Комментарий к Шмот 19:14

מן ההר אל העם [AND MOSES WENT DOWN] FROM THE MOUNTAIN UNTO THE PEOPLE —This tells us that Moses did not betake himself first to his personal concerns but went direct from the mountain to the people (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 19:14).

AND MOSES WENT DOWN FROM THE MOUNT UNTO THE PEOPLE, AND SANCTIFIED THE PEOPLE. This verse teaches that the command expressed in the [above] verse, And the Eternal said unto Moses: Go unto the people and sanctify them,²¹⁷Above, Verse 10. was also given to him on the mountain which Moses ascended everytime that he was about to speak to Him. In the Mechilta, the Rabbis have explained:²¹⁸Mechilta on the verse here. “This teaches that Moses did not turn to his personal affairs nor go to his house at all, but he went directly from the mount unto the people.”

וירד משה מן ההר, “Moses descended from the Mountain, etc.” This is mentioned so that we the readers will know that even the instruction to Moses to ensure that the people sanctify themselves on that day and the following day were issued to Moses while he was on the Mountain. Moses ascended the Mountain every time that G’d spoke to him.

(Exodus 19:14) "And Moses went down from the mountain": We are hereby apprised that Moses did not turn to his affairs or go down to his house, but (directly) from the mountain to the people. I might think, only for this directive. Whence do I derive (the same for) all other directives? It is, therefore, written (Ibid. 20) "And the L rd descended upon Mount Sinai, etc." Now this has already been stated. Why need it be stated (Ibid. 25) "And Moses went down to the people"? To teach that Moses did not turn to his affairs or go down to his house, but (directly) from the mountain to the people. This tells me only of the directives of Mount Sinai. Whence do I derive (the same for) the directives of the tent of meeting? From (Ibid. 34:34) "And he would go forth (from the tent of meeting) and speak to the children of Israel what he had been commanded." And whence is it derived that all of his ascents were in the morning? From (Ibid. 24) "And be ready in the morning … and let no man go up with you … And he hewed two stone tablets, etc." Let it not be written (4) "as the L rd commanded him." It serves as a prototype, viz.: Whenever Moses ascended, it was in the morning. (Ibid. 19:14) "Vayekadesh the people": He readied them. "and they washed their garments," and they cleansed themselves.

וירד משה, “Moses descended;” on this same day, the fourth of the month, a Thursday.

ויקדש את העם, “he sanctified the people.” The three days of sanctification commence on this day and concluded on the morning of the third day, although technically they could have immersed themselves in a ritual bath already after nightfall of the previous day, seeing that there was such a huge number of people, Moses extended the period for ritual immersion until the morning of the third day, thus giving them additional time. [“days” here are parts of days, according to the halachic principle of מקצת היו ככולו, any portion of a “day” is considered as if it had been a full day.” Ed.]