(1) Now Moses, tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, drove the flock into the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. (2) A messenger of יהוה appeared to him in a blazing fire out of a bush. He gazed, and there was a bush all aflame, yet the bush was not consumed. (3) Moses said, “I must turn aside to look at this marvelous sight; why doesn’t the bush burn up?” (4) When יהוה saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him out of the bush: “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” (5) And [God] said, “Do not come closer! Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground!” (6) and continued, “I am the God of your father’s [house]—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. (7) And יהוה continued, “I have marked well the plight of My people in Egypt and have heeded their outcry because of their taskmasters; yes, I am mindful of their sufferings. (8) I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the region of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (9) Now the cry of the Israelites has reached Me; moreover, I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them. (10) Come, therefore, I will send you to Pharaoh, and you shall free My people, the Israelites, from Egypt.” (11) But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and free the Israelites from Egypt?” (12) And [God] said, “I will be with you; that shall be your sign that it was I who sent you. And when you have freed the people from Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” (13) Moses said to God, “When I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers’ [house] has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is [God’s] name?’ what shall I say to them?” (14) And God said to Moses, “Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh,”“Thus shall you say to the Israelites, ‘Ehyeh*Ehyeh sent me to you.’” (15) And God said further to Moses, “Thus shall you speak to the Israelites: יהוה,*יהוה the God of your fathers’ [house]—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you:
This shall be My name forever,
This My appellation for all eternity. (16) “Go and assemble the elders of Israel and say to them: יהוה, the God of your fathers’ [house]—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has appeared to me and said, ‘I have taken note of you and of what is being done to you in Egypt,
2. Angel=Burning Bush -- Sight
3. God -- Voice
4. Moses, Moses -- Abraham and the covenant, and urgency
5. Get used to the sacred, the forbidden -- you and I are on different planes and don't forget it
ועל דרך האמת, המלאך הזה הוא המלאך הגואל, שנאמר כי שמי בקרבו (להלן כג כ"א), הוא שאמר ליעקב אנכי האל בית אל (בראשית לא יג), ובו נאמר ויקרא אליו אלהים, אבל יקרא במדה ההיא מלאך בהנהגת העולם, וכן כתיב ויוציאנו ה' ממצרים (דברים כו ח) וכתיב וישלח מלאך ויוציאנו ממצרים (במדבר כ טז), ונאמר ומלאך פניו הושיעם (ישעיה סג ט), כלומר מלאך שהוא פניו, כדכתיב פני ילכו והניחותי לך (שמות ל״ג:י״ד). והוא שנאמר בו ופתאום יבא אל היכלו האדון אשר אתם מבקשים ומלאך הברית אשר אתם חפצים הנה בא (מלאכי ג א). ועוד תבין זה בפסוקים הבאים (להלן ט' י"ב י"ג ט"ו) בעזרת השם:
Our Rabbis have said in Bereshith Rabbah:139Bereshith Rabbah 97:4. The complete quote mentioned here by Ramban is found in Shemoth Rabbah 2:8. “Angel. This refers to the angel Michael. Wherever Rabbi Yosei Ha’aruch140Literally: “Rabbi Yosei the tall one.” He was an outstanding pupil of Rabbeinu Hakadosh, or Rabbi Judah the Prince, redactor of the Mishnah. was seen, people would say, ‘There is Rabbeinu Hakadosh.’ Similarly, wherever the angel Michael appears, there is also present the Glory of the Divine Presence.” The Rabbis intended to say that at first, the angel Michael appeared to Moses, and there was also the Glory of the Divine Presence, but Moses did not see the Glory, as he had not duly prepared his mind for prophecy. When he duly prepared his heart for it and he turned aside to see, then the vision of the Divine Presence revealed itself to him, and G-d called unto him out of the midst of the bush.135Verse 4.
(2) Looking up, he saw three figures standing near him. Perceiving this, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground,
(31) Then יהוה uncovered Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the messenger of יהוה standing in the way, his drawn sword in his hand; thereupon he bowed right down to the ground.
(א) ויאמר אנכי אלהי אביך וגו'. מלמד שנגלה עליו כקולו של עמרם אביו, כדי שלא יתיירא, ובאותה שעה שמח משה אמר אמרם אבי קיים אמר לו [הקב"ה] לא אביך אני, אלא אלהי [אביך אלהי] אברהם, בפתאום איני בא עליך, כדי שלא תתיירא. באותו שעה ויסתר משה פניו, אמר לו הקב"ה חייך אתה חלקת לי כבוד, וגם אני אחלק לך כבוד שנאמר (ויראו) [וראו] בני ישראל את פני משה וגו' (שמות לד לה), אתה יראת מהביט אל האלהים, וגם בני ישראל ייראו מהביט אל פניך [כמו שאמר וייראו מגשת אליו (שם לד ל)]:
And he said, I am the God of your father. This teaches us that God revealed God's self in the voice of Amram his father, so that Moses would not be afraid. At that time, Moses was happy and said, "Is my father still alive?" God said to him, I am not your father, rather the father of Abraham, but I didn't come to you suddenly so as not to frighten you. That is when Moses hid his face. God said to you, by your life, you have given me the ultimate respect. I will give you respect as well, as it said "And the Children of Israel saw the face of Moses, etc." (Exodus 34:35). You were afraid to look at God and the Children of Israel were afraid to look at your face (as it says in Exodus 34:30, "and they were frightened to approach him.") -- MY TRANSLATION
(1) AND THE LORD SAID. The messenger speaks the same language as the one who sent him. (2) [I HAVE SURELY SEEN.] Its meaning is: I have seen that which people do not see, namely, the violence that is done to them secretly. (3) AND HAVE HEARD THEIR CRY. I have heard their cry which is heard by all and I know the pain which they bear in their hearts.