Let us learn a posuk with Rashi

[Based on insights in chavrusa with Amichai.]

After Hashem tells Moshe that he had been appointed the emissary to the Jewish people in charge of the exodus, Moshe protests (3:11).

"Moshe replies….Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I shall take the Jewish people out of Egypt". It is hard for us to know what the role of humility is when confronting a directive from Heaven. It would certainly not do for a Jew to decide not to do a mizvah because he felt he was not on a level which permitted his involvement with a divine directive. Mizvot are always operative (within the halachic bounds). What could Moshe have been thinking when he claimed humility in the face of a divine decision?

Rashi says that the cause of Moshe's position was practical: "What gives me the prestige to speak to kings?" In other words, Moshe made an estimate of what traits were necessary for the job (messenger of G-d for the Exodus) and concluded that he did not have those qualities. He was a simple shepherd who ran from Egypt and spent his time out of the political scene. Though he grew up in the house of the king, he was forced to run away and no longer thought of himself as part of that world.

The discussion remains problematic. Hashem did not ask Moshe to evaluate his appropriateness for the job. Moshe was told that the job was his. Why did Moshe think (with Rashi) that he was able to assess his personal talents better than his Maker? What was the root of the disagreement which prompted this conversation? We might imagine that an ordinary person would feel that the charge was overwhelming. We might imagine being overcome by emotion at the thought, but why discuss the specifics as though there was a parity between Heaven and Moshe in determining who was most appropriate for the position?

A hint at what is really being said is found in the language of Moshe's protest: mi anochi. "who am I ". The Hebrew mi "who" reminds us of an earlier verse.

After |Moshe killed the Egyptian (2:12), he continues his journey to justice and discovers two Jews fighting. "He said to the wicked one, why would you beat your fellow Jew?" (2:3). The man replies with a question: "Who [mi] made you a man a ruler and a judge over us?"

Moshe is the only Jew who tried to bring a sense of justice to the people while they were enslaved in Egypt. He reacted to injustice with action that reflected his inability to look away at injustice. However, the Jews (represented by the wicked Jew in the encounter), were unable to respond properly to this demand by Moshe and forced him to leave the country. Moshe had already failed in his attempt to provide leadership for the people and was not able to give them a sense that they had to maintain high moral standards.

When Moshe said to Hashem "who am I" it is because he did have a clear sense of who he was. He always knew that he was destined for leadership and that he was unable to shirk that role. He had killed the Egyptian and separated the contentious Jews because of this moral sense; he was certain that this inclination within him was worthy. However, Moshe did not understand why Hashem did not back him in his efforts at that time. Somehow Egypt was not the place for Moshe to exercise his moral sense. So Moshe says to Hashem (according to Rashi), "who am I that I should speak with kings". My history seems to indicate that I am not able to accomplish my goal in Egypt and am not able to lead the people against the Paro.

Hashem answers this question by saying: "I will be with you". Not Moshe and his talents alone but full support form heaven makes the difference.