פָּנִ֣ים ׀ בְּפָנִ֗ים דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה עִמָּכֶ֛ם בָּהָ֖ר מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵֽשׁ׃
Harapan kayong kinausap ng Walang-Hanggan sa bundok mula sa gitna ng apoy.
Pesikta DeRav Kahana
"King Solomon made for him a palanquin" (Songs 3:9). "Palanquin" -- that is the Tent of Meeting. "King Solomon (Shlomo) made for him" -- the King to whom the peace (shalom) belongs (i.e., God Himself). Said Rabbi Yehuda bar Ilai: There was a king who had a young daughter. Before she had grown up and developed signs of puberty, he would see her in the marketplace [and] speak with her, in alleyways [and] speak with her. As soon as she grew up and developed signs of puberty, he said, "It is not honorable to my daughter that I speak with her in public; rather, make for her a partition and I will speak with her from within the partition." Thus in the beginning [it says], "When Israel was a youth, then I loved him" (Hos. 11:1). In Egypt they saw Me -- "and I will pass through the land of Egypt [on that night]" (Ex. 12:12). At the Sea they saw Me -- "and Israel saw the great hand [that God had wrought against Egypt]" (Ex. 14:31). At Sinai they saw Me -- "face to face the word of God was with you" (Deut. 5:4). And as soon as they received the Torah and became a full-fledged (sheleimah) nation to Me, I said, "It is not honorable to My children that I should speak with them in public; rather, make for Me a Tabernacle and I will speak from within the Tabernacle." Therefore it says, "When Moses would come to the Tent of Meeting [to speak with Him, he would hear a voice speaking to him from above the cover that was atop the Ark of Testimony]" (Num. 7:89).
"Of wood from Lebanon" (Songs 3:9) -- [those are] "[the boards of] acacia wood, standing upright" (Ex. 26:15); "Its posts he made of silver" -- "the hooks of the columns" (Ex. 27:10); "Its back-support of gold" (Songs 3:10) -- "the boards you shall overlay with gold" (Ex. 26:29). "Its seat of purple gold" (Songs 3:10) -- "and you shall make a curtain of blue and purple" (Ex. 26:31). "Inside it was joined together with love" -- Rabbi Yudan says, that is the merit of Torah and the righteous. Rabbi Azariah in the name of Rabbi Yehuda b'Rabbi Simon says, that is the Shekhinah. Said Rabbi Acha bar Kahana, it is written, "I will meet with you at appointed times there" (Ex. 25:22), to teach that even that which is behind the Ark-cover is not unoccupied by the Shekhinah.
A certain Gentile inquired of Rabban Gamaliel. He said to him, "For what reason did the Holy One Blessed be He conceal Himself from Moses in a bush?" He said to him, "If He would have concealed Himself on a certain carob tree or on a certain fig tree, what would you have said? Rather, [it was to show] that thee is no place on Earth that is unoccupied by the Shekhinah.
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sakhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi: To what can the Tent of Meeting be compared? To a cave that is situated on the seashore, and the sea rose up and overflowed, and the cave became filled up by the sea, but the sea was not lacking. Thus is the Tent of Meeting -- it is filled up by the radiance of the Shekhinah. Therefore it is said, "And it was on the day that Moses completed (or 'fulfilled'), etc."
"Of wood from Lebanon" (Songs 3:9) -- [those are] "[the boards of] acacia wood, standing upright" (Ex. 26:15); "Its posts he made of silver" -- "the hooks of the columns" (Ex. 27:10); "Its back-support of gold" (Songs 3:10) -- "the boards you shall overlay with gold" (Ex. 26:29). "Its seat of purple gold" (Songs 3:10) -- "and you shall make a curtain of blue and purple" (Ex. 26:31). "Inside it was joined together with love" -- Rabbi Yudan says, that is the merit of Torah and the righteous. Rabbi Azariah in the name of Rabbi Yehuda b'Rabbi Simon says, that is the Shekhinah. Said Rabbi Acha bar Kahana, it is written, "I will meet with you at appointed times there" (Ex. 25:22), to teach that even that which is behind the Ark-cover is not unoccupied by the Shekhinah.
A certain Gentile inquired of Rabban Gamaliel. He said to him, "For what reason did the Holy One Blessed be He conceal Himself from Moses in a bush?" He said to him, "If He would have concealed Himself on a certain carob tree or on a certain fig tree, what would you have said? Rather, [it was to show] that thee is no place on Earth that is unoccupied by the Shekhinah.
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sakhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi: To what can the Tent of Meeting be compared? To a cave that is situated on the seashore, and the sea rose up and overflowed, and the cave became filled up by the sea, but the sea was not lacking. Thus is the Tent of Meeting -- it is filled up by the radiance of the Shekhinah. Therefore it is said, "And it was on the day that Moses completed (or 'fulfilled'), etc."
Bamidbar Rabbah
“These encamped in front of the Tabernacle, to the east, in front of the Tent of Meeting eastward: Moses, and Aaron, and his sons, keeping the commission of the Sanctuary, for the commission of the children of Israel; and the commoner who approaches shall be put to death” (Numbers 3:38).
“These encamped in front of the Tabernacle, to the east” – Kehat merited that his descendants surrounded the Tabernacle in two directions. The tribe of Levi became four divisions to surround the four directions of the Tabernacle, corresponding to the four banners. In accordance with their actions, the Levites encamped in the four directions just as the banners were arranged. How so? West, from there were the storehouses of snow, the storehouses of hail, cold, and heat.28The west is associated with these weather phenomena. Corresponding to them encamped the banner of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, who were mighty, in order to withstand them all. Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He settled Gershon to the west, as his sacred service was “the Tent, its covering, and the screen” (Numbers 3:25). What can withstand snow, hail, cold, and heat? It is a tent, a covering, and a screen. That is why he was called Gershon. Who will reside in the face of snow, hail, cold, and heat? It is one who is as strong as ivory.29Gershon is a portmanteau of gar – reside, and shen – ivory. Ivory is nothing other than an expression of strength, as it is written: “His belly is like a tablet of ivory” (Song of Songs 5:14).
The south, from which dews of blessing and rains of blessing emerge into the world, there, the banner of Reuben, who is a penitent, encamps. It is by virtue of penitence that rain falls. Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He settled in that same southern direction the sons of Kehat, who would bear the Ark in which the Torah was, as the rains are dependent only upon the Torah, as it is stated: “If you follow My statutes.… I will provide your rains…” (Leviticus 26:3–4), and “But if you reject My statutes” (Leviticus 26:15), “I will render your heavens like iron” (Leviticus 26:19). That is why he was called Kehat, just as it says: “If the iron is blunt [keha]” (Ecclesiastes 10:10) – if you see that the heavens have been blunted from causing rain to fall and have become iron, just as it says: “I will render your heavens like iron,” know that it is due to a punishment for Torah that they did not fulfill, as it is written: “And one did not whet [kilkal] the edge [panim]” (Ecclesiastes 10:10). It is because they did not fulfill the Torah that was given to them face-to-face, just as it says: “Face-to-face [panim befanim] the Lord spoke with you…” (Deuteronomy 5:4), and they corrupted [kilkelu] their actions. That is kilkal.
The north, from which darkness emerges into the world, there encamps the tribe of Dan, who embodied the darkness of the idol crafted by Yerovam and situated in Dan. That is why the children of Merari encamped there, as their labor was with wood: “The boards of the Tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars” (Numbers 3:36), just as it says: “[Their] doctrine is but delusion; it is a piece of wood” (Jeremiah 10:8). That is why his name was called Merari, because of bitterness [merur].30Bitterness is caused by idol worship.
The east, from which light emerges into the world, there, the encampment of Judah, who were masters of royalty, masters of Torah, and masters of mitzvot, encamps. That is why Moses, Aaron and his sons encamped there, as they were masters of Torah and masters of mitzvot, and they atoned for Israel with their prayers and their offerings. In their regard it is stated: Happy is the righteous and happy is his neighbor;31Mishna Sukka 56:2. these are the tribes that were adjacent to Moses and Aaron: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. They were all great in Torah: “The scepter shall not depart [from Judah, nor a scholar from among his descendants]” (Genesis 49:10); “from the children of Issachar, possessors of understanding” (I Chronicles 12:33); “from Zebulun, those who ply the scribe’s quill” (Judges 5:14). Because they were neighbors of the Torah, they all became Torah scholars.
Three in the south, who were adjacent to masters of divisiveness, were eradicated with them. In their regard it was stated: Woe to the wicked, woe to his neighbor. Who were the masters of divisiveness? It was “Koraḥ son of Yitzhar son of Kehat” (Numbers 16:1).32Referring to Koraḥ and his assembly. Because Reuben, Simeon, and Gad were adjacent to them, they were all masters of divisiveness, as it says: “Koraḥ son of Yitzhar [son of Kehat] took […sons of Reuben]” (Numbers 16:1). Likewise, the sons of Gad and the sons of Simeon were also masters of divisiveness.33The tribes of Reuben and Gad remained east of the Jordan, and Zimri (see Numbers 25:6–14) was the prince of the tribe of Simeon.
“Keeping the commission of the Sanctuary, for the commission of the children of Israel” – they would guard so that Israel would not enter there. Why to that extent? Since were they to enter there, they would be punishable by death. That is what is written: “And the commoner who approaches shall be put to death.”
“These encamped in front of the Tabernacle, to the east” – Kehat merited that his descendants surrounded the Tabernacle in two directions. The tribe of Levi became four divisions to surround the four directions of the Tabernacle, corresponding to the four banners. In accordance with their actions, the Levites encamped in the four directions just as the banners were arranged. How so? West, from there were the storehouses of snow, the storehouses of hail, cold, and heat.28The west is associated with these weather phenomena. Corresponding to them encamped the banner of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, who were mighty, in order to withstand them all. Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He settled Gershon to the west, as his sacred service was “the Tent, its covering, and the screen” (Numbers 3:25). What can withstand snow, hail, cold, and heat? It is a tent, a covering, and a screen. That is why he was called Gershon. Who will reside in the face of snow, hail, cold, and heat? It is one who is as strong as ivory.29Gershon is a portmanteau of gar – reside, and shen – ivory. Ivory is nothing other than an expression of strength, as it is written: “His belly is like a tablet of ivory” (Song of Songs 5:14).
The south, from which dews of blessing and rains of blessing emerge into the world, there, the banner of Reuben, who is a penitent, encamps. It is by virtue of penitence that rain falls. Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He settled in that same southern direction the sons of Kehat, who would bear the Ark in which the Torah was, as the rains are dependent only upon the Torah, as it is stated: “If you follow My statutes.… I will provide your rains…” (Leviticus 26:3–4), and “But if you reject My statutes” (Leviticus 26:15), “I will render your heavens like iron” (Leviticus 26:19). That is why he was called Kehat, just as it says: “If the iron is blunt [keha]” (Ecclesiastes 10:10) – if you see that the heavens have been blunted from causing rain to fall and have become iron, just as it says: “I will render your heavens like iron,” know that it is due to a punishment for Torah that they did not fulfill, as it is written: “And one did not whet [kilkal] the edge [panim]” (Ecclesiastes 10:10). It is because they did not fulfill the Torah that was given to them face-to-face, just as it says: “Face-to-face [panim befanim] the Lord spoke with you…” (Deuteronomy 5:4), and they corrupted [kilkelu] their actions. That is kilkal.
The north, from which darkness emerges into the world, there encamps the tribe of Dan, who embodied the darkness of the idol crafted by Yerovam and situated in Dan. That is why the children of Merari encamped there, as their labor was with wood: “The boards of the Tabernacle, and its bars, and its pillars” (Numbers 3:36), just as it says: “[Their] doctrine is but delusion; it is a piece of wood” (Jeremiah 10:8). That is why his name was called Merari, because of bitterness [merur].30Bitterness is caused by idol worship.
The east, from which light emerges into the world, there, the encampment of Judah, who were masters of royalty, masters of Torah, and masters of mitzvot, encamps. That is why Moses, Aaron and his sons encamped there, as they were masters of Torah and masters of mitzvot, and they atoned for Israel with their prayers and their offerings. In their regard it is stated: Happy is the righteous and happy is his neighbor;31Mishna Sukka 56:2. these are the tribes that were adjacent to Moses and Aaron: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. They were all great in Torah: “The scepter shall not depart [from Judah, nor a scholar from among his descendants]” (Genesis 49:10); “from the children of Issachar, possessors of understanding” (I Chronicles 12:33); “from Zebulun, those who ply the scribe’s quill” (Judges 5:14). Because they were neighbors of the Torah, they all became Torah scholars.
Three in the south, who were adjacent to masters of divisiveness, were eradicated with them. In their regard it was stated: Woe to the wicked, woe to his neighbor. Who were the masters of divisiveness? It was “Koraḥ son of Yitzhar son of Kehat” (Numbers 16:1).32Referring to Koraḥ and his assembly. Because Reuben, Simeon, and Gad were adjacent to them, they were all masters of divisiveness, as it says: “Koraḥ son of Yitzhar [son of Kehat] took […sons of Reuben]” (Numbers 16:1). Likewise, the sons of Gad and the sons of Simeon were also masters of divisiveness.33The tribes of Reuben and Gad remained east of the Jordan, and Zimri (see Numbers 25:6–14) was the prince of the tribe of Simeon.
“Keeping the commission of the Sanctuary, for the commission of the children of Israel” – they would guard so that Israel would not enter there. Why to that extent? Since were they to enter there, they would be punishable by death. That is what is written: “And the commoner who approaches shall be put to death.”
Devarim Rabbah
“Moses summoned all Israel, and he said to them: You have seen everything that the Lord performed before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to his entire land” (Deuteronomy 29:1).
“Moses summoned all Israel” – halakha: A person of Israel who stood to read the Torah, is it permitted for him to read fewer than three verses? So taught the Sages: One who reads the Torah may not do so with fewer than three verses.21Megilla 23b. Our Rabbis taught us: Why did they institute that he may not do so with fewer than three verses? It is corresponding to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Alternatively, it is corresponding to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, through whom the Torah was given. Rabbi Hoshaya said: See that the lowliest in the days of Moses saw what Ezekiel, the greatest of the prophets, did not see: people to whom the Divine Presence spoke face-to-face, as it is stated: “The Lord spoke with you face-to-face …” (Deuteronomy 5:4). Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: From where do you say that had Israel been lacking even one person, the Divine Presence would not have appeared to them? It is as it is written: “For on the third day the Lord will descend before the eyes of all the people on Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:11). There was an incident involving Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi], who was lecturing in the great study hall, and when he would seek to enter to lecture, he would say: ‘See if the entire congregation has gathered.’ From where do you derive it [this practice]? It is from the giving of the Torah. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “When the Lord said to me: Assemble the people for Me, and I will have them hear My words” (Deuteronomy 4:10).
Another matter: The Rabbis said: You find that when the Holy One blessed be He gave the Torah to Moses, He gave it to him with a summons. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “The Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses ascended” (Exodus 19:20). So too, Moses our master, when he came to teach the Torah to Israel, he said to them, ‘Just as I received the Torah with a summons, so I am passing it to His children with a summons.’ From where is it derived? It is from what is written regarding the matter: “Moses summoned all Israel, and he said to them.”
“Moses summoned all Israel” – halakha: A person of Israel who stood to read the Torah, is it permitted for him to read fewer than three verses? So taught the Sages: One who reads the Torah may not do so with fewer than three verses.21Megilla 23b. Our Rabbis taught us: Why did they institute that he may not do so with fewer than three verses? It is corresponding to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Alternatively, it is corresponding to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, through whom the Torah was given. Rabbi Hoshaya said: See that the lowliest in the days of Moses saw what Ezekiel, the greatest of the prophets, did not see: people to whom the Divine Presence spoke face-to-face, as it is stated: “The Lord spoke with you face-to-face …” (Deuteronomy 5:4). Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: From where do you say that had Israel been lacking even one person, the Divine Presence would not have appeared to them? It is as it is written: “For on the third day the Lord will descend before the eyes of all the people on Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:11). There was an incident involving Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi], who was lecturing in the great study hall, and when he would seek to enter to lecture, he would say: ‘See if the entire congregation has gathered.’ From where do you derive it [this practice]? It is from the giving of the Torah. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “When the Lord said to me: Assemble the people for Me, and I will have them hear My words” (Deuteronomy 4:10).
Another matter: The Rabbis said: You find that when the Holy One blessed be He gave the Torah to Moses, He gave it to him with a summons. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “The Lord summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses ascended” (Exodus 19:20). So too, Moses our master, when he came to teach the Torah to Israel, he said to them, ‘Just as I received the Torah with a summons, so I am passing it to His children with a summons.’ From where is it derived? It is from what is written regarding the matter: “Moses summoned all Israel, and he said to them.”