The Wisdom of Israel, by Edwin Collins, [1910], at sacred-texts.com
THE TWO PILOTS.
The Midrash, on Deut. xxx., says that Moses, who was allowed to call down a blessing on his generation, when Israel had sinned in the matter of the golden calf, is typified in every verse of Psalm xxiv.; and verse 5, which refers to him, should be rendered "He shall bear a blessing (to others) from the Lord."
Rabbi Tanchumah thus explains it and says: "Thus Moses was greater than all the pious men who had been before him. Even than Noah, who could claim to be the only righteous man on
earth, and was saved when all his generation perished. For while his righteousness saved himself, Moses saved his generation, as it is written (Ex. xxxii.), "And the Lord repented of the evil He would do unto His people."
This may be likened to two pilots, on board two ships, in a terrible storm. One of them was able to save himself, but could not save his ship; the other was able to save his ship as well as himself. Which pilot would you praise? Surely the one who saved his ship.