Shmot

The Torah describes where the nation went right after being sent out of Egypt. They did not take “the path of the Land of the Plishtim” because it was too close (Shemot 13:17). They started in Rameses and Sukkot (ibid. 12:37). They continued in Eitam (ibid. 13:20). Then we find the command which took Bnei Yisrael to the place of Kri’at Yam Suf: “… before Pi Hachirot, between Migdol and the sea, before Ba’al Tzfon” (ibid. 14:2).

Moshe Rabbeinu, who grew up as a prince in Paroh’s house, as the adopted son of the king’s daughter, and engaged in negotiations with Paroh, reached a new high in our parasha. The Torah describes him as having a lofty perch, both among his Jewish brethren and among the Egyptian nobility (see Shemot 11:3). Despite this, Moshe remained the most humble of men, as the following gemara highlights: “The pasuk says: ‘Not due to your great numbers amongst the nations did Hashem desire you…’ – Hashem said to Israel: ‘I have desired you because even when I bestow greatness upon you, you make yourselves small before Me; I gave greatness to Moshe and Aharon, and they said “What are we?”’” (Chulin 89a). Moshe did not consider himself a “gadol.”