Moses' Knowledge

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Moses' Direct Communication with God

TANAKH

Moses had a unique and unparalleled relationship with God, receiving direct and clear communication unlike any other prophet. The Torah describes how God spoke to Moses 'mouth to mouth, plainly and not in riddles,' allowing him to behold the likeness of God.

With him I speak mouth to mouth, plainly and not in riddles, and he beholds the likeness of יהוה. How then did you not shrink from speaking against My servant Moses!”

Numbers 12:8

The Unparalleled Intuition of Moses

COMMENTARY

Moses' unparalleled intuitive level serves as an inspiration for humanity to recognize its potential to achieve profound and sublime thoughts, challenging the notion of human limitations. Rabbi Francis Nataf's essays incorporate a wide variety of midrashim and commentaries to provide innovative perspectives on well-known episodes from the Torah.

This high intuitive level was limited to Moshe alone and it is likely never to be repeated, but that it was accomplished at all should forever put to rest the small-mindedness with which we limit ourselves, saying “we are only human.” To be human means to be of the same species as Moshe! We have the potential, at least in theory, to soar to the heavens and truly fathom the deepest, most profound and sublime thoughts that can possibly exist.

Redeeming Relevance; Deuteronomy, Introduction 18

Moses' Humility and the Torah

TALMUD

Moses' humility in receiving the Torah is so profound that it leads to the Torah being named after him. In the Talmudic tractate Shabbat, Satan searches for the Torah but is directed to Moses, who humbly denies taking credit for it, leading to God naming the Torah after Moses.

And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: When Moses descended from standing before the Holy One, Blessed be He, with the Torah, Satan came and said before Him: Master of the Universe, where is the Torah?
He said to him: I have given it to the earth. He went to the earth, and said to it: Where is the Torah? It said to him: I do not know, as only: “God understands its way, and He knows its place” (Job 28:23).
He went to the sea and asked: Where is the Torah? And the sea said to him: “It is not with me…

Shabbat 89a:3-4

Moses' Vision of the Future

COMMENTARY

Moses was shown not only the land of Israel but also future events and oppressors, including the idolatry of the children of Dan and the emergence of Samson. Rashi, the renowned 11th-century French commentator, provides a detailed account of Moses' final moments and the future of the Israelites.

את כל הארץ [AND THE LORD SHOWED HIM] ALL THE LAND — He showed him all the land of Israel in its prosperity and the oppressors who in future time would oppress it (Sifrei Devarim 357:4). עד דן UNTO DAN — He showed him the children of Dan practicing idolatry, as it is said, (Judges 18:30) “And the sons of Dan erected the graven image for themselves”; and He showed him also Samson who would in the future issue from him (Dan) as a savior (Sifrei Devarim 357:7).

Rashi on Deuteronomy 34:1:2-3

God's Delay in Informing Moses

COMMENTARY

Why did God delay informing Moses about the sin of the golden calf, and what ethical considerations were involved? The 18th-century Torah commentary Or HaChaim by Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar explores the moral implications of God's actions in this episode.

The difficulty with this approach is that G'd should have told Moses this as soon as the calf had emerged and the people had said: "these are your gods Israel, etc." Moses should have lost some of his spiritual stature the moment the people had become guilty of idol worship. We must assume that there was a good reason for G'd to delay informing Moses about the sin his people had committed. The Talmud Sanhedrin 43 raises the question why G'd did not inform Joshua of Achan's theft of valuables from the city of Jericho before the defeat of the Israelites at the hands of the people of Ai…

Or HaChaim on Exodus 32:7:2

The Symbolism of Moses' Miracles

MIDRASH

The miracles and signs revealed to Moses were not random but deeply symbolic, each addressing specific aspects of Egyptian oppression. The Midrash Tanchuma, an early medieval collection of midrash, provides a detailed and symbolic interpretation of the miracles God commanded Moses to perform before Pharaoh.

And the Lord said unto Moses: When thou goest (ibid. 4:21). The Holy One, blessed be He, revealed all the miracles to him, all the signs and wonders it would perform. He asked him: What is in your hand? (ibid. 2). A rod (ibid.), he replied. Cast it to the ground (ibid., v. 3), said the Holy One, blessed be He, and it will become a snake. Why a snake and not something else? Moses asked. He replied: Just as a snake bites and destroys, so the Egyptians bite and destroy the Israelites…

Midrash Tanchuma, Shemot 23:2

Guiding Light of Israel

COMMENTARY

Moses was not just a leader but an educator who instilled enduring values and resilience in the Israelites. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explores Moses' role in shaping the future of the Jewish people through his teachings and leadership.

Moses surely knew that some of his greatest achievements would not last forever. The people he had rescued would one day suffer exile and persecution again. The next time, though, they would not have a Moses to do miracles. So he planted a vision in their minds, hope in their hearts, a discipline in their deeds, and a strength in their souls that would never fade. When leaders become educators they change lives.

Lessons in Leadership; A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, Devarim; The Leader as Teacher 9

Moses' Need for Reassurance

TANAKH

Even Moses, the greatest prophet, needed reassurance from God about his leadership and the support he would receive. In the book of Exodus, Moses expresses his concerns to God about leading the Israelites without enough knowledge, something he claims to be disparate with God's assurance of favor and selection.

Moses said to יהוה, “See, You say to me, ‘Lead this people forward,’ but You have not made known to me whom You will send with me. Further, You have said, ‘I have singled you out by name, and you have, indeed, gained My favor.’

Exodus 33:12

Challenges in Transmitting Torah Knowledge

TALMUD

The transmission of Torah knowledge faced significant challenges, even at its inception. The Talmud recounts the moment when Joshua forgot 300 halakhot and 700 doubts arose, emphasizing the challenges in maintaining and interpreting Jewish law.

§ Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Just before the time when Moses, our teacher, left this world and went to the Garden of Eden, he said to Joshua: Ask from me all the cases of uncertainty in matters of halakha that you have, so that I can clarify them for you. Joshua said to him: My teacher, did I ever leave you for even one moment and go to another place? Didn’t you write this about me in the Torah: “But his minister, Joshua, son of Nun, a young man…

Temurah 16a:6-7

Unveiling Divine Conversations

JEWISH THOUGHT

Moses experienced a unique level of prophecy, directly communicating with God without any intermediary. Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, in his foundational work Nefesh HaChayim, explores the unparalleled prophetic perception of Moses.

This is what is written (Shemot 6:2): “God-Elohi”m spoke to Moshe and said to him: “I am God-YHV”H”. He informed him about the essence of the quality of his prophetic perception, that even the name God-Elohi”m, for him everything had the quality of God-YHV”H, as in the context of the verse (D’varim 4:35): “For God-YHV”H is the God-Elohi”m, there is nothing other than Him”. And from that point on nothing else is mentioned in relation to him other than “and God-YHV”H spoke” and “and God-YHV”H said”…

Nefesh HaChayim, Gate III 13:5

Moses and the Eternal Holiness of the Tabernacle

TARGUM

Moses recognized the eternal and everlasting holiness of the Tabernacle, choosing to wait for divine instruction before entering it. The Targum Jonathan, an Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, elaborates on Moses' reverence for the Tabernacle, contrasting its eternal holiness with Mount Sinai's temporary sanctity.

And it was when Mosheh had completed to erect the tabernacle that Mosheh reasoned and judged in his heart, and said: To Mount Sinai, whose excellency is the excellence only of an hour and its holiness the holiness but of three days, I could not ascend till the time that the word was spoken to me; but the excellence of this the tabernacle of ordinance is an eternal excellency, and its holiness an everlasting holiness; therefore is it right that I should not enter within it until the time that I am spoken with from before the Lord…

Targum Jonathan on Leviticus 1:1

The Greatest Prophet

LITURGY

Moses is considered the greatest prophet in Jewish tradition, with an unparalleled vision of God. The Yigdal hymn, a poetic rendition of Maimonides' Thirteen Principles of Faith, celebrates Moses' unique prophetic experience.

There never arose in Yisrael another like Moshe, a prophet who beheld God's image.

Machzor Yom Kippur Ashkenaz, The Morning Prayers, Yigdal 15

Moses' Practical Leadership

SECOND TEMPLE

Moses' leadership was not just spiritual but also practical, as he implemented a system of governance that ensured efficient administration and justice. Philo of Alexandria, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, reflects on Moses' judicial reforms, paralleling the biblical account in Exodus 18:13-26.

[174] Moses listened to this truly valuable advice and chose out of the multitude the men of highest repute whom he appointed as subordinate governors and also as judges, bidding them refer the more important suits to himself.

On the Special Laws, Book IV 33:5

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