But up above, the exulting angels and seraphim gave him a rousing welcome. Their joy reverberated throughout the celestial spheres. Everywhere Moses was celebrated as having been the most faithful of God’s servants. The events that had filled his life on earth were glorified. Heaven glorified him seven times. And the waters glorified him seven times. And the fire glorified him seven times. And all of human history continues to glorify his name.

• • •

Nobody knows his resting place. The people of the mountains situate it in the valley. The people of the valley situate it in the mountains. It has become neither temple nor museum. It is everywhere and elsewhere, always elsewhere.

Nobody was present at his death. And so, in a way, he lives on inside us, every one of us. For as long as one child of Israel, somewhere, proclaims his Law and his truth, Moses lives on through him, in him, as does the burning bush, which consumes man’s heart without consuming his faith.

PARABLES AND
SAYINGS VI

This is why and how God decided to put an abrupt end to the Jews’ suffering in Egypt:

In accordance with his desire to inflict pain on his slaves, Pharaoh issued orders to seize all male infants and wall them in alive inside the pyramids. And God stood by silently. The desperate parents cursed themselves for having brought children into the world. All the men and all the women agreed that they would not live together any more. And God stood by silently. Then one day an angel seized a newly born infant, who had already been tortured, already been disfigured, and held him up to God, who, grief-stricken, remembered the promise made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That was when He set into motion the events which resulted in the Exodus: in those days God could not tolerate the sight of a mutilated Jewish child.

He made Moses His messenger. And the consoler of His people.

In the days when Moses was still a prince, he visited the slaves from morning till night, urging them not to lose courage.

He told them: Clouds are always followed by sunshine; after the storm comes the calm. Better days will come for us.

And God said to him: Just as you have left your palace to take care of Israel’s children, your brethren, so shall I leave My celestial throne to speak with you.

In the land of Midian, Moses led the peaceful life of the shepherds.

One day he saw a sheep leave the flock; he pursued it until he found it drinking from a stream. And Moses said softly: I didn’t know you were thirsty. You must be very tired after running so far; you don’t have the strength to go back. And he lifted the sheep onto his shoulders and carried it back to the flock.