A little more than 10 years ago I moved out to “the country”. Before this, I lived in a modest bungalow located in an “inner ring” suburb of a large urban/metropolitan area. My little bungalow had a “postage stamp” backyard with mature oak trees making it too shady for a vegetable garden. However, in the tiny side yard was a narrow bed filled with pachysandra which enjoyed full sun most of the day. I converted that old pachysandra bed into a vegetable garden. Using the “square foot gardening” method this little plot produced a nice variety of vegetables and fruits each season. One of my favorite plants in that side-yard garden was a wild raspberry bush I had dug out from among a thicket of raspberries I found growing along a roadside while on a drive in the country. This raspberry bush thrived and grew quite large upon a trellis at the front of the garden. Every July for roughly 12 years I enjoyed the sweet red fruit it produced.
Curiously, in considering parashah Shemot this past week, I was reminded of that raspberry bush in my former garden. Although countless volumes have been written regarding the Burning Bush of Exodus 3 and its meaning and importance in both Jewish and Christian literature, both traditions also offer conjectures regarding the plant species of this most famous bush. Personally, in conceptualizing the bush I had always imaged a dry, brown, and lifeless thicket of branches and thorns blazing with fire from within.
But, surprisingly, according to chazal, the bush was a bramble (Hebrew: s’neh/ סְּנֶה) with berry fruit that was at first red and later turned black, referred to as innevei s’neh or “the berries of the bramble” (Yerushalmi, Ma’asroth 1:2, 3a). This understanding is also embraced in the traditions of St. Catherine’s monastery in Sinai which claims to have a raspberry bush of the species Rubus sanctus that can be traced back to the original Burning Bush. According to the Midrash Rabbah (Exodus 2:5), the s’neh produced both thorns and roses and therefore is understood to have been a wild rose bush. Whatever the case, when Moses came upon the bush that burned but was not consumed on the traditional date of Nisan 15, one year prior to the exodus from Egypt, it would seem that he did not witness a dry and lifeless bundle of twisted thorns ablaze, but instead came upon a miraculous vision contained within a leafy green shrub filled with thorns and roses or ripening red berries.
Conjectures abound regarding the symbolism of the s’neh that Moses witnessed upon Sinai. One line of thinking understands the bush to symbolize Israel. The thorny, bramble quality of the bush is understood by some modern commentators to represent Israel’s poor spiritual condition, for while in Egypt it is traditionally understood that the people sunk to the 49th level of impurity (the 50th level being the worst possible). Although Israel was in a time of spiritual downfall and despair, the fire within symbolized the spark of godliness or connection with HaShem that resides in the heart of every Jew. This “flame” although contained within a nation in the midst of a spiritually “dry and thorny time” would quickly blaze upward and respond to HaShem’s redemption as presented through His servant Moses. [1]
The bush can also be understood to represent Israel in exile, with the thorny bramble symbolizing the harshness and pain that Israel endured at the hand of the Egyptians. The Midrash Rabbah (Exodus 2:5) explains that just as one can easily place one’s hand into a thorn bush without incident, but finds it impossible to remove it without cutting and tearing the skin (for the thorns bend downward and only grasp the hand when taking it out), so the people of Israel went into exile easily, under the comfort and leadership of Joseph, and without much notice, but would come out of Egypt through a series of plagues that would tear Egypt apart and cause it great pain. Yet, in the midst of such exile, G-d was with Israel, as symbolized by the fire. Therefore, the bush could not be consumed because G-d does not allow His people to be destroyed.
Sforno understands the s’neh to represent Egypt and the fire within it to symbolize G-d’s judgment through the plagues. Just as the bush burned but was not consumed, so Egypt would be overwhelmingly affected by the plagues but would not be destroyed as a nation by them. For ultimately, G-d’s goal in taking Israel out of Egypt was to create a nation for Himself, and not to annihilate the Egyptians as a people.
Amidst Christian as well as Messianic commentaries the Burning Bush is often likened to Yeshua and seen as a foreshadowing of his suffering G-d’s “burning judgment” on the cross including the “crown of thorns” of humiliation that he bore. One popular interpretation is to understand the Angel of the L-RD in the Tanakh to be the “pre-incarnate Christ”. In this way Moses is understood to have encountered the coming Messiah within the Burning Bush, with “types and shadows” of all varieties growing from this conception. However, this understanding is easily shown to be false based on accounts in Matthew’s gospel in which the Angel of the L-RD announces Mary’s miraculous conception to Joseph, and also directs the couple (after the birth of Yeshua) to flee to Egypt in order to escape the persecution of Herod (cf. 1:20, 2:13). It would seem that the Angel of the L-RD was still around and active even after his supposed “incarnation” in the person of Christ : )
But amidst all the conjectures, symbolisms, and shadows of various kinds, Yeshua himself refers to the incident of the Burning Bush as a pertinent picture and biblical proof regarding the resurrection from the dead.
“And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” (Mark 12:26-27, ESV)
Typically, it is G-d’s words that are focused upon in Yeshua’s response here. Because HaShem indicated to Moses that he was presently and actively the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob this description indicates that the patriarchs, although deceased, were considered as alive in the eyes of HaShem. The only way this could be is if a resurrection from the dead was a reality to come.
But easily overlooked is the beautiful picture of resurrection that the Burning Bush itself presents, especially when considering it as a green leafy thorn bush containing roses or red raspberries, blossoming in the springtime, in the month of Nisan. G-d’s presence within the bush caused this bush to burn but not to be destroyed. Although it was on fire, the bush was yet green, fruitful, and continued to exist and not die. For G-d’s people the fire of His judgment is a reality, but in the midst of that judgment is found life which cannot be extinguished. Perhaps the raspberries or roses in the midst of the fire exuded a fragrance of sweetness and beauty that pervaded the air. This reminds one of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 in which the knowledge of Yeshua is likened to the fragrance “of life to life”.
The s’neh is referenced five times in Exodus 3 and just one additional time in Torah, in Deuteronomy 33 where Moses, prior to his death, blesses Joseph with “the favor of Him who dwells in the bush (s’neh)” (v. 16). This favor was to rest upon “the crown of Joseph”, who “was separated from his brothers”. When considering Joseph’s blessings in Torah as understood in rabbinic eschatology to represent the role and responsibility of Mashiach ben Yosef (see last week’s post for more) this is quite remarkable. For the favor of HaShem within the Burning Bush is that His fiery presence did not consume or destroy it but instead maintained continued and fruitful life. Continued physical life in the midst of G-d’s real and intense presence is the message of the Burning Bush.
The leadership role of Mashiach ben Yosef is understood to involve the perfection of the physical. This is accomplished in its greatest sense for human beings through the resurrection from the dead. Only in a resurrected/perfected physical state can one dwell with HaShem and not be destroyed. Yeshua’s resurrection from the dead makes this a reality for those who believe in Him. This is an aspect of Yeshua’s kingship regarding the Messianic age to come. He is worthy to have such a crown upon his head because the favor of the one who dwells in the bush — the awesome living symbol of the resurrection from the dead and everlasting life — is realized through his role of Mashiach ben Yosef. Being the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” Yeshua is indeed one who is separated from “his brothers”, serving as High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. Just as Joseph, separated from his brothers knew the favor of G-d’s presence within exile and attained a role of prominence and leadership many years prior to his reuniting with them.
. . . . . .
In the past 10 years, since I have moved away from my bungalow with the little side-yard garden, I’ve had a handful of opportunities to drive past “the old house”. Each time I have driven by over the years the condition of the house and the landscape around it has progressively deteriorated. The last time I drove by, perhaps a year or so ago, the house was in desperate need of painting, the front flower beds, once filled with petunias and meticulously manicured bushes, were overgrown, and the side-yard garden was unrecognizable. Except . . . for a leaning and dilapidated trellis enveloped by a knotted bramble of raspberry bush that continued to thrive. A living landmark of fruitfulness rising out of a midst of weeds and grass that threatened to overshadow it.
How similar this is to the topic of the Burning Bush so surrounded by a host of conjectures and various understandings regarding its symbolism, meaning and importance. A symbol that in essence proclaims a simple yet immensely profound message rising out of the fray; that HaShem will not allow His people to be destroyed but is with them and will deliver them from earthly exile. A message that looks forward to the final redemption and resurrection from the dead in which G-d’s intimate and intense presence will dwell in the very midst of perfected and abundantly fruitful humanity.
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[1] Based on Nesivos Shalom as cited by Mrs. Shira Smiles, Parashot Shemot (5769), Fabulous Flame, available at: http://www.naaleh.com/viewclass/1487/single/
