RAV KOOK ON Devarim Part 2: Moses Speaks!
The Merchant and the King
The Book of Deuteronomy is essentially a collection of Moses’ farewell speeches, delivered to the Jewish people as they prepared to enter the Land of Israel. The eloquence, passion, and cadence of Moses’ discourses are breathtaking. One can only wonder: is this the same man who claimed to be “heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue” (Ex. 4:10)?
The Sages were aware of this anomaly. The Midrash (Devarim Rabbah 1:7) offers the following parable to explain how eloquence is a relative matter:
“This is like a man selling purple cloth, who announced, ‘Purple cloth for sale!’
Hearing his voice, the king peeked out and called the merchant over.
‘What are you selling?’ asked the king.
‘Nothing, Your Highness.'
‘But before I heard you call out, ‘Purple cloth for sale,’ and now you say, ‘Nothing .’ What changed?'
‘Oh no!’ exclaimed the merchant. ‘I am selling purple cloth. But by your standards, it is nothing.’
The same idea, the Midrash concludes, may be applied to Moses and his speaking abilities. When standing before God, Creator of the faculty of speech, Moses announced, “I am not a man of words” (Ex. 4:10). But when it came to speaking to the Jewish people, the Torah records: “These are the words that Moses spoke.”
The Merchant and the King
The Book of Deuteronomy is essentially a collection of Moses’ farewell speeches, delivered to the Jewish people as they prepared to enter the Land of Israel. The eloquence, passion, and cadence of Moses’ discourses are breathtaking. One can only wonder: is this the same man who claimed to be “heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue” (Ex. 4:10)?
The Sages were aware of this anomaly. The Midrash (Devarim Rabbah 1:7) offers the following parable to explain how eloquence is a relative matter:
“This is like a man selling purple cloth, who announced, ‘Purple cloth for sale!’
Hearing his voice, the king peeked out and called the merchant over.
‘What are you selling?’ asked the king.
‘Nothing, Your Highness.'
‘But before I heard you call out, ‘Purple cloth for sale,’ and now you say, ‘Nothing .’ What changed?'
‘Oh no!’ exclaimed the merchant. ‘I am selling purple cloth. But by your standards, it is nothing.’
The same idea, the Midrash concludes, may be applied to Moses and his speaking abilities. When standing before God, Creator of the faculty of speech, Moses announced, “I am not a man of words” (Ex. 4:10). But when it came to speaking to the Jewish people, the Torah records: “These are the words that Moses spoke.”
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