Turning Aside: Moshe at the Burning Bush

Moshe brings the flock of his father-in-law Yitro beyond Midian, into the wilderness, and to Mount Horeb. Presumably, Moshe could have chosen a better place than the wilderness to bring the flock to graze. In the wilderness, food may have been less easy to come by and dangers abundant. While the text does not immediately clarify what drove Moshe to travel to Horeb, it is clear that he moves far out of his way to do so.
It is on Mount Horeb that Moshe will soon encounter G-d directly for the first time in the form of a small, burning thorn bush. The scene, set up by Moshe moving himself and the flock away from the beaten path, also shows Moshe moving his body in interesting ways. A midrashic interpretation of these motions presents us with a blueprint for how to respond to a divine call in our lives.

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The following verses describe Moshe first noticing the bush on Mount Horeb:

In Exodous 3:2, Moshe is first seen gazing. There are many ways to gaze at something, but a gaze is generally held steady. One may hold one's face and body still - or even in a strained posture - to hold a gaze. Breathing may even slow down. We can imagine Moshe's steady intrigue and alert as he gazed at the burning bush.
In verse 3, the stillness is broken by Moshe's desire to understand what he sees. We hear Moshe ask why the bush burns without being consumed, and we watch him resolve to "turn aside" to look at the bush.

What kind of motion is implied by "turning aside"? A midrash on this scene presents us with one possible answer:

Here, the midrash presents two ideas for how Moshe "turned aside" towards the bush. Rabbi Johanan suggests he took three steps forward, while Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish thinks Moshe craned his neck to better see what was going on.
We can interpret Rabbi Johanan's reading of Moshe's movement as one that favors interpreting Moshe's "turning aside" as active. Moshe doesn't just turn his eye - he brings his whole self closer to G-d's call. He is willing to turn from his prior path to explore something new.
Alternatively, Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish's reads a change in attention into Moshe's movements. Moshe turns his full attention towards G-d's call without moving his whole self. He remains thoughtful but uncertain of this new phenomenon.
Though the midrash presents these two modes of responding to a divine call in our lives as different, one can also view them as complementary. By preserving both Rabbi Johanan's and Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish's opinions, the midrash recognizes that in the face of a divine call, one can experience both a sense of being pulled towards the divine with one's whole being, as well as reservations rooted in a lack of understanding what it is we feel or what it is G-d is calling us to do.
The midrash is clear however that whether Moshe took three steps towards the bush or craned his neck to investigate it, Moshe makes an effort to better 'see' G-d, and because of this, G-d issues a clearer call to Moshe. Thus, it would seem that there is value in responding to G-d with enthusiasm as well with thoughtfulness and careful evaluation.

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Moshe's experiencing fear and hesitancy as he engages with G-d on Mount Horeb is characteristic of the rest of their exchange at the burning bush and beyond. Indeed, the scene reminds us that responding to a divine call involves both uncertainty and trust, and as long as we are willing to keep fostering a connection to the sacred in our lives, it will continue calling and responding to us.