Expert: Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner - 5/30/2007

Question
Dear Rabbi Lerner;
 This question is about Moses.
Moses was raised by Pharohs's daughter and was treated as an Egyptian prince, and he had authority over the Hebrew
slaves, but did Moses know that he was really a Jew?, and did the Hebrew slaves know that he was a Jew?
  I recently saw two movies about Moses and one seemed to indicate that he was unaware that he was a Jew, The other indicated that he did know, and the Hebrew slave also knew and they resented him, although he tried to improve thier living conditions.
 Which is correct?
                                  thanks
                                   Bob

Answer
Dear Bob,

Thanks for writing, and the subject is very complicated.

The Biblical text is very cryptic. For that reason the Rabbis of the Midrash - legends for lack of a better term - expanded upon the Biblical story form which books and movies have evolved.

If Moses had his own mother as wet-nurse, it is possible that he did know that he was a Hebrew=Israelite, although cirumcision would not have been unique in Egypt.

It is possible that the Princess herself knew his origin and ultimately told him of his identity, leading Moses to go out and visit this people.

When Moses killed the overseer, the Israelites probably understood that he at theleast identified with them if not one of them.

The Israelites whom he separated from fighting probably included one who was saved from the overseer, who saw the event or heard about it - leading Moses to flee a death sentence from Pharaoh.

But, when exactly he learned who he was by descent and identity may have been as late in the Bible as the command from God to return and save "his" People.

Check Legends of the Jews, Ginzberg - 7 vol. set - or the jewishencyclopedia.com on-line.

Best wishes and enjoy your Bible study

Rabbi Dov