Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Musar for Exodus 3:6

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אָנֹכִי֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֔יךָ אֱלֹהֵ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִצְחָ֖ק וֵאלֹהֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֑ב וַיַּסְתֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ פָּנָ֔יו כִּ֣י יָרֵ֔א מֵהַבִּ֖יט אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

Moreover He said: ‘I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Shenei Luchot HaBerit

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.
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