פֶּ֣ה אֶל־פֶּ֞ה אֲדַבֶּר־בּ֗וֹ וּמַרְאֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א בְחִידֹ֔ת וּתְמֻנַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה יַבִּ֑יט וּמַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א יְרֵאתֶ֔ם לְדַבֵּ֖ר בְּעַבְדִּ֥י בְמֹשֶֽׁה׃
Bibig sa bibig Ako nakikipag-usap sa kanya, nang hayagan at hindi sa pamamagitan ng mga talinghaga, at ang anyo ng Walang-Hanggan ay kanyang namamasdan. Bakit nga hindi kayo natakot na magsalita laban sa Aking lingkod, laban kay Moises?”
Vayikra Rabbah
Rabbi Avin began in the name of Rabbi Berekhya the Elder: “You then spoke in a vision to Your pious ones, [saying: I aided the mighty one; I raised the one chosen from the people]” (Psalms 89:20) – this is speaking of Abraham, to whom He spoke with speech and in vision. That is what is written: “After these matters, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying” (Genesis 15:1). “To Your pious ones [laḥasidekha]” – “give truth to Jacob, kindness [ḥesed] to Abraham” (Micah 7:20). “Saying: I aided the mighty one” – as he killed four kings in one night. That is what is written: “He deployed against them at night…[and smote them and pursued them until Ḥova]” (Genesis 14:15). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Do you have a person who pursues the dead, as it is stated: “And smote them and pursued them until Ḥova”? Rather, it teaches that the Holy One blessed be He was killing and Abraham was pursuing. “I raised the one chosen from the people” – this is Abraham, who was chosen by the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Who has chosen Abram” (Nehemiah 9:7).
Another matter: “You then spoke in a vision to Your pious ones” (Psalms 89:20) – this is speaking of David, to whom He spoke with speech and in vision. That is what is written: “In accordance with all these matters, and in accordance with this entire vision, so Natan spoke to David” (II Samuel 7:17). “To Your pious ones [laḥasidekha]” – as it is stated: “Protect my soul, for I am pious [ḥasid]” (Psalms 86:2). “Saying: I aided the mighty one” (Psalms 89:20) – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: David waged thirteen wars, and the Rabbis say: Eighteen, and they do not disagree. The one who said thirteen, they were for the needs of Israel. The one who said eighteen, they were five for his own needs and thirteen for the needs of Israel. “I raised the one chosen from the people” (Psalms 89:20) – as it is stated: “He chose David His servant…” (Psalms 78:70).
Another matter: “You then spoke in a vision” (Psalms 89:20) – this is speaking of Moses, to whom He spoke with speech and in vision, as it is stated: “Mouth to mouth I will speak to him, [and a vision]” (Numbers 12:8). “To Your pious ones” (Psalms 89:20) – because he was from the tribe of Levi, as it is stated: “Your Tummim and Your Urim for Your pious one” (Deuteronomy 33:8). “Saying: I aided the mighty one” (Psalms 89:20) – this accords with that which Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai said: The way of the world is that a burden that is difficult for one is easy for two; [one that is difficult] for two is easy for four. But can a burden that is difficult for six hundred thousand be easy for one? All of Israel was standing before Mount Sinai and saying: “If we continue to hear [the voice of the Lord our God any more, we will die]” (Deuteronomy 5:22), and Moses was hearing the voice of the divine speech himself, and he lived. Know that it is so, as from all of them, the divine speech called only to Moses, as it is stated: “He called to Moses.” “I raised the one chosen from the people” (Psalms 89:20) – as it is stated: “Were it not for Moses His chosen one” (Psalms 106:23).
Another matter: “You then spoke in a vision to Your pious ones” (Psalms 89:20) – this is speaking of David, to whom He spoke with speech and in vision. That is what is written: “In accordance with all these matters, and in accordance with this entire vision, so Natan spoke to David” (II Samuel 7:17). “To Your pious ones [laḥasidekha]” – as it is stated: “Protect my soul, for I am pious [ḥasid]” (Psalms 86:2). “Saying: I aided the mighty one” (Psalms 89:20) – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: David waged thirteen wars, and the Rabbis say: Eighteen, and they do not disagree. The one who said thirteen, they were for the needs of Israel. The one who said eighteen, they were five for his own needs and thirteen for the needs of Israel. “I raised the one chosen from the people” (Psalms 89:20) – as it is stated: “He chose David His servant…” (Psalms 78:70).
Another matter: “You then spoke in a vision” (Psalms 89:20) – this is speaking of Moses, to whom He spoke with speech and in vision, as it is stated: “Mouth to mouth I will speak to him, [and a vision]” (Numbers 12:8). “To Your pious ones” (Psalms 89:20) – because he was from the tribe of Levi, as it is stated: “Your Tummim and Your Urim for Your pious one” (Deuteronomy 33:8). “Saying: I aided the mighty one” (Psalms 89:20) – this accords with that which Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai said: The way of the world is that a burden that is difficult for one is easy for two; [one that is difficult] for two is easy for four. But can a burden that is difficult for six hundred thousand be easy for one? All of Israel was standing before Mount Sinai and saying: “If we continue to hear [the voice of the Lord our God any more, we will die]” (Deuteronomy 5:22), and Moses was hearing the voice of the divine speech himself, and he lived. Know that it is so, as from all of them, the divine speech called only to Moses, as it is stated: “He called to Moses.” “I raised the one chosen from the people” (Psalms 89:20) – as it is stated: “Were it not for Moses His chosen one” (Psalms 106:23).
Midrash Tanchuma
Our teachers maintained that in reward for three things Moses was granted three things. As a reward for And Moses hid his face (Exod. 3:6), he was granted The skin of his face sent forth beams (ibid. 34:30); as a reward for For He feared (ibid. 3:6), he was granted They were afraid to come nigh unto him (ibid. 34:30); and as a reward for He was afraid to look (ibid. 3:6), he was granted The similitude of the Lord doth he behold (Num. 12:18).
Otzar Midrashim
11) Come and hear: anything of Torah has heaps upon heaps of midrash. And the Holy Blessed One cautioned Israel about them, saying "Look at these serifs. If you replace them you will destroy the universe! For instance, if you make ḥet into hei or hei into ḥet, you will destroy the universe!" For instance "Our souls hope for the LORD"1"nafshenu ḥikta l-Adonai." If "ḥikta" were replaced with "hikta" this would be read "our souls struck the LORD!" (Psalms 33:20), or "Let all with breath praise Yah,2"kol ha-nshama tehallel Yah" If "tehalel" were replaced with "teḥallel" this would be read "let all with breath desecrate Yah!" hallelujah!" (Psalms 150:6). "What's more, if you make dalet into resh or resh into dalet, you will destroy the universe!" For instance, "Hear, Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD is one!3"Adonai eḥad" If "eḥad" were replaced with "aḥer," spelled the same in Hebrew without vowels, this would be read "the LORD is another!"" (Deuteronomy 6:4) or "Do not bow down to another deity4"el aḥer." If "aḥer" were replaced with "eḥad," spelled the same in Hebrew without vowels, this would be read "Do not bow down to the One Deity!"" (Exodus 34:14). From this can be learned that every single serif in the Torah has heaps and heaps of laws, all the more so an entire letter or an entire word. And the Holy Blessed One saw all the humans He created and found no find a man as worthy to be given the Torah by his hand as Moshe. And why did Moshe merit to be the groom of the Torah? Because of his humility and awe that was in him. From where? As it is written, "And Moshe hid his face for he was afraid to gaze upon God" (Exodus 3:6). The sages said, in reward for three things he did, Moshe merited three things. In reward for his fear, he merited "they were afraid to come near him" (Exodus 34:30). In reward for his hiding his face, he merited to have a glowing countenance. In reward for not gazing, he merited to "see the form of the LORD" (Numbers 12:8) and he merited "they gazed after Moshe until he entered the tent" (Exodus 33:8). And from where is humility found in Moshe? As it is said, "And now, go, and I will send you to Pharaoh, etc." (Exodus 3:10). The sages said, the hei of "go"5"lekhah" is closed. And why is it closed? When the Holy Blessed One said to Moshe, "Go and redeem Israel," out of his great humility that he had, he said, "Who am I to go to Pharaoh? Could I bring the children of Israel out of Egypt!?" He said, "There are those greater than me in the family with regards to wealth and silver and gold!" The Holy Blessed One said to him, to Moshe, "You are great," as it is said, "And the man Moshe was very great" (Exodus 11:3).