וַיּוֹאֶל מֹשֶׁה לָשֶׁבֶת. וְאֵין וַיּוֹאֵל אֶלָּא שְׁבוּעָה. וְכֵן וַיֹּאֶל שָׁאוּל אֶת הָעָם (ש״א יד, כד). And Moses was content to dwell (Exod. 2:21). The word content (vayo’el) is used with reference to an oath, as in the case of Saul: And he adjured (vayo’el) the people (I Sam. 14:24).
וְלָמָּה נִשְׁבַּע שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לָבָן, אִם תְּעַנֶּה אֶת בְּנֹתַי. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: מֹשֶׁה הַצַּדִּיק נָתַן נַפְשׁוֹ עַל בָּנַי וּבָרַח לְמִדְיָן, וְיֵעָשֶׂה גּוֹאֲלָם. לְפִיכָךְ כְּתִיב וּמֹשֶׁה הָיָה רֹעֶה. Why did Jethro compel him to take an oath? Lest he do to him what Laban had stated: If thou shalt afflict my daughters and take wives (Gen. 31:50). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: The righteous Moses risked his life for the sake of My children and was forced to flee to Midian, but he will redeem them from Egypt. Therefore it is written: And Moses was keeping the flock (Exod. 3:1).
וּמֹשֶׁה הָיָה רֹעֶה, וְהִגִּיעַ הַקֵּץ שֶׁיִּגָּאֲלוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בְּיָדָם מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים. שֶׁכֵּן הוּא אוֹמֵר עַל יְדֵי יְחֶזְקֵאל רְבָבָה כְּצֶמַח הַשָּׂדֶה וְגוֹ' שָׁדַיִם נָכֹנוּ וּשְׂעָרֵךְ צִמֵּחַ וְגוֹ' (יחזקאל טז, ז). וְכִי לֹא הָיָה לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִכְתֹּב אֶלָּא שָׁדַיִם וְשֵׂעָר. אֶלָּא הַשָּׁדַיִם, זֶה מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶן: שְׁנֵי שָׁדַיִךְ כִּשְׁנֵי עֳפָרִים תְּאוֹמֵי צְבִיָּה. וּשְׂעָרֵךְ צִמֵּחַ, הִגִּיעַ הַקֵּץ, אֶלָּא אַתְּ עֵרוֹם וְעֶרְיָה מִן מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים. וּבַמֶּה נִסְתַּכַּלְתִּי, בְּטוֹבִים דֹּדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן (שה״ש א, ב). אֵלּוּ הָאָבוֹת שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ דּוֹדִים. וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶת נַאֲקָתָם וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ וְגוֹ'. וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, רָאָה שֶׁאֵין בְּיָדָם מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים וּגְאָלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיּוֹשִׁיעֵם לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ (תהלים קו, ח). Moses was keeping the flock. Though the time for their redemption was at hand, they had not as yet performed any meritorious deeds. Scripture declares this through the words of Ezekiel: I caused thee in increase even as the growth of the field … thy breasts were fattened, and thy hair was grown, yet thou wast naked and bare (Ezek. 16:7). Is it not so that the Holy One, blessed be He, would not have written breasts and hair except for the fact that breasts and hair allude to Moses and Aaron? Inasmuch as it is said concerning them: Thy two breasts are like two fawns, that are twins of a gazelle (Song 4:5). Thy hair was grown implies that the time for redemption had arrived, but naked and bare signify that Israel had not yet performed any good deeds. The verse For thy love is better than wine (ibid. 1:2) refers to the patriarchs, who are called beloved. And God heard their groaning, and remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God saw the children of Israel (Exod. 2:24). That is, though He saw that they had not yet performed any meritorious deeds, He redeemed them nevertheless, as is said: He saved them for His name’s sake (Ps. 106:8).