וַיֹּ֧אמֶר יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן בְּהֹ֣ר הָהָ֑ר עַל־גְּב֥וּל אֶֽרֶץ־אֱד֖וֹם לֵאמֹֽר׃
L’Éternel parla à Moïse et à Aaron, à Hor-la-Montagne, sur les confins du pays d’Edom, en ces termes:
Rabbeinu Bahya
You must appreciate that in view of the fact that actually the attribute Hashem was speaking, the Torah should have written here: וידבר ה’ את כל הדברים האלה, just as Moses said when he recalled the event of 40 years ago to the people in Deuteronomy. At that point he said in Deut. 5,19: את הדברים האלה דבר ה’ אל כל קהלכם בהר מתוך האש הענן והערפל קול גדול ולא יסף. Also in Deut. 4,12 Moses quotes G’d as וידבר ה’ אליכם מתוך האש.
Seeing that that in Exodus 19,18 the Torah wrote אשר ירד עליו ה’ באש, “on which Hashem descended in fire,” and it has been explained that His great name represents the emanation תפארת, which “resides within fire,” it had now become necessary to write וידבר אלו-הים, as these words reflect that the sound of the voice emanated from the fire. In other words, the Israelites heard a sound which seemed to come out of the fire. We find a similar description [involving both the attributes Elohim and Hashem. Ed.] in Deut. 5,21: הן הראנו ה’ אלו-הינו את כבודו ואת גדלו ואת קולו שמענו מתוך האש. “The Lord our G’d has just shown us His majestic Presence, and we heard His voice out of the fire.” [Israel speaking, Moses quoting how they had perceived what they had experienced. 40 years earlier. Ed.]. Keeping all these factors in mind, when Moses mentioned וידבר ה’ אליכם in Deut. 4,12 he immediately added the words “out of the fire.” He did the same again when referring to what had occurred in Deut. 5,19 after reviewing the Ten Commandments immediately prior to that verse. The reason is that whereas in Hebrew, and to Hebrew speakers the achievements of Israel are considered primary, in the Aramaic translation of Onkelos (which reflects the use of the language by people speaking that tongue) the achievements of Moses are highlighted. When the Torah (in Hebrew) writes וידבר אלו-הים, this reflects the spiritual level reached by the Jewish people, whereas when Onkelos translates as if the Torah had written וידבר ה’, this reflects the spiritual level achieved by Moses. Onkelos wants to make plain by his very translation of the words of the Torah that Moses had attained a higher spiritual plateau than had the people. Isaiah 26,4 writes as follows: בטחו בי-ה-ו-ה עדי עד כי בי-ה י-ה-ו-ה צור עולמים, “trust in Hashem for ever and ever, for in Yah Hashem you have an everlasting Rock.” What the prophet means is that the name Hashem which symbolizes the concept of “an everlasting Rock” may be described on occasion as Yah. When G’d is described in 20,2 saying: אנכי ה’ אלו-היך, He is described as speaking in His capacity as Yah, an aspect of the צור עולמים. This צור עולמים contains this name as we learn from Exodus 23,21 כי שמי בקרבו “for My name is within it,” the “it” being the צור עולמים. This is also the mystical dimension of אני ה’ בקרב הארץ (Exodus 8,18) a reference to this Rock.
A kabbalistic approach to the words אשר הוצאתיך, “who has taken you out.” The Exodus, as distinct from the utterance of the Ten Commandments, was orchestrated by G’d in His capacity as Hashem. This is the reason the Torah writes (13,16 ) כי בחזק יד הוציאנו י-ה-ו-ה ממצרים, “for with the power of the hand Hashem took us out of Egypt.” The same formula is repeated in 13,3.
When the Torah writes: (20,3) לא יהיה לך אלו-הים אחרים על פני, generally translated as “you must not have (recognize) any other gods in My Presence,” the meaning is that the only Presence you are to recognize as divine is My Presence, i.e. פני. The wording here is similar to the wording in Genesis 31,50 where Lavan warns Yaakov not to marry any additional wives. He said: ואם תקח נשים על בנותי. Lavan meant: ”but my daughters certainly are to remain your wives.” Similarly here; G’d forbids other gods to be recognised implying that most certainly He is to be recognised as G’d. The fact that this is so is demonstrated by the use by G’d of the word פנים in Deut. 34,10 when describing His relationship with Moses as אשר ידעו י-ה-ו-ה פנים אל פנים, “whom G’d knew (intimately) face to face.” A similar use of the word פנים is found in Deut. 5,4 describing the close relationship of G’d to the whole people at the revelation at Mount Sinai. The Torah describes this as פנים בפנים דבר י-ה-ו-ה עמכם, “face to face Hashem spoke to you.” All these expressions made it necessary to repeatedly use the expression מתוך האש, in order to explain whence G’d’s voice emanated. The best way to understand these words is that the power of G’d is within another power, just as the appearance of fire, while representing a display of power, contains within it another core of power. This what is meant in Numbers 14,14 כי עין בעין נראה אתה ה’, “that You, Hashem, appeared eye to eye.” The true meaning is that though You Hashem appeared to the eye, there is an inner dimension to this manifestation which remained invisible. This is also the mystical dimension of 20,23 לא תעשון אתי, “you shall not make ‘with’ Me, etc.” The meaning is that no other so-called deity shall share על פני, “My Divine Presence.” When the Torah writes about Moses ascending the mountain (19,3) ומשה עלה אל האלו-הים ויקרא אליו - י-ה-ו-ה that “Moses ascended to G’d, and Hashem called to him,” the meaning is that Hashem called to him from within the attribute אלו-הים. This too is the meaning in Deut. 5,21 ואת קולו שמענו מתוך האש, “and we have heard His voice out of the fire.” The voice referred to there is the voice of the attribute Hashem. It was this voice which the people had been afraid of hearing again, and this is why they said: אם יוספים אנחנו לשמוע את קול י-ה-ו-ה אלו-הינו עוד ומתנו “if we will continue to hear the voice of Hashem, our G’d, again we will die.” This is also the mystical aspect of our sages’ saying (Shevuot 20) זכור ושמור בדבור אחד נאמרו, “the words זכור and שמור [one of which appears in the first version of the Ten Commandments in Exodus and the other in the version in Deuteronomy, Ed.] were said as one.” The former refers to the attribute of Mercy, i.e. י-ה-ו-ה, the other to the attribute of Justice, the attribute known best as אלו-הים. The attribute of Mercy spoke from within the attribute of Justice. This was also why there were two Tablets instead of merely one. One represented the attribute of Mercy, the other the attribute of Justice. The Tablet on which the words לא תרצח, “do not murder,” was inscribed at the top represented the attribute of Justice. (according to the view that five of the Commandments were written on each Tablet) Moses, who, as we explained had attained the level of communicating with G’d’s attribute (emanation) תפארת, heard the word זכור, i.e. as a positive commandment, an expression of the attribute of Mercy. The people who had not attained such a lofty level of communication with G’d heard the word as שמור, as a negative commandment, as an expression of the attribute of Justice.
When we find an expression (verse 22) such as כי מן השמים דברתי עמכם, ”for I have spoken with you from the heaven,” the meaning of the word מתוך in that verse is similar to the meaning of the words מתוך האש in the verses we have already discussed. If you peruse all the verses connected with מתן תורה, you will not find a single one mentioning the tetragrammaton unless it is connected to the words מתוך האש.
Seeing that that in Exodus 19,18 the Torah wrote אשר ירד עליו ה’ באש, “on which Hashem descended in fire,” and it has been explained that His great name represents the emanation תפארת, which “resides within fire,” it had now become necessary to write וידבר אלו-הים, as these words reflect that the sound of the voice emanated from the fire. In other words, the Israelites heard a sound which seemed to come out of the fire. We find a similar description [involving both the attributes Elohim and Hashem. Ed.] in Deut. 5,21: הן הראנו ה’ אלו-הינו את כבודו ואת גדלו ואת קולו שמענו מתוך האש. “The Lord our G’d has just shown us His majestic Presence, and we heard His voice out of the fire.” [Israel speaking, Moses quoting how they had perceived what they had experienced. 40 years earlier. Ed.]. Keeping all these factors in mind, when Moses mentioned וידבר ה’ אליכם in Deut. 4,12 he immediately added the words “out of the fire.” He did the same again when referring to what had occurred in Deut. 5,19 after reviewing the Ten Commandments immediately prior to that verse. The reason is that whereas in Hebrew, and to Hebrew speakers the achievements of Israel are considered primary, in the Aramaic translation of Onkelos (which reflects the use of the language by people speaking that tongue) the achievements of Moses are highlighted. When the Torah (in Hebrew) writes וידבר אלו-הים, this reflects the spiritual level reached by the Jewish people, whereas when Onkelos translates as if the Torah had written וידבר ה’, this reflects the spiritual level achieved by Moses. Onkelos wants to make plain by his very translation of the words of the Torah that Moses had attained a higher spiritual plateau than had the people. Isaiah 26,4 writes as follows: בטחו בי-ה-ו-ה עדי עד כי בי-ה י-ה-ו-ה צור עולמים, “trust in Hashem for ever and ever, for in Yah Hashem you have an everlasting Rock.” What the prophet means is that the name Hashem which symbolizes the concept of “an everlasting Rock” may be described on occasion as Yah. When G’d is described in 20,2 saying: אנכי ה’ אלו-היך, He is described as speaking in His capacity as Yah, an aspect of the צור עולמים. This צור עולמים contains this name as we learn from Exodus 23,21 כי שמי בקרבו “for My name is within it,” the “it” being the צור עולמים. This is also the mystical dimension of אני ה’ בקרב הארץ (Exodus 8,18) a reference to this Rock.
A kabbalistic approach to the words אשר הוצאתיך, “who has taken you out.” The Exodus, as distinct from the utterance of the Ten Commandments, was orchestrated by G’d in His capacity as Hashem. This is the reason the Torah writes (13,16 ) כי בחזק יד הוציאנו י-ה-ו-ה ממצרים, “for with the power of the hand Hashem took us out of Egypt.” The same formula is repeated in 13,3.
When the Torah writes: (20,3) לא יהיה לך אלו-הים אחרים על פני, generally translated as “you must not have (recognize) any other gods in My Presence,” the meaning is that the only Presence you are to recognize as divine is My Presence, i.e. פני. The wording here is similar to the wording in Genesis 31,50 where Lavan warns Yaakov not to marry any additional wives. He said: ואם תקח נשים על בנותי. Lavan meant: ”but my daughters certainly are to remain your wives.” Similarly here; G’d forbids other gods to be recognised implying that most certainly He is to be recognised as G’d. The fact that this is so is demonstrated by the use by G’d of the word פנים in Deut. 34,10 when describing His relationship with Moses as אשר ידעו י-ה-ו-ה פנים אל פנים, “whom G’d knew (intimately) face to face.” A similar use of the word פנים is found in Deut. 5,4 describing the close relationship of G’d to the whole people at the revelation at Mount Sinai. The Torah describes this as פנים בפנים דבר י-ה-ו-ה עמכם, “face to face Hashem spoke to you.” All these expressions made it necessary to repeatedly use the expression מתוך האש, in order to explain whence G’d’s voice emanated. The best way to understand these words is that the power of G’d is within another power, just as the appearance of fire, while representing a display of power, contains within it another core of power. This what is meant in Numbers 14,14 כי עין בעין נראה אתה ה’, “that You, Hashem, appeared eye to eye.” The true meaning is that though You Hashem appeared to the eye, there is an inner dimension to this manifestation which remained invisible. This is also the mystical dimension of 20,23 לא תעשון אתי, “you shall not make ‘with’ Me, etc.” The meaning is that no other so-called deity shall share על פני, “My Divine Presence.” When the Torah writes about Moses ascending the mountain (19,3) ומשה עלה אל האלו-הים ויקרא אליו - י-ה-ו-ה that “Moses ascended to G’d, and Hashem called to him,” the meaning is that Hashem called to him from within the attribute אלו-הים. This too is the meaning in Deut. 5,21 ואת קולו שמענו מתוך האש, “and we have heard His voice out of the fire.” The voice referred to there is the voice of the attribute Hashem. It was this voice which the people had been afraid of hearing again, and this is why they said: אם יוספים אנחנו לשמוע את קול י-ה-ו-ה אלו-הינו עוד ומתנו “if we will continue to hear the voice of Hashem, our G’d, again we will die.” This is also the mystical aspect of our sages’ saying (Shevuot 20) זכור ושמור בדבור אחד נאמרו, “the words זכור and שמור [one of which appears in the first version of the Ten Commandments in Exodus and the other in the version in Deuteronomy, Ed.] were said as one.” The former refers to the attribute of Mercy, i.e. י-ה-ו-ה, the other to the attribute of Justice, the attribute known best as אלו-הים. The attribute of Mercy spoke from within the attribute of Justice. This was also why there were two Tablets instead of merely one. One represented the attribute of Mercy, the other the attribute of Justice. The Tablet on which the words לא תרצח, “do not murder,” was inscribed at the top represented the attribute of Justice. (according to the view that five of the Commandments were written on each Tablet) Moses, who, as we explained had attained the level of communicating with G’d’s attribute (emanation) תפארת, heard the word זכור, i.e. as a positive commandment, an expression of the attribute of Mercy. The people who had not attained such a lofty level of communication with G’d heard the word as שמור, as a negative commandment, as an expression of the attribute of Justice.
When we find an expression (verse 22) such as כי מן השמים דברתי עמכם, ”for I have spoken with you from the heaven,” the meaning of the word מתוך in that verse is similar to the meaning of the words מתוך האש in the verses we have already discussed. If you peruse all the verses connected with מתן תורה, you will not find a single one mentioning the tetragrammaton unless it is connected to the words מתוך האש.
Chizkuni
וכל העם, “And all the people;” from here on as far as verse 23, לא תגלה ערותך עליו, “you must not reveal your nakedness while on it (the altar),” the sequence of the way in which the Torah has been written is unusual, as the words: ולשומרי מצותיו, “and to those who observe His Commandments,” should have appeared at the end of verse 6. The reason why they do not appear at that point is in order not to interrupt the sequence of the Ten Commandments.
Chizkuni
הר ההר, this has been explained in Numbers 20,22.