שמות, פרק ד׳, פסוק כ״ד

In the midst of a monumental journey to redeem the Israelites from Egypt, a sudden and dangerous event disrupts the mission. While resting at a lodging place, perhaps a roadside inn or a natural shelter like a rock crevice [שטיינזלץ, שד״ל], a dramatic encounter threatens to end the journey in tragedy. The primary approach among commentators is that the danger of death hovered over Moses himself because he had delayed the circumcision of his son. However, other scholars suggest that the divine messenger did not seek to kill Moses, but rather the infant, as the child had not been circumcised on his eighth day [רבנו חננאל, שד״ל, רבן שמעון בן גמליאל].

The life-threatening incident is understood in several ways. The most natural explanation is that Moses was struck by a severe and sudden illness, a trembling or mortal pain that brought him to the brink of death and physically prevented him from performing the circumcision himself [אבן עזרא, רלב״ג, בכור שור]. A more vivid tradition describes a divine messenger appearing as a serpent of fire, swallowing Moses from his head down to the area of circumcision, serving as a clear physical sign to his wife, Zipporah, regarding the exact reason for the punishment [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, רקנאטי]. From a spiritual perspective, the sudden attack was the result of Moses momentarily losing his elevated spiritual state. Distracted by the mundane necessities of travel, he was suddenly struck by the glory of God, which felt like an unbearable, crushing weight [העמק דבר, מלבי״ם]. A unique viewpoint suggests that the desire for death came from Moses himself. Overcome with heavy guilt for delaying God's will, he wished to end his own life [הכתב והקבלה].

The commentators agree that Moses did not neglect the commandment out of disrespect. Instead, he was trapped in a difficult dilemma. If he circumcised his son and immediately continued the journey, the travel would endanger the infant's life. Conversely, if he waited three days for the child to heal, he would be delaying God's explicit command to go to Egypt. Despite acting out of constraint, Moses was punished severely. Some explain that his error occurred upon arriving at the lodging place. Rather than rushing to circumcise his son immediately, he prioritized organizing their sleeping arrangements [רש״י, טור]. Others argue that his fundamental mistake was taking his family on the journey in the first place. He should have circumcised the baby, left him safely in Midian with his mother, and traveled swiftly to fulfill his mission alone [רשב״ם, צרור המור, תולדות יצחק].

Ultimately, this harsh encounter demonstrates that God is exacting with His righteous servants and shows no favoritism. It was entirely inappropriate for Moses to go redeem the Israelites, a nation whose very existence is founded on the covenant of circumcision, while bringing along an uncircumcised child. God preferred that Moses die rather than begin his mission with such a glaring contradiction. This severe standard served to teach that the divine plan is never dependent on any single human being, no matter how great he may be [רש ר הירש, רלב״ג].