PARSHAT SHEMOT: THE PURSUIT OF DIVINE TRUTH
It is brought in this week’s portion, Parshat Shemot: “And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian hitting an Israelite, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.” (Exodus 2:11-12). This raises a difficult question: What was the legal justification for killing a man simply because he was striking another person?
The Gemara in Tractate Sanhedrin 58b is of the opinion that a gentile who strikes an Israelite is liable for penalty. Moses' action was legally based on this principle. Furthermore, the Midrash (Midrash Aggadah Buber, Shemot 2:11) brings that the Egyptian had also committed a forbidden act with the …
Thank you Rabbi Bernstein, I think that is exactly the problem of today’s world! There is no „fire of truth“ burning in people and governments and no one is standing up for justice in this corrupt time. May we all strife to seek justice and truth!