In this weeks parsha we find the episode of Basya going down to the river and then saving Moshe. Rashi quotes a gemarah from Maseches Sotah 13b. the gemarah said that Basya went down to the river to be Misgayer. There is a machlokes about how Basya got Moshe out of the river. One opinion is that she sent her shifcha and another opinion is that her hand miraculously streched. The gemarah then tells us that her shefachos told her how Pharoh made a decree that no Jewish boys can live. Then Gavriel came and killed all but one shefachos.
What is this gemarah trying to relate to us by telling us Basya was going to be misgayer. Also, we all learn in elementary school that Basya's hand actually grew larger. We all know that midrashim are not always literal, but sometimes try to teach us a lesson. So what is the Midrash telling us by saying that Basya's hand grew large. Thirdly, what is the gemarah trying to teach us by saying that Gavriel came and killed all the shefachos?
Emma suggested that the midrash is teaching us that if we put in our effort, oour Hishtadlus, then Hashem will help us accomplish our goals. We must take this message to heart that we must do what we can and Hashem will help us rreach our goals.
Perhaphs there is an alternative explanation. The gemarah is teaching us a lesson about standing up for what you beleive in and know is right. The gemarah hints this by saying that Basya was converting, and that Gavriel came and killed all the shefachos but one, and that Basya's hand grew and was able to get Moshe.
It was not a popular thing to be Jewish in Mitzrayim. All the Jews were enslaved and were looked down upon. Especially someone in the King's family would despise Jews and their morals. Basya stood up for what she believed in she was converting despite the fact that her father and people would have looked down upon her for it.
When Gavriel came and killed all but one shifcha. He represents standing up and taking action. The gemarah here is teaching us that if we stand up for what is right Hashem will help us through people making fun of us and mocking us for the correct and righteous decisions that we make.
Basya's hand enlarging represents a miracle. Miracle's are sometimes against the normal way of nature. Amiracle is also something that Hashem does to help us . Thus, the gemarah is illustrating that if we stand up for what we know is right and act against the grain Hashem will help us and protect us.
This is also perhaphs the reason why Moshe is called by the name that Basya gave him. Why doesn't the Torah refer to him as Tuvia?
What makes a leader great is standing up for what he knows is right and is the best for his people. Moshe was a leader that possesed this essential quality. We see this in the sttory of the Mitzri who was whipping a Jew. Moshe went up to the Mitzri and killed him. Doing that takes a true leader. We know that then Moshe saw two Jews fighting and he told them to stop. They responded that Moshe Killed a Mitzri so why can't we also fight. Moshe then flees and with Hashem's help survives. We see that we must do our share of standing up for others and going against the grain and hashem will protect us.
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