A FREUDIAN SLIP

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well.

This weeks parsha is Shmos and we move onto the life and leadership of Mosheh Rabeinu and our enslavement in Egypt etc

I saw an interesting article by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks this week which I would like to share.

It was about Freud and the last book that he wrote called 'Moses and Monotheism'. It was published in 1939 when Freud had taken refuge in Britain and was living in London.

For some reason, at this desperate time, he wrote this book to try and prove that Moses was an Egyptian?!

So Freud made a mistake , and we can learn a lesson from his mistake, because it is a very easy mistake to make, and it is one which we all can make, in one form or another.

And what was his mistake?

Freud notes that many scholars have identified a common theme in the life stories of heroes (and heroines), in relation to their childhood.

Ie the heroes birth is fraught with danger. As a baby they come close to death. The child is rescued and brought up by adoptive parents. Eventually they become heroes and discover their true royal identity, and reach some high and privileged position.

The heroes adoptive parents are humble ordinary people, and eventually he discovers that he is actually of royal blood.

And what was the story of Mosheh?

Just the opposite!

He was the child of Jewish slaves, and his adoptive parents were the Royal House of Egypt!

And he became the greatest leader of all time, but humble and no special privileges etc.

So Freud saw this and failed to see what it meant.

And this is where he made his mistake - he concluded that THAT THE STORY OF MOSHEH WAS A FABRICATION DESIGNED TO CONCEAL THE FACT THAT MOSHEH WAS REALLY THE SON OF PHAROAH'S DAUGHTER! - because his story did not fit into the theory of scholars and himself.

And what was it that he and the scholars couldn't see, and that so often also deludes us?

It is the definition of greatness and heroism.

The world defines greatness as wealth, beautiful houses and palaces, splendour of looks, privileges etc

Mosheh didn't have all these and Freud therefore errs about his origins.

The story of Mosheh in Torah, takes a myth and turns it upside down.

TORAH SHOWS US THAT TRUE GREATNESS IS MORAL COURAGE

Mosheh is a son of slaves, and fights his way up by being true to Hashem and true to his people.

He recognises G-d's image in the weak, the powerless, the afflicted and the suffering - fighting for their cause.

What an opportunity Freud missed in that very dark time of our People.

He could have delivered this message of hope reflected by Mosheh and our deep enslavement in Egypt.

But he made a 'Freudian slip', from which we can learn a great lesson.

Gut Shabbos to all.