הלכה על שמות 3:23

We find that the light of the sun and of all the stars is eternal, of itself it does not increase nor decrease. However, the light appears to increase or decrease depending on whether the object being viewed is far or near. Also, the light varies due to changes in the atmosphere at the beginning or the middle of the day. Only the moon has a renewal of its light.¹ Ibn Ezra believes that the sun, all planets and all stars, generate their own light, and only the moon reflects light of another body (the sun). Therefore, the Hebrew term for month, “hodesh,” can truly apply only to a lunar month.² In Hebrew, a month is called “hodesh,” which is derived from the root “hidesh” meaning “renew.” Since only the moon has a renewal of its light, “hodesh” can only refer to a lunar month. We examine when such a month begins.

This caused the Gaon (Rabbi Saadia) to err when he said that he saw the moment of a solar eclipse in Baghdad and it was not at the time of our calculated molad.⁵ A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks the sun’s light from reaching earth. This can only happen at a time of true conjunction. From this he concluded that the calculation of the Rabbis was not accurate. However, their calculation is the accurate one. The Gaon made four errors: The first is that he should have known about the long and short paths, as astronomers do. For there is no disagreement between conjunction for the Jews and conjunction for the Gentiles with regard to the mean orbit, which then allows one to calculate the true conjunction. The second error is that the molad is calculated relative to Jerusalem, and there is ⅔ of an hour difference in longitude between Jerusalem and Baghdad.⁶ Jerusalem is at a longitude of 35÷10ʹ E while Baghdad is at 44÷30ʹ E. The difference is 9÷20ʹ, almost ⅔ of an hour (⅔ ׳ 15÷ = 10÷). The third error is that he should have known the difference in appearance based on longitude, since an eclipse is one of appearance.⁷ In a solar eclipse the sun’s rays are blocked by the moon from reaching earth. However, the sun continues to shine and its intensity is in no way diminished. Those who are elsewhere in the universe will see the sun’s rays. “The sun may therefore be eclipsed to one observer while to another elsewhere it is visible as usual. Hence in computing an eclipse of the sun it is necessary to take into account the position of the observer on the earth” (Berry, p. 60). This is in contrast to a lunar eclipse where the moon is darkened and it is dark for everyone in the universe, no matter where that person stands. The fourth error is the difference in appearance based on latitude.

"And our duress" - this [refers to] the pressure, as it is stated (Exodus 3:9); "And I also saw the duress that the Egyptians are applying on them."

The meaning of “was empty and void” (“tohu vavohu”) (Genesis 1:2) is that it contained neither man nor animal. As Jeremiah explains, “I saw the land and it was empty and void (tohu vavohu)” (4:23), for which he explains the meaning afterward by saying, “I saw and there was no man” (ibid. 4:25) nor “animal” (ibid. 9:9). Similarly, “like the light of the seven days” (Isaiah 30:26) is an explanation of “sevenfold” (ibid.). Also, “that which I will be” (Exodus 3:14) explains “I will be” (ibid.). I have already explained the mystery of “sevenfold.”¹⁶ In his Alternative Commentary to Genesis (1:14), Ibn Ezra explains that the light increasingly intensified over the seven days of Creation, hence “sevenfold” means that there were seven stages to the light. Our Rabbis hinted at this when they said that on the fourth day the luminaries were hung (Hagiga 12a). How admirable to the intelligent is the choice of the word “hung.”¹⁷ The description of Creation in the book of Genesis deals only with creation of the lower world, the world of generation and decay, and it does not expound on the creation of the heavenly bodies. So all Scripture tells us about the heavenly bodies is that they were “hung” and visible to the lower world. Thus the words of Jeremiah disprove those who say that “tohu vavohu” means that there was no earth.

(Lamed) In order to satisfy the soul of the enlightened reader about this matter of separation – as at first glance, the heart of a person will [wonder] how such friends, the connection of which is ‘bound with thick ropes,’ can separate without any trace of the one remaining in his neighbor – I will say that this topic and its illustration was shown by the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moshe at the beginning of the Lord’s speaking to him. As it is written (Exod. 3:2-5), “He gazed, and there was a bush all aflame, yet the bush was not consumed. And Moshe said, ‘I must turn aside to look, etc.’ […] And [the Lord] said, ‘Do not come closer; remove your sandals from your feet.’” To here [are the verses]. And the commentaries are many that [try] to explain this allusion. But it appears – according to that which is written in the Guide [for the Perplexed]⁴⁶This idea does not seem to appear in the Guide for the Perplexed. It does, however, appear in the commentary of Rabbeinu Bachya on Exodus 3:5. That the latter was the actual reference is also the conclusion found in the New York Shivilei David edition of Shev Shmat’ta published in 2017. – that with the statement, “remove your sandals,” the Holy One, blessed be He, was warning Moshe about the removal of physicality, such that he should remove all of the physical forces from himself. See there. And elucidated in the writing of Ari, may his memory be blessed, is [the idea] that supernal fire does not consume, whereas earthly fire consumes everything that encounters it. That is because supernal fire does not become embodied and attach itself to any physical body, nor mix into its parts. And therefore it does not burn it. This is not the case with earthly fire, [which is] embodied and mixes into all physical things. [So it] enters into the parts of a tree, mixes in with it and consumes it. Accordingly, the Lord showed Moshe this vision of the burning of the bush and [its] not being consumed, so that he would understand that the loftiness of the thinking soul is like the loftiness of the supernal fire. And even though it resides in a physical body, it [need] not mix into its parts and become embodied in it. Rather if its owner guards it, it will remain in its loftiness. And through this it ‘can come to the holy at any time,’ to remove its clothing from upon it. And [so] He said to him, “Remove your sandals,” and like is written in the Guide. And with this, the goal of separation about which I have written is understood.

(Lamed) In order to satisfy the soul of the enlightened reader about this matter of separation – as at first glance, the heart of a person will [wonder] how such friends, the connection of which is ‘bound with thick ropes,’ can separate without any trace of the one remaining in his neighbor – I will say that this topic and its illustration was shown by the Holy One, blessed be He, to Moshe at the beginning of the Lord’s speaking to him. As it is written (Exod. 3:2-5), “He gazed, and there was a bush all aflame, yet the bush was not consumed. And Moshe said, ‘I must turn aside to look, etc.’ […] And [the Lord] said, ‘Do not come closer; remove your sandals from your feet.’” To here [are the verses]. And the commentaries are many that [try] to explain this allusion. But it appears – according to that which is written in the Guide [for the Perplexed]⁴⁶This idea does not seem to appear in the Guide for the Perplexed. It does, however, appear in the commentary of Rabbeinu Bachya on Exodus 3:5. That the latter was the actual reference is also the conclusion found in the New York Shivilei David edition of Shev Shmat’ta published in 2017. – that with the statement, “remove your sandals,” the Holy One, blessed be He, was warning Moshe about the removal of physicality, such that he should remove all of the physical forces from himself. See there. And elucidated in the writing of Ari, may his memory be blessed, is [the idea] that supernal fire does not consume, whereas earthly fire consumes everything that encounters it. That is because supernal fire does not become embodied and attach itself to any physical body, nor mix into its parts. And therefore it does not burn it. This is not the case with earthly fire, [which is] embodied and mixes into all physical things. [So it] enters into the parts of a tree, mixes in with it and consumes it. Accordingly, the Lord showed Moshe this vision of the burning of the bush and [its] not being consumed, so that he would understand that the loftiness of the thinking soul is like the loftiness of the supernal fire. And even though it resides in a physical body, it [need] not mix into its parts and become embodied in it. Rather if its owner guards it, it will remain in its loftiness. And through this it ‘can come to the holy at any time,’ to remove its clothing from upon it. And [so] He said to him, “Remove your sandals,” and like is written in the Guide. And with this, the goal of separation about which I have written is understood.

It is from the roots of the commandment from the angle of the simple understanding [that it is] since the entire essence of Israel is only the Torah, and because of the Torah were the heavens and earth created, and as it is stated (Jeremiah 33:25), "Were it not for my covenant day and night, etc." And it is the essence and the reason that they were redeemed and left from Egypt - in order that they receive the Torah at Sinai, and fulfill it. And [it is] like God said to Moshe (Exodus 3:12), "And this will be the sign for you that I have sent you; when you take out the people from Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain." And the understanding of the verse is [that] your taking them out from Egypt is a sign for you that you shall worship God on this mountain - meaning that you shall receive the Torah, which is the great principle for which they were redeemed and it is their ultimate good. And it is a great matter for them, more than freedom from slavery. And hence God made a sign of their leaving Egypt for the receiving of the Torah; as we always make what is secondary into a sign for what is the essence.