וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אָנֹכִי֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֔יךָ אֱלֹהֵ֧י אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִצְחָ֖ק וֵאלֹהֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֑ב וַיַּסְתֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ פָּנָ֔יו כִּ֣י יָרֵ֔א מֵהַבִּ֖יט אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃
또 이르시되 나는 네 조상의 하나님이니 아브라함의 하나님, 이삭의 하나님, 야곱의 하나님이니라 모세가 하나님 뵈옵기를 두려워하여 얼굴을 가리우매
Vayikra Rabbah
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin interpreted the verse in the name of Rabbi Levi: “As it is better that it should be said to you: Come up here, than that you be demeaned before a prince…” (Proverbs 25:7). Rabbi Akiva taught it in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Azai: Distance yourself two or three seats from your rightful place and sit until they say to you, ascend. But do not ascend, as they will say to you, descend.11It was common for people to be seated according to their prominence. It would be better to take a less prominent seat and then be told to move up to a more prominent seat, than to take a more prominent seat and risk being told to move down to a less prominent one. It is preferable that they say to you, ascend, ascend, and that they not say to you, descend, descend. Likewise, Hillel says: My lowering is my elevation; my elevation is my lowering. What is the source? “Who sits on High, who looks down to see” (Psalms 113:5–6).
You find that when the Holy One blessed be He revealed Himself to Moses from the midst of the bush, he concealed his face from Him, as it is stated: “Moses concealed his face…” (Exodus 3:6). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Go [lekha], and I will send you to Pharaoh, [and you will bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt]” (Exodus 3:10). Rabbi Elazar said: There is a heh at the end of the word, to say that if you do not redeem them, no one else will redeem them.12Instead of the standard usage, lekh, meaning go, God said lekha, which can also mean “for you.” This was meant to indicate that Moses was the only one who could have fulfilled this mission.
At the sea, he stood off to the side. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “You, raise your staff…and split it” (Exodus 14:16), to say that if you do not split it no one else will split it.13Instead of saying just: Raise your staff…, God prefaced the command with the word “you,” meaning, you alone can do it. At Sinai, he stood off to the side. [God] said to him: “Ascend to God, [you]” (Exodus 24:1), to say that if you do not ascend, no one else will ascend. At the Tent of Meeting, he stood off to the side. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: Until when will you lower yourself? The hour is awaiting only you. Know that it is so, as from all of them, the divine speech called only to Moses: “He called to Moses.”
You find that when the Holy One blessed be He revealed Himself to Moses from the midst of the bush, he concealed his face from Him, as it is stated: “Moses concealed his face…” (Exodus 3:6). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Go [lekha], and I will send you to Pharaoh, [and you will bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt]” (Exodus 3:10). Rabbi Elazar said: There is a heh at the end of the word, to say that if you do not redeem them, no one else will redeem them.12Instead of the standard usage, lekh, meaning go, God said lekha, which can also mean “for you.” This was meant to indicate that Moses was the only one who could have fulfilled this mission.
At the sea, he stood off to the side. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “You, raise your staff…and split it” (Exodus 14:16), to say that if you do not split it no one else will split it.13Instead of saying just: Raise your staff…, God prefaced the command with the word “you,” meaning, you alone can do it. At Sinai, he stood off to the side. [God] said to him: “Ascend to God, [you]” (Exodus 24:1), to say that if you do not ascend, no one else will ascend. At the Tent of Meeting, he stood off to the side. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: Until when will you lower yourself? The hour is awaiting only you. Know that it is so, as from all of them, the divine speech called only to Moses: “He called to Moses.”
Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael
Similarly, (Exodus 3:6) "I am the G–d of your father, the G–d of Abraham, the G–d of Isaac, and the G–d of Jacob." I might think that whoever comes first in the verse comes first in importance. It is, therefore, written (Leviticus 26:42) "Then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember" — to teach that all three are of equal importance.
Midrash Tanchuma
Both these attributes were possessed by our teacher, Moses. As to humility, it is stated: And the man Moses was very humble (Num. 12:3), and as to fear, it is written: For he feared to look upon God (Exod. 3:6).