Cytowanie Komentarza do Psalmów 68:19

ומשה עלה אל האלוקים, "and Moses went up unto G'd." Why did Moses go up before G'd had asked him to come up? Where to exactly did Moses go up? If he ascended the Mountain, why did the Torah not say so? Shemot Rabbah 28, bases itself on Psalms 68,19: עלית למרום, "you went up to celestial regions." If we accept this Midrash at face value, why did G'd afterwards have to call upon Moses from the Mountain if he was already in the celestial regions? Besides, why does the Torah describe Moses as going up to האלוקים instead of to השם seeing that when G'd called to him from the Mountain G'd is described as השם?

A Midrashic approach (Shemot Rabbah 30,5) on the words וכי ימכור איש את בתו לאמה, “G’d said to Israel: “I had an only daughter (the Torah) and I sold her to you (collectively) as a maid-servant. You are not allowed to remove her from the house unless she is securely (encased) dressed, in an appropriate ark; this is the meaning of the words following לא תצא כצאת העבדים, “she is not to leave (the house) in the manner of male servants.” G’d says: ”I charge you to treat the Torah with honor and respect seeing that you have captured her after she had been My companion previous to Matan Torah, the giving of the Torah.” The Midrash bases itself on Psalms 68,19: “you (Moses) went up to the (celestial) heights having taken a captive.” The Midrash continues by explaining the words אם רעה בעיני אדניה, “if she becomes displeasing in the eyes of her master,” i.e. that the Israelites have become wicked, not performing the commandments of the Torah. לעם נכרי לא ימשול למכרה, “He (G’d) never agreed to sell her (the Torah) to any other nation except to Israel;” so how could Israel betray her?!

השכן אתם בתוך טומאתם, “that dwells with them amidst their contamination.” Even though the Jewish people are contaminated the Shechinah is amongst them (Sifra Acharey 4, 5). This is the opinion of Rabbi Yehudah in the Talmud Sukkah where he states his view that one may cover the Sukkah with material which is subject to becoming contaminated, although his view is not shared by the other scholars. He based his opinion on the text in our verse.
We also have an opinion in Sanhedrin 37 according to which the words וירח את ריח בגדיו, “he inhaled the fragrance of his clothing” (Genesis 27,23) are understood as וירח את ריח בוגדיו, “he inhaled the fragrance of those who betray Him,” i.e. even though the person concerned is contaminated, seeing that they are Jews G’d does not totally reject them. Another allegorical approach along these lines is found in Shemot Rabbah 33,2 where the word עלית למרום שבית שבי (Psalms 68,19) are understood to mean that even if there were unfit Jews amongst the people this did not stop the Shechinah from being amongst them. The Midrash understands the words as a rebuttal to the Gentiles who believe that because Jews have served idols at one time they are forever cut off from G’d’s grace.
Another comment by the Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 18,8) on the words of Maleachi 2,16: “for I detest divorce- said the Lord G’d of Israel,” points to the fact that the prophet Malachi when mentioning G’d always uses the expression אלוקי צבאות, and only in this instance does he refer to G’d as אלוקי ישראל, “the G’d of Israel.” The author of the Midrash sees a clear message in this that the prophet wanted to reassure the people that G’d’s presence does not abandon the Jewish people even when they are sinful.