Êxodo 3:5 Midrash: Shemot Rabbah, Devarim Rabbah, Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition) & Midrash Tanchuma

“Moses said: I will turn now, and see this great sight; why will the bush not burn?” (Exodus 3:3).
“Moses said: I will turn [asura] now and see.” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Moses took five steps at that moment, as it is stated: “I will turn [asura]¹⁹It should have said asur. The numerical value of the additional heh alludes to the five steps that Moses took. now and see.” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: He turned around and looked, as it is stated: “The Lord saw that he had turned to see” (Exodus 3:4). Once he looked at it, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘He is suitable to shepherd Israel.’
“The Lord saw that he turned to see, and God called to him from the midst of the bush and He said: ‘Moses, Moses.’ He said: ‘Here I am’” (Exodus 3:4).
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: What is “that he had turned [sar] to see?” The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘This one is depressed and upset [sar veza’ef]²⁰An allusion to I Kings 20:43, 21:4. over seeing Israel’s suffering in Egypt; therefore, he is suitable to be their shepherd. Immediately, “God called to him from the midst of the bush.”
“He said: ‘Moses Moses.’” You find in “Abraham, Abraham” (Genesis 22:11), there is a pasek²¹A biblical cantillation sign connoting a break between the two names. between them; “Jacob, Jacob” (Genesis 46:2), there is a pasek between them; “Samuel, Samuel” (I Samuel 3:10), there is a pasek between them. However, “Moses Moses,” there is no pasek between them. Why is it so? This is analogous to a person who placed upon himself a great burden, and calls: So-and-so so-and-so, my dear, unload this burden from me.²²Due to the urgency of the matter he calls without pausing. Alternatively, with all the prophets, He ceased speaking with them; however, with Moses, He did not cease all his days.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai taught: What is “Moses Moses?” It is an expression of fondness and encouragement. Alternatively: “Moses Moses” – it is he who taught Torah in this world, and he is destined to teach in the World to Come, as Israel is destined to go to Abraham and say to him: ‘Teach us Torah.’ He will say: ‘Go to Isaac, who studied more than I did,’ and Isaac will say: ‘Go to Jacob, who attended [to his teachers] more than I did;’ and Jacob will say to them: ‘Go to Moses, who learned it from the mouth of the Holy One blessed be He.’ That is what is written: “They will go from strength to strength, they will appear to God [Elohim] in Zion” (Psalms 84:8), and elohim is in fact Moses, as it is stated: “See I have placed you as elohim to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:1). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Anyone whose name is doubled is in two worlds.²³This world and the world-to-come.
“He said: Do not draw near; remove your shoes from your feet, for the place upon which you are standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5).
“He said: Here I am” (Exodus 3:4) – here I am for priesthood and kingship. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You are standing in the place of the pillar of the world: Abraham said: “I am here” (Genesis 22:1), and you said: “I am here.”’ Moses asked that priests and kings emerge from him. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Do not draw [tikrav] near [halom]” – meaning, your descendants will not be sacrificing [makrivin], as the priesthood is fated for Aaron your brother. Halom – this is kingship, as it is said: “That you have brought me [King David] to this point [halom]” (II Samuel 7:18), and it says: “Has a man [Saul] come here [halom] yet?” (I Samuel 10:22). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Kingdom is fated for David.’ Nevertheless, Moses received both of them. Priesthood, as he served during the seven days of inauguration; kingdom, as it is written: “There was a king in Yeshurun” (Deuteronomy 33:5).
“Remove your shoes” – any place that the Divine Presence reveals itself, wearing shoes is prohibited. Thus with Joshua: “Remove your shoes” (Joshua 5:15). And thus the priests served in the Temple only barefoot.

“Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is in the heavens or on the earth who can act in accordance with Your actions and according to Your mighty deeds” (Deuteronomy 3:24).
“Lord God, You have begun” – what is “Lord God”? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said: In two places, Moses likened himself to Abraham, but it was to no avail for him. How so? The Holy One blessed be He called to Abraham, and he said: “I am here,” as it is stated: “And said to him: Abraham; and he said: I am here” (Genesis 22:1). What is “I am here”? I am here for priesthood, I am here for kingship; and he merited priesthood and kingship. From where is it derived that he merited priesthood? As it is stated: “The Lord has taken an oath, and He will not renounce it; you are priest forever by My decree, like Malkitzedek” (Psalms 110:4).¹⁰Malkitzedek was a priest (see Genesis 14:18). He merited kingship, as it is stated: “To the valley of Shaveh, which is the valley of the king” (Genesis 14:17).¹¹The midrash understands this as an allusion to the fact that the kings of the region elected Abraham as their king (see Bereshit Rabba 42:5).
Moses, too, sought to do so, as it is stated: “He said: Moses, Moses; and he said: I am here” (Exodus 3:4). I am here for priesthood; I am here for kingship. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Do not glorify yourself before a king, and do not stand in the place of the great” (Proverbs 25:6). “Do not approach [tikrav] here [halom]” (Exodus 3:5). You have no involvement with the priesthood, as it is stated: “The stranger who approaches [hakarev] shall be put to death” (Numbers 3:10). You have no involvement with the kingship, as it is stated: “That You have brought me here [halom]” (II Samuel 7:18).¹²David used the term halom in reference to the kingship.
Abraham said: “Lord God, what will You give to me?” (Genesis 15:2). Rabbi Levi said: He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, if through justice¹³The name “God” represents the attribute of justice. I deserve to have children, give them to me; if not, give them to me through mercy.¹⁴The name “the Lord” represents the attribute of mercy. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘As you live, you deserve them’: “And, behold, the word of the Lord was to him…[one who will emerge from your loins, he will be your heir]” (Genesis 15:4). Moses, too, said so: “Lord God, You have begun” – if through justice I deserve to enter the Land of Israel, let me enter; if not, let me enter through mercy. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Do not glorify yourself before a king…” “As you will not cross this Jordan” (Deuteronomy 3:27) – when Moses saw how resolute the matters were, he began speaking harsh words.¹⁵He began praying in a more forceful manner, as the midrash will detail in the next section.

(Jud. 18, 3) And they turned in thither and said unto him who brought thee hither (halom), and what dost thou in the place and whom has thou there (Poh)? They said this to him: "Are you not a descendant of Moses, of whom it is written (Ex. 3, 5) Draw not nigh hither (halom)? Are you not a descendant of Moses, of whom it is written (Ib.) What is that in your hand (Ma ze)? And are you not a descendant of Moses, of whom it is written (Deut. 5, 28) But as for thee, remain thou here (Poh)?" And he answered: "Thus have I a tradition from the house of my grand-father: A man should rather hire himself out to idolatry than to be dependent on men." He thought it meant real idolatry, but in reality it means "for labor strange to him" (below his dignity), just as Rab said to Cahana: "Flay a carcass in the street [and earn a living if you are in need] and say not I am a noble priest, [and it does not befit me]." As soon as David saw that he was so fond of money he appointed him treasurer for the government, as it is said (I Chron. 26, 24) Shebuel, the son of Gershom, the son of Menashe, superintendent of the treasuries. Was then his name Shebuel? Behold, it was Jonathan. R. Jochanan said: "This means that he repented to God with all his heart."