THE MIRACLE OF MOSES’ BIRTH

בס”ד

A THOUGHT ABOUT PARSHAT SHEMOT 5786

And Its Significance for Jews and Noahides

The birth of Moses is one of the most extraordinary events in the Torah, and the classical commentaries show that both physical and spiritual miracles accompanied his arrival. In Exodus 2:2, we read:

“The woman [Yocheved] conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was good, she hid him for three months.”

At first glance, this seems straightforward, but a deeper study reveals multiple layers of meaning.

“He Was Good” – A Sign of Torah and Health

The Hebrew word טוב (tov) can mean both “good” and “healthy,” and the sages offer several interpretations:

• Alshich explains that “good” alludes to Moses’ connection to the Torah, which is also called “good.” The light that filled the house at his birth symbolized the Torah (Exodus 2:2) and hinted at his future role as the recipient of G-d’s Torah. Yocheved understood that this signified divine protection over Moses (Alshich, Exodus 2:2).
• Chizkuni emphasizes the physical aspect: Moses was born after only six months and one day of pregnancy, yet was fully developed and healthy. His mother saw that he could survive, which allowed her to hide him safely for three months.
• Ramban notes that while every mother naturally protects her child, Moses’ “goodness” indicated a unique quality, foretelling a miraculous survival. Yocheved thus devised ways to safeguard him, ultimately placing him in a basket among the reeds when hiding him at home was no longer possible (Ramban, Exodus 2:2:1).
• Rashi adds a practical explanation: the Egyptians calculated Yocheved’s pregnancy from her remarriage to Amram, expecting a full nine months. Since Moses was born earlier, she could hide him for three months before the Egyptians would begin inquiries (Rashi, Exodus 2:3:1).

The Three Months of Concealment

According to Chizkuni, Moses was born on the seventh day of the month of Adar and remained hidden until the sixth of Sivan. This timing symbolically connects his birth to Matan Torah, the day the Torah would later be given to Israel. Even in his first months, Moses was already linked to his future mission: transmitting the Torah (Chizkuni, Exodus 2:2:2).

Moses and the Seven Noahide Laws

Moses’ significance extends beyond the Jewish people in that the Torah he transmitted contains and formalizes the Seven Noahide Laws, universal commandments binding upon all humanity. While these laws were originally incumbent upon mankind from the time of Adam and Noah (Genesis 2:16; Genesis 9:4), it was through the revelation of the Torah to Moses that their full scope and authority were articulated and preserved.

The Sages derive the Seven Noahide Laws from verses in the Torah (Sanhedrin 56a–60a), and Maimonides emphasizes that their binding nature rests on their inclusion in the Torah given through Moses, not merely on pre-Sinaitic tradition (Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 8:11). In this sense, Moses serves as the teacher of the Noahide laws, not by directly instructing Noahides as a historical audience, but by transmitting the Torah through which these universal obligations are known and defined.

The Seven Laws are:

• Prohibition of idolatry
  
• Prohibition of blasphemy
  
• Prohibition of murder
  
• Prohibition of sexual immorality
  
• Prohibition of theft
  
• Requirement to establish courts of justice
  
• Prohibition of eating flesh from a living animal (Genesis 9:4)
  

Observance of these laws because they were commanded by God in the Torah of Moses grants a person the status of “righteous among the nations” and a share in the World to Come (Maimonides, Kings and Wars 8:11).

Moses as the Greatest Prophet and Example of Faith

According to Maimonides’ thirteen principles of faith, Moses is the greatest of the prophets. Both Israel and the Noahides recognize his role as the transmitter of G-d’s laws. His birth, a miracle of health and divine light, signifies that he would serve as a carrier of divine wisdom for all humanity, not just for his own people.

Conclusion

Moses’ birth combines physical and spiritual wonders:

• His exceptional health after a short pregnancy.
• The divine light that symbolized his future connection to the Torah.
• The concealment that protected him from Egyptian persecution.
• His future role as the transmitter of the Torah, which contains the Seven Noahide Laws that define universal ethical obligations for all humanity.

The story of Moses’ birth shows how one individual can have a universal impact, for both Jews and the wider world. Visible and hidden signs (health, light, and wisdom) are all part of a divine plan that transcends generations.

By Angelique Sijbolts
With thanks to Rabbi Tani Burton for the feedback

Sources

• Alshich, Exodus 2:2
• Chizkuni, Exodus 2:2:1–2
• Ramban, Exodus 2:2:1
• Rashi, Exodus 2:3:1
• Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 8–9
• Maimonides, Thirteen Principles of Faith

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