Midrasch zu Schemot 34:29

Raba b. Mechasia in the name of R. Chama b. Guria who spoke in the name of Rab said: "He who bestows a gift on his friend should let him know it; for it is said (Ex. 31, 13.) That ye may know that I am the Lord who doth sanctify you." We have also a Baraitha to the same effect: That ye may know that I am the Lord who doth sanctify you, i.e.. The Holy One, praised be He! said unto Moses "I have a good gift in my treasury; its name is Sabbath; this I wish to bestow on Israel; go, and announce it to them." "We learn from this then," said Rabban Simon b. Gamaliel, "that if one give a piece of bread to a child he ought to make it known to the child's mother." What shall one do [to inform the mother]? Abaye said: "He should put some oil around the child's eye or stain it with some dye" [so that his mother will ask him concerning it, and he will then tell her he also gave him bread]. Nowadays, however, when such is the apprehension of performing an act of witchcraft, what shall one do? R. Papa said: "He should put some of this very thing he gave to the child around his eyes." Is it so? [that a gift should first be told of]; has not R. Chama b. Chanina said: "He who bestows a gift on his friend should not let him know of it, for it is said (Ex. 34, 29.) And Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone, because He had spoken with him." This is not difficult to explain. The latter instance speaks of a thing that may become known by itself, but the former speaks of a thing that cannot become known by itself. Is not the Sabbath a thing that was to be known [and yet God informed Israel of it]? But the reward [for observing it] cannot be known.

R. Chama b. Chanina said: "He who bestows a gift on his friend need not inform him about it, as it is said (Ex. 34, 29) And Moses did not know that the skin of his face."

“He severed in his enflamed wrath all the horn of Israel; He retracted His right hand from before the enemy. He burned in Jacob like flaming fire, consuming all around” (Lamentations 2:3).
“He severed in his enflamed wrath all the horn of Israel.” There are ten horns: the horn of Abraham, the horn of Isaac, the horn of Joseph, the horn of Moses, the horn of Torah, the horn of priesthood, the horn of Levites, the horn of prophecy, the horn of the Temple, the horn of Israel, and some say, the horn of the Messiah.
The horn [keren] of Abraham, as it is stated: “My beloved had a vineyard in a fruitful corner [keren]” (Isaiah 5:1).⁷⁷The Sages identify the term “beloved” in the verse as referring to Abraham. See, similarly, Eikha Rabba Prologue 24; Eikha Rabba 1:1. The horn of Isaac, as it is stated: “Caught in the thicket by its horns” (Genesis 22:13). The horn of Joseph, as it is stated: “His horns are the horns of aurochs” (Deuteronomy 33:17). The horn of Moses, as it is written: “The skin of his face was radiant [karan]” (Exodus 34:29). The horn of Torah, as it is written: “Rays [karnayim] from His hand to him” (Habakkuk 3:4). The horn of priesthood, as it is written: “His horn is raised high in honor” (Psalms 112:9).⁷⁸This verse refers to honor [kavod], a term used particularly in regard to priests; see, e.g., Exodus 28:2, 40 (Maharzu). The horn of the Levites, as it is stated: “All of these were sons of Heiman, the king's seer in matters of God, to raise the horn” (I Chronicles 25:5).⁷⁹The reference is to a family of Levites. The horn of prophecy, as it is written: “My horn is exalted in the Lord” (I Samuel 2:1). The horn of the Temple, as it is written: “From the horns of the aurochs; answer me (Psalms 22:22).⁸⁰The midrash elsewhere (Midrash Tehillim 102) relates that David prayed to God that He save him from an auroch, and promised to build the Temple in return (Maharzu). The horn of Israel, as it is stated: “He raised a horn for His people” (Psalms 148:14). And some say the horn of the Messiah, as it is stated: “Exalt the horn of His anointed one” (I Samuel 2:10).⁸¹The word Messiah [mashiaḥ] literally means “anointed one.”
All of them were placed on the heads of the Israelites, and when they sinned they were taken from them. That is what is written: “He severed in His enflamed wrath all the horn of Israel.” They were given to the nations of the world. That is what is written: “Concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other that arose, and before which three fell” (Daniel 7:20), and it is written thereafter: “And the ten horns: From this kingdom, ten kings will arise, and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the earlier ones, and he will subdue three kings” (Daniel 7:24). When Israel repents, the Holy One blessed be He will restore them to their place. That is what is written: “All the horns of the wicked I will sever, while the horns of the righteous shall be raised” (Psalms 75:11). The horns that the Righteous One of the world severed, when will He restore them to their place? When the Holy One blessed be He exalts the horn of His anointed one, as it is written: “He will give strength to His king and exalt the glory of His anointed one” (I Samuel 2:10).
“He retracted His right hand from before the enemy.” Rabbi Azarya said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: When iniquities were the cause and the enemies entered Jerusalem, they took the mighty of Israel and bound their hands behind them. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I wrote in the Torah: “I will be with him in distress” (Psalms 91:15), and now My children are wallowing in distress and I am in comfort?’ As it were, “He retracted His right hand.”⁸²The Hebrew phrase in the verse, usually translated “He retracted His right hand,” can also be translated “He put His right hand behind Him.” God does not respond to the atrocities and indignities committed by the enemy to His people, as though His hands are tied behind His back.
Ultimately He revealed it to Daniel. That is what is written: “But you, go to the end” (Daniel 12:13). [Daniel] said to Him: ‘To give an accounting?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “And rest” (Daniel 12:13). He said to Him: ‘Will I rest forever?’ He said to him: “You will stand” (Daniel 12:13). He said to Him: ‘With whom, with the righteous or with the wicked?’ He said: “To your fate” (Daniel 12:13), with the righteous. He said to Him: ‘“At the end of days [hayamim]” (Daniel 12:13),⁸³This is when all the dead, righteous and wicked, will arise for judgment. or at the end of the right hand [hayamin]?’⁸⁴This is when God will reveal His right hand and bring salvation to the righteous. He said to him: ‘To the end of the right hand; that right hand that is subjugated. I put an end to My right hand.⁸⁵I put an end to the restrictions on My right hand. When I redeem My children, I will have redeemed My right hand.’ That is what David said: “So that Your beloved ones be saved, deliver Your right hand and answer me” (Psalms 60:7).

He said I am the God of your father. This is as it is written, "A fool will believe anything...". "Peti" is the language of seduction (pituy) as it says, "when a man seduces" (yifteh). R. Yehoshua the Kohen b. Nehemiah said, When the Holy Blessed One revealed Himself to Moshe he was a prophetic novice. The Holy Blessed One said, If I reveal Myself to him in a great voice I will frighten him, with a small voice I will sour him on prophecy. What did He do? He revealed Himself to him with the voice of his father. Moshe said, "Here I am! What does father ask?" The Holy Blessed One said, "I am not your father, rather I am the God of your father. I came to you with seduction so that you would not be afraid."

"Thereupon the LORD said to me, 'Carve out etc.'" (Deut. 10:1). A halachic question: When a Jewish man betrothes a woman, who must provide the payment for the scribing of the marriage document? Our Sages taught as follows: Betrothal and marriage documents are written only with the assent of both parties, and the groom provides the payment. From whom do we learn this? From the Holy One Blessed be He, when He betrothed Israel on Sinai, as it is written (Ex. 19:10), "Adonai said to Moses, “Go to the people and warn them to stay pure today and tomorrow." And who wrote this document? Moshe. Whence? As it says (Deut. 31:9), "Moses wrote down this (Song) Teaching." And what payment did the Holy One Blessed be He provide for him? The splendor of his face, as it is written (Ex. 34:29), "Moses was not aware that the skin of his face was radiant" -- when? "when He spoke with him." Resh Lakish said, "At the time he wrote the Torah, Moshe acquired the splendor of his face." How? Resh Lakish said,"The Torah was given to Moshe, its skin of white fire and written with black fire, and sealed in fire, and wrapped with fire. And while he was writing, he wiped his pen-reed on his hair, and from there he acquired the splendor of his face." R' Shmuel bar Nahman said, "It was from the tablets that Moshe acquired the splendor of his face. While the tablets were being given to him from hand to hand, Moshe acquired the splendor of his face. As soon as Israel did That Deed, he took them and broke them. The Holy One Blessed be He said to him, 'When you made the arrangement with Israel, I gave you your payment, the splendor of your face. and now you have broken the tablets.'" R' Yitzhak said, "Our Sages learned, 'If the barrel breaks, it breaks [to the account of] the middleman.' The Holy One Blessed by He said to him, 'You were the middleman between Me and My children. You broke; you replace. Whence? Because so it is written (Ex. 34:1-3): "The LORD said to Moses: 'Carve two tablets of stone like the first, and I will inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you shattered. Be ready by morning, and in the morning come up to Mount Sinai and present yourself there to Me, on the top of the mountain. No one else shall come up with you, and no one else shall be seen anywhere on the mountain; neither shall the flocks and the herds graze at the foot of this mountain.”

Another interpretation (of Prov. 31:25): STRENGTH AND SPLENDOR ARE HER CLOTHING. This is Moses (in Exod. 34:29): MOSES DID NOT KNOW [THAT THE SKIN OF HIS FACE WAS SHINING]. (Prov. 31:25, cont.:) AND YOU WILL LAUGH. These words are <in reference to incident of> the mockers of Israel, when they murmured after Moses saying: Is it possible for the Divine Presence to come to rest upon the handiwork of Moses? He did not act. However, when the Holy One told him to erect the Tabernacle, he began to laugh at them. (Prov. 31:25): AND YOU WILL LAUGH AT THE LATTER DAY.

And he made the horns thereof upon the four corners of it (Exod. 38:2), in order to obtain forgiveness for the nation that exalted Him through four horns. The horn that came from Sinai, as it is said: And He hath lifted up a horn for His people (Ps. 148:14); the horn of the Torah: Horns hath He set at His side; and there is the hiding of His power (Hab. 3:4); the horn of the priesthood, as it is said: And My horn hast thou exalted (Ps. 92:11); and the horn of kingship, as is said: Moses knew not that the skin of his face sent forth beams (horns) (Exod. 34:29). And it is written elsewhere: And there was a king in Jeshurun (Deut. 33:5).

This is the bracha - that is what the verse says, Many girls have done valiantly, but you have exceeded them all (Mishlei 31:29). What is you have exceeded them all? It speaks of Moshe - since he exceeded them all. How so? Primordial Adam said to Moshe, I am greater than you, for I was created in the image of the Holy Blessed One. From whence? As it is said, And God created Adam in Their image (Bereishit 1:27). Moshe said to Adam, I am more exalted than you: the glory that was given to you was taken from you, as it says Man [adam] does not abide in honour (Tehillim 49:13). But I, the splendour of face that the Holy Blessed One gave me is still with me. From whence? As it says, his eyes had not dimmed nor his vigour fled (Devarim 34:7). Another take: Noach said to Moshe, I am greater than you, for I was saved from the generation of the Flood. Moshe said to him, I am more exalted than you - you saved yourself and were unable to save your generation. But I, I saved myself and I saved the generation who were liable for distruction because of the calf. From whence? As it is said, And God repented of the evil that They had said to do to Their people (Shemot 32:14). To what is the matter similar? To two ships which were in the sea, and had two captains. One of them saved himself but not his ship, and one saved himself and did not save his ship. Who did they praise? Not the one who saved himself and not his ship! So too with Noach, who only saved himself - but Moshe saved himself and his generation. Thus, But you have exceeded them all. ...

[Another interpretation:] What is the meaning (of Ps. 24:10): THE LORD OF HOSTS, HE IS THE KING OF GLORY? That he imparts some of his glory to those who fear him as befits his glory.⁴¹Tanhuma Numb. 3:9 cont.; Numb. R.15:13; see PRK 32:9 (= Suppl. 1:9); M. Pss. 90:1. How? He is called "god" (elohim), and he called Moses "god," as stated (in Exod. 7:1): SEE I HAVE SET YOU AS A GOD TO PHARAOH. He (the Holy One) causes the dead to live, and he imparted some of his glory to Elijah. Thus he (i.e., Elijah) caused the dead to live, as stated (in I Kings 17:23): AND ELIJAH SAID: SEE YOUR SON IS ALIVE. Because the Holy One imparts some of his glory to those who fear him, he put his own clothing on the Messianic King, as stated (in Ps. 21:6 [5]): HONOR AND MAJESTY YOU SHALL LAY UPON HIM. Our masters have taught:⁴²Cf. Sanh. 2:5; see also TSanh. 4:2. In the case of a king of flesh and blood, no one rides upon his horse, no one puts on his clothes, no one uses his crown, and no one sits upon his throne; but in all these <instances> the Holy One shared <his glory> with those who feared him and gave to them.⁴³Above Exod. 2:7; Numb. 2:34. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Nahum 1:3): THE LORD IS IN THE WHIRLWIND, AND THE STORM IS HIS ROAD. But he gave it (i.e., the divine whirlwind horse) to Elijah, as stated (in II Kings. 2:11): AND [ELIJAH] WENT UP IN A WHIRLWIND INTO THE HEAVENS. No one puts on his clothes. What is written (in Ps. 104:1)? {AND} YOU HAVE PUT ON HONOR AND MAJESTY. Also with reference to the Messianic King, it is written (in Ps. 21:6 [5]): HONOR AND MAJESTY YOU BESTOWED UPON HIM. No one uses his crown. What is written concerning Moses (in Exod. 34:29)? AND MOSES DID NOT KNOW THAT THE SKIN OF HIS FACE WAS SHINING. And no one sits upon his throne. Now it is written (in I Chron. 29:23): THEN SOLOMON SAT UPON THE THRONE OF THE LORD AS KING. (Sanh. 2:5:) AND NO ONE USES HIS SCEPTER. But he gave it to Moses as stated (in Exod. 4:17): YOU SHALL TAKE IN YOUR HAND THIS ROD <WITH WHICH YOU SHALL PERFORM THE SIGNS>. What is written about the Holy One (in Ps. 47:6 [5])? GOD HAS ASCENDED AMID ACCLAMATION; THE LORD WITH THE SOUND OF A TRUMPET (shofar). The Holy One said to Moses: I have made you a king. It is so stated (in Deut. 33:5): THEN HE BECAME KING IN JESHURUN. Just as when the king goes forth, they sound trumpets before him, so also will they sound trumpets before you when you go forth. (Numb. 10:2:) MAKE TWO SILVER TRUMPETS (hatsotserot).

(Exod. 34:27, cont.:) <I HAVE MADE> A COVENANT WITH YOU [AND WITH ISRAEL]. Because of the Torah I love Israel; and not Israel alone, but also Moses, [<since> he magnified him] by virtue of the Law. FOR ORALLY IN THESE WORDS I HAVE MADE A COVENANT WITH YOU. And how did he magnify Moses? R. Samuel said in the name of R. Jeremiah bar Isaac: When he saw all the glory in this world, he took nothing from the principal (QRN).⁸⁶This concept of the principal remaining intact comes from Exod. 34:29: MOSES DID NOT KNOW THAT <THE SKIN OF HIS FACE> WAS SHINING (QRN). Rather the principal (i.e., the shining) remains in tact for him in the age to come.

(Exod. 34:29:) AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT, WHEN MOSES CAME DOWN… FROM THE MOUNTAIN, [MOSES DID NOT KNOW THAT THE SKIN OF HIS FACE WAS SHINING]. From where did Moses receive the rays of glory?⁹¹Tanh., Exod. 9:37. Our masters say: From the cave. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 33:22): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT WHEN MY GLORY PASSES BY, [I WILL PUT YOU IN A CLEFT OF THE ROCK]. R. Berekhyah said: From the tablets.⁹²Cf. Deut. R. 3:12, which attributes this view to R. Samuel bar Nahman. R. <Berekhyah>⁹³The name is supplied from Yalqut Shim’oni, Exod. 406. Cf. Tanh., Exod. 9:37, which attributes what follows to R. Samuel bar Nahman. said: Their length was six handbreadths, and their width was three handbreadths.⁹⁴See ySheq. 6:1 (49d); BB 14a. Then Moses grasped two handbreadths, the Holy One grasped two handbreadths, and there was a space of two handbreadths in the middle. It was from there that Moses received the rays of glory. R. Judah bar Nehemiah says: While Moses was writing the Torah, a little <ink> remained on the pen.⁹⁵Lat.: calamus (“reed,” “reed pen”). So he passed it over his head (to dry it on his hair), and it was from there that the rays of glory were produced for him. (Exod. 34:29:) MOSES DID NOT KNOW THAT <THE SKIN OF HIS FACE> WAS SHINING (QRN). All the glory that he received <came> as an < extra > reward, but the principal (QRN) remained in tact, as stated (in Hab. 3:4): {AND} RAYS <COMING> FROM HIS HAND. So when the righteous receive their reward in the world to come, he will <also> receive his reward. Where is it shown? Where the prophet has so declared, when he said (in Is. 40:10): BEHOLD, THE LORD GOD COMES IN MIGHT, AND HIS MIGHTY ARM RULES FOR HIM. BEHOLD, HIS REWARD IS WITH HIM, AND HIS RECOMPENSE BEFORE HIM.

"And they shall bring Me gifts" (Exodus 25:2) - here it is written, "for I have given you a good portion, do not forsake My teaching" (Proverbs 4:2); do not forsake the purchase that I gave to you. When people buy things, their purchase has gold but no silver, or silver but no gold, but the purchase that I have to you has silver, as it is said "The sayings of God are sayings pure like smelted silver" (Psalms 12:7). It has gold, as it is said "More lovely than gold and than much fine gold" (Psalms 19:11). People buy fields but not vineyards, vineyards and not fields, but this purchase has in it both vineyards and fields, as it is said "Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates" (Song of Songs 4:13). Someone makes a purchase and others do not know what it is, but the inebriation [or: reward] of the brewer [or: middleman] makes clear what he bought. So it is with the Torah -- a person doesn't know what it is except from the inebriation that Moshe took, as it is said (Exodus 34:29) "Moshe did not know that the skin of his face was radiant, since he had spoken with Him." And there are purchases that the one who sells them is sold along with them -- the Holy Blessed One said to Israel, 'I sell to you My Torah, and (as if such a thing could be) I am sold along with it,' as it is said "And they shall bring me gifts" (Exodus 25:2). This is similar to a King who had an only daughter. One of the kings came and took her and sought to go back to his land to marry her. He said to him, "My daughter who I have given to you is my only one. I cannot bear to separate from her, but to tell you that you cannot take her is also impossible since she is your wife. Rather, do me this favour, that everywhere you go make me a small room [kiton], so that I can live with you, for I cannot leave my daughter." So said God to the Israel: 'I have given you the Torah. I cannot bear to separate from her, and to tell you not to take her is also impossible. Rather, everywhere you go make me one house so that I can live within it' as it is said "And make me a sanctuary" (Exodus 25:8)

And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai … Moses knew not that the skin of his face sent forth beams (Exod. 34:29). Why did Moses merit the beams of glory? Our sages of blessed memory said: Because of the incident at the rock, as it is said: And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by (Exod. 33:22). The Holy One placed His Hand upon him, and because of that he merited the beams of glory. For so it says: Rays hath He at his side; and there is the hiding of His power (Hab. 3:4).

And He wrote on the tablets (Ex. 34:28) - teaches us that the first [tablets] and the last were the same. Ten sayings, how were they done? Five on this tablet and five on this tablets, as the words of Rabbi Yehudah. And Rabbi Nechemia says: ten on this tablet and ten on this tablet, as it says "and as Moshe was descending from Har Sinai", and the writings they require them [two copies]. And they looked like they were in Moshe's hand, as it is written "two tablets of witnessing in the hand of Moshe" (Ex. 34:29). "And Moshe did not know that rays illuminated the skin of his face" - and from where did Moshe get rays of splendor? The rabbis say: from the cave, as it says (Ex. 33:22) "and it will be, when My honor passes". Rabbi Berachiah Hakohen says, in the name of Rabbi Shmuel: the tablets were six handbreadths in height and six handbreadths in length, and Moshe was holding them on two handbradths, and the Shechinah by two handbreadths, and there was one handbreath in the middle, and from there Moshe got the rays of splendor. Rabbi Yehudah Bar Nachman says, in the name of Rabbi Shimeon Ben Lakish: [Moshe] was writing with a reed that had a bit left over, and he passed it on his head, and from that reed the rays of splendor were made, as it is written "And Moshe did not know that rays illuminated the skin of his face."