When Moshe and Aharon asked Pharaoh to allow Bnei Yisrael to leave Egypt and worship G‑d in the wilderness, Pharaoh dismissed them, saying, “Why do you disturb the people from their work? Go back to your own labor!” The commentaries note that Pharaoh told Moshe and Aharon to return to their own labor, indicating that their work was unlike the rest of the nation’s.
For as the Ramban explains, Pharaoh recognized the need for a nation to have spiritual leaders. He therefore exempted the tribe of Levi from slave labor, and allowed them to be the scholars and teachers of Bnei Yisrael.
Accordingly, Pharaoh told Moshe and Aharon to be thankful that they themselves were free to study and teach Torah, and not to interfere with the rest of the nation’s enslavement. Moreover, said Pharaoh, practically speaking (as well as by the Divine decree that they be slaves for 400 years) Bnei Yisrael are unable to escape Egyptian servitude at this time, so why waste your time trying to change the reality?
Moshe and Aharon, however, ignored Pharaoh’s warnings. They were not content with being free to study on their own, or even to occasionally teach the rest of Bnei Yisrael. Instead, despite the odds against them, they campaigned for the entire nation to be set free, ultimately saving them just in the nick of time. As the Arizal taught, had Bnei Yisrael remained in Egypt for even one moment longer, they could never have been redeemed from the spiritual abyss to which they would have plunged.
From Moshe and Aharon’s debate with Pharaoh we learn that to concern ourselves exclusively with our own Torah study and observance is an attitude that stems from Pharaoh. In contrast, a Jew strives to ensure that his fellow Jews are also serving G‑d, and studying and observing His Torah, no matter how unlikely it seems for him to succeed at this mission. When there are lives to save from Pharaoh, or from the spiritual Pharaohs of our time, every chance is worth taking, and no moment is too soon.
—Likkutei Sichos, vol. 16, pp. 29–31
