Halakha Keluaran 33:11: Mishneh Torah, Foundations & Kitzur Shulchan Arukh

All the things hereinof spoken is the path of prophecy for all prophets, First and Last, save Moses our Master, the Master of all prophets. And what division is there between the prophecy of Moses and that of all the other prophets? All the other prophets prophesied while in a dream, or in a vision, but Moses our Master prophesied while awake and standing up, as it is said: "And when Moses went into the tent of meeting that He might speak with Him, then he heard the Voice speaking unto him" (Num. 7.89); all other prophets received it through an Angel, they therefore saw what they did see in the form of allegory and riddles, but Moses our Master did not receive it through an angel, for it is said: "With him do I speak mouth to mouth" (Ibid. 12.8), and it is also said: "and the Lord spoke unto Moses face to face" (Ex. 33.11); and it is further said: "And the similitude of the Lord doth he behold" (Num. 12.8); which is to say that there is no manner of parable, for he sees the matter in its clearness without riddle and without parable, which is as the Torah testifies concerning him: "Even manifestly, and not in dark speeches" (Ibid.); he does not prophesy in dark speech but by sight for he sees the matter in its clearness; all prophets are awe-stricken, trembling and faint, but Moses our Master is not so, which is as the Verse says: "As a man speaketh unto his friend" (Ex. 33.11), meaning, that as no man trembles to hear the words of his friend, so was the power of the mind of Moses our Master to understand the words of prophecy, he remaining upright at his post unaffected; all other prophets could not prophesy any time they wanted, but not so Moses our Master, who at any time he desired, the Holy Spirit covered him, and prophecy rested upon him, and he needed not to prepare his mind, or be in readiness to meet it, as he was prepared and ready constantly like unto the ministering Angels. He, therefore, prophesied at all times, even as it is said: "Stand ye and let me hear what God will command concerning you" (Num. 9.8). Moreover, in this, Almighty assured him, saying: "Go and say to them, 'Return ye to your tents' and, as for thee, remain standing with me here"(Deut. 5.30–31). Herefrom we learn that all other prophets, when the spirit of prophecy departs from them, return to their tent for their bodily needs, they all, like unto the rest of the people. Therefore, do they not remain separated from their wives. But Moses our Master returned not again to his erstwhile abode, he therefore separated himself forever from his wife and from like matters; his intellect became apprenticed to the Rock of the Universe; glory never departed from him; his countenance became adorned with rays of light, and his saintliness was like that of Angels.

The curses contained in parshas Bechukosai,⁷Leviticus 26: 14–43. and in parshas Ki Savo⁸Deuteronomy 28: 15–68. should be read without interruption.⁹Maseches Megillah 31. Interrupting would make it appear as though we do not wish to accept Divine admonition. (Meleches Shelomoh—Midrash Rabbah.) [Also see Shoeil Umeishiv (5 Resp. 9) and Elef Lecha Shelomo Resp. 63—Sofrim (12).] Shulchan Aruch rules that not interrupting the curses contained in Ki Savo is a custom, but not interrupting in Bechukosai is a Halachah. The reading of these curses must be preceded by one verse of the preceding chapter.¹⁰See Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Chapter 23 for details. But in order not to begin the parshah with less than three verses, the reading must begin with the three verses preceding the curses. At the conclusion also, we must read at least one verse after the curses, but care should be taken not to end at less than three verses from the beginning of a parshah. In parshas Ki Sisa, we read for the Levi, the whole chapter of the golden calf until the words Umeshareso Yehoshua¹¹Exodus 33: 11. [and his servant Yehoshua]. And the reason is because the Levites did not participate in making the golden calf.¹²Maseches Yoma 66a. It is customary to read in a low voice [the portion beginning with] Vayittein el Moshe kechaloso [and He gave Moses as He had finished]¹³Exodus 31: 18. until Vayechal Moshe [and Moses beseeched].¹⁴See Exodus 32: 11 Rashi (Maseches Megillah 31b). The verse beginning with Vayechal is read in a loud voice until Vayifen vayeired Moshe, [And Moses turned and descended]. And the verse beginning with Vayifen is read in a low voice until uMoshe yikach es ha'ohel, [And Moses took the tent].¹⁵Exodus 33: 7. The reading is then resumed in a loud voice until the end of the parshah. And also the curses in parshas Bechukosai and parshas Ki Savo should be read in a low voice. However, the verse, Vezacharti es brisi Yaakov [And I will remember the covenant with Jacob]¹⁶Leviticus 26: 42. is read in a loud voice. The following verse, Veha'aretz tei'azeiv [And the land will be forsaken] is read in a low voice. From the verse: Ve'af gam zos [and with all this]¹⁷Leviticus 26: 44. [the reading is resumed] in a loud voice until the end. And in parshas Ki Savo, [the verse] Leyira es Hashem hanichbad [to fear the honored Name]¹⁸Deuteronomy 28: 59. until the end of the verse should be read in a loud voice and thereafter in a low voice until Ve'ein koneh [and there is no one to buy].¹⁹Deuteronomy 28: 68. Also in parshas Beha'alosecha it is customary to read in a low voice from Vayehi ha'am kemisonenim [and the people were as murmurers]²⁰Numbers 11: 1. until Vehaman kizra gad [and the manna was like the coriander seed]²¹Numbers 11: 7. and the reason is to show that they were regretful. Whatever is read in a low voice should be read at least [loud enough] for the congregation to hear the voice, otherwise they have not fulfilled their duty of reading [the Torah]. [In the reading of] the forty-two journeys in parshas Masei no interruption should be made,²²Magein Avraham 428: 8—Tzeror Hamor. We also do not interrupt during the last eight verses in the Torah [Maseches Menachos 30, Shulchan Aruch 428: 7], nor in the Ten Commandments in Yisro and in Va’eschanon, nor during Az Yashir [Avudraham]. for they represent the [Divine] Name of forty-two [Letters].²³One of the holy Names of Hashem.