Musar zu Schemot 3:5

Exodus 3,5, tells Moses to remove both his sandals, whereas in Joshua 5,15, we find the latter commanded to remove only one of his sandals. Why? There are three differences in the two stories. A) Moses is asked to remove "your sandals," i.e. plural. B) Here we read that the earth Moses stands on is holy, i.e. אדמת קודש. In the book of Joshua the word "soil," אדמה is missing. C) In the book of Joshua, it is reported that Joshua complied, i.e. ויעש כן, he did so. This comment is missing in the case of Moses.

Let us now explain some of the aspects of קדושה, holiness or sanctity. There are three different kinds of holiness, five if we include sub-categories. The three basic categories are: 1) The sanctity of the body as discussed in the earlier portions of the Book of Leviticus concerning which the Torah said – והתקדשתם: 2. The sanctity of space as mentioned in the Torah in Exodus 3,5: כי המקום … קדש הוא (this has to do with התבודדות, physical separation from others; 3) The sanctity of time, such as when the Sabbath is called מקרא קודש, "a holy convocation."

I have already alluded to the Midrash which describes Moses as a טירון, private, in G–d's army of prophets at the beginning of his career when he experienced his first vision of G–d at the Burning Bush. G–d had said to Himself at that time: "If I appear to him with a thunderous voice, I will frighten him. If I approach him in a low voice, he will treat prophecy with scorn. So what did G–d do? He addressed him using the voice of Moses' father Amram. When thus approached, Moses responded by saying: הנני, "I am ready" (what does my father wish of me?) (Exodus 3,5). G–d then told Moses that He was not his father but the G–d of his father, that He had called him in a seductive manner so as not to frighten him. He explained that He was also the G–d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thereupon Moses was very happy to hear that his own father was included in the list of patriarchs, and had even been mentioned ahead of the patriarchs. At this point, Moses hid his face, saying that he must surely hide his face in the presence of the G–d of his father.