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Shemos 3:2 · EXTRA 1 EXTRA

Parashas Shemos · Passuk 3:2 · Side page (Torah Temimah lists no primary unit here)

The Complete Passuk

וַ֠יֵּרָא מַלְאַ֨ךְ ה׳ אֵלָיו֙ בְּלַבַּת־אֵ֔שׁ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַסְּנֶ֑ה וַיַּ֗רְא וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַסְּנֶה֙ בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֔שׁ וְהַסְּנֶ֖ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ אֻכָּֽל׃

And an angel of Hashem appeared to him in a flame of fire from within the bush; and he saw, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

Chabad.org — 3:2

Source Citation

Classic midrashic reading (Shemos Rabbah 2:5 and parallels) — offered here as EXTRA because Torah Temimah records no numbered unit on 3:1–3:3.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Shemos Rabbah

למה מתוך הסנה ולא מתוך אילן אחר? … אמר הקב״ה: עמהם אנכי בצרה.

English: Why from within a bush and not from within another tree? … The Holy One said: I am with them in their distress.

On the midrash / in context: The lowly thorn-bush is chosen so that the Divine Presence is seen to dwell with Israel in the lowliness of the Egyptian oppression. The fire that does not consume signals that the oppression will burn but will not destroy the people.

Type of Learning

Custom — mashal / emblematic reading of the seneh.

What Is Learned

Chazal teach that God chose a low bush to show that He is present with Israel in their suffering, and that the fire of oppression will not consume them.

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