• Shemot / Exodus 1:1-6:1
• Yeshayahu / Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23
• Yirmeyahu / Jeremiah 1:1-2:28
• Korintim Aleph / 1 Corinthians 14:13-25

Shemot {4:10} Moshe (Moses) said to HaShem, “O, L-RD, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” {4:11} HaShem said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, HaShem? {4:12} Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”

There are many very interesting points in the three verses that I have quoted from this week’s Parasha. First we see Moshe telling HaShem that he himself is slow of speech and slow of tongue. If Moshe would have just said that he was slow of speech and left it at that, then we could have taken it to mean that he considered himself a poor public speaker. However, the fact that he then went on to say that he was also slow of tongue leaves us with the impression that Moshe had some sort of speech impediment. This is interesting because, in every recorded encounter that Moshe had with Pharaoh, there was never any comments about his speech – it was never brought up once. Could that be because Moshe never did any of the speaking?

Shemot {4:14} The anger of HaShem was kindled against Moshe, and he said, “What about Aharon, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes forth to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. {4:15} You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. {4:16} He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as G-D.

Wow, this is something; Aharon actually did all the public speaking for Moshe! Can you imagine how humbling that must have been for Moshe? This is especially so when we take into consideration what HaShem said to Moshe in verse 11.

Shemot {4:11} HaShem said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, HaShem?

Being that this is the case, could not HaShem have fixed Moshe’s speech? One would think so, but He did not and I have often considered why He did not. Surprising the answer is very simple and it is found in the Brit Chadasha (Renewed Covenant).

Korintim Bet (2 Corinthians) {12:6} For if I do wish to boast I shall not be foolish, for I shall be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one may credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. {2:7} 7 And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me — to keep me from exalting myself!

Simple, is it not? The Shaliach (Apostle) Shaul (Paul) recognized that for him there existed the possibility that he would exalt himself; therefore, He was given, by G-d, something Shaul called “a thorn in the flesh.” It was some type of physical impediment, something that kept him humble. Perhaps now we know why we are told this in Scripture:

Bamidbar (Numbers) {12:3} (Now the man Moshe was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.).

As a result of the thorn in his flesh, his speech impediment, Moshe never thought of himself as anything or anyone special. The fact that he used to be a prince in Mitzrayim (Egypt), the fact that he was now chosen by G-d to be the deliverer and leader of bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel), the fact that he was spoken to directly by G-d — face to face — , had no affect on his pride. Moshe always remained humble. Why, because Moshe recognized the frailty of his humanity. I certainly can attest that as a leader it is easy to get puffed-up and think more of yourself then you really are. However, even with me G-d has found a way of keeping me humble, of letting me know that I am but a frail human, but dust, and it is He that made me and not me Him.

Categorized: 5771, Sefer Shemot (Exodus), Shemot-en, Torah Portion
Tags: 1 corinthians 14, aleph 1, anger, brother, encounter, exodus, heart, isaiah, jeremiah, levite, moses, moshe, parasha, pharaoh, public speaker, servant, slow tongue, speech impediment, spokesman, three verses