, disobeyed and their excuse they used was Hebrew women ae unlike he Egyptian  women, for they areexperts;  before the midwife comes to them, they have given birth already.

It didn't take long that the Pharaoh commanded all his people to throwall newborn boy babies into the river.

Moses' nursing mother was constantly worried about Moses being found by the searching soldiers, and of course transferred that fear into the milkduring nursing.  He cried a lot in-between nursing, no doubt.  

Fearful of the growing Hebrew population, the Egyptian Pharaoh ordered that all male Hebrew infants be drowned in the Nile. 

Jochebed, hid him for three months. She used the waterproofed basket made of wicker smeared with clay and pitch to protect him, then placed Moses in the basket and put it in the Nile River in the bulrushes growing on the side.  

It was traumatic for Jochebed to stop nursing Moses and send him off in the basket as well as being traumatic for Moses. 

 The baby was now in a new environment and smell of the basket, the sun and wind and no mother to sing him to sleep when he cried for her.  From this experience, Moses would develop a stuttering when speaking. Stuttering is caused by a combination of genetic, neurological, and developmental factors rather than just emotional distress. It often stems from inherited, complex genetic factors—making it more likely to run in families—and differences in brain structure/function that affect speech production. Other factors include: 

• Genetics: A high likelihood of inheritance exists, especially if a first-degree relative stutters. Brain Differences: Research shows that people who stutter may have reduced blood flow in the Broca’s area (involved in speech production) and differences in areas that manage speech muscles.

Jochabed kept an eye on the basket.  She saw the maidens of the Pharaoh's daughter all bathing in the river and then pick him up out of the basket and coo over him, giving him to the Princess.  Jochabed sent Mirium to watch over him.  

 He was discovered and adopted by Pharaoh's daughter.  They had seen that he was a Hebrew boy but did not tell the Pharaoh.  Mirium offered to get a Hebrew wet nurse for him.  The Princess agreed so Jochabed took Moses and kept him till he grew up. Then Jochabed returned him to the Princess who named him Moses-meaning:  I drew him from the water. 

  

     Moses as a young man when he accidently killed an overseer, who was beating to death a Hebrew slave,  causing him to run off to Midian.  According to Exodus 2:11-12, Moses killed an Egyptian overseer who was beating a Hebrew slave, marking a turning point in his life. After witnessing the abuse, Moses checked to ensure no one was watching, killed the Egyptian, and hid his body in the sand. The act was prompted by righteous indignation for his people, but it forced him to flee to Midian for 40 years to escape Pharaoh's wrath.    

When Moses was  about 20 working as a shepherd for Jethro, his father in law who was he priest of Midian,  guided the sheep far into the wilderness, and he arrived at the mountain of God, toward Horeb.  An angel appeared to him in a blaze of fire from a bush.  He looked at the burning bush but the bush was not being consumed.  Moses turned away and looked at this great sight wondering why the bush was not burned.

He heard a voice calling him. "Moses, Moses," and he replied, "Here I am!" He was told not to come closer but to take off his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. The voice told him who was speaking:  God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  Moses hid his face, not wanting to see G-d.

Moses' wife was Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, a priest of Midian. They had two sons: Gershom and Eliezer. Zipporah is noted for saving Moses by circumcising their son, and she briefly left him to return to her family before later reuniting with him in the desert. 

After our people left Egypt, Moses’ sons (Gershom and Eliezer), along with their mother (Zipporah) and grandfather (Jethro), rejoined their father in the desert. This is the last overt mention of Moses’ sons in the Torah.

In fact, when the time came to choose a successor for Moses, our Sages relate that Moses requested one of his sons be appointed. G‑d responded, “Your sons sat and did not occupy themselves with Torah. Joshua, who served you, is fitting to serve Israel.”

And while Moses’ physical progeny did not live up to his example, Aaron’s sons—who succeeded their father as priests—did carry on the noble traditions of their father and uncle. G‑d considered Moses’ nephews as his children, for he was the one who taught them Torah. This is reflected in Numbers (3:1), which begins “These are the descendants of Moses and Aaron…” but only lists Aaron’s four sons.

Moses and Aaron where Aaron takes over the talking as Moses does he walking stick trick turning it into a snake.  

Thus G‑d reassured Moses, explaining that even Joshua would need to confer with Aaron’s son, the High Priest, to know G‑d’s will.3Rabbi Menachem Posner

God continued telling Moses that he had seen when happened to the Hebrew people in Egypt and will rescue them and bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivvite and the Jebusite.  I shall dispatch you to  Pharaoh and you shall take My people, the Children of Israel,  out of Egypt.  

Moses argues with G-d in the Pharaoh would not do as Moses asks.  This is a different Pharaoh from the one he grew up with.  Moses was shown that his staff could become a snake and wow the Egyptians.  He also showed him another trick, his hand could become white, and if this didn't work, he could take water from the River that would become blood when on dry land.  What Moses is to do is ask to take the people out of Egypt for 3 days.  Moses pleads with his stuttering speech saying he was heavy of mouth and heavy of speech.  G-d reminded him that he was talking to G0d who created all and knew this and he would be with his mouth and will teach him what to do.  With his staff in his hands, you shall perform the signs.

Aaron spoke for him.  

Moses was to let the Hebrews make camp  before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Gaal-zephon, and camp opposite it, by the sea.  Pharoah would think they were imprisoned in the land, with the Wilderness locking them in.  The heart of Pharaoh would be strong and would pursue to Hebrews, and pursue them; one way to see who is G-d.  The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled and he and his servants asked why they had sent away Israel from serving them?  They all wanted their slaves back.  

Egypt pursued them and overtook them, ---all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen and army---He approached them and the Children of Israel cried out.  Moses said not to fear.  A pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and went behind them.  Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. the Children of Israel came within the sea on dry land;  and the water was a wall for them, we know the rest.  

Moses lived till 120 years old.  

 Giving people Ten Commandments

Resource:

The Tanach, Art Scroll series, The Stone Edition

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