Why Isn't Moses in the Haggadah?

By DROR BEN AMI
Updated: FEBRUARY 21, 2016 15:10
 

Illustration: Moses Pleading with Israel

Public Domain

 

 

Just to begin: “Yes, I know Moses is mentioned once in the Haggadah”: at the end of a short prayer in the middle of the service.

BUT !!!

As I have discussed on numerous occasions: If God had commanded you to tell the story of Apple Computer each year, would you mention Steve Jobs only once?

Or, put another way, Cecil B DeMille's: "The Ten Commandments" in reality is nothing more than a: "Haggadah Movie". While I can't remember everything that happened in the film, nevertheless, I am pretty sure Charlton Heston appeared in more than one, minor and obscure, scene....

 

On the Chabad website it says that the rabbis believe that Moses is some type of “super hero” who the average person cannot relate to; therefore , in order to provide a more realistic role model for the children, the part Moses played in the Passover story has been reduced to an absolute minimum.

 

Really? In a world full of super action heroes like Superman, Batman, Thor and Captain America, are our children really in danger of being unduly influenced by Moses? Moses: the stutterer who did not want to return to Egypt? Moses: who was in constant fear of being stoned to death by the people? Moses: who was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because he acceded to the demands of the people and provided them with water? Moses: who is described by God as being the most humble of men? This is the description of a: "superman”?

 

 

So: What do we have in the Haggadah? We have little stories from various rabbis explaining all the traditions that make up the Passover service. Unfortunately, not one of these rabbis was actually in Egypt, but hey: “Who's counting?”

 

Furthermore, should "The Rashi" be considered to be a “normal” person and a suitable role model for children? Really? In Israel it is taught that "The Rashi" was the greatest genius who ever lived, greater than Einstein....

 

Is that right? A man who thought that Keturah and Hagar were the same woman is more intelligent than Einstein? A man who developed the idea of: "a Noahide Religion” out of thin air, and then went on to conclude that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not really Jewish is someone we should respect and emulate? The written Torah clearly states that the god of Terach, the father of Abraham, was not the same as the God of Abraham; so then: How could have Abraham and Noah have worshiped the same God?

 

Actually, the rabbis like to explain that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not “real” Jews because they never studied the Talmud and knew nothing of the modern traditions of Jewish life.

Is that so...?

Well, if that is indeed true, then Moses too should not be considered a “real” Jew, right?

 

One of the major tenets of modern day Judaism is that the primary difference between a Jew and a Karaite is that a Jew recognizes: “rabbinical authority”.

 

Did Moses recognize “rabbinical authority”? Hardly, Moses said that the first teachers of the oral law (if indeed there was such a thing), were to come to him if there was an issue too difficult for them to decide and then he would decide.

 

Hence, Moses was above: “the judges”, who are the predecessors of the Pharisees and rabbis. In other words: it was these first teachers of the oral law who needed to recognize the authority of Moses, not vice versa.

 

Furthermore, and even more importantly, Moses said that after he died, the judges/rabbis were STILL NOT the final authority. If they had a case that was too difficult for them, they were to bring it to the priests. The high priest would enter into the temple/tabernacle and render a verdict. The judges/rabbis were commanded to accept this verdict without any argument.

 

No wonder the rabbis don't want you to know too much about Moses.

 

The written Torah says that on our door posts, and on our hands, there are to be two things which should serve as “frontlets” for our eyes:

 

  1. The Ten Commandments

  2. The story of Passover

     

    The rabbis decided that they don't want the people to follow “ONLY” the Ten Commandments, they want them to follow THEIR laws. Hence, they changed the law and came up with the “brilliant” idea of: "the mezuzah”.

     

    In case you don't know: the mezuzah is that little container found on almost every doorpost in Israel which has the Hebrew letter “shin” on the outside. Inside, there is a little scroll, but even this does not have the Ten Commandments. It has the little section of the Book of Deuteronomy which comes after the Ten Commandments (Deut. 6: 4-9 and Deut. 11: 13 – 21)

     

    How that helps people is anybody's guess? In my house I have the Ten Commandments on the door post. When I go out, I see them....sometimes I take a moment to re-read them...It reminds me of my obligations to God and that I am under his command.

     

    What does a mezuzah remind anyone of? What does it teach? Most people don't even know what is inside them...

     

    One thing is for sure: Moses did not tell anyone to place a mezuzah on their door post and neither did God. God said place the Ten Commandments on your door post.

     

    In short: Moses is not in the Hagaddah because of one simple principle:

    "Out of sight, out of mind”

     

    The rabbis don't want you to listen to God and his servant Moses, they want you to listen to them......and ONLY them