Shemos 3:11 · EXTRA 1 — who am I EXTRA

Parashas Shemos · Side page (no TT primary unit on this range)

The Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים מִ֣י אָנֹ֔כִי כִּ֥י אֵלֵ֖ךְ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְכִ֥י אוֹצִ֛יא אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and free the Israelites from Egypt?”

Chabad.org — 3:11

Source Citation

Shemos Rabbah 3:5 — EXTRA.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

מי אנכי —\ldots אמר לפניו: רבון העולמים, מה אני ומה חיי שאשלח אל פרעה.

English: “Who am I” — \ldots He said before Him: Master of the worlds, what am I and what is my life that I should be sent to Pharaoh.

On the midrash / in context: Moshe’s humility is the first of the series of hesitations; the midrash presents it as genuine self-diminishment rather than refusal.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Chazal present Moshe’s first response as an expression of deep humility before the mission.