Burning, Not Consumed

'Moses was pasturing the flocks of Jethro, his father in law, the chief of Midian, and he led the flocks after the free pastureland, and he came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within the thorn bush, and behold, the thorn bush was burning with fire, but the thorn bush was not being consumed. So Moses said, "Let me turn now and see this great spectacle why does the thorn bush not burn up?"...and God called to him from within the thorn bush...And Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look toward God.' (Exodus 3:1-6)

In this week's Torah portion, Shemot, we are introduced to the great Jewish leader Moshe (Moses), who is born and raised in Egypt during the times of Jewish enslavement under Pharaoh. After fleeing from Egypt, Moshe settles as a shepherd for his father-in-law in a neighboring land. One day, he sees a thorn bush on fire, but miraculously it wasn't being consumed at all, as seen in the above text. G-d then directs Moshe to redeem his people. Why did G-d use a burning thorn bush as a medium to appear to Moshe and communicate with him? What was its significance?

Our Sages teach that a prickly thorn bush causes pain. The thorns signified the trials and tribulations the Jewish people would go through in the future. It would be painful, G-d was showing Moshe. But as much as the people would be burned, they would never be consumed. The Jewish people will always survive intact as before. What was Moshe's reaction to G-d's first communication with him from the thorn bush? "And Moses hid his face." Let's look one step deeper at this story.

The Mystics teach that G-d was offering something special to Moshe. When G-d Appeared in the thorn bush, He was offering Moshe a chance to see the world from a Divine perspective. To understand why there would be persecution of the Jewish people, to give G-dly insight into the age old question of why do bad things happen to good people. Many may have jumped at this incredibly profound opportunity. But Moshe refused and looked away. He did this because he preferred to see the world from his people's perspective in times of pain and hardship. Moshe knew that once he saw life's events from a heavenly perspective and saw the hidden purpose for pain, he would lose some of his inner ability to defend and argue with G-d in the future when tribulations befell his people. He chose to side with his people from their lower perspective.

This story sheds insight into the fact that all of life's trials and tribulations have an inner, Divine intention for the good, even if we don't see it. It also shows us what a true leader is. Moshe refused to lead at first, too humble to feel worthy. He chose the needs of his people over all else. May God grant us leaders like these today, especially in Israel and the USA, and ultimately send us the truest leader of all, our righteous Mashiach speedily in our days.

Shabbat Shalom!

-Rabbi Daniel