Kaisipang Hudyo sa Exodo 19:11: Kol Dodi Dofek & Guide for the Perplexed

When the man of destiny stands before the Almighty, he envisions the God of Israel who ‎reveals ‎Himself only with man’s approval and invitation. The God of Israel is united with the finite ‎creature ‎only after man has sanctified and cleansed himself from all pollution, and longingly and ‎agitatedly ‎awaits this wondrous encounter. The revelation of the God of Israel does not come, in ‎any event, ‎in all conditions and circumstances. It demands a special state of spirit and soul, in the ‎manner of ‎‎“Be ready for the third day” (Exodus 19:11). Without the readiness of man, the God of ‎Israel will ‎not reveal Himself. He does not surprise His creatures. He responds to man’s urgent ‎petition. ‎However, when man does not actively long for God with spiritual intensity, then the God ‎of Israel ‎shows no interest in him. When the God of the Hebrews chases after man against his will, ‎He does ‎not ask him for his opinion or desires. The God of Israel, however, consults with a person ‎before an ‎encounter. Already in Egypt the Holy One revealed Himself to Moses not only as the ‎God of the ‎Hebrews but also as the God of Israel who waits for man and invites him to His service ‎to do His ‎work. “So said the Lord, the God of Israel: Let my people go, that they shall make a feast ‎unto Me ‎in the wilderness” (Exodus 5:1).‎

More numerous, however, are the instances of the first case, viz., in which these verbs are used in connection with the revelation of the word and of the glory of God, e.g., “And I will come down and talk with thee there” (Num. 11:17); “And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai (Exod. 19:20); “The Lord will come down in the sight of all the people (Exod. 19:11); “And God went up from him” (Gen. 35:13); “And God went up from Abraham” (Gen. 17:22).

ONKELOS the Proselyte, who was thoroughly acquainted with the Hebrew and Chaldaic languages, made it his task to oppose the belief in God’s corporeality. Accordingly, any expression employed in the Pentateuch in reference to God, and in any way implying corporeality, he paraphrases in consonance with the context. All expressions denoting any mode of motion, are explained by Him to mean the appearance or manifestation of a certain light that had been created [for the occasion], i.e., the Shekhinah (Divine Presence), or Providence. Thus he paraphrases “the Lord will come down” (Exod. 19:11), “The Lord will manifest Himself”; “And God came down” (xvi. 20), “And God manifested Himself”; and does not say “And God came down”; “I will go down now and see” (Gen. 18:21), he paraphrases, “I will manifest myself now and see.”