Moses, the first prophet, was the leader of the Israelites in the Exodus from Egypt through 40 years of wandering in the Sinai wilderness to Canaan, and transmitter of the Decalogue and Torah to the people at Mount Sinai. According to tradition, he wrote the entire Pentateuch, except for the last section describing his death and burial, which was written by his successor, Joshua. The Oral Law and many laws not explicitly commanded in the Bible are explained in the Talmud as “handed down to Moses at Mount Sinai.” The Mosaic authorship of the entire Pentateuch is at the heart of the debate between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews.
Moses was born in Egypt to Amram and Jochebed of the tribe of Levi, after Aaron and Miriam. His mother hid him to save him from Pharaoh's decree that all newborn males be drowned in the Nile; he was found by Pharaoh's daughter, who raised him in the palace. After killing the Egyptian who was beating an Israelite slave, Moses fled to Midian, where he married Zippora, daughter of the Midianite priest Jethro. She bore him two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, who are never explicitly mentioned again in the Bible.
The Bible and Midrash depict him as the man who came closer to God than any other human before or since, the only one with whom God spoke “mouth to mouth, plainly and not in riddles'' (Num 12:8), and who knew all of Torah – Written, Oral and mystical (Kabbalah). He was distinguished for humility: “Moses was a very humble man, more so than any other man on earth'' (Num 12:3).
Moses was also a soldier, leading the Israelites to victories over the Midianites and Bashan. He was not permitted to enter the Promised Land because of his sin of striking the rock to get water (Num 20:7–13; Deut. 32:51–52). Moses died at age 120; his burial place is unknown. His death anniversary and birthday are marked on the 7th of Adar.
