| 27God said to Moses, “Write down these words for yourself, for it is according to these words that I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” |
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כזוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה כְּתָב־לְךָ֖ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֞י עַל־פִּ֣י | הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה כָּרַ֧תִּי אִתְּךָ֛ בְּרִ֖ית וְאֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: |
| אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה - [Write down] these words - but you are not permitted to write down the Oral Torah. |
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אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה.
וְלֹא אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לִכְתֹּב תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה (גיטין ס'):
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| 28He remained there with God for 40 days and 40 nights; he ate no bread and drank no water. He wrote the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments, on the tablets. |
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כחוַיְהִי־שָׁ֣ם עִם־יְהֹוָ֗ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔ל וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֣א שָׁתָ֑ה וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֗ת אֵ֚ת דִּבְרֵ֣י הַבְּרִ֔ית עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים: |
| 29When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, and the two Tablets of Testimony were in Moses’ hand as he descended from the mountain, Moses was not aware that the skin of his face had become radiant when God had spoken to him. |
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כטוַיְהִ֗י בְּרֶ֤דֶת משֶׁה֙ מֵהַ֣ר סִינַ֔י וּשְׁנֵ֨י לֻחֹ֤ת הָֽעֵדֻת֙ בְּיַד־משֶׁ֔ה בְּרִדְתּ֖וֹ מִן־הָהָ֑ר וּמשֶׁ֣ה לֹֽא־יָדַ֗ע כִּ֥י קָרַ֛ן ע֥וֹר פָּנָ֖יו בְּדַבְּר֥וֹ אִתּֽוֹ: |
| וַיְהִי בְּרֶדֶת משֶׁה - When Moses came down [from Mount Sinai] - i.e., when he brought the second set of tablets on Yom Kippur. |
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וַיְהִי בְּרֶדֶת משֶׁה.
כְּשֶׁהֵבִיא לוּחוֹת אַחֲרוֹנוֹת בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים:
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| כִּי קָרַן - That…had become radiant. קָרַן is related to קַרְנַיִם “horns,” and it is used here because light shines and projects like a horn. And from where did Moses achieve these rays of glory? Our rabbis said: From when he was in the cave, when the Holy One, blessed be He, put His hand over Moses’ face, as it says: “and I will shield you with My hand.” |
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כִּי קָרַן.
לְשׁוֹן קַרְנַיִם, שֶׁהָאוֹר מַבְהִיק וּבוֹלֵט כְּמִין קֶרֶן; וּמֵהֵיכָן זָכָה מֹשֶׁה לְקַרְנֵי הַהוֹד? רַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ מִן הַמְּעָרָה, שֶׁנָּתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יָדוֹ עַל פָּנָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְשַׂכֹּתִי כַפִּי (תנחומא):
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| 30Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face was radiant. They were afraid to approach him. |
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לוַיַּ֨רְא אַֽהֲרֹ֜ן וְכָל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־משֶׁ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה קָרַ֖ן ע֣וֹר פָּנָ֑יו וַיִּֽירְא֖וּ מִגֶּ֥שֶׁת אֵלָֽיו: |
| וַיִּֽירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָֽיו - They were afraid to approach him. Come and see how great is the power of sin – for before they had sent forth their hand to sin what does it say? “In the eyes of the Israelites, the appearance of the glory of God was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop,” yet they were not afraid and did not tremble. But once they had made the Golden Calf, they were recoiling and trembling even from Moses’ rays of glory. |
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וַיִּֽירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָֽיו.
בֹּא וּרְאֵה כַּמָּה גָדוֹל כֹּחָהּ שֶׁל עֲבֵרָה שֶׁעַד שֶׁלֹּא פָשְׁטוּ יְדֵיהֶם בַּעֲבֵרָה מַהוּ אוֹמֵר? וּמַרְאֵה כְּבוֹד ה' כְּאֵשׁ אֹכֶלֶת בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר לְעֵינֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (שמות כ"ד) – וְלֹא יְרֵאִים וְלֹא מִזְדַּעְזְעִים, וּמִשֶּׁעָשׂוּ אֶת הָעֵגֶל אַף מִקַּרְנֵי הוֹדוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה הָיוּ מַרְתִּיעִים וּמִזְדַּעְזְעִים (ספרי):
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| 31Whenever Moses taught the people what he had heard from God, he would have to call them back. He would teach Aaron first. All the leaders of the community would then approach him, and Moses would speak to them. |
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לאוַיִּקְרָ֤א אֲלֵהֶם֙ משֶׁ֔ה וַיָּשֻׁ֧בוּ אֵלָ֛יו אַֽהֲרֹ֥ן וְכָל־הַנְּשִׂאִ֖ים בָּֽעֵדָ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר משֶׁ֖ה אֲלֵהֶֽם: |
| הַנְּשִׂאִים בָּֽעֵדָה - (lit.) The leaders among the community - is used here in the same sense as the more common term נְשִׂיאֵי הָעֵדָה “the leaders of the community.” |
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הַנְּשִׂאִים בָּֽעֵדָה.
כְּמוֹ נְשִׂיאֵי הָעֵדָה:
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| וַיְדַבֵּר משֶׁה אֲלֵהֶם - And Moses would speak to them - relaying the message of the Omnipresent. This entire passage is speaking in a continuous present tense. |
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וַיְדַבֵּר משֶׁה אֲלֵהֶם.
שְׁלִיחוּתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, וּלְשׁוֹן הֹוֶה הוּא כָל הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה:
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| 32After that, all the Israelites would draw near, and he would command them all that God had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. |
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לבוְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֥ן נִגְּשׁ֖וּ כָּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיְצַוֵּ֕ם אֵת֩ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה אִתּ֖וֹ בְּהַ֥ר סִינָֽי: |
| וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵן נִגְּשׁוּ - After that [all the Israelites] would draw near - i.e., after Moses had taught it to the elders, he would teach the section or law again to Israel. And so our rabbis have taught: What was the order of how Moses taught the Torah to Israel? Moses would learn the lesson directly from the Almighty. Aaron then entered and Moses taught him his lesson. Aaron then moved aside and sat on Moses’ left, and Aaron’s sons entered and Moses taught them their lesson. They then moved aside, Eleazar sat on Moses’ right and Itamar on Aaron’s left. The elders then entered and Moses taught them their lesson. The elders then moved aside and sat at the sides. All the people then entered and Moses taught them their lesson. Thus, all the people received the lesson once, the elders twice, Aaron’s sons three times, and Aaron four times, etc. – as is stated in Tractate Eruvin. |
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וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵן נִגְּשׁוּ.
אַחַר שֶׁלִּמֵּד לַזְּקֵנִים, חוֹזֵר וּמְלַמֵּד הַפָּרָשָׁה אוֹ הַהֲלָכָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל; תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן כֵּיצַד סֵדֶר הַמִּשְׁנָה? מֹשֶׁה הָיָה לָמֵד מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה, נִכְנַס אַהֲרֹן שָׁנָה לוֹ מֹשֶׁה פִּרְקוֹ, נִסְתַּלֵּק אַהֲרֹן וְיָשַׁב לוֹ לִשְׂמֹאל מֹשֶׁה, נִכְנְסוּ בָנָיו, שָׁנָה לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה פִּרְקָם נִסְתַּלְּקוּ הֵן, יָשַׁב אֶלְעָזָר לִימִין מֹשֶׁה וְאִיתָמָר לִשְׂמֹאל אַהֲרֹן, נִכְנְסוּ זְקֵנִים, שָׁנָה לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה פִּרְקָם, נִסְתַּלְּקוּ זְקֵנִים יָשְׁבוּ לַצְּדָדִין, נִכְנְסוּ כָּל הָעָם, שָׁנָה לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה פִּרְקָם; נִמְצָא בְּיַד כָּל הָעָם אֶחָד, בְּיַד הַזְּקֵנִים שְׁנַיִם, בְּיַד בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן שְׁלֹשָׁה, בְּיַד אַהֲרֹן אַרְבָּעָה וְכוּ'. כִּדְאִיתָא בְעֵרוּבִין (דף נ"ד):
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| 33Each time Moses finished speaking with them, he would put a veil over his face. |
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לגוַיְכַ֣ל משֶׁ֔ה מִדַּבֵּ֖ר אִתָּ֑ם וַיִּתֵּ֥ן עַל־פָּנָ֖יו מַסְוֶֽה: |
| וַיִּתֵּן עַל־פָּנָיו מַסְוֶֽה - He would put a over his face. Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: בֵּית אַפֵּי – a veil. It is an Aramaic term, as found in the Talmud: סְוִי לִבָּא “her heart perceived”; and again in Tractate Ketubot: הֲוָה קָא מַסְוֶה לְאַפַּהּ, which denotes looking: “he looked at her.” Here, too, מַסְוֶה is a cloth that is put in front of the face and the area of the eyes. And it was out of respect for the rays of glory – that everyone not derive pleasure from gazing at them when Moses was not teaching them – that he would place the veil in front of them. He would remove it while he was speaking to the Israelites and while the Omnipresent was communicating with him, until he left His Presence, and when he left God’s Presence he would go out without a veil – |
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וַיִּתֵּן עַל־פָּנָיו מַסְוֶֽה.
כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ בֵּית אַפֵּי, לְשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי הוּא, בַּתַּלְמוּד (כתובות ס"ב) סְוִי לִבָּהּ, וְעוֹד בִּכְתֻבּוֹת (דף ס'), הֲוָה קָא מַסְוֵה לְאַפָּהּ, לְשׁוֹן הַבָּטָה – הָיָה מִסְתַּכֵּל בָּהּ, אַף כָּאן מַסְוֶה בֶּגֶד הַנִּתָּן כְּנֶגֶד הַפַּרְצוּף וּבֵית הָעֵינַיִם; וְלִכְבוֹד קַרְנֵי הַהוֹד – שֶׁלֹּא יִזּוֹנוּ הַכֹּל מֵהֶם – הָיָה נוֹתֵן הַמַּסְוֶה כְּנֶגְדָּן, וְנוֹטְלוֹ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהַמָּקוֹם נִדְבָּר עִמּוֹ עַד צֵאתוֹ, וּבְצֵאתוֹ יָצָא בְּלֹא מַסְוֶה:
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| 34Whenever Moses would enter his tent before God to speak with Him, he would remove the veil until he went out to teach the people. He would always immediately go out and tell the Israelites what he had been commanded. |
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לדוּבְבֹ֨א משֶׁ֜ה לִפְנֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אִתּ֔וֹ יָסִ֥יר אֶת־הַמַּסְוֶ֖ה עַד־צֵאת֑וֹ וְיָצָ֗א וְדִבֶּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְצֻוֶּֽה: |
| וְדִבֶּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל - And tell the Israelites - and they would see the rays of glory on his face. And when he would leave them after teaching them – |
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וְדִבֶּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
וְרָאוּ קַרְנֵי הַהוֹד בְּפָנָיו; וּכְשֶׁהוּא מִסְתַּלֵּק מֵהֶם …
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| 35The Israelites would see Moses’ unveiled face, seeing that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant. After he finished teaching, Moses would replace the veil over his face until he entered once again to speak with Him. |
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להוְרָא֤וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י משֶׁ֔ה כִּ֣י קָרַ֔ן ע֖וֹר פְּנֵ֣י משֶׁ֑ה וְהֵשִׁ֨יב משֶׁ֤ה אֶת־הַמַּסְוֶה֙ עַל־פָּנָ֔יו עַד־בֹּא֖וֹ לְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתּֽוֹ: |
| וְהֵשִׁיב משֶׁה אֶת־הַמַּסְוֶה עַל־פָּנָיו עַד־בֹּאוֹ לְדַבֵּר אִתּֽוֹ - Moses would replace the veil over his face until he entered [once again] to speak with Him - and when he would enter to speak with Him, he would remove it from his face. |
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וְהֵשִׁיב משֶׁה אֶת־הַמַּסְוֶה עַל־פָּנָיו עַד־בֹּאוֹ לְדַבֵּר אִתּֽוֹ.
וּכְשֶׁבָּא לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ נוֹטְלוֹ מֵעַל פָּנָיו:
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