What did Moses do that was important for the Hebrews?

Answer 1

Moses was an Israelite, a great-great grandson of Jacob. He was born 245 years after the death of Abraham. The time when Moses was born was when the Pharaoh ordered his people to kill all Jewish male infants because he (Pharaoh) was afraid that the Israelites would become too strong for him (Exodus ch.1-2). Moses' mother didn't want him to die. So she made a basket for him and put him in it to float in the Nile reeds. He was found by the Pharaoh's daughter, who took pity on him (Exodus ch.2) and raised him as her own son. He was forced to flee after killing a cruel Egyptian taskmaster, and went to Midian, where he wedded the daughter of Jethro. He eventually achieved the highest level of prophecy (Deuteronomy ch.34) and was called upon by God (Exodus ch.3). He brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery (Exodus ch.12). He received the Torah from God (Exodus 24:12) and later recorded it in writing (Deuteronomy 31:24). He went up on Mount Sinai for 40 days and nights (Deuteronomy ch.9-10) and brought down the Two Stone Tablets with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 31:18). He brought the Israelites into the covenant with God (Exodus ch.19 and ch.24), and he oversaw the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus ch.35-40). He was the humblest of men and the greatest of prophets (Numbers ch.12).

Answer 2

Moses is absolutely foundational to biblical history and the development of Jewish tradition. He is credited with leading the Hebrew people out of slavery, in the Exodus from Egypt, receiving the Ten Commandments from God and leading the people to the Promised Land, which Joshua, his protege and successor, conquered.
However, the contribution of Moses is in religious tradition, not in history. It is the strong consensus of scholars that there never was an Exodus from Egypt as described in The Bible, and without an Exodus, we do not have a historical Moses. The Hebrew people living in Israel and Judah wanted a story that would help to understand their past, and the epic story of the Exodus gave them a vivid account around which the rich tapestry of modern Judaism could develop.

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