וַיִּנְהַג אֶת הַצֹּאן אַחַר הַמִּדְבָּר. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: לָמָּה הָיָה רוֹדֵף לַמִּדְבָּר? לְפִי שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל נִתְעַלּוּ מִן הַמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מִי זֹאת עוֹלָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר. עֲלִיָּה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר, הַתּוֹרָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר, הַמָּן וְהַשְּׂלָו מִן הַמִּדְבָּר, הַמִּשְׁכָּן מִן הַמִּדְבָּר, הַשְּׁכִינָה מִן הַמִּדְבָּר הַכְּהוּנָה וּמַלְכוּת מִן הַמִּדְבָּר הַבְּאֵר מִן הַמִּדְבָּר עַנְנֵי כָּבוֹד מִן הַמִּדְבָּר. לְפִיכָךְ וַיִּנְהַג אֶת הַצֹּאן אַחַר הַמִּדְבָּר. And he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness (Exod. 3:1). In answer to the query Why did he go into the wilderness? R. Johanan said: He went into the wilderness because he foresaw that Israel would be exalted through the wilderness, as it is said: Who is this that cometh up out of the wilderness? (Song 3:6). The ascent from Egypt was through the wilderness, the Torah was given in the wilderness; the manna and the quail were obtained in the wilderness; the Tabernacle, the Shekhinah, the priesthood, kingship, the well, the clouds of glory—all occurred in the wilderness. Therefore, he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness.
וַיָּבֹא אֶל הַר הָאֱלֹהִים חֹרֵבָה. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹסִי, שֶׁהָלְכָה צֹאנוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְלֹא טָעֲמָה כְּלוּם, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהָלַךְ אֵלִיָּהוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיָּקָם וַיֹּאכַל וַיִּשְׁתֶּה וַיֵּלֶךְ בְּכֹחַ הָאֲכִילָה הַהִיא אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה (מלכים א יט, ח). And came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb (Exod. 3:1). R. Simeon the son of Yosé maintained that Moses’ flock roamed about for forty days, and that, like Elijah of blessed memory, he tasted no food (during this time), as it is said: And he arose, and he did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meal forty days and forty nights (I Kings 19:8). And he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness (Exod. 3:1). This informed him that (the older generation of) Israel, which was called the flock, would perish in the wilderness.
וַיִּנְהַג אֶת הַצֹּאן אַחַר הַמִּדְבָּר, בִּשְּׂרוֹ שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל נִקְרְאוּ צֹאן, כָּלֶה בַּמִּדְבָּר. וַיִּנְהַג אֶת הַצֹּאן, רָמַז לוֹ שֶׁמַּנְהִיג אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה. וְאַף הוּא נֶאֱסַר עִם הַצֹּאן בַּמִּדְבָּר. וְאַף בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁתָּבַע מֹשֶׁה צָרְכֵיהֶן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לֵךְ בִּשְׁלִיחוּתִי, אָמַר לוֹ מֹשֶׁה, הַגִּידָה לִי שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי (שה״ש א, ז). כַּמָּה חַיּוֹת יֵשׁ בָּהֶן, כַּמָּה מְעֻבָּרוֹת בָּהֶן, כַּמָּה אֲגֻדּוֹת הִתְקַנְתָּ לָהֶן, כַּמָּה רִקּוּחִים הִתְקַנְתָּ לִמְעֻבָּרוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶם, הַגִּידָה לִּי שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי. הֱשִׁיבוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: אִם לֹא תֵדְעִי לָךְ הַיָּפָה בַּנָּשִׁים וְגוֹ' (שה״ש א, ח). לְפִיכָךְ וַיִּנְהַג אֶת הַצֹּאן אַחַר הַמִּדְבָּר. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְחוֹרֵב, מִיָּד וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ ה' אֵלָיו בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ. לָמָּה בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ? כְּדֵי לְלַבְּבוֹ, כְּשֶׁיָּבוֹא לְסִינַי וְיִרְאֶה אוֹתָהּ הָאֵשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְיָרֵא מִמֶּנָּה. And he led the flock. This was a sign to him that he would lead the Israelites though the desert for forty years, and that he would be taken away by death with the flock while it was still in the wilderness. Therefore, at the time Moses pleaded for the needs of Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Go on My mission. Moses replied: Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth (Song 1:7), that is, tell Me how many midwives are there among them, how many women with child are there, how many nuts13Reading agozim (as in Shemot Rabbah), rather than agudot. have you provided for the infants, how many potions have you prepared for the pregnant women among them? Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: If thou knowest not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way by the footsteps of the flock (you will learn). Therefore: And he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness. As soon as he reached Mount Horeb, The angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire (Exod. 3:2). Why did He appear in a fiery flame? So that when he came to Sinai and beheld the fire, his heart would not be frightened by it.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְלָמָּה בְּלַבַּת אֵשׁ? מִשְּׁנֵי חֲלָקָיו שֶׁל סְנֶה וּלְמַעְלָה, שֶׁהַלֵּב נָתוּן מִשְּׁנֵי חֲלָקָיו שֶׁל אָדָם וּלְמַעְלָה. וְלָמָּה מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה, וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ אִילָן גָּדוֹל, וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ תְּמָרָה? אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: כָּתַבְתִּי בַּתּוֹרָה, עִמּוֹ אָנֹכִי בְצָרָה (תהלים צא, טו). הֵם נְתוּנִים בְּשִׁעְבּוּד, וְאַף אֲנִי בַּסְּנֶה מִמָּקוֹם צָר. לְפִיכָךְ מִתּוֹךְ הַסְּנֶה שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ קוֹצִים. Another comment on why in a flame of fire (belibbat esh)? The fire was on both sides of the bush and in the upper portion, just as the heart (leb) is placed between the two sides of a man’s body and in the upper portion of his body. Why did He appear in the midst of a bush of thorns rather than in a large tree or a column of smoke? The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I have stated in the Torah: I will be with him in trouble (Ps. 91:15); inasmuch as they were enslaved, I appeared in a bush of thorns, which is a place of trouble. Therefore, out of the midst of a bush which is full of thorns, I appeared unto him.