Comentario sobre Deuteronómio 5:24

ואת תדבר אלינו AND SPEAK THOU (את the feminine form of the pronoun) TO US — you weakened my strength as that of a woman, (cf. Rashi on Numbers 11:15), for I was distressed because of you (because of your words) and you weakened my hands, since I saw that you were not anxious to approach Him out of love. Indeed, was it not better for you to learn from the mouth of the Almighty God, and not to learn from me?!

V’AT’ (AND THOU) [Moses] SPEAK UNTO US. “[The feminine form of the word v’at indicates] that you caused my strength to be sapped like that of a woman, for I was distressed because of you and you weakened my hands when I realized that you were not anxious to approach Him out of love. For was it not better to learn directly from the Almighty rather than from me?!” Thus far is Rashi’s language from words of the Agadah.¹⁹⁰See Abodah Zarah 5 a. If so, Moses is saying that he was concerned [over their failure to approach G-d] and G-d informed him [in the following verses] that they did so because they feared Him and it was beneficial to them! But the subject is, as I have explained there,¹⁹¹Exodus 20:16. Vol. II, pp. 324-325. that they thought that G-d wanted to communicate the entire Torah to them; however, the [Divine] Will before Him was to proclaim to them only the Ten Commandments as they desired.
Know that now they requested of Moses that they should not hear the voice of the Glorious Name¹⁹²Further, 28:58. — neither on that day nor during any of the succeeding generations — for it is not at all times that miracles occur [and, as they said in Verse 21, their very survival after hearing the voice of G-d was a miracle in itself, a miracle that could not be expected to recur during future revelations], and that they do not want another such Revelation; rather, they will believe in the prophets and do G-d’s will [as revealed] through them. In compliance Moses told them, A prophet will the Eternal thy G-d raise up unto thee, from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; according to all that thou didst desire of the Eternal thy G-d in Horeb. etc.¹⁹³Ibid., 18:15-16. If so, the meaning of this request [of the people in the verse before us — and thou shalt speak unto us — that they wished to hear from prophets rather than from G-d] was meant for future generations.

ואת תדבר אלינו, even though your words will be inferior in value to G’d’s words.