וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי. מַהוּ הִנֵּנִּי? אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן קָרְחָה, הִנֵּנִי לִכְהֻנָּה, הִנֵּנִי לְמַלְכוּת. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בִּמְקוֹם עַמּוּדוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם אַתָּה עוֹמֵד. אַבְרָהָם אָמַר הִנֵּנִי, וְאַתָּה אוֹמֵר הִנֵּנִי. אַל תִּקְרַב הֲלֹם, אֵין הֲלֹם אֶלָּא מַלְכוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מִי אָנֹכִי אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹקִים וּמִי בֵיתִי כִּי הֲבִאֹתַנִי עַד הֲלֹם (ש״ב ז, יח). וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר: הֲבָא עוֹד הֲלֹם אִישׁ (ש״א י, כב). בִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ כְּתִיב: וַיֹּאמֶר מַלְאַךְ ה' אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שַׁל נַעַלְךָ מֵעַל רַגְלֶךָ (יהושע ה, טו). וּבְמֹשֶׁה כְּתִיב: שַׁל נַעֲלֶיךָ. וַיֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם וְגוֹ'. נִגְלָה עָלָיו בְּקוֹלוֹ שֶׁל עַמְרָם אָבִיו, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִתְיָרֵא. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה שָׂמַח מֹשֶׁה וְאָמַר: עוֹד אָבִי עַמְרָם חָי. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: אָנֹכִי אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם וְגוֹ', בְּפִתּוּי בָּאתִי אֵלֶיךָ, שֶׁלֹּא תִּתְיָרֵא. מִיָּד: וַיַּסְתֵּר מֹשֶׁה פָּנָיו. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: חַיֶּיךָ, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁחָלַקְתָּ לִי כָּבוֹד, אֲנִי חוֹלֵק לְךָ כָּבוֹד לְעֵינֵי כָל יִשְׂרָאֵל. וַיִּירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו, לְפִי שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ כִּי יָרֵא. וְעַל שֶׁלֹּא רָצִיתָ לְהַבִּיט, לְפִיכָךְ וּתְמוּנַת ה' יַבִּיט. וְעַל שֶׁהִסְתַּרְתָּ פָּנִים, לְפִיכָךְ וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת פְּנֵי מֹשֶׁה כִּי קָרַן עוֹר פָּנָיו. הִנֵּה צַעֲקַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָה, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָיָה רוֹאֶה בְשִׁעְבּוּדָן וּבִלְחִיצָתָם. And he said: “Moses, Moses.” and he said: “Here am I” (Exod. 3:4). What is the meaning of Here am I? R. Joshua the son of Karha held: Here am I implies: “I am ready for priesthood and for kingship.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said: You stand in the place of one of the pillars of the world, (for) Abraham has said Here am I, and now you are saying Here am I. Draw not nigh hither (ibid., v. 5). The word hither alludes to kingship, as it is said: Whom am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me hither? (II Sam. 7:18). Similarly it states: Is there yet a man come hither? (I Sam. 10:22). With reference to Joshua it is written: Put off thy shoe from off thy foot (Josh. 5:15), and it is also written concerning Moses: Put off thy shoes from off thy feet (Exod. 3:5). And He said: I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham (ibid., v. 6). He appeared to him through the voice of his father, Amram, lest he become frightened. Thereupon Moses rejoiced, exclaiming: “My father, Amram, still lives.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, I came to you enticingly so that you would not be terrified. Forthwith, Moses hid his face. Be assured, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, because you honored Me, I will cause you to be honored by all Israel. Hence, they were afraid to come nigh him (Exod. 34:30), for it is written of him: For he was afraid (ibid. 3:6). Because you did not wish to look—therefore the similitude of the Lord doth he behold (Num. 12:8). Because you hid your face, the children of Israel were afraid to look upon the face of Moses, for The skin of his face sent forth beams, and they were afraid to come nigh him (Exod. 34:30). And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come (ibid. 3:9). This teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be He witnessed their labors and their afflictions.