“Let me turn now and see this great sight” (Shemos 3:3)

Far removed from the suffering of his people Moshe is living in constant worry about the future of his brethren in the Egyptian exile. After growing up in the royal palace enjoying the pleasures of life in the Egyptian court he had to flee from the land of his birth and now he is living as a refugee in a foreign land. After suddenly discovering Bnei Yisrael his tormented brothers he has paid a heavy price for his discovery. He has killed an Egyptian who was abusing a Hebrew and fear of Pharaoh’s sword has sent him in flight to Midian. But even there he cannot forget his brothers. The heart that was opened on the day he “went out to his brethren” (Shemos2:11) is closed to them no more. And he cannot take his mind off his concern for their fate:

“That is he would calculate in his heart and say ‘What if the Egyptians put an end to the Jewish people?’” (Midrash Rabbah Shemos 2:5).

“Calculate” says the Midrash. That is to say it was not just a fleeting abstract thought but something he would dwell on it all the time turning it over in his mind seeking solutions trying to formulate a plan to head off the Egyptian version of the Final Solution.

Moshe was blessed with qualities befitting a Jewish leader. He had a sense of absolute justice which he displayed at all times. He went to extremes to avoid any taint of theft. Another quality befitting Bnei Yisrael’s redeemer was his merciful heart overflowing with endless compassion for man animal and the entire universe. And here the parshah adds another touch to the character sketch — Moshe’s sense of personal responsibility for the fate of his brethren imprisoned on the other side of the Egyptian iron curtain. This sense of responsibility gave rise to extreme apprehension. Moshe was so troubled that could not go about his daily affairs calmly and according to the Midrash G‑d’s choice of this man as the redeemer was based particularly on this quality.

This was reflected in the vision of the burning bush. The pasuk says “And Hashem saw that he had turned to see and G‑d called to him from within the bush” (3:4).

“Rabi Yitzchak said ‘What is the meaning of “that he had turned to see”? HaKadosh Baruch Hu said he is saddened and enraged to see the pain of Israelin Egypt and therefore he is worthy of being shepherd over them. Immediately “And G‑d called out to him from within the bush” (Midrash Rabbah Shemos 2:6).

On the day of that turning point Moshe had come saddened and enraged to the desert to the thorn bush — to themountainofG‑d. Serving as his father-in-law’s shepherd he is drawn to the isolation of the desert. And while walking about freely in its silent expanses his inward senses could surely hear the terrible cries of his subjugated brethren inEgyptall the more acutely. At those painful moments he was tormented with questions about their fate questions that remained unanswered. But he made his “calculations.” He calculated and calculated….

And then G‑d appeared to him in the thorn bush.

“And the angel of Hashem appeared to him in a flame of fire from within the bush and he saw and behold the bush was burning in fire and the bush was not consumed” (Shemos 3:2).

The Midrash tells us that a non-Jew asked Rabi Yehoshua ben Karchah why did HaKadosh Baruch Hu choose to speak with Moshe from within a thorn bush of all things? In other words a thorn bush seems an odd choice such a lowly species for such an exalted role! Let us go deeper and ask why would G‑d need any sort of botanical middleman in order to deliver His message? Why did He not use the classical prophetic means of communication appearing to Moshe in a vision within his own mind rather than in a tangible object?

Moshe’s mind was staggering under the weight of distressing thoughts; his inner vision was full of dark images of slavery and his imagination was painting frightful pictures of the fate of his people. And so the Creator placed a tangible sight before him an amazing inexplicable phenomenon that drew his attention.

Moshe was arrested by an astonishing sight that contravened the laws of nature as he knew them: here was fire behaving against its natural properties. Or was it the thorn bush that was defying the laws of nature making a mockery of fire’s properties? This highly flammable species of vegetation was standing whole and unharmed in the midst of flickering flames.

He stood there wondering why isn’t the bush being consumed? The image of the mysterious bush was superimposed on the desperate thoughts that filled his mind and in a sudden burst of illumination he came to a wonderful realization:

“Accordingly HaKadosh Baruch Hu showed him a fire that burned and did not consume. He was saying to him just as the bush burns in fire and is not consumed so the Egyptians will not be able to destroy Israel” (Midrash Rabbah Shemos 2:5).

In other words if the laws of nature are relative and are subject to the exclusive control of the Creator then the Providence of that same Creator holds sway over history as well;  and that means  that servitude in Egypt will not necessarily put an end to the Jewish people.

This was the first spark of hope in Moshe’s heart. But there was more: the Creator spoke to him from within the bush from that small and scruffy desert plant.

“To teach you that there is no empty place without the Shechinah’s presence not even a thorn bush” (ibid).

If so if G‑d is present even in a thorn bush then He is present in Egypt too — in the huts of the slaves in the whistle of the lashing whip and in the screams of the babies thrown into the Nile. There is no void no place without His presence and surely He sees and hears everything…

Moshe’s hope was strengthened.

The thorn bush had much to say to Moshe. Without words it explained the essence of Am Yisrael to him. Among other things it said to him “The nature of a thorn bush is that if a person puts his hand into it he is not hurt because its thorns are all bent downward. But if he tries to pull his hand out the thorns catch it and he cannot remove them” (Midrash Abkir).

“Rabi Pinchas HaKohen bar Chama said ‘As with this thorn bush when a man puts his hand into it he is unaffected but when he pulls it out he is scratched similarly when the Jewish people went down to Egypt no one recognized them but when they went out it was with signs and wonders and with war” (Midrash Rabbah Shemos 2:5).

In the heart of the desert Moshe stood and gazed at that small shrub and saw a vision of all of human history. This was his people’s destiny. The fire of hatred wishing to burn and consume it entirely would be the Jewish trademark from now on the identifying label on our people’s existence as long as there are nations in the world. And even before we became a nation before we emerged from that first exile Moshe was given to understand that so it would always be and that the Jewish People’s enemies would never succeed in realizing their schemes of extermination.

And furthermore any enemy that would try to oppress us would have to pay the full price in the end. The thorns of the bush (i.e. Am Yisrael) “catch him and he cannot remove them” This strange reciprocal relationship between the Jewish People and its enemies — by which the enemy self-destructs — is a fascinating aspect of human history.

Without suffering and subjugation there is no way of arriving at redemption. The torments suffered byIsraelinEgyptwould constitute preparation for one of the most astounding events in human history. Through slavery the peoples of the world would learn the concept of liberty. Their suffering would take this people out of their anonymity their state of “no one recognizing them ” and place them and their spiritual message at the center of history.

Food for Thought

I trained myself not to desire that which I really don’t desire

Rav Pinchas MiKoritz