Midrasz do Przysłów 29:23

And Moshe was a shepherd and a gentleman in a fire out of the bush. Rashbi tells what God Almighty discovered from my name and would talk to Moshe out of the bush, what this bush is tougher than any tree in the world and every bird that enters it does not go right out of it but cuts limb organs, so that Egyptian labor is difficult before the place of every slave in the world. A slave or slave Ben Horin never left Egypt but only Hagar said (Genesis 2: 2) and Pharaoh would go on him and send him and his wife and all that he had: Merom and he would talk to Moshe out of the bush as long as Israel was in such trouble

(Lev. 1:1:) “Then [the Lord] called unto Moses.” This text is related (to Prov. 29:23), “One's pride will bring him low, but the low in spirit will obtain honor.” Whenever anyone pursues [a position of] authority, authority flees from him, but whenever anyone flees from [a position of] authority, authority will pursue him. Saul fled from authority when he came to reign, as stated (in I Sam. 10:22), “So they inquired of the Lord again, ‘Has anyone else come [here]?’ And the Lord said, ‘Here he is hiding among the baggage.’” What does it (the word “baggage”) mean? When they came and brought him word of his kingship, he told them, “I am not worthy of kingship. Rather inquire by means of urim and thummim whether I am worthy; and if not, leave me alone.” Immediately (ibid.), “So they inquired of the Lord again (i.e., this second time),” [and] immediately he hid himself until they had inquired of urim and thummim. (Ibid. cont.:) “And the Lord said, ‘here he is hiding among the baggage (literally: instruments).’” Thus have our masters taught: These instruments were urim and thummim. This man fled from authority, and it pursued him, as stated (in I Sam. 10:24), “Do you see the one whom the Lord has chosen, that there is no one like him among all of this people?” But Abimelech ben Jerubbaal pursued authority, and it fled from him, as stated (in Jud. 9:1), “But Abimelech ben Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brothers…,” and killed them all upon one stone and ruled over the masters of Shechem. But in the end (according to Jud. 9:23), “Then [God] sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the masters of Shechem,” and a woman killed him. Moses also fled from authority when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (in Exod. 3:10), “Come, I will send you unto Pharaoh, (Exod. 14:13) “But he said, ‘Pray Lord, please make someone else Your agent.” R. Levi said, “For seven days did the Holy One, blessed be He, prevail upon Moses in the thornbush in order to send him,¹³Lev. R. 11:6; Numb. R. 21:15; M. Pss. 18:22; cf. Exod. R. 3:14; also PR 7:2. and he was answering him, ‘Please make someone else Your agent.’” Thus it is stated (in Exod. 4:10), “Then Moses said unto the Lord, ‘Pray, Lord, I have never been a man of words, either in the past or now that You have spoken unto Your servant, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “By your life, in the end you shall go.” When he did go [and] said, (in Exod. 5:1), “Thus says the Lord, the God of (the Hebrews) [Israel], ‘Let My people go and they shall serve Me,’” [and] that wicked man said (in vs. 2), “Who is the Lord,”¹⁴Cf. Numb. R. 13:3. Moses began to say, “I have already fulfilled my mission.” [So] he went and sat down. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Are you sitting down? (Exod. 6:11:) ‘Go and speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt.’” And so too for each and every oracle (as in Exod. 7:15), “Go unto pharaoh”; (and Exod. 8:16) “Rise up early in the morning.” [These verses are] to teach you that he fled from authority. In the end he led them forth, divided the sea for them, brought them into the desert, brought down the manna for them, brought up the well for them, brought over the quails for them, and made the tabernacle. Then he said, “From now on what is there for me to do?” He got ready and sat down. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, now you have a greater work than any that you have done, [i.e.,] to teach My children clean and unclean, to enlighten them on how to offer sacrifices to Me,” as stated (in Lev. 1:1–2), “Then [the Lord] called unto Moses […], ‘Speak unto the Children of Israel […], “When one of you presents an offering.”’” Moshe fled from authority and it pursued him, in fulfillment of what is stated (in Prov. 29:23), “One's pride will bring him low, but the low in spirit will obtain honor.” This is Moses, of whom it is stated (in Ps. 8:6), “For You have made him a little less than divine, and crowned him with glory and majesty.” (Lev. 1:1:) “Then [the Lord] called unto Moses.” This text is related (to Ps. 89:20), “Then you spoke to Your saints in a vision and said, ‘I have conferred help upon one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people.’” Although the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke with the first Adam and commanded him concerning the tree of knowledge, he was alone in the world. So also in the case of Noah; although He spoke with him, he [alone] “was upright in his generations.” And so it was in the case of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were unique in the world. But in the case of Moses, how many righteous ones [were in the world]? Seventy elders, Bezalel, Uri, Aaron and his sons, and the [tribal] princes. Yet of them all, He called only Moses. Ergo, it says (in Ps. 89:20), “I have exalted one chosen from the people.” This is Moses, as stated (in Ps. 106:23), “had not Moses His chosen one […].”

(Lev. 1:1:) THEN <THE LORD> CALLED UNTO MOSES. This text is related (to Prov. 29:23): ONE'S PRIDE WILL BRING HIM LOW, BUT THE LOW IN SPIRIT WILL OBTAIN HONOR. Whenever anyone flees from authority, the authority will pursue him.¹⁵Tanh., Lev. 1:3. Saul fled from authority when he came to reign, as stated (in I Sam. 10:22): SO THEY INQUIRED OF THE LORD AGAIN: HAS ANYONE ELSE COME [HERE]? AND THE LORD SAID: HERE HE IS HIDING AMONG THE BAGGAGE. What does it (the word BAGGAGE) mean? When they came and brought him word of his kingship, he told them: I am not worthy of kingship. Rather inquire by means of Urim and Thummim whether I am worthy; and if not, leave me alone. Immediately (ibid.), THEY INQUIRED OF THE LORD AGAIN (i.e., this second time), <and> immediately he hid himself until they had inquired of Urim and Thummim. (Ibid., cont.:) AND THE LORD SAID: HERE HE IS HIDING AMONG THE BAGGAGE (literally: INSTRUMENTS). Thus have our masters taught: These instruments were Urim and Thummim. This man fled from authority, and it pursued him, as stated (in I Sam. 10:24): DO YOU SEE THE ONE WHOM THE LORD HAS CHOSEN, THAT THERE IS NO ONE LIKE HIM AMONG ALL THE PEOPLES? But Abimelech ben Jerubbaal pursued authority, and it fled from him, as stated (in Jud. 9:1–2, 23): BUT ABIMELECH BEN JERUBBAAL WENT TO SHECHEM <UNTO HIS MOTHER'S BROTHERS >…, <SAYING>: PLEASE SPEAK IN THE EARS OF ALL THE CITIZENS OF SHECHEM…. THEN {THE LORD} [GOD] SENT AN EVIL SPIRIT BETWEEN ABIMELECH <AND THE CITIZENS OF SHECHEM >….

Moses also fled from authority when the Holy One said to him (in Exod. 3:10): {ARISE} [COME], I WILL SEND YOU UNTO PHARAOH…. (Exod. 14:13): BUT HE SAID: PRAY LORD, PLEASE MAKE SOMEONE ELSE YOUR AGENT. R. Levi said: For seven days the Holy One prevailed upon Moses in the thornbush in order to send him,¹⁶Lev. R. 11:6; Numb. R. 21:15; M. Pss. 18:22; cf. Exod. R. 3:14; also PR 7:2. and he was answering him: PLEASE MAKE SOMEONE ELSE YOUR AGENT. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 4:10): THEN MOSES SAID UNTO THE LORD: <PRAY, LORD,> I HAVE NEVER BEEN A MAN OF WORDS, EITHER IN THE PAST OR NOW THAT YOU HAVE SPOKEN UNTO YOUR SERVANT, FOR I AM SLOW OF SPEECH AND SLOW OF TONGUE. The Holy One said to Moses: By your life, in the end you shall go. When he did go, he said: (in Exod. 5:1): THUS SAYS THE LORD, THE GOD OF {THE HEBREWS} [ISRAEL]: <LET MY PEOPLE GO>…. That wicked man said (in vs. 2): WHO IS THE LORD, THAT I SHOULD HEED HIS VOICE?¹⁷Cf. Numb. R. 13:3. Moses began to say: I have already fulfilled my mission. He went and sat down. The Holy One said to him: Are you sitting down? (Exod. 6:11:) GO AND SPEAK UNTO PHARAOH KING OF EGYPT. For each and every oracle (as in Exod. 7:15), GO UNTO PHARAOH. (Exod. 8:16 [20]:) RISE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING. <These verses are> to teach you that he fled from authority. In the end he led them forth, divided the sea for them, brought them into the desert, brought down the manna for them, brought up the well for them, brought over the quails for them, and made the Tabernacle. Then he said: From now on what is there for me to do? He got ready and sat down. The Holy One said to him: By your life, now you have a greater work than any that you have done, <i.e.,> to teach my children clean and unclean, to enlighten them on how to offer sacrifice to me, as stated (in Lev. 1:1–2): THEN <THE LORD> CALLED UNTO MOSES <…> [SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL <…>: WHEN ONE OF YOU PRESENTS AN OFFERING.] Abimelech pursued authority and it fled from him, in fulfillment of what is stated (in Prov. 29:23): ONE'S PRIDE WILL BRING HIM LOW. (Ibid., cont.: BUT THE LOW IN SPIRIT WILL OBTAIN HONOR. This is Moses, of whom it is stated (in Ps. 8:6 [5]): FOR YOU HAVE MADE HIM A LITTLE LESS THAN DIVINE, AND CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND MAJESTY.