Moses and Pharaoh: Who was the Hero?
by Moshe Dann (February 2015)
The confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh is one of the greatest dramatic moments in recorded history. The most powerful figure in the world confronts an apparent shepherd and his brother, who demand freedom for an entire slave population. It was something unheard of until modern times. It is a drama, moreover, that has elements of a classic Greek tragedy: a contest between a powerful ruler and a seemingly weak opponent, in which the god-king becomes entangled in personal flaws, dooming himself and his nation.
This conflict, however, is much more profound. It is fundamentally between paganism and ethical monotheism. The cry “Let my people go,” an inspiration for oppressed people ever since, adds the purpose: “so that they can serve Me (God).” Freedom is only the beginning of a journey.
Secondly, Pharaoh’s position is unique in the world of his time. He represented not only the political/military/religious power of the state, but was revered as a demi-god. The entire socio-cultural and economic basis of the Egyptian empire depended on him alone. Everything he did must be seen against this background, like an inverted pyramid, with Pharaoh at the bottom. He cannot allow any deviations lest the entire structure collapse – even though he may sense his mistake or that inevitability.
Pharaoh’s first response to Moses was to deny that he had ever heard of an “Eternal God” of the Hebrews and was not obligated to obey any other authority. Moses’ demand that the Jews be allowed to pray to their God, therefore, is a direct challenge to everything that Pharaoh and Egypt represent. Moreover, Pharaoh isn’t only concerned about the Jews, but the possibility that their rebellion might spark revolts among others in the empire.
By consistently demanding religious freedom and refusing to assimilate, Jews have caused the breakdown of totalitarian regimes and have been the backbone of pluralistic democratic movements. Their refusal to be broken by the former USSR, for example, encouraged other social, ethnic and religious groups to demand recognition and independence.
Biblical commentators have explained this process as a growing awareness by Pharaoh and his court, the Egyptian people, and the Jewish people of a revolution in the history of mankind: freedom and the importance of human dignity. Pharaoh’s refusal to allow the Jews to leave, however, is complicated by God’s intervention: He “hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” (Exodus 7:3) It would seem, therefore, that Pharaoh did not have complete free will.
Only by emphasizing Pharaoh’s stubbornness could the limits of human endeavor and God’s sovereignty be proven and the egocentric lie that encompassed Pharaoh’s life be exposed. His fanaticism was, paradoxically, a necessary evil.
In the end, Egypt’s economy was shattered, yet Pharaoh holds on. In a last desperate act, he pursues the fleeing Jews into the sea and his entire army drowns. Egypt never recovers and the Philistines, an invader force from Greek islands, became the dominant power in the region.
Having watched Pharaoh’s army be destroyed, the Jews asked where this was leading and to what purpose. The answer would inspire a new people, Am Yisrael, and a mission: to receive Torah, occupy and settle Eretz Yisrael, build the Temple and bring on the Messianic age.
And the Jews sang, not only because they had endured hundreds of years of slavery and had maintained their identity, but to declare their commitment to carry a message of ethical monotheism, spiritual, mental and physical freedom to the world.
First published in Midstream, June/July 1996.
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Moshe Dann is a writer and journalist living in Jerusalem. His new book, As Far As The Eye Can See, is published by New English Review Press.
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