Bush

“Let me turn now and see this great sight” (Shemos 3:3)

Far removed from the suffering of his people Moshe is living in constant worry about the future of his brethren in the Egyptian exile. After growing up in the royal palace enjoying the pleasures of life in the Egyptian court he had to flee from the land of his birth and now he is living as a refugee in a foreign land. After suddenly discovering Bnei Yisrael his tormented brothers he has paid a heavy price for his discovery. He has killed an Egyptian who was abusing a Hebrew and fear of Pharaoh’s sword has sent him in flight to Midian. But even there he cannot forget his brothers. The heart that was opened on the day he “went out to his brethren” (Shemos2:11) is closed to them no more. And he cannot take his mind off his concern for their fate:

“That is he would calculate in his heart and say ‘What if the Egyptians put an end to the Jewish people?’” (Midrash Rabbah Shemos 2:5).

“Calculate” says the Midrash. That is to say it was not just a fleeting abstract thought but something he would dwell on it all the time turning it over in his mind seeking solutions trying to formulate a plan to head off the Egyptian version of the Final Solution.