Weekly Sidra: Shemot (Names)
Torah Portion: Shemot /Exodus 1:1-6:1
Haftorah: Yermiyahu /Jeremiah 1:1-2:3

But Moses said to the Lord, "Please, O Lord, I have never been a man of words, either in times past or now that You have spoken to Your servant; I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." 11 And the Lord said to him, "Who gives man speech? Who makes him dumb or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go, and I will be with you as you speak and will instruct you what to say!" (Shemot 10-12)

This week we are introduced to Moses, the stuttering servant.  He was a man slow of speech and quick to discount HaShem’s ability to use him.

When Moshe strengthened the faith of ‘Am Israel and took them out of Mitzrayim, he actually took them out of all limitations even spiritual ones.  The word for ‘Egypt’ (Mitzrayim) also means ‘limitations’.  Thus HaShem use Moses a man of limitations to rescue Israel from their own limitations.

In many ways we are like Moses.  We doubt HaShem’s ability to use us even though he is the one who created us for His glory and for His purpose.

Our Rabbi Maran Yeshua addressed a similar issue in Yochanan Chapter 9:1-3 “As Yeshua passed along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His talmidim asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned — this man or his parents — to cause him to be born blind?" 3 Yeshua answered, "His blindness is due neither to his sin nor to that of his parents; it happened so that HaShem’s power might be seen at work in him.”

Rabbi Shaul of Tarshish states in Korintim Alef (I Corinthians 25-29) “25 For HaShem’s "nonsense" is wiser than humanity’s "wisdom." And HaShem’s "weakness" is stronger than humanity’s "strength." 26 Just look at yourselves, brothers – look at those whom HaShem has called! Not many of you are wise by the world’s standards, not many wield power or boast noble birth. 27 But HaShem chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise; HaShem chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the strong; 28 and HaShem chose what the world looks down on as common or regards as nothing in order to bring to nothing what the world considers important; 29 so that no one should boast before HaShem.”

There is nothing that HaShem cannot accomplish through us!!  We simply must be willing to humbly submit to HaShem and His Torah.  When we submit to HaShem, we realize that the power does not come from our knowledge, skills or abilities, but from HaShem.

When HaShem uses people who acknowledge their limitations before Him the possibilities are limitless!!