Maharal Musings

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I'm currently reading through Gevurat Hashem by Rabbi Yehuda Loewe, the Maharal of Prague. The book travels through the exodus story beginning with Abraham, I am currently up to Moses growing up in Pharoah's palace.

As I go along I plan to note some of the points that jump out at me.

In chapter 16 he explains that Yocheved, the mother of Moses, did not experience pain during childbirth since the righteous were not included in the curse of Chava (Eve). He explains that in general the righteous do not suffer pain since pain only exists on the level of chomer (matter) and not on the level of tzurah (form).

This thought totally shifts the way we experience life, pain and suffering are not objective realities but rather subjective experiences, and if we wish to rid ourselves of pain and suffering we need to transcend our attachment to chomer and embrace tzurah.

In chapter 18 he explains the reason for the name Moses, as it says in the Torah, because he was drawn from the water, i.e. he is removed and detached from the water. Water is the very opposite of Moses, water completely lacks a fixed tzurah (form) and that is why in Hebrew it is always in the plural tense because it lacks any singularity. Moses on the other hand is the epitome of tzurah and therefore his name describes his seperation from the water (chomer).

More to come please G-d.

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