Exodus 3:2 Commentary: Rashi, Ramban, Rashbam & Sforno

בלבת אש means IN A FLAME OF FIRE, i. e. in the very heart of (לב) the fire. Similarly is לב used of inanimate objects in: (Deuteronomy 4:11) “in the heart of (לב) heaven”; (II Samuel 18:14) “in the midst of (לב) the terebinth”. Do not be puzzled by the ת, although the ordinary word for heart, לב. does not require the suffix ת in the construct form, because we have another example of this form, viz., (Ezekiel 16:30) “how weak is thy heart (לבתך)”.‎

AND THE ANGEL OF THE ETERNAL APPEARED UNTO HIM IN A FLAME OF FIRE. Because Scripture originally states, And the angel of the Eternal appeared, and then it goes on to say, And when the Eternal saw that he turned aside to see, G-d called unto him,¹³⁵Verse 4. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained that elohim mentioned here [in the second verse] is the angel mentioned [in the first], as in the verse, For I have seen ‘elohim’ face to face.¹³⁶Genesis 32:31. The reference there is to an angel. See Ramban on Verses 26 and 30, there. The expression, I am the G-d of thy father,¹³⁷Verse 6. is a case of the deputy speaking in the name of Him Who sent him.¹³⁸See Vol. I, p. 260, for a similar instance. But this is not correct. Moses the greatest in prophecy, would not have hidden his face from an angel [as is related in Verse 6].
Our Rabbis have said in Bereshith Rabbah:¹³⁹Bereshith Rabbah 97:4. The complete quote mentioned here by Ramban is found in Shemoth Rabbah 2:8. “Angel. This refers to the angel Michael. Wherever Rabbi Yosei Ha’aruch¹⁴⁰Literally: “Rabbi Yosei the tall one.” He was an outstanding pupil of Rabbeinu Hakadosh, or Rabbi Judah the Prince, redactor of the Mishnah. was seen, people would say, ‘There is Rabbeinu Hakadosh.’ Similarly, wherever the angel Michael appears, there is also present the Glory of the Divine Presence.” The Rabbis intended to say that at first, the angel Michael appeared to Moses, and there was also the Glory of the Divine Presence, but Moses did not see the Glory, as he had not duly prepared his mind for prophecy. When he duly prepared his heart for it and he turned aside to see, then the vision of the Divine Presence revealed itself to him, and G-d called unto him out of the midst of the bush.¹³⁵Verse 4.

איננו אוכל. Even at the point where the flame came forth from the bush there was no evidence of coal or ash.