They believed in G-d and in His servant Moses. Shmos 14:31
The Midrash deduces from this verse that belief in Moses is an integral component of belief in G-d and that, conversely, doubting his credibility is a breach in one's belief in G-d.
Here we find reference to the concept of a Rebbe - a leader the belief in whose existence is in some way on a par with our belief in G-d-and the imperative to identify him. The Zohar states that G-d provides every generation with a preeminently righteous individual who is "an extension of Moses." This "Moses," just as the original Moses, serves as a link between his generation and G-d. Faith in this extraordinary person fortifies our faith in G-d, and commitment to his guidance deepens our commitment to G-d.
In addition to being a channel through which we can reach G-d, Moses is also the channel through which G-d's blessings reach us. As it is stated in the Talmud, "One who has an ailing person in his home should go to a sage and ask him to pray for him." The sage's prayers can accomplish for someone ailing physically or spiritually what our own prayers cannot. This sage is our connection with G-d in both directions.
Belief in the power of the Moses of the generation does not contradict the fundamental Jewish belief that there are no intermediaries between G-d and man, for in order to qualify for this role, the sage must be, like Moses, devoid of ego and completely transparent--"the humblest man on earth." As opposed to a bridge, which connects two banks of a river, the connection he provides to G-d should be visualized as a knot, which simply serves to tie two pieces of string together. While a bridge is a third entity interposed between the two banks, the knot is nothing in and of itself; it is simply the connection joining the two pieces of string.
As closely associated as Moshe was with the Torah, he was even more intimately bound up with the Jewish people. Moshe was a leader par excellence whose love and compassion for his flock was much more than “was his whole life”. Where do we ever find anybody who can so “place himself in somebody else’s shoes”, to see things so personally, that he becomes sick due his overwhelming heartbreak? Only a person who has the caliber of Moshe can be such a leader of the Jews. It is said that the Nasi of each generation contains a spark of Moshe, and one can tell that person by his love for his fellow Jews.
