Moshe Our Teacher: Humility, Compassion, and the Divine Path to Redemption

Moshe the son of Amram was the “Master of the Prophets” — God’s chosen messenger to redeem Israel from Egypt, giver of the Torah, and leader of the nation in the wilderness.

Moshe was born in Egypt during the period of harsh enslavement, when his mother was 130 years old. Rabbeinu Bachya explains that God “prepares” the redeemer of Israel in advance; therefore, the Torah places the account of Moshe's birth immediately after the description of the exile and oppression, to teach that God prepares the cure before the wound.

Moses Grew Up as a Prince in Pharaoh’s Palace

The Torah reveals very little about Moshe's early life, except for a few key moments. One of them is his departure from Pharaoh’s palace: “In those days, Moshe grew up and went out to his brothers and saw their suffering. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew man, one of his brothers.”

Rashi explains that Moshe had risen to greatness — Pharaoh appointed him over his household, giving him a royal position.
Yet despite being raised as an Egyptian prince, Moshe chose to see the suffering of Israel. Once he learned that he was a Hebrew, he longed to see his people. The Ramban writes that he “looked upon their burdens and their toil, and he could not bear it,” directing both his eyes and his heart toward sharing their pain.

Moshe's Empathy Was Extraordinary

It is not rare to find someone willing to help members of his own community. But it is far harder for a wealthy or powerful person to feel deep, personal anguish over the suffering of someone far below him. The greater the social or economic distance, the harder it is to feel genuine empathy. Moshe however, felt the pain of the Israelite slaves as if it were his own flesh, even though he was raised among Egypt’s nobility. This reflects a remarkable level of “Love your fellow as yourself.”

Moshe Abandoned Royal Privilege

Moshe set aside all the pleasures of royalty, all positions of authority, and even his status as a prince in order to see with his own eyes — and to internalize, the suffering of his brothers. Moshe actively sought to “share the burden,” refusing to enjoy comfort while his people were oppressed, carrying bricks and mortar under the crushing weight of exile.

Moshe Returned Again the Next Day

The Torah describes that “on the next day he went out again,” continuing to involve himself in their suffering. The Midrash says he would weep, saying: “I feel for you — if only I could die for you.”
He even placed his own shoulder under the burden to help the Israelites carry their load.

This Is Why God Chose Moshe

It may be suggested that this is precisely why God chose Moshe as leader — because he felt the suffering of every person so deeply. This is the essential quality a true leader must possess: the ability to feel the pain of each and every individual as if it were his own.

The Slonimer Rebbe on Moshe's Essential Trait

The Netivot Shalom explains the Midrash in which God says to Moshe: “If you will not redeem them, no one else can redeem them.” The redemption depended on Moshe's unique trait: total self-nullification before God, and pure humility.

The Sages said: “There were twenty-four people afflicted with boils, and Moshe's soul was lower than all of them.” These were the most broken individuals — and Moshe's humility placed him even lower, completely nullified before God.

Thus, the Exodus could only occur through this trait of total humility.
From here we learn that the foundation for personal and collective redemption lies in this very trait of self-nullification before God, which is the essence of humility.