EXOD29 In his Commentary on [this verse], [Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra (1089-1164)] remarks on the significance of Moses' having grown up in freedom in the house of Pharaoh and not as a slave in the house of bondage: owing to the education he received in the palace and the habits he acquired there, his soul was "on the highest rank" and not "lowly" as are the souls of slaves. Moses' noble morality is already exemplified at a young age, when on two occasions (Exod 2:11-12, 15-17) he physically interceded against those who were acting with violence [hamas]. Similarly, Ibn Ezra remarks, Moses' verbal intervention in the fight between the two Hebrews [this verse] was motivated by his desire to prevent violence. These comments about Moses' "high soul" and bold actions bring to mind Nietzsche's views on master morality versus slave morality in his Genealogy of Morals. However, while Nietzsche's master acts egocentrically on the basis of values he has created by his own will, Ibn Ezra's Moses acts altruistically in order to prevent oppressors from doing violence to others. It is Moses' determination to save victims from the violence of their oppressors that, according to Ibn Ezra, qualified him to liberate the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. (By Warren Zev Harvey, “Ethical Theories among Medieval Jewish Philosophers”)