Did Moshe Earn His Position?

Real questions, submitted by actual OU Torah followers, with their real answers. NOTE: For questions of practical halacha, please consult your own rabbi for guidance.

Q. Did Moses earn being the greatest prophet or was it a gift from God?

A. I would definitely say he earned it. Prophecy didn't just happen to a person, one had to prepare himself both spiritually and intellectually. In Bible times, there were schools where people would train for prophecy and there was no guarantee that they would ever achieve it because it's a very high level of connection to God. In order to be a prophet, Moses had to be at a level where he was already very close to God and this certainly took effort on his part. Yes, God may have put Moses in special circumstances that shaped the path of his life but it was still up to Moses to make all the right choices when faced with being raised as an Egyptian prince, siding with the slave being beaten rather than with the taskmaster, etc. If God just gave it to Moses, then what kind of praise would it be when God says, "My servant Moses is not (like the others); he is trusted throughout My house?" Clearly this is meant to be a distinction that he earned.

Rabbi Jack's latest book, Ask Rabbi Jack, is now available from Kodesh Press and on Amazon.com.