Appearing to Moses in a burning bush, God charged him with the task of leading the Jewish people out of Egypt. Moses, however, had doubts about the feasibility of the mission: "But they will not believe me. They will not listen to me. They will say, 'God did not appear to you.'" (Exodus 4:1)
In fact, Moses was wrong. The Hebrew slaves did believe him. Why did Moses doubt God's plan? How could the 'master of all prophets' so gravely misjudge his own people?
Another curiosity is the type of the miraculous signs God provided to Moses to prove his authenticity. A staff that turns into a snake, a hand that becomes leprous, and fresh water that changes into blood - none of these are particularly auspicious omens.
What is faith? The wonderful quality of faith (emuna), in its purest form, is a hidden treasure of the soul. It is not like any other knowledge or awareness. It is an integral part of the inner soul, forming the very basis for life, its light and splendor.
However, this source of happiness and eternal life is not always discernible to the outside world. We are not even fully aware of the magnitude of our own resources of faith. Certainly, its true dimensions are concealed from others.
The Jews in Egypt had sunk to the lowest levels of corruption and idolatry. Outwardly, they were indistinguishable from their Egyptian masters. The two nations were so similar that the Torah describes the exodus from Egypt as "taking a nation from the midst of a nation." (Deuteronomy 4:34) It was like removing a fetus encapsulated in its mother's womb.
In such a state of affairs, even the penetrating eye of Moses failed to detect the people's inner reserve of faith. Too many masks and covers concealed the holy light of their inner faith. Only to God was this hidden treasure of the Jewish people, their eternal heritage, revealed. The Sages wrote, "God knew that Israel would believe. He said, 'They are believers, the children of believers... while you will lack faith in the future.' As it says [regarding the incident at Mei Meriva, the Waters of Dispute], 'You did not have enough faith in Me to sanctify Me in the presence of Israel.' ." (Shabbat 97)
Unquestionably, the inner fire of faith always burns in the soul. It is an intrinsic aspect of the Jewish soul, regardless of choices made and paths taken. If judging only according to external actions, however, there may not be any outward expression of this inner spark. This was God's message to Moses: If you measure faith only by what occurs in the outer realm of deed, then even the greatest and most perfected individuals - even spiritual giants like Moses - can stumble, and fail to act upon their inner faith.
The Sages explained that the various signs were a punishment for being unjustly suspicious of the people ("choshed b'kesheirim"). The sign of leprosy was particularly suitable to the message God wanted to impart to Moses. Leprosy afflicts the skin, the outer layer of the body. This sign hinted to Moses that there may occur afflictions on the exterior; the external expression may not match the inner holiness. But the holy light of divine faith is always safeguarded within the inner soul.
One cannot say that the people will not believe the word of God by the hand of His prophet, even when their lives appear dark and tarnished. This discoloration is only superficial. "Do not look upon me that I am black, for (it is only) the sun that has tanned me." (Shir Hashirim 1:6)
In fact, Moses was wrong. The Hebrew slaves did believe him. Why did Moses doubt God's plan? How could the 'master of all prophets' so gravely misjudge his own people?
Another curiosity is the type of the miraculous signs God provided to Moses to prove his authenticity. A staff that turns into a snake, a hand that becomes leprous, and fresh water that changes into blood - none of these are particularly auspicious omens.
What is faith? The wonderful quality of faith (emuna), in its purest form, is a hidden treasure of the soul. It is not like any other knowledge or awareness. It is an integral part of the inner soul, forming the very basis for life, its light and splendor.
However, this source of happiness and eternal life is not always discernible to the outside world. We are not even fully aware of the magnitude of our own resources of faith. Certainly, its true dimensions are concealed from others.
The Jews in Egypt had sunk to the lowest levels of corruption and idolatry. Outwardly, they were indistinguishable from their Egyptian masters. The two nations were so similar that the Torah describes the exodus from Egypt as "taking a nation from the midst of a nation." (Deuteronomy 4:34) It was like removing a fetus encapsulated in its mother's womb.
In such a state of affairs, even the penetrating eye of Moses failed to detect the people's inner reserve of faith. Too many masks and covers concealed the holy light of their inner faith. Only to God was this hidden treasure of the Jewish people, their eternal heritage, revealed. The Sages wrote, "God knew that Israel would believe. He said, 'They are believers, the children of believers... while you will lack faith in the future.' As it says [regarding the incident at Mei Meriva, the Waters of Dispute], 'You did not have enough faith in Me to sanctify Me in the presence of Israel.' ." (Shabbat 97)
Unquestionably, the inner fire of faith always burns in the soul. It is an intrinsic aspect of the Jewish soul, regardless of choices made and paths taken. If judging only according to external actions, however, there may not be any outward expression of this inner spark. This was God's message to Moses: If you measure faith only by what occurs in the outer realm of deed, then even the greatest and most perfected individuals - even spiritual giants like Moses - can stumble, and fail to act upon their inner faith.
The Sages explained that the various signs were a punishment for being unjustly suspicious of the people ("choshed b'kesheirim"). The sign of leprosy was particularly suitable to the message God wanted to impart to Moses. Leprosy afflicts the skin, the outer layer of the body. This sign hinted to Moses that there may occur afflictions on the exterior; the external expression may not match the inner holiness. But the holy light of divine faith is always safeguarded within the inner soul.
One cannot say that the people will not believe the word of God by the hand of His prophet, even when their lives appear dark and tarnished. This discoloration is only superficial. "Do not look upon me that I am black, for (it is only) the sun that has tanned me." (Shir Hashirim 1:6)