Two Dimensions To The Leader

Moshe Rabbenu is told, של נעליך מעל רגליך כי המקום אשר אתה עומד עליו אדמת קדש הוא.  Yehoshua is told something similar (5:15) שַׁל נַעַלְךָ מֵעַל רַגְלֶךָ כִּי הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה עֹמֵד עָלָיו קֹדֶשׁ הוּא.  The Kli Yakar here notes two differences, Moshe is told נעליך, both shoes while Yehoshua is told נַעַלְךָ, one shoe.  Moshe is told אדמת קדש, it is holy land while Yehoshua is told  קֹדֶשׁ הוּא, the place is holy, but not the land.  A third difference is noted by the Shla, that at the end of the possuk in Yehoshua it says וַיַּעַשׂ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, כֵּן, which it does not say here.  Why are there differences in what would seem to be the same message?  The Shla says that the level of rising above gashmi was a whole other level for Moshe than for Yehoshua.  He says there are two types of garments one ears ,the physical body and the actual clothing on a person.  The command to Moshe was to elevate his body that his עור became אור, his whole being became spiritual.  Those are the two levels he is taking off, his shoes and his body.  That is why Moshe's presence creates greater kedusha to the land that he was on.  That is why Yehoshua was able to fulfill the commandment on his own, וַיַּעַשׂ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, כֵּן but Moshe did not have the capability to fulfill the commandment of removing his body on his own, he required the infusion of kedusha and hence he was not able to do it on his own.  

The Kedushat Levi explain נעל is like the word מנעל, a lock.  Moshe's great kedusha locked him from being able to connect with the land, with the people of the earth, that he had to connect to in order to be able to lead them out of Egypt.  That is remove נעלך, the lock which is your רגל, your custom, to be attached to heavenly thoughts, and attach to the regular people.  

So, we have a dichotomy in the introduction to Moshe as the leader.  On the one hand, his greatness is demonstrated but on the other hand his need to connect to the people to lead them.