Many children like to sing the song Ani Ma'amin. Jews all over the world sing this song often, because believing in HaShem comes naturally to us. Our Rabbis call the Jewish people "believers - the children of believers."

So doesn't it seem strange that at the end of this week's parshah we read how Moshe Rabbeinu cries out to HaShem: "Why have You made things worse for this people?" When Moshe demanded that Pharaoh free the Jews, Pharaoh didn't listen. Instead, he made them work even harder, and ordered his officers to beat them. Moshe was troubled. HaShem had promised to bring the geulah, but things got worse instead of getting better. And so he asked HaShem this question.

But Jewish people believe in HaShem. Especially Moshe Rabbeinu. HaShem Himself describes Moshe as being the "most trusting of all." Moshe was certainly not asking this question out of a lack of belief and trust.

Then how can we understand Moshe's question?

Moshe Rabbeinu was chosen by HaShem to give the Torah to the Jewish people. Torah is the wisdom of HaShem. HaShem wants us not only to believe in Him, but also to know and to understand. This was Moshe's mission: to bring this wisdom down to the Jewish people so that they could study and through their study, they would understand.

Moshe Rabbeinu was not lacking in belief when he asked HaShem why things had gotten worse. Of course, he believed and trusted in HaShem, but he couldn't understand why things got worse. He knew that this was his mission: to teach the people to understand what they believed in. So he asked HaShem to explain. And indeed, in the next parshah, HaShem gives him an answer, promising to take the Jewish people out of Egypt. HaShem said He would perform many miracles so that the people would see how right it is to trust Him.

It is no coincidence that the Alter Rebbe, founder of Chassidus Chabad, passed away on Motzoei Shabbos, Parshas Shmos. The Alter Rebbe's mission was to explain Chassidus so that people could understand. That is why he wrote the Tanya.

When Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev first saw the Tanya, he marveled and exclaimed: "The Alter Rebbe has taken a big G-d and put Him into a small book!" Rebbe Levi Yitzchak was amazed at how the Alter Rebbe could explain the deep secrets of Chassidus in words that ordinary people could understand.

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HaShem answered Moshe by promising to bring the geulah from galus Mitzrayim. So too, the spreading of chassidus will bring the geulah today. As the Baal Shem Tov was promised: "When will Mashiach come? When the wellsprings of your teachings will spread outward."

(Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XVI, p. 52ff)