Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 19

1In the third month after the Israelites had left Egypt, they came to the Sinai Desert, on this day.   אבַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י לְצֵ֥את בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה בָּ֖אוּ מִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי:
בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה - On this day - i.e., on the first day of the month. According to the context, Scripture ought to have written בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא “on that day.” What is the meaning of the term “on this day”? To indicate that the words of Torah should always be to you like a new experience, as if God gave them to you for the first time today.   בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה.  בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ; לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לִכְתֹּב אֶלָּא בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא, מַהוּ בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה? שֶׁיִּהְיוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה חֲדָשִׁים עָלֶיךָ כְּאִלּוּ הַיּוֹם נְתָנָם (ברכות ס"ג):
2They left Refidim and arrived in the Sinai Desert, camping in the wilderness. Israel camped there facing the mountain.   בוַיִּסְע֣וּ מֵֽרְפִידִ֗ים וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ֙ מִדְבַּ֣ר סִינַ֔י וַיַּֽחֲנ֖וּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַיִּֽחַן־שָׁ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נֶ֥גֶד הָהָֽר:
וַיִּסְעוּ מֵֽרְפִידִים - They left Refidim. Why does Scripture need to specify again from where they had journeyed? Did it not already state that they were encamped at Refidim, so obviously they had journeyed from there? Rather, the intent is to compare their journeying from Refidim to their arrival in the Sinai Desert: just as their arrival in the Sinai Desert was in a state of repentance, so, too, their journeying from Refidim was in a state of repentance.   וַיִּסְעוּ מֵֽרְפִידִים.  מַה תָּ"לֹ לַחֲזֹר וּלְפָרֵשׁ מֵהֵיכָן נָסְעוּ, וַהֲלֹא כְבָר כָּתַב שֶׁבִּרְפִידִים הָיוּ חוֹנִים, בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נָסְעוּ? אֶלָּא לְהַקִּישׁ נְסִיעָתָן מֵרְפִידִים לְבִיאָתָן לְמִדְבַּר סִינַי, מַה בִּיאָתָן לְמִדְבַּר סִינַי בִּתְשׁוּבָה, אַף נְסִיעָתָן מֵרְפִידִים בִּתְשׁוּבָה (מכילתא):
וַיִּֽחַן־שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל - Israel camped there - as one man, unanimously aware of their impending unification into one nation under God, preparing for it with one heart. But all their other stops involved complaint against God or dissent among themselves.   וַיִּֽחַן־שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל.  כְּאִישׁ אֶחָד בְּלֵב אֶחָד, אֲבָל שְׁאָר כָּל הַחֲנִיּוֹת בְּתַרְעוֹמוֹת וּבְמַחֲלֹקֶת:
נֶגֶד הָהָֽר - Facing the mountain - i.e., at its eastern side. Similarly, any place where you find the term נֶגֶד used, its meaning is “toward the face side,” to the east.   נֶגֶד הָהָֽר.  לְמִזְרָחוֹ, וְכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה מוֹצֵא נֶגֶד, פָּנִים לַמִּזְרָח (שם):
3Moses ascended Mount Sinai to God. God called out to him from the mountain and said, “You must say as follows to the House of Jacob and relate to the Israelites:   גוּמשֶׁ֥ה עָלָ֖ה אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֵלָ֤יו יְהוָֹה֙ מִן־הָהָ֣ר לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לְבֵ֣ית יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְתַגֵּ֖יד לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
וּמשֶׁה עָלָה - Moses ascended - on the second day of the month, for all his ascents to the mountain were made early in the morning, as it says: “Moses rose early in the morning.” 1   וּמשֶׁה עָלָה.  בַּיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי; וְכָל עֲלִיּוֹתָיו בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה הָיוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיַּשְׁכֵּם מֹשֶׁה בַבֹּקֶר" (שמות ל"ד):
כֹּה תֹאמַר - You must say as follows - i.e., whenever teaching the Torah, do so in this style (gently to the women and bluntly to the men) and in this order (to the women before the men).   כֹּה תֹאמַר.  בַּלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה וְכַסֵּדֶר הַזֶּה:
לְבֵית יַֽעֲקֹב - To the House of Jacob. These are the women; say the lesson to them in a gentle form of speech, i.e., tell them the outlines of the commandments and the rewards for their observance.   לְבֵית יַֽעֲקֹב.  אֵלּוּ הַנָּשִׁים, תֹּאמַר לָהֶן בְּלָשׁוֹן רַכָּה (מכילתא):
וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל - And relate to (lit.) the sons of Israel - i.e., specify to the men the punishments and details of the commandments, things that are as harsh as the bitter herb named giddin (גִּידִין).   וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל.  עֳנָשִׁין וְדִקְדּוּקִים פָּרֵשׁ לַזְּכָרִים, דְּבָרִים הַקָּשִׁין כְּגִידִין (שבת פ"ז):
4‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. I carried you on the wings of griffon vultures, and brought you to Me.   דאַתֶּ֣ם רְאִיתֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתִי לְמִצְרָ֑יִם וָֽאֶשָּׂ֤א אֶתְכֶם֙ עַל־כַּנְפֵ֣י נְשָׁרִ֔ים וָֽאָבִ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם אֵלָֽי:
אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם - You have seen. It is not some tradition that you possess, nor is it something that I am sending to you in written words, or attesting to you through witnesses, but “you have seen what I did to the Egyptians”; they were already guilty of many sins before Me before they conspired against you, but I punished them only on your account.   אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם.  לֹא מַסֹּרֶת הִיא בְיֶדְכֶם, לֹא בִדְבָרִים אֲנִי מְשַׁגֵּר לָכֶם, לֹא בְעֵדִים אֲנִי מֵעִיד עֲלֵיכֶם, אֶלָּא אתם ראיתם אשר עשיתי למצרים, עַל כַּמָּה עֲבֵרוֹת הָיוּ חַיָּבִין לִי קֹדֶם שֶׁנִּזְדַּוְּגוּ לָכֶם וְלֹא נִפְרַעְתִּי מֵהֶם אֶלָּא עַל יֶדְכֶם (מכילתא):
וָֽאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם - I carried you. This was on the day that Israel came to Rameses; for Israel were dispersed over the entire land of Goshen, but when they had to travel and leave Egypt, in a miraculously short while they were all assembled together at Rameses. Onkelos translated וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם as וְאַטֵּלִית יַתְכוֹן, as if it were written וָאַסִּיעַ אֶתְכֶם “I made you travel.” He thus adapted the literal meaning of the text in order to express it in a more respectful way regarding God above.   וָֽאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם.  זֶה הַיּוֹם שֶׁבָּאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְרַעְמְסֵס, שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְפֻזָּרִין בְּכָל אֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן, וּלְשָׁעָה קַלָּה כְּשֶׁבָּאוּ לִסַּע וְלָצֵאת, נִקְבְּצוּ כֻּלָּם לְרַעְמְסֵס, וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם וָאֶשָּׂא כְּמוֹ וָאַסִּיעַ אֶתְכֶם – "וְאַטֵּלִית יָתְכוֹן", תִּקֵּן אֶת הַדִבּוּר דֶּרֶךְ כָּבוֹד לְמַעְלָה:
עַל־כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים - On the wings of griffon vultures - i.e., like a griffon vulture who carries its young upon its wings. For all other birds place their young between their feet, because they are afraid of another bird that might fly above them, but the griffon vulture is afraid only that man may perhaps aim an arrow at it, but not of any other bird, because no other bird flies above it. It therefore places its young upon its wings, saying, “Better that the arrow enter me than my young.” God said: I, too, did so – “The angel of God…moved…and it came between the Egyptian camp and the Israelite camp…,” 2 and the Egyptians were firing arrows and stone missiles but the cloud absorbed them.   עַל־כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים.  כַּנֶּשֶׁר הַנּוֹשֵׂא גּוֹזָלָיו עַל כְּנָפָיו, שֶׁכָּל שְׁאָר הָעוֹפוֹת נוֹתְנִים אֶת בְּנֵיהֶם בֵּין רַגְלֵיהֶם, לְפִי שֶׁמִּתְיָרְאִין מֵעוֹף אַחֵר שֶׁפּוֹרֵחַ עַל גַּבֵּיהֶם, אֲבָל הַנֶּשֶׁר הַזֶּה אֵינוֹ מִתְיָרֵא אֶלָּא מִן הָאָדָם שֶׁמָּא יִזְרֹק בּוֹ חֵץ, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין עוֹף פּוֹרֵחַ עַל גַּבָּיו, לְכָךְ נוֹתְנוֹ עַל כְּנָפָיו, אוֹמֵר מוּטָב יִכָּנֵס הַחֵץ בִּי וְלֹא בִּבְנִי, אַף אֲנִי עָשִׂיתִי כֵן: "וַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים וְגוֹ', וַיָּבֹא בֵּין מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם וְגוֹ'" (שמות י"ד), וְהָיוּ מִצְרַיִם זוֹרְקִים חִצִּים וְאַבְנֵי בָּלִיסְטְרָאוֹת וְהֶעָנָן מְקַבְּלָם:
וָֽאָבִא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָֽי - And brought you to Me. Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: וְקָרֵבִית יַתְכוֹן לְפֻלְחָנִי “and I brought you near to My service.”   וָֽאָבִא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָֽי.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
5So now, provided you vigilantly heed My voice and keep My covenant, you will be for Me a treasure cherished above all nations, for the entire world is Mine.   הוְעַתָּ֗ה אִם־שָׁמ֤וֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ בְּקֹלִ֔י וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֑י וִֽהְיִ֨יתֶם לִ֤י סְגֻלָּה֙ מִכָּל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים כִּי־לִ֖י כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
וְעַתָּה - So now - i.e., if you accept upon yourselves now to perform the commandments, it will become more pleasant for you from this point on, for the first step is always the hardest.   וְעַתָּה.  אִם עַתָּה תְקַבְּלוּ עֲלֵיכֶם, יֶעֱרַב לָכֶם מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ, שֶׁכָּל הַתְחָלוֹת קָשׁוֹת (מכילתא):
וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־בְּרִיתִי - And keep My covenant - that I will make with you regarding the keeping of the Torah.   וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־בְּרִיתִי.  שֶׁאֶכְרֹת עִמָּכֶם עַל שְׁמִירַת הַתּוֹרָה:
סְגֻלָּה - means “a precious treasure,” as in וּסְגֻלַּת מְלָכִים “and royal treasures,” 3 which are expensive objects and gemstones that kings store away. Similarly, you will be for Me a treasure singled out from other nations. Do not say, however, that you alone are Mine and I have no others besides you, and therefore who else do I have besides you, that your preciousness be thereby demonstrated,   סְגֻלָּה.  אוֹצָר חָבִיב, כְּמוֹ "וּסְגֻלַּת מְלָכִים" (קהלת ב') – כְּלֵי יְקָר וַאֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת שֶׁהַמְּלָכִים גּוֹנְזִים אוֹתָם, כָּךְ אַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי סְגֻלָּה מִשְּׁאָר אֻמּוֹת; וְלֹא תֹאמְרוּ אַתֶּם לְבַדְּכֶם שֶׁלִּי וְאֵין לִי אֲחֵרִים עִמָּכֶם וּמַה יֵּשׁ לִי עוֹד שֶׁתְּהֵא חִבַּתְכֶם נִכֶּרֶת:
כִּי־לִי כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ - “for the entire world is Mine”. yet in My eyes and before Me all others are like nothing.   כִּי־לִי כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ.  וְהֵם בְּעֵינַי וּלְפָנַי לִכְלוּם:
6You will be unto Me a kingdom of nobles and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you must say to the Israelites.”   ווְאַתֶּ֧ם תִּֽהְיוּ־לִ֛י מַמְלֶ֥כֶת כֹּֽהֲנִ֖ים וְג֣וֹי קָד֑וֹשׁ אֵ֚לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּדַבֵּ֖ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
וְאַתֶּם תִּֽהְיוּ־לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּֽהֲנִים - You will be unto Me a kingdom of (lit.) priests - as a result of serving God by obeying the Torah, the Israelites would be considered nobles, just as it says: וּבְנֵי דָוִד כֹּהֲנִים הָיוּ “and the sons of David were nobles.” 4   וְאַתֶּם תִּֽהְיוּ־לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּֽהֲנִים.  שָׂרִים, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר "וּבְנֵי דָּוִד כֹּהֲנִים" (שמואל ב ח'):
אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים - These are the words - in contrast to other instances where Moses explained the laws of the Torah, here he was enjoined to repeat precisely these words, no less and no more.   אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים.  לֹא פָּחוֹת וְלֹא יוֹתֵר (מכילתא):