Parashat Shemot is not only the beginning of the Book of Exodus; it is the birthplace of Jewish leadership. It teaches us that true leadership does not emerge from comfort, charisma, or ambition, but from courage, compassion, and a willingness to respond to suffering.
The Torah opens with “names” — “Ve’eleh shemot”— reminding us that leadership begins by seeing people as individuals, not as numbers or statistics. Pharaoh’s failure as a leader starts here: he reduces human beings to a faceless workforce. Moses’ greatness begins with the opposite instinct — he *sees*. “He went out to his brothers and saw their suffering.” Leadership starts when we refuse to look away.
Remarkably, the first heroes of Shemot are not kings or prophets, but midwives — Shifra and Puah. They defy the most powerful ruler in the world, guided by moral clarity and reverence for life. Their leadership is quiet, risky, and deeply ethical. Shemot teaches that leadership is not always about authority; sometimes it is about conscience.
Moses himself is an unlikely leader. He grows up in Pharaoh’s palace, estranged from his people, slow of speech, and deeply reluctant to lead. When God calls to him from the burning bush, Moses does not rush forward — he hesitates, questions, and even resists. Yet this reluctance is precisely what makes him great. He does not seek power; he accepts responsibility. Shemot teaches us that the best leaders are often those who do not want to lead — but cannot ignore the call.
The burning bush itself offers a powerful image of leadership. A bush engulfed in flames,yet not consumed. Leadership means standing in fire — facing pressure, criticism, and pain — while refusing to be destroyed by ego, fear, or despair. God’s message is clear: holiness and leadership can exist in the most humble of places.
Perhaps the most profound lesson of Shemot is that redemption begins long before miracles. Before the plagues, before the sea splits, leadership begins with small acts of courage: a mother hiding her child, a sister watching from afar, a princess choosing compassion over loyalty to her father’s cruelty. Great change is born from everyday moral decisions.
Parashat Shemot reminds us that leadership is not defined by titles, but by responsibility. It is the courage to see suffering, the humility to admit fear, and the faith to act anyway.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Refael Cohen