The Burning Bush

“And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed” (Exodus 3, 2). The burning bush is an event of wonder in which God reveals Himself to Moshe and tells him that he is destined to release the people of Israel from Egypt. The fire and the bush are 2 contradicting elements. The bush is naturally consumed and perished by fire. Yet, in this holy occasion, the bush burns, but stands still against the fire. Rashi commentates the interface between the bush and the fire. He explains that the bush is the people of Israel and the fire is Egypt. The sensation that the Israelis feel in Egypt is that the Egyptians wish to consume them altogether, as well as the fire that possesses the power to consume the bush. From within this flame of fire that is not consuming the bush, God is revealed to Moshe and tells him that he will salvage Israel out of Egypt.