The Detective and the Mafia
But instead of backing down, Mozzarella’s rage boiled over. “What, this fool thinks he can scare me with the FBI? I’ll show him!” He ordered his men to give the agent a beating he’d never forget.
Battered and barely able to stand, the detective limped back to his office. His boss, shocked by his appearance, asked, “What happened to you?”
“Why do you ask?” the detective replied. “Do you think you could help?”
“Who did this to you?” the boss demanded.
The detective let out a snort. “Joe Mozzarella and his gang.”
“Doesn’t he know who you work for?”
“That’s where I went wrong,” the detective sighed, rubbing his sore ribs. “I thought telling him I was with the FBI would make him back off. Instead, it just made him furious. Then he told his men to break my bones.”
And that's when the FBI station chief, with a newfound determination, began his work. This wasn't just about protecting his agent anymore. Now, it was personal. Mozzarella hadn’t just attacked an agent—he had insulted the entire FBI. The case became a national priority. The FBI’s honor and reputation were at stake.
Moses' Complaint: A Leader’s Doubts
Even Moses, the greatest of prophets, had his moments of doubt. And who could blame him? He was tasked with confronting Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler on Earth, and demanding the release of a people he saw as nothing more than slaves. When Moses’ first meeting with Pharaoh ended in disaster—making life even worse for the Israelites—Moses did what anyone would do: he complained to the One who had sent him on this impossible mission.
But why did Moses emphasize that “I came to Pharaoh in Your Name”? Why not just say, “As soon as I came to Pharaoh, he made things worse”? Why invoke God’s Name?
Moses wasn’t just venting his frustration. He was making a powerful claim. This no longer just a matter of freeing the Israelites; this is about God’s honor. Pharaoh had dismissed God's authority with utter contempt, saying, “Who is this God that I should listen to Him?”
God’s response was firm: “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh!” (Exodus 6:1). The time for action had come—not just for the sake of the Israelites, but to vindicate God’s honor. The redemption of Israel was linked with the sanctification of God’s name.
Thus, the Torah repeatedly reminds us, “So Egypt will know that I am God” (7:5). The plagues, each one more devastating than the last, were a public declaration of God’s power. No one, not even the mighty Pharaoh, could defy God’s will without consequence.
