Comentários de Citação sobre Êxodo 33:12

Kap. 10. V. 1. בעת ההיא. Am Ende jener mittleren vierzig Tage, in welchen Mosche um die Wiederanknüpfung der besonderen göttlichen Waltungsbeziehungen zu Israel sich bewarb (siehe Schmot 33, 12 f. und 34, 1 f.). ועשית לך וגו׳ damit war von vornherein die Weisung gegeben, daß sie nicht wieder zerbrochen werden sollten, damit implizite die Versicherung, daß, der noch zu überwindenden Unvollkommenheiten und Verirrungen des Volkes ungeachtet, ihre endliche Bestimmung, Träger und Wahrer des göttlichen Gesetzes zu sein, mit ihnen durchdauern werde.

אחרי, “after Me,” this word in the line quoted from Proverbs, refers to G–d, Who had been the first One to rebuke Israel. Israel had found favour on account of that, so that after enduring the slavery in Egypt (rebuke), when He redeemed them they accepted His Torah. G–d confirmed this when He said to Moses in Exodus 33,12: וגם מצאת חן בעיני, “and you too, have found favour in My eyes.”

וירא אלוקים את האור, “G-d saw the light;” the meaning of the word: וירא in this verse is that He contemplated, understood the impact that this light had made. In other words, this was “seeing” with one’s heart; we find the verb ראה used in this sense also in Exodus 12,13, where G-d is described as “‏וראיתי את הדם,” “When I take note of the blood” (on the entrance of the homes of the Israelites”); we find it used again use in that sense in Exodus 33,12, as well as in Kohelet 2,17. Even though everything in the past present and the future is “visible” to the Lord, it is impossible to explain the word here in the usual sense of seeing with one’s eyes.