standing on the ground that belongs to God, Moses is not called קָדוֹשׁ, but to be allowed to walk there he must submit to the practice of a rite or ritual: remove his sandals. Is this an innovation? Undoubtedly not. The act of removing one’s sandals, as does the nearest relative in Deuteronomy 25:9 and in Ruth 4:7, is a ceremony of de-possession well-known in the culture of that time. The gō’ēl, that is, the nearest relative, removes his sandal to show that he is relinquishing his rights of purchase.