20:23 That We may show thee some of Our greatest signs.
The greatest sign was the witnessing and finding that came to him, the varieties of states perceived by the servant’s tasting that do not derive from self-exertion and self-determination. In reality, the greatest sign is that which is hidden from the eyes of the creatures and free of the servant’s self-exertion and self-determination. Unasked for, a blessing comes from the Unseen and reaches the servant’s secret core, so he finds its taste in his spirit—a spiritual delight with a hundred thousand hidden drums, an everlasting resurrection. The soul is mixed with companionship, the spirit clinging to its desire, the heart drowned in the light of finding. Because of the drowning the servant does not discern the seeking from the finding. Because of the radiance of finding, it cannot be expressed. He burns in the fire of love and does not turn back from joy. “O God, when that which cannot be asked for comes to be found, who asked for it? When something is beyond reward, what is asking next to it? Everything that comes from the rain of favor is the springtime of that very moment, and everything that comes from undertaking and asking is aid sought by the servant. O God, knowledge and striving are the Adamite’s tribulation, but everyone’s portion from You is worthy of Your beginningless deed.”
20:40 And We tried thee with trials.
In other words, “We cooked you well with the trial until you became limpid and immaculate, then We took you totally to Ourselves so that you would not belong to any other.” “O Moses, We took you to the oven of trial and put you into self-purification so that nothing would remain in your heart but My love and nothing on your tongue but My remembrance.” What were those trials and troubles that sat on his head? When he was first born he was born in secrecy, in a house without lamp, poor, without pleasures. His mother could not have a son because of fear of Pharaoh, who was killing sons. She put him into the casket and threw it in the river. His first home was the river. His second home was the sword, the execution ground, and seeing the enemy. His third home was fear of the Egyptians because he had killed one of them. Then he fled looking back at them, his heart upset, his spirit bewildered, his feet bare, and his stomach hungry. He did not know where to go, and then he reached Midian and became a wage-earner and a shepherd with Shuʿayb. Thus He threw him into trial mixed with gentleness, He adorned him with wounds mixed with tenderness, and He washed him with many sorts of trial. What was all this for? It was so that he would belong to Him, just as He says:
20:41 “I chose thee for Myself.”
“O Moses! You were not worthy—you had little worthiness—for Me to choose you. That was not for you, but rather for Me.” This is why, when he seized his brother by the head and pulled him severely, He did not say, “Why did you do that?” When he punched out the eye of Azrael with his fist, He did not say, “Why did you do that?” When he threw the tablets of the Torah on the ground, He did not say, “Why did you throw them?” Yes, within the curtain of friendship things go on that outside the curtain of friendship would all fault, but inside the curtain of friendship are tolerated.
