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Shmot(Exodus 1:1-6:1)

Under Pharaoh's Nose

Parshat Shmot tells how the baby Moses - floating in a basket in the river - is saved by Pharaoh's daughter, who adopts Moses and takes him to live in Pharaoh's palace.

But right away a problem arises: what to feed the baby. In those days, there was no bottled baby formula, so when the birth mother wasn't available, the caretaker would have to hire a wet nurse. In the case of Moses, he kept refusing to nurse from Egyptian women, until finally Pharaoh's daughter found one woman who Moses agreed to nurse from - Yocheved, Moses' biological mother!

Now we have to appreciate the irony of all this. Pharaoh's murderous decree against Jewish babies was specifically intended to prevent a new generation of Jewish leadership. So what happens instead? Moses, the upcoming great Jewish leader, is raised, educated and trained - right under Pharaoh's nose, in Pharaoh's own home, at Pharaoh's expense! And on top of it all, Moses' mother is getting paid a salary!

There's a deep lesson here for all of us. God has a plan for the world, and we each have a choice: either to partner with God and enjoy the pleasure of doing so, or (like Pharaoh) to go against God and wind up feeling quite foolish.

"Make God's will, your will" the Talmud declares. That's sound advice. Because, as we see with Moses and Pharaoh, either way, God will work things out His way.

Published: January 14, 2006

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Visitor Comments: 2

(2) theresa, December 25, 2010 2:50 PM

very good advice,

thanks RSharaga for another inspiring lesson.

(1) Anonymous, January 5, 2010 2:04 AM

asuccinct empowering thought.thank you. Paula

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About the Author

Rabbi Shraga Simmons

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Rabbi Shraga Simmons spent his childhood trekking through snow in Buffalo, New York. He holds a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. He is the senior editor of Aish.com and the director of JewishPathways.com.

An expert on media bias, he was the founding editor of HonestReporting.com, and is the author of David & Goliath: The Explosive Inside Story of Media Bias in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (2012). With drama and a biting edge, David & Goliath is a definitive treatment, fully resourced with over 2,000 footnotes. Readers are privy to secret negotiations with CNN executives, and how a grassroots campaign was cited by the New York Times as effecting sweeping changes in Mideast media coverage.

David & Goliath has been praised by politicians, professors and journalists: Former New York Mayor Ed Koch hails it as "Invaluable for anyone wanting the inside story," and James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal calls David & Goliath "of crucial importance for the future of the Middle East."

Rabbi Simmons lives with his wife and children in the Modi'in region of Israel.

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