(2020/5780)

There's a famous Mashal about a king and his corrupt son. The king is getting older and doesn’t want to hand over the throne to his son who is unqualified and undeserving of the crown. The king took his son to many therapists and education specialists to try to help him become courteous and fit to be the future leader. A short while later, the king's son was kidnapped by pirates.The son was tied up for three days on the ship, and then, thrown onto some island where he was to be stranded. The stranded prince began to cry and wonder why his father did not protect him. A little while later, a man living on the island discovered the prince and replenished him in his home. The man told the king’s son that if he works for him ten hours a day he will be given food and shelter. The prince instantly complied with the deal. Weeks went by and the king’s son was making a lot of progress in terms of his personal development. Some nights the prince thought of wandering outside of the small village to see if there was something mischievous or wrong he could do; however, every time he went out a guard at the entrance of town turned him back. Whenever the prince was tempted to sin, there was always a person convincing otherwise. After a few months, the king’s son became a righteous young man with excellent morals and a productive work ethic. As time went on the prince began to gain a lot of respect on the small island. The king’s son began to reflect on his ways when he lived in the palace and realized that his father worked so hard to make him a righteous and successful person. He began to feel remorse and sorrow for the way he acted and longed to return home.

Several days later the princes master told him that a ship is coming to the island port and will be heading to his father’s kingdom. The prince decided to board that ship, and he wished farewell to the members of the village. When the prince returned he was surprised to see his father at the dock with a beaming smile and open arms. The king embraced his son with overwhelming love and told his son that the people on the island who persuaded the prince not to sin were actually messengers of the king. The prince did not realize throughout his entire journey that during both the good times and the bad times his father was looking out for him.

In Parashat Shemot Moshe’s childhood is faced with ups and downs. He is thrown into the Nile River only to be saved by Paroh’s daughter. Furthermore, Moshe is nursed by his mother, while he grows up in Paroh’s palace. Yocheved not only got to raise her son, but she was paid to nurse him, while he was protected in the palace. Malbim explains that this entire episode is clearly Hashgacha Peratit (divine intervention). Even if we may not know it, Hashem is always looking out for us and always listening to our Tefilot. As Rashi says at the end of the third Aliyah (Shemot 2:25 s.v. VaYeida Elokim): “Natan Aleihem Leiv VeLo He’elim Einav MeiHem,” “And [Hashem] focused upon [Bnei Yisrael], and he did not hide His eyes from them.”