164. “And the Lord spoke to Moses face-to-face.” Moses, the faithful prophet, was more distinguished from all other prophets in the world in several high and honorable degrees. They were before him as a monkey before a human. The rest of the prophets were looking in a mirror that does not shine, and therefore did not raise their faces up to look, but as it is written, “And I fell on my face with my face to the ground.” Moreover, the matters were not revealed in them.
165. But Moses, the faithful prophet, was looking in the mirror that shines and stood in his place. Moreover, he raised his head to look, as one who says to one’s friend, “Lift up your head so that your face will be looking at mine, so you will know my words.” So was Moses face-to-face, raising his head without fear; his face was turned upward, and he was looking at the luster of the upper glory, and his view and face did not change like the rest of the prophets, since when the rest of the prophets were prophesying to look, they went out of their own authority and view, the luster of their faces changed, and they did not know anything of that world.
166. Moses was not like that, since Moses was looking at that very same high degree, ZA, and did not exit his own authority and view, for when he was looking at the luster of the upper glory, promptly, “and he returned to the camp,” meaning he spoke with them in whatever they needed, and his view was settled in him as before. For this reason, after the words, “And the Lord spoke to Moses face-to-face,” it is written, “and he returned to the camp.”
Afterwards, it is written, “And his servant, Joshua, son of Nun, a boy.” Of course he was suckling from the tent, since he was learning to look at the holy spirit, as it is written, “And the boy Samuel serving the Lord.”
167. As long as Joshua was with Moses, he was learning and suckling from within the tent, Malchut, and he was not afraid. After he parted from Moses and was alone, it is written, “And Joshua … fell to the earth on his face,” and bowed down. He could not look because of a messenger, and all the more so from another place.
168. This is similar to a person in whose hands the king entrusted gold utensils and precious gems. As long as it was in his possession, the butler of the house, too, was holding them and using them. When that man has passed away, the king did not leave anything with the butler and took his deposit. That butler said, “Woe to me for I have lost all those precious things; during the days of my lord, all those were in my hand.”
169. So is Joshua: In Moses’ days, he was suckling from within the tent, Malchut, each day, and he was not afraid. After Moses died, it is written, “And Joshua … fell to the earth on his face.”
“And I, because I am within you, I will look in words of Torah, and I will not fear. After I part from you, I will not be able to look alone.”