An everlasting fire

When Moshe saw the burning bush, one of the commentaries mentions that it was both consumed by fire but also wet at the same time.  This is strange on two fronts. First, things that are wet don’t catch fire, or the other way is that things that are on fire don’t stay wet because the fire evaporates the water.  What is the importance of knowing that the bush was also wet? Furthermore, a midrash states that a bush in the desert only grows when there is water underneath it.  Why does the Torah emphasize a connection between the bush, fire, and water?

              Fire is energy and it is often used to denote inspiration.  A person is considered ‘on fire’ when they live with passion and a skip in their step. We also know how difficult it is to stay inspired. Over time, actions, jobs, and mitzvos can all become rote with little to enliven them; a person dries up.  What is the way to maintain ones’ vitality, keep ones’ fire and what does it have to do with redemption?

              There are two sources of water, which is the metaphor for life giving and desire.  There is water that is external, such as rain, a lake or a river and there is water that wells from within, which are tears. In fact, the word for an eye, ayin עין , is connected to the idea of a spring or a מעיין.  Both of these represent the keys to keeping fire.  The ultimate symbol for external water is Torah, often compared to water for its life giving properties.  A way to keep mitzvos strong is to continue to learn and reinforce the actions with deeper ideas to support it.  Another way is through tears, the symbol for yearning. It was precisely the tears of yearning that brought about the redemption.  Egypt is compared to a fiery furnace that dries everything in its path and for a while it dried up the Hebrews. Finally, though, they found their cry and their tears to shout out to Hashem and rekindle the relationship.  That was part of the vision that Hashem showed Moshe at the bush.  The Jewish people had found their tears that could rekindle the fire between them and Hashem, and therefore, it was time to take them out.