If we were asked where God would first reveal Himself to the future leader of the Jewish people, we would answer that God would appear in the sky, the mountains, or other places that demonstrate His majesty. For this reason, God’s appearance in the thorn bush is puzzling, since the thorn bush is among the lowliest places for God to reveal Himself. According to the midrash (Mekhiltah of Rabbi Shimon b. Yochai 2a), this is precisely the point. God reveals Himself in the bush to demonstrate a profound message: God is always with the Jewish people, even in their suffering. He shows that when we are in pain, He, as it were, is in pain as well. God not only feels our pain, but is also right there amongst us. While we were stuck in Egypt, God’s presence rested with us and joined us when we ascended. When tragedy strikes, it is only fair to ask the question, “Where was God?” But, the midrash suggests, sometimes God is really there, suffering along with us, just that we fail to notice Him.