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Why was Moshe considered uniquely wise for taking Yosef's bones when all Jews were fulfilling mitzvos that night? The shiur develops a yesod about communal versus individual leadership perspective. Moshe demonstrated true communal thinking by addressing a collective obligation while others pursued personal mitzvos, teaching us to engage in community needs beyond our immediate interests.
This shiur examines the Torah (תורה)'s account of Moshe taking Yosef's bones from Egypt during the Exodus, focusing on several challenging questions from Rashi (רש"י) and the Talmud (תלמוד). The lecture begins by questioning why Yosef obligated his brothers rather than his children to ensure his burial, unlike Yaakov who directly obligated his sons. The Talmud's statement that 'a wise heart takes mitzvahs' (chakam lev yikach mitzvahs) referring to Moshe raises the question of why this was considered uniquely wise when all Jews were fulfilling mitzvahs that night by borrowing silver and gold from the Egyptians. The shiur addresses the apparent contradiction between the Torah stating that Moshe took Yosef's bones and Joshua's later reference to the Jewish people taking them out of Egypt. The Talmudic principle that when someone begins a mitzvah (מצוה) but doesn't complete it, credit goes to the finisher, seems problematic since Moshe didn't voluntarily abandon the task but died before entering the Land.
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Parshas Beshalach 13:19
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