And when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid ("amata") to fetch it (Ex. 2:5)
As Rashi notes, an alternate meaning of "amata" is "her hand": When Pharaoh's daughter stretched out her hand to reach Moses' cradle, her arm was miraculously increased in length many cubits ("amot"). A question is asked: Pharaoh's daughter could not possibly have known that a miracle would occur. Why, then, did she attempt to rescue Moses in the first place? The answer is that when a person sincerely wishes to help another, he shouldn't stop to think if it "pays" or if it is even feasible. Rather, he must immediately do his part and "extend his hand" to his fellow man. (Rabbi Yitzchak Vorker)
And he spied an Egyptian beating a Hebrew (Ex. 2:11)
Moses could not tolerate injustice against any human being, whether non-Jew against Jew ("an Egyptian beating a Hebrew"), Jew against Jew ("two Hebrew men struggled together"), or non-Jew against non-Jew ("and the shepherds came and drove them away.") (Toldot Yitzchak)
Reprinted from Parshat Shemos 5762/2001 edition of L’Chaim
