In memory of Tziporah Bas Meir Yitzchak, Florence Bryskin, whose yahrzeit is on the 22nd day of Teves. Sponsored by her son, Dr. Larry Bryskin, and family.

I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE UNDER MY FEET

By Rabbi Joshua (adaptably known as the Hoffer) Hoffman

Moshe, shepherding for his father-in-law Yisro, leads the sheep into the wilderness and then sees a strange vision, on the nearby mountain, of a thorn bush burning, but not being consumed. He turns to take a closer look at the vision and G-d calls to him from the fire and tells him to take his shoes off, because the ground he is treading on is holy. The Ramban comments that the entire mountain was holy and the sages have stated a rule that any place in which the divine presence has revealed itself carries a prohibition of wearing shoes. What is the meaning of this prohibition? In what way does the wearing of shoes compromise the holy nature of a location?

My teacher, Rav Aharon Soloveichik zt"l, explained that shoes represent the human biological capacity for adaptation. A person can walk on rough terrain and avoid being injured by any rocks or debris strewn around by wearing a pair of sturdy shoes. When it comes to matters of kedusha, however, one must not employ this capacity. The demands of kedusha must be followed in a precise manner, without shielding oneself from what he perceives as the difficult or inconvenient aspects. G-d thus told Moshe as he approached the holy ground surrounding the burning bush, that he was treading on holy ground and therefore he must remove his shoes to indicate that he was prepared to conform with the directives he was about to receive.

Perhaps this is why Moshe’s repeated statements of resistance to G-d’s charge for him to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt led ultimately to an expression of divine anger and a split of the leadership with his brother Aharon. Although, as the Abarbanel points out in his commentary to Tehillim, Nachalas Avos, Moshe’s initial refusal was correct, as one should hate to undertake a position of leadership, he should have realized that G-d’s repeated charge to him to undertake the mission, indicated that G-d, who knows each person better than the person knows himself, knew that he would be able to do it, and that moreover, it would be precisely in this position that he would fulfill his mission in life as leader of the Jewish people.

The Rambam, in his Moreh Nevuchim (2:45) presents an elaborate study as to the nature of prophecy, including an enumeration of the various stages of it, including two preliminary stages of “Ru’ach Hashem,” the spirit of G-d, and “Ru’ach HaKodesh,” the holy spirit. The first stage, Ru’ach Hashem, represents an arousal that someone has to do an extreme act to help others. The Rambam says that this is the stage in the hierarchy of prophecy which Moshe attained at the revelation at the burning bush. As Moshe developed in his relationship with G-d, his power of prophecy increased until he reached the level of the Adon HaNevi’im, the master of all prophets, becoming, as the Torah tells us, the greatest prophet who ever lived, the likes of who will never again arise among the Jewish people. In his initial stage of prophecy, however, he incurred divine anger because of his reluctance in response to the call of the holy.

Special thanks to Yosef Bronstein and YMG for their special assistance in the production of this week's Netvort.