TURN TO SEE

A lot has been written on the wonder of the burning bush.  Moses "came to the Mountain of G-d, to Horeb, and "saw the bush was burning in the fire but the bush was not consumed".  At the conclusion of this revelation, Moses accepted, though very reluctantly, the assignment to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of bondage (see Exodus 3:1-4:17).

When Moses saw the burning bush he said to himself: "Let me turn and see this great sight.  Why will the bush not be burned?"  In response "G-d saw that he turned to see, and G-d called him from inside the bush..."  G-d called Moses only after he "turned to see".  This great revelation, in which Moses became the chosen leader for the great exodus from Egypt, would not have happened had Moses not "turned to see".

The prophet Isaiah said: "Seek G-d when He is available, call upon Him when He is near" (Isaiah 55:6).  Is there a time when G-d is not near?  Wasn't it Isaiah himself who also said (6:3): "The whole world is filled with His glory"?  What Isaiah actually said was that we must seek G-d to make G-d available to us and we have to call upon G-d to bring G-d near us, into our lives.

Similarly, G-d presence in Mount Horeb did not guarantee revelation to Moses.  Only when G-d saw that Moses "turned to see", to change direction and inquire with open eyes and curiosity, G-d made Himself available and revealed Himself to Moses.  The human initiative made it happen.

 Judah Ari-Gur

For additional columns: http://homepages.wmich.edu/~arigurj/Column_list.htm