Selective attention, the process of reacting to certain stimuli to the exclusion of others, is a common human experience. As we move about in the world, we focus on certain elements of our environment; other things blend into the background or pass us by completely unnoticed. Our eyes may be open, but this doesn’t mean we are actually seeing. This is human. But when it comes to social justice, it’s not enough to say, “I didn’t see what was happening, so I couldn’t help.” We have a moral obligation to see more clearly what is happening right in front of us. But how?

In Exodus 2:11, we meet Moses as a young man. Torah says, “Moses went out to his kinfolk, and looked on their burdens.” According to the rabbis, Torah signals here the exact moment when Moses leaves his privileged, royal upbringing and enters his role as the leader of the Israelites, a succession of events that will lead to the freedom of the Israelites, the giving of the Torah, and the entering into the Promised Land.

We may be used to the story of Moses as a leader, but this change seems to be out of nowhere. If Moses has grown up in Egypt, he should be accustomed to witnessing slave labor. Why exactly does Moses react this way, and why now? What is it about this moment that causes Moses truly to notice the slaves’ burdens?

The rabbis share some of their ideas in Sh’mot Rabbah, the book of Midrash on Exodus. Through the work of midrash, the rabbis imagine what is taking place in between the words of Torah and use the text as the seed of inspiration for their own creative process. In this Torah portion, the rabbis focus on the words “Va’yar B’sivlotam,”¹ meaning, “Moses saw the Israelites’ suffering.” In this scene, the rabbis imagine that Moses, emerging as an adult, saw the Israelites’ suffering for the first time and cried out in anguish, wishing that he were a slave. Moses then moves into action. The rabbis say that Moses turned away from his own work and joined the Israelites in their backbreaking labor, stating, “Moses put aside his rank,” his privilege, to help the Israelites.

What makes this act of seeing so powerful? This time when Moses looks at the slaves’ suffering, he connects emotionally with them and is finally able to see the oppression in front of him. Not stopping there, the Midrash explains that Moses joins the slaves in their painful resolve. When we take a closer look at the action of Moses, we learn a three-step model for social action: witnessing injustice, connecting with the sufferer on a personal level, and putting aside one’s own work to help.

We are all busy with our own work. The tasks ahead of us can seem endless. And yet, if we understand this Torah portion as a model for social action, what makes a person extraordinary is not how many tasks and obligations they balance throughout their day. It is also not contingent on being born “woke.” Moses lives his entire childhood as a member of the oppressive, ruling class. Rather, what makes a person extraordinary is when they see oppression and connect with the sufferer. Then they put aside their own business to help. Each act alone is not enough; all three steps together are necessary.

But how do we take that first step in seeing? By staying informed. Know your neighbors. Read the news. Do not bury your head in the sand of your own business. Not noticing the world around us or staying purposely ignorant to injustice can have far-reaching consequences. We must force our eyes open.

The rabbis imagine that this three-step model of action not only led to Moses connecting with the Israelites but had even greater effect between humanity and Gd. In another midrash, the rabbis imagine that Gd chose Moses as a leader once Gd saw Moses respond. As a result of Moses putting his work aside in order to act, the rabbis say, Gd decided to put aside Gd’s work to come and speak to Moses from the burning bush. Gd can see Moses is the future redeemer of the Israelites.

If we only see the oppressed as “the unfortunate,” we can’t connect with them on a human level. If we can’t connect with them, we can’t truly respond to their pain. This kind of seeing is powerful not only because it causes us to respond; it is powerful because it also causes Gd to respond.

Torah repeats over and over, “Remember you were once slaves in the land of Egypt.” Remember, Torah says, you are human, and remember they are human too. We must take care of each other, or else, as Rabbi Hillel taught, “If I am only for myself, what am I?”

1. Exodus 2:11: וַיַּ֖רְא בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם