Community Magazine August 2012

and maintain a just society. It was not enough for the Torah to command us to pursue sedek ; it also had to command that we go about this pursuit with sedek , with appropriate means. Moshe’s Refusal at the Burning Bush We find numerous examples in the Torah of great figures who refused to employ questionable means in the pursuit of lofty goals. One such figure is none other than Moshe Rabbenu. Gd appeared to Moshe for the first time at the burning bush, where He told Moshe to return to Egypt, from where he had been forced to flee, and lead Beneh Yisrael to freedom. After over two centuries of oppression, the time had come for the nation to go free, and Moshe was chosen for the historical mission of leading this process. Moreover, Gd informed Moshe that after the Exodus, he would bring Beneh Yisrael to Sinai to receive the Torah. The job offered to Moshe thus involved not just leading a slave nation to freedom after 210 years of persecution, but also the privilege of spending 40 days and nights receiving the Torah from Gd and teaching it to the people. Moshe initially refused the offer, for several reasons. At one point in his dialogue with Gd, Moshe said that he could not take on this position because of his older brother, Aharon. Moshe feared that Aharon, who had remained in Egypt as a religious leader throughout the years while Moshe lived in Midyan, might feel slighted or humiliated if his younger brother shows up and announces that he was selected by Gd to lead Beneh Yisrael . And Moshe did not want to take on any job that might possibly cause embarrassment to his brother. Of course, Aharon was a humble, righteous man, and was not likely to feel offended. And if he would take offense, Moshe could have easily assuaged those feelings by reminding Aharon that this was Gd’s decision. Nevertheless, Moshe refused to take this chance. He declined an offer to become the leader of Beneh Yisrael , and the one who brought the Torah from the heavens, out of concern for the slight possibility that his older brother might feel ever so slightly offended. The lofty goal of leading Beneh Yisrael did not justify the means of possibly offending his brother. Moshe was prepared to give up his entire leadership career in order to avoid the slightest infraction to Aharon’s honor. In the end, Gd assured Moshe that Aharon would not take any offense, and would in fact rejoice over his brother’s appointment as leader. Once Moshe received this assurance, but not a moment before, he accepted the mission to lead Beneh Yisrael to freedom. But Moshe’s initial refusal demonstrates how no objective can justify immoral means; that even slightly questionable methods are not legitimate even for pursuing the loftiest of goals. Rachel’s Sacri ce Another remarkable example of this rule is the famous story of our matriarch Rachel’s marriage to Yaakov. During the engagement, Yaakov and Rachel anticipated that Rachel’s corrupt, wily father, Lavan, might bring Dedicated inmemory of Mr.&Mrs. Jacques&Rachel Gindi  16 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE