Va'era  - Moses

The greatest human being in the history of the world? I'd vote for Moshe Rabeinu. We encounter him performing the most spectacular feat ever, leading the exodus of the fledgling Israelite nation from the most intense imprisonment and oppression that the world had known. And the manner in which he did it, complete with sci-fi plagues and miracles must mean that this humble man had something so special, so unique about him that made him the only choice to be G-d’s messenger to lead the Israelites to freedom and faith, and to literally transform the world. What was it?

Moshe was a stutterer. He made this point to G-d back at the burning bush. As Rav Sorotskin points out in Oznaim LaTorah, Moshe felt that if there was any doubt that the people wouldn’t believe his message, a great orator might better be able to fulfill the mission. That, said Moshe, was certainly not himself. G-d answers him that every human being who has some physical disability, be it deafness, stuttering, muteness or anything else (Hashem yerachem), has it because He made it so.

The Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh comments that G-d does not, in this verse, promise to heal Moshe’s stuttering. In other words, Moshe is being told that specifically because of his stuttering he will be the most effective messenger for this greatest of all missions. The Ohr HaChaim explains that when Moshe engages in daily speech, he will continue to stutter. But when he speaks in the Name of Hashem, the words will flow forth effortlessly, smoothly, poetically. Thus his credibility will be the strongest, as people will see that he is indeed G-d’s messenger through this miracle.

At this point, Moshe still hesitates, and is rebuked by G-d, but nonetheless he accepts the mission. The Rambam states that every individual has the ability to be as Moshe in terms of righteousness. Rav Aaron Soloveichik says that this doesn’t mean that we can achieve all that Moshe did, since our faith tells us that Moshe was the greatest prophet ever to exist - past, present or future. Rather, it means that we all have the potential to fulfill our missions completely, as did Moshe.

Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and their particular makeup is what enables them to best fulfill their mission, just as Moshe’s stuttering was actually a strength. It is our job to seek, through Torah, to understand our own unique missions in the world and fulfill them with devotion, tenacity and faith.

Let us remember that thanks to Moshe’s doing this, we are alive as a people today.