| Impulsive vs. Conscious Decisions |
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In Parshat Shmot, Shmot 2:10, we read: “When the child grew
up, she (Yocheved) brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son.
She named him Moshe, for she said, “I drew him from the water.”
According to Shmot Raba, this took place after Yocheved nursed Moshe for twenty four months. The Malbim points out that it was Hashgachat Hashem, Divine Providence, that even after twenty four months, when he was already a toddler, Pharaoh’s daughter still wanted to adopt Moshe. When Pharaoh’s daughter first lifted Moshe out of the basket, she could have just been making an impulsive decision when she said to Yocheved (Shmot 2:9): “Take this child and nurse him for me and I will pay your fee.” The fact that Pharaoh’s daughter still wanted him after twenty four months shows that it was not an impulsive decision made because she felt pity for him. Rather, she had plenty of time to think things out and she made a conscious decision to adopt him. We can learn a lesson from Pharaoh’s daughter. Once we make up our minds that we are going to make a commitment, we must make every effort to fulfill our obligations. It is best to take time to think things through in order to make sure that we don’t bite off more than we can chew. |