Exodus 3:10
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים מִ֣י אָנֹ֔כִי כִּ֥י אֵלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְכִ֥י אוֹצִ֛יא אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh
and free the Israelites from Egypt?”
The task of freeing the Israelites seemed far too great for one person. Naturally, Moses was shocked at the idea that not only could this task be accomplished by a single individual, but that he was the one chosen for it. He saw himself as a simple shepherd with a speech impediment, a fugitive on the run after killing an Egyptian taskmaster. But God saw what Moses could not: a leader capable of standing up to oppressors, confronting the ancient world’s greatest bigot, and liberating an entire people from bondage.
We all face moments when we feel unworthy or incapable of tackling the challenges before us. Like Moses, we often fixate on our flaws instead of recognizing our strengths. But greatness isn’t about perfection. It’s about having the faith that we can accomplish even more than we give ourselves credit. Whether the challenges are personal, local, or global, our potential to create change is often greater than we imagine.
Moses’ journey forced him to push far beyond his perceived limits, revealing an inner strength he never knew he had. His greatest worry when facing Pharaoh was his inability to speak, yet the Torah ends with the book of Deuteronomy, a farewell address by Moses spanning over four hours when read aloud. Would the Moses of the burning bush ever have believed he could give such a speech? When we have the courage and faith to push ourselves beyond what we deem possible, we discover strengths we didn’t know we had, realizing a potential that God saw all along even when we had our doubts.rt us in our times of need, and when things are well, helps us maintain gratitude and a check on our ego. I understand the desire of the officers in Catch 22 to have a break from God. But the Jewish way is to embrace God in all aspects of life, not as an intrusion but as a companion, a guide, and a source of meaning.t that in a moment our lives can change for the better too. Our job is not only to hope, but expect that good will come when we least expect it.e in stature and authority in Egypt and save an entire region from famine.