Who was Moses?
Moses — known in Hebrew as Moshe Rabbeinu, "Moses our teacher" — is the central human figure of the Torah: the prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, received the Torah from God at Mount Sinai, and guided the people through forty years in the wilderness toward the Promised Land. Jewish tradition regards him as the greatest prophet who ever lived, uniquely close to God. Yet the Torah also portrays him as deeply human — humble, reluctant, and devoted to his people.
What did Moses do?
- Led the Exodus — confronting Pharaoh and bringing the Israelites out of Egypt (what is Passover?).
- Received the Torah at Sinai — the giving of the Torah celebrated on Shavuot.
- Taught and led the people for forty years in the wilderness, transmitting God's law. His story unfolds across four of the Five Books of the Torah, from Exodus through Deuteronomy.
Why is Moses called the greatest prophet?
The Torah says no prophet arose like Moses, "whom God knew face to face." He's described as uniquely humble ("the humblest of all people") and as the one through whom the Torah itself was given. That's why the tradition calls him Moshe Rabbeinu — our teacher — and why the praise of Maimonides echoes the name: "From Moses to Moses, there was none like Moses." To learn Torah is, in a sense, to keep learning from him.
In short: Moses (Moshe Rabbeinu) led the Exodus, received the Torah at Sinai, and guided Israel through the wilderness — the greatest prophet in Jewish tradition, and its humble teacher.
Learn the Torah of Moses with Derekh Learning
Derekh prepares the weekly Torah portion — much of it the story and teaching of Moses — in a voice that fits you. Start learning or read what the Torah is.
