Divine Revelation — How Moshe Merited His

[The following are a few verses from Parshas Shemos, where it talks about G-d’s first revelation to Moshe. Chapter 3, first four verses.]

Passuk Alef -1:  And Moshe was pasturing (tending) the sheep of Yisro, his father-in-law, kohen of Midian and he led the sheep after the desert and he brought them to the Mountain of Hashem Chorev. 

Rashi:  After the desert – why did Moshe take the sheep so far?  To get far away from stealing so that he sheep would not graze in the fields of others?  In Tehillim, King David asks  us “Mee Ya’aleh B’Har Hashem” who gets to “go up to the Mountain of G-d” and King David answers, “Nekee Kapayim” a person whose hands are clean.  One must be an honest person in order to get close to G-d.  Moshe went to great lengths so that even one blade of grass he would not steal.

Seforno:  says that Moshe also chose this place to come to because he wanted to do Hisbodidus and daven here.  An introduction to Hisbodidus.  At times people need to take time to be with Hashem alone and figure themselves out.  We need to schedule time where we reflect on who we are, what we should be doing and how well we are doing it.  Time alone to make a Cheshbon HaNefesh [accounting of our soul], to figure ourselves out and to find out how to improve is very important to service of G-d.  In the hustle and bustle of society and living, often we are marching to the tune of others, blocked from really knowing our own true inner core and truths.

Pasuk Bays-2:  And an Angel of Hashem appeared to him in a flame of fire in the middle of the bush and he looked and he saw, behold a bush burning with fire and the bush is not being consumed.  

Rashi:  From the middle of a bush – why a bush?  And not another tree?  To show “eemo anochi B’Tzara” G-d is, so-to-speak, suffering with the Jews and doesn’t show off with majestic things when they are suffering.

Even Ezra tells us that what Moshe was seeing is a Mashal-parable to the Jewish people.  We are forever being put through fires of anti-semitism, but the bush doesn’t get consumed by the fire, there are always Jewish people – we will always survive as a nation.

We must always remember in life, even in the midst of struggles and tribulations, with G-d within us, we are never “consumed” by our troubles.

Passuk Gimmel -3:  And Moshe said, I will turn aside and I will see this great sight why the bush is not being burnt.

Many people see amazing miracles or amazing things such as unbelievable events in nature, and ignore it, too busy to sit and think about it.  That is what stops them from becoming close to Hashem.  Look at Moshe, he saw something amazing, something that didn’t make sense in the natural order of things.  Instead of going, “interesting, la dee da, let me go on with making money” he said “I will turn aside and contemplate it and think.  I will try to figure it out and learn from it.”  That is what we must do, notice the things Hashem does in the world and become closer to Hashem from viewing life, history and nature.

Passuk Daled-4:  And Hashem saw that he turned to see and G-d called to him from the middle of the bush and he said Moshe, Moshe, and he said, I am here.

If you remember from when you learned about Avraham, Hashem calling out a name twice, shows love.

Seforno:  Hashem didn’t call out to Moshe until Moshe turned away from his daily business and turned toward the bush.  “Habah L’Taher M’sayin Ohsoh” we are taught, which means, someone who comes to become better, gets helped by Hashem.  Don’t expect Hashem to strike you with lightening to get your attention.  Hashem expects YOU to take the first step toward Him and toward becoming a better person.  Once you take that first step, then, okay, Hashem says, now I’ll call out to that person.  Moshe had to make the decision to contemplate the miracle and become better through seeing what he was seeing, and when he took that first step, Hashem called out to him.

 So the recap of how Moshe got revelation:  he was honest, he took time to figure out himself (without the blocking noise of society), he contemplated that which he saw, and he turned toward G-d.  May we all have the wisdom to try to imitate him, so that we, too, can merit Divine Messages.