Chasidut zu Schemot 24:3
וַיָּבֹ֣א מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיְסַפֵּ֤ר לָעָם֙ אֵ֚ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֑ים וַיַּ֨עַן כָּל־הָעָ֜ם ק֤וֹל אֶחָד֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃
Als nun Mose kam und dem Volke alle Worte des Herrn darlegte und alle die Rechte, da antwortete das ganze Volk einstimmig und sprach: Alle Worte, die der Herr geredet, wollen wir befolgen!
Kedushat Levi
Exodus 24,3. “Moses came and told the people all the words of Hashem, and all the “social laws.”
According to the opinion of Rashi, the events recorded in this chapter occurred chronologically before the giving of the Torah on the 6th of Sivan. He adds that the משפטים, laws governing inter personal relations, must refer to the 7 Noachide laws that apply to all of mankind and to the laws governing the red heifer and part of the Sabbath legislation revealed to the people at Marah, as well as to the law to honour father and mother.
Nachmanides questions at least part of Rashi’s commentary, finding it most unlikely that at this time and place Moses told the people about the 7 Noachide laws. He also argues that the expression ויספר, “he told,” used in our verse is inappropriate for use with matters that were already known.
Personally, I do not see anything wrong with Rashi’s commentary. According to the understanding of the sages in the Talmud, the events described in this chapter preceded the revelation at Mount Sinai as explained in Or Hachayim, see page 751 in this editor’s translation of the Or Hachayim’s commentary, where the author quotes a Mechilta on this subject describing it as “undisputed.” As to the words in Rashi referring to what Moses told the people being the seven Noachide commandments, etc., this was not the subject he told them about, i.e. ויספר, “he told,” but refers to the altar which Moses had built on the 5th day of Sivan, the day prior to the revelation which the Torah mentions in verse 4 of our chapter. On that day Moses concluded a covenant with the people confirming as law the seven Noachide laws, etc., laws that had first been introduced during the people’s stopover at Marah, where G’d had demonstrated how “bitter” waters could be sweetened. Moses told the people that their having observed the laws given on that occasion was truly a major achievement on their part. He added that G’d had been greatly pleased by this. When the people heard about how pleased G’d had been, they were encouraged to spontaneously promise that any further laws G’d were to instruct them to observe they would honour without hesitation. In other words, they “invited” G’d to inform them of additional laws He had in mind to reveal to them for their own good. This was followed a little while later by the most famous declaration of the people when they proclaimed: נעשה ונשמע, “we will do, now let’s hear,” in that order. (verse 7)
According to the opinion of Rashi, the events recorded in this chapter occurred chronologically before the giving of the Torah on the 6th of Sivan. He adds that the משפטים, laws governing inter personal relations, must refer to the 7 Noachide laws that apply to all of mankind and to the laws governing the red heifer and part of the Sabbath legislation revealed to the people at Marah, as well as to the law to honour father and mother.
Nachmanides questions at least part of Rashi’s commentary, finding it most unlikely that at this time and place Moses told the people about the 7 Noachide laws. He also argues that the expression ויספר, “he told,” used in our verse is inappropriate for use with matters that were already known.
Personally, I do not see anything wrong with Rashi’s commentary. According to the understanding of the sages in the Talmud, the events described in this chapter preceded the revelation at Mount Sinai as explained in Or Hachayim, see page 751 in this editor’s translation of the Or Hachayim’s commentary, where the author quotes a Mechilta on this subject describing it as “undisputed.” As to the words in Rashi referring to what Moses told the people being the seven Noachide commandments, etc., this was not the subject he told them about, i.e. ויספר, “he told,” but refers to the altar which Moses had built on the 5th day of Sivan, the day prior to the revelation which the Torah mentions in verse 4 of our chapter. On that day Moses concluded a covenant with the people confirming as law the seven Noachide laws, etc., laws that had first been introduced during the people’s stopover at Marah, where G’d had demonstrated how “bitter” waters could be sweetened. Moses told the people that their having observed the laws given on that occasion was truly a major achievement on their part. He added that G’d had been greatly pleased by this. When the people heard about how pleased G’d had been, they were encouraged to spontaneously promise that any further laws G’d were to instruct them to observe they would honour without hesitation. In other words, they “invited” G’d to inform them of additional laws He had in mind to reveal to them for their own good. This was followed a little while later by the most famous declaration of the people when they proclaimed: נעשה ונשמע, “we will do, now let’s hear,” in that order. (verse 7)
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