Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 19

7Moses came and summoned the elders of the people, and presented before them all these words that God had commanded him.   זוַיָּבֹ֣א משֶׁ֔ה וַיִּקְרָ֖א לְזִקְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיָּ֣שֶׂם לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֖הוּ יְהוָֹֽה:
8All the people responded together and said, “All that God has spoken, we will do.” Moses conveyed the people’s words back to God.   חוַיַּֽעֲנ֨וּ כָל־הָעָ֤ם יַחְדָּו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָֹ֖ה נַֽעֲשֶׂ֑ה וַיָּ֧שֶׁב משֶׁ֛ה אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הָעָ֖ם אֶל־יְהוָֹֽה:
וַיָּשֶׁב משֶׁה אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הָעָם וגו' - Moses conveyed the people’s words back [to God] - on the next day, which was the third day of the month, for whenever he ascended the mountain to speak to God, it was first thing in the morning. But was it necessary for Moses to convey Israel’s reply, as God is omniscient? Rather, Scripture comes to teach you proper behavior from Moses’ example, that he did not say, “Since He who sent me knows the reply anyway, I need not convey it,but he fulfilled his mission with due propriety.   וַיָּשֶׁב משֶׁה אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הָעָם וגו'.  בְּיוֹם הַמָּחֳרָת, שֶׁהוּא שְׁלִישִׁי, שֶׁהֲרֵי בְּהַשְׁכָּמָה עָלָה; וְכִי צָרִיךְ הָיָה מֹשֶׁה לְהָשִׁיב? אֶלָּא בָּא הַכָּתוּב לְלַמֶּדְךָ דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ מִמֹּשֶׁה, שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר הוֹאִיל וְיוֹדֵעַ מִי שֶׁשְּׁלָחַנִי אֵינִי צָרִיךְ לְהָשִׁיב (שבת פ"ז):
9God said to Moses, “I am about to come to you in the thickness of the cloud, so that all the people will hear when I speak to you, and also believe in you forever.” Moses reported the people’s response to God.   טוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־משֶׁ֗ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָֽנֹכִ֜י בָּ֣א אֵלֶ֘יךָ֘ בְּעַ֣ב הֶֽעָנָן֒ בַּֽעֲב֞וּר יִשְׁמַ֤ע הָעָם֙ בְּדַבְּרִ֣י עִמָּ֔ךְ וְגַם־בְּךָ֖ יַֽאֲמִ֣ינוּ לְעוֹלָ֑ם וַיַּגֵּ֥ד משֶׁ֛ה אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הָעָ֖ם אֶל־יְהוָֹֽה:
בְּעַב הֶֽעָנָן - means “in the thickness of the cloud,” and this is the “thick cloud” (עֲרָפֶל) mentioned later. 1   בְּעַב הֶֽעָנָן.  בְּמַעֲבֵה הֶעָנָן וְזֶהוּ עֲרָפֶל:
וְגַם־בְּךָ - And…also in you. The word גַּם “also” implies belief also in the prophets that succeed you.   וְגַם־בְּךָ.  גַּם בַּנְּבִיאִים הַבָּאִים אַחֲרֶיךָ (מכילתא):
וַיַּגֵּד משֶׁה אֶת־דִּבְרֵי וגו' - Moses reported…. on the next day, which was the fourth of the month.   וַיַּגֵּד משֶׁה אֶת־דִּבְרֵי וגו'.  בְּיוֹם הַמָּחֳרָת, שֶׁהוּא רְבִיעִי לַחֹדֶשׁ:
אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הָעָם וגו' - The people’s response… Moses said to God: “I have heard from them a reply to this message that You will speak to them through me, that they wish to hear directly from You, for one who hears something from a messenger cannot be compared to one who hears it from the King Himself. They said, ‘We want to see our King!’”   אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הָעָם וגו'.  תְּשׁוּבָה עַל דָּבָר זֶה; שָׁמַעְתִּי מֵהֶם שֶׁרְצוֹנָם לִשְׁמֹעַ מִמְּךָ, אֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ מִפִּי שָׁלִיחַ לַשּׁוֹמֵעַ מִפִּי הַמֶּלֶךְ, רְצוֹנֵנוּ לִרְאוֹת אֶת מַלְכֵּנוּ (מכילתא):
10God then said to Moses, “Go to the people and prepare them today and tomorrow: They must wash their clothes.   יוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָֹ֤ה אֶל־משֶׁה֙ לֵ֣ךְ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֥ם הַיּ֖וֹם וּמָחָ֑ר וְכִבְּס֖וּ שִׂמְלֹתָֽם:
ויאמר ה' אל משה - God then said to Moses - “If so – that they require that I speak with them – go to the people.”   ויאמר ה' אל משה.  אם כן, שמזקיקין לדבר עמם, לך אל העם:
וְקִדַּשְׁתָּם - means “and make them ready,” i.e., tell them that they should prepare themselves today and tomorrow.   וְקִדַּשְׁתָּם.  וְזִמַּנְתָּם, שֶׁיָּכִינוּ עַצְמָם הַיּוֹם וּמָחָר:
11Let them be prepared for the third day, for on the third day God will descend on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.   יאוְהָי֥וּ נְכֹנִ֖ים לַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י כִּ֣י | בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֗י יֵרֵ֧ד יְהוָֹ֛ה לְעֵינֵ֥י כָל־הָעָ֖ם עַל־הַ֥ר סִינָֽי:
וְהָיוּ נְכֹנִים - Let them be prepared - by being separated from their wives.   וְהָיוּ נְכֹנִים.  מֻבְדָּלִים מֵאִשָּׁה (שבת פ"ז):
לַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי - For the third day - which is the sixth of the month. And on the fifth of the month, Moses built the altar at the foot of the mountain and 12 monuments – the entire narrative recounted at the end of parashat Ve’eleh HaMishpatim, 2 for the Torah is not necessarily written in chronological order.   לַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי.  שֶׁהוּא שִׁשָּׁה בַחֹדֶשׁ, וּבַחֲמִישִׁי בָּנָה מֹשֶׁה אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תַּחַת הָהָר וּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה מַצֵּבָה – כָּל הָעִנְיָן הָאָמוּר בְּפָרָשַׁת וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים – וְאֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה:
לְעֵינֵי כָל־הָעָם - In the sight of all the people. This teaches us that there was no blind person among them, for they were all healed.   לְעֵינֵי כָל־הָעָם.  מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בָהֶם סוּמָא, שֶׁנִּתְרַפְּאוּ כֻלָּם (מכילתא):
12You must make a boundary for the people all around that will proclaim, ‘Beware of ascending the mountain or touching its edge. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death.   יבוְהִגְבַּלְתָּ֤ אֶת־הָעָם֙ סָבִ֣יב לֵאמֹ֔ר הִשָּֽׁמְר֥וּ לָכֶ֛ם עֲל֥וֹת בָּהָ֖ר וּנְגֹ֣עַ בְּקָצֵ֑הוּ כָּל־הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בָּהָ֖ר מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת:
וְהִגְבַּלְתָּ - You must make a boundary - i.e., set for them boundary marks to indicate that they must not come closer beyond the boundary.   וְהִגְבַּלְתָּ.  קְבַע לָהֶם תְּחוּמִין לְסִימָן, שֶׁלֹּא יִקְרְבוּ מִן הַגְּבוּל וָהָלְאָה:
לֵאמֹר - (lit.) Saying - i.e., the boundary itself “says” to them: “Be careful not to ascend beyond this point,” and you, too, warn them about this.   לֵאמֹר.  הַגְּבוּל אוֹמֵר לָהֶם הִשָּׁמְרוּ מֵעֲלוֹת מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה, וְאַתָּה הַזְהִירֵם עַל כָּךְ:
וּנְגֹעַ בְּקָצֵהוּ - Or touching its edge - i.e., even its edge.   וּנְגֹעַ בְּקָצֵהוּ.  אֲפִלּוּ בְקָצֵהוּ:
13No hand may touch it, for whoever does will be stoned, having first been cast down from an elevation twice his height. Whether animal or man, if he crosses the boundary around the mountain he will not be allowed to live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they may ascend the mountain.”   יגלֹֽא־תִגַּ֨ע בּ֜וֹ יָ֗ד כִּֽי־סָק֤וֹל יִסָּקֵל֙ אֽוֹ־יָרֹ֣ה יִיָּרֶ֔ה אִם־בְּהֵמָ֥ה אִם־אִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יִֽחְיֶ֑ה בִּמְשֹׁךְ֙ הַיֹּבֵ֔ל הֵ֖מָּה יַֽעֲל֥וּ בָהָֽר:
יָרֹה יִיָּרֶה - Will be…cast down. From here we derive the procedure for those executed by stoning, that they are first to be pushed down from the place of stoning, which was twice a person’s height.   יָרֹה יִיָּרֶה.  מִכָּאן לַנִּסְקָלִין שֶׁהֵם נִדְחִין לְמַטָּה מִבֵּית הַסְּקִילָה שֶׁהָיָה גָּבוֹהַּ שְׁתֵּי קוֹמוֹת (סנהדרין מ"ה):
יִיָּרֶה - means: he will be thrown down to the ground, this word being related to יָרָה בַיָּם “He hurled into the sea.” 3   יִיָּרֶה.  יֻשְׁלַךְ לְמַטָּה לָאָרֶץ, כְּמוֹ "יָרָה בַיָּם":
בִּמְשֹׁךְ הַיֹּבֵל - (lit.) When the ram’s horn extends - i.e., when the ram’s horn sounds a long note, it signifies the departure of the Divine Presence and the cessation of the Divine voice; and once I, God, depart from the mountain, they are allowed to ascend it.   בִּמְשֹׁךְ הַיֹּבֵל.  כְּשֶׁיִּמְשֹׁךְ הַיּוֹבֵל קוֹל אָרֹךְ, הוּא סִימָן סִלּוּק שְׁכִינָה וְהַפְסָקַת הַקּוֹל, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁאֶסְתַּלֵּק, הֵם רַשָּׁאִין לַעֲלוֹת:
הַיֹּבֵל - This is a ram’s horn, for in Arabia a ram is called יוֹבְלָא. It was in fact the horn of the ram sacrificed instead of Isaac.   הַיֹּבֵל.  הוּא שׁוֹפָר שֶׁל אַיִל, שֶׁכֵּן בַּעֲרַבְיָא קוֹרִין לְדִכְרָא יוּבְלָא, וְשׁוֹפָר שֶׁל אַיִל שֶׁל יִצְחָק הָיָה (פרקי דרבי אליעזר ל"א):