Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

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The Burning Bush

Moshe shepherds his father in law Yisro's sheep. As a precautionary measure to prevent the sheep from grazing from other people's property and thus stealing from them, he brings them far out into the wilderness of Midian.

They arrive at a mountain that is on the way to Chorev. This is the "Mountain of G-d", so named for being the mountain upon which the giving of the Torah will occur.

Moshe comes across a thornbush that is burning but not being consumed. This was an angel of G-d assuming that form. G-d choose to specifically reveal Himself in a thornbush to represent that He is with them in their suffering, i.e in the "thorns".

Moshe decides to move away from what he was doing and approach the bush to get a closer look.

G-d saw that Moshe shifted his focus to the bush and said "Moshe, Moshe". Moshe replied, "Here I am."

G-d tells him not to come any closer and to remove his shoes as the land he is standing upon is holy.

He then tells Moshe that he is the G-d of his father, of Avraham, of Itzchak and of Yaakov. Moshe hides his face out of fear of gazing at G-d.

G-d says that He is aware and focused on the suffering the Israelites are enduring in Egypt from the taskmasters, i.e he is not ignoring it.

He says that he will rescue the Israelites and bring them to a "good and spacious" land that is "flowing with milk and honey", the place of the Canaanites, the Chittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivvite and the Yevusite.

He says that he has heard the Israelites crying out to Him and reiterates that he sees their oppression by the hands of the Egyptians.

He tells Moshe that he will now send him to Pharaoh and assures Moshe that his word will be the key to getting the Israelites out of Egypt.

Moshe replies to G-d, "Who am I to be worthy of speaking to kings like Pharaoh? And who are the Israelites that they are worthy of redemption?"

G-d replies that Moshe need not be himself worthy to speak to kings as he is not going on his own mission but rather is serving as a mere emissary of G-d. He reassures Moshe that the burning bush Moshe witnesses is a sign that G-d has sent him, and he will therefore succeed in this mission. So as the bush burned without being consumed, so will Moshe accomplish his mission without being harmed.

As for the Israelites being worthy, G-d says that is planning on giving them the Torah on that very mountain upon which Moshe was standing, three months after they leave Egypt (not literally three full months but rather three different months will occur and then the Israelites will receive the Torah (they left Egypt during Nissan, were in the dessert for the full month of Iyar and then received the Torah in the beginning of Sivan).

Alternatively, G-d is telling Moshe here that the fact that he will succeed in taking the Israelites out of Egypt will serve as a sign that the Israelites will receive the Torah on that mountain upon which Moshe stood, which was G-d's second prediction.

Moshe says, "OK so when I approach the Israelites and tell them that the G-d of their forefathers sent me, they will ask me what the name of this G-d is. What shall I tell them?"

G-d replies that Moshe should tell them that the name he should give to the Israelites is "I Shall Be that I Shall Be", alluding to G-d being with the Israelites in their present suffering and that He will be with them in their future sufferings as well. Moshe retorted, "The Israelites are suffering enough right now, why mention future sufferings?" G-d concedes and says, "This is true. I wanted you to know about my involvement in the present as well as the future, however the Israelites only need to know about the present, so just tell them that "I Shall Be" sent you. (i..e without the 2nd I Shall Be)".

G-d continues and tells Moshe to tell the Israelites that he was sent by the G-d of their forefathers Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. He tells Moshe the proper pronunciation of the ineffable four letter name of G-d but then instructs him that it should not be pronounced out loud but rather pronounced differently than it is spelled.

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