The Book of Shemot opens with a new topic, one that is not directly connected with the stories that appeared at the end of the Book of Bereishit. In order to bridge the gap between the two books, the Torah explains that the older generation – the sons of Ya'akov – has passed away, and that their descendants are now trapped in Egypt as slaves, against whom terrible decrees have been implemented, including infant homicide. In the midst of this painful prologue – which comes together with the realization that Yosef’s powerful rule as viceroy of Egypt has quickly turned into a terrible humiliation for his family – Moshe’s story is presented: “A certain man of the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son…”
We find four distinct approaches to explaining these verses:
According to the Gemara (Sota 12a), the verse describes Amram’s second marriage to Yocheved, to whom he had been married previously, but who he had divorced following Pharaoh's decrees. The divorce was Amram's response to those decrees, and his actions were followed by other members of his generation. It was thanks to his daughter, Miriam, who accused Amram of worsening Pharaoh's decrees by condemning daughters as well as sons, that he decided to remarry Yocheved. According to this approach, “A certain man of the house of Levi went” means that he went in accord with his daughter’s advice. This act came as a consequence of consultation and decision, and ultimately an admission that a mistake had been made. This realization led to Moshe’s birth.
Ramban takes the opposite approach. He suggests that the verse signifies Amram's determination to marry Yocheved despite the decree and, on some level, precisely because of the decree. “A certain man of the house of Levi went” is a depiction of fierceness, urgency and protest against the decrees. As far as Amram is concerned, it is essential to show Egypt that they will not frighten him or threaten him. Ramban writes: “I believe that the verse attests to the fact that he paid no heed to Pharaoh's decrees, so he married a woman in order to have children with her. It is because he hurried to begin something new that this expression is used.”
The Mekhilta offers an approach that is similar to that of the Gemara. Here, too, we learn of the initial divorce in response to the decrees, followed by remarriage three months later. The Mekhilta, however, does not include the story of Miriam’s intervention. Instead it adds an element that is not found in the Gemara: When Amram divorced Yocheved, she was already pregnant. When Amram married her a second time, the bride was already three months pregnant. The Egyptians, who were unaware that a baby was conceived before the wedding, came looking for the baby nine months later, and missed Moshe’s birth by three months. Thus, the verse “A certain man of the house of Levi went” refers to the divorce (not the marriage) – the divorce that played such a crucial role in fooling the Egyptians and saving Moshe (Mekhilta d’Rashbi 6).
The Zohar views this verse as entirely made up of secretive hints, and enveloped by great secrets. Saying “A certain man of the house of Levi went” does not really refer to an act performed by Amram, but to movement performed by the Almighty, Who rises from His throne, and commits to act as Savior for the people of Israel. The verbs that appear in these verses: “went,” “married,” “conceived,” are all expressions of symbolic language used by the Torah to express cosmological events taking place in the upper spheres. The verse “A certain man of the house of Levi went” parallels the verse in Shir HaShirim (6:2) “My beloved has gone down to his garden, To the beds of spices.” This is the moment when the Holy One blessed be He goes to enjoy the perfumes of the righteous ones in the Heavenly spheres. This is the moment when Moshe is chosen (Zohar Shemot 11:1).
These four perspectives all try to describe the moment when the first glimmer of hope appears; the moment when salvation is first conceived, beginning a slow, rhythmic process that ultimately leads to complete redemption.
According to the Gemara, this moment is the moment of submission. It is when there is recognition that there is a Truth that is greater than human suffering. It is dependent on consciously forgetting the way of nature and leaving the future in God’s hands.
According to Ramban, this is the moment of rebellion, the moment of understanding that we must reject our fate. Taking responsibility by means of action is part-and-parcel of the redemptive process.
The Mekhilta suggests that the moment when the enemy is distracted is the moment when redemption begins. Jewish ingenuity and sophistication, thinking “outside the box,” all serve as the basis for salvation and change.
According to the Zohar, even when everything appears to be happenstance, and changes taking place seem to be insignificant, we must recognize that nothing happens in the world until the Almighty rises from His throne.
We can suggest that these four perspectives match the famous four expressions of redemption (Shemot 6:6-7). “I will free you” relates to Amram’s ability to free himself from his preconceived notions. “I will take you” relates to taking one’s own fate into one’s hands. “I will deliver you” refers to Moshe being delivered from the hands of the Egyptians. “I will redeem you” refers to the hidden hand of God in the process of redemption.
Thus, the four expressions of redemption describe the confusion that often occurs in the midst of a process of redemption. It is difficult to keep track of what the starting point was, what exactly caused it and what preceded it. Redemption has many fathers. But the combination of many different – sometimes even contradictory – forces, all lead to the same point of awakening, an amazing chaos of renewal.
