“And God spoke all these words, saying.” The text mentions both “dibur” [speaking] and “amirah” [saying] — one is harsh and one is soft, as it is written: Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob — these are the women, speak to them in soft language; and tell the children of Israel — to the males, words as harsh as sinews. For this reason, these are called the Ten Statements [“dibrot”], while all of creation is referred to as the Ten Sayings [“ma’amarot”], because all of creation was formed according to their own inclination, meaning in those forms which they chose for themselves — which is soft speech without decree. But God’s commandments are all royal decrees, as a person should not say “I don’t want to eat pork because I find it disgusting” but rather “I do want it, but the Holy One, blessed be He, has decreed against it” — which is harsh speech. Nevertheless, for women who are intellectually weaker, one needs to explain in soft language to inform them of the benefits of the commandments, because any intelligent person accepts the decrees of the Holy One, blessed be He, while those with weaker intellect need explanation so that they will accept willingly. Even regarding the creation of heaven and earth it is written: By the word of the Lord the heavens were made (Psalms 33:6). Since they possess intelligence, they accepted God’s decree upon themselves even if not according to their own inclination. But regarding the lower beings it says: Let all the earth fear the Lord… For He said, and it came to be (Psalms 33:8-9). This means that He talked to them with soft speech, and they were created according to their own inclination. However, with the higher beings we find rebuke, as it says: Let there be a firmament (Genesis 1:6), for “a rebuke enters a person of understanding,” and similarly Moses said: Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the sayings of my mouth (Deuteronomy 32:1). This works well with the language of “dibur” and “amirah,” whether speaking of heaven and earth in general, or speaking toward people who have [spiritual] height and their height is like the height of heaven, and toward the common people [“amei ha’aretz”].

And these statements [commandments] were ten, to teach that upon them the world stands, as it was created with ten sayings in order to reveal the being of the ten sefirot without substance, and furthermore to punish the wicked, etc. For they say to the wicked, “Evil one, you should have paid attention that the world was not created with ten sayings for nothing, but because its existence depends on the Ten Commandments, which include the entire Torah,” as Rashi explained at the end of Parashat Mishpatim (Exodus 24:12). And if so, by transgressing them, you are destroying an entire world, and for this reason, it is fitting to punish them, etc.

“I am the Lord your God, etc.” There is a disagreement among the commentators, as some say that we only heard I am and You shall have no other gods directly from the Almighty, and their evidence is that these two commandments are stated in first person while the rest of the commandments are in third person. Others say that we heard all 10 commandments from the Holy One, blessed be He, and when they said You speak with us and we will hear (Exodus 20:16), this was after they had heard the 10 commandments. According to this view, it requires explanation why specifically these two commandments were stated in first person. According to the simple explanation, I will say something that applies to both views: it is the way of the world that after a person sees the face of the king, recognizes him and knows him, from then on he accepts him as king. And after accepting the yoke of his kingship, it is proper to accept his commandments, whether those commanded through a messenger or those commanded directly, even if he does not see the king’s face at the time of the command. But if he has never seen the king’s face and is uncertain about accepting him, how will he listen to his messenger? For if there is no sender, there is no messenger. Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, needed to speak first in the present tense I am the Lord your God to bring them into the covenant of accepting His divinity, for eye to eye they shall see the Lord of His holy ones. And after accepting His divinity, it is fitting to listen also to His messenger who comes in His name. But since He said I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and did not say “who created you” or “who created heaven and earth” [for reasons that will be explained shortly], this led to a distorted judgment by those who err, saying: Even if it is true that this is the Lord who brought us out of Egypt, perhaps there is another god who created us and who created heaven and earth. What reason is there to listen to the voice of this God, our God, who brought us out of Egypt? Perhaps there is another God who created us, and it is His voice I should obey. Therefore, He immediately said, You shall have no other gods before Me, to indicate that there is no other god besides Him. And thus, you are not permitted to listen to any messenger except to this one sent from Me.

And therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, needed to command these two statements in the second person, in order to strengthen in their hearts the acceptance of the yoke of Heaven’s sovereignty. And after that, they were obligated automatically to listen also to His agent who speaks in the third person. But He could not command these two statements through an agent, because they had not yet accepted upon themselves the Sender as God, and if there is no Sender, there is no agent. And this explanation agrees with both opinions, because according to those who say I am and You shall not have were heard directly from the Almighty, it makes good sense in order to inform them who is the Sender who is fit to be obeyed through His agent. And according to those who say that all the commandments were heard directly from the Almighty, in the first two statements God spoke with them face to face in the second person, so that they would recognize who their King is. And after this, they are obligated to listen to His voice even if they do not see any image but only hear a voice, even though in the first statements they also did not see any image. Nevertheless, the speech in the second person indicates face-to-face communication, as it is written Face to face God spoke with you, etc. (Deuteronomy 5:4). But the rest of the statements He spoke in the third person to inform that He is a concealed God, and nevertheless they are obligated to listen to His voice after accepting the yoke of His sovereignty face to face.

Another explanation, Since all these commandments are obligations of the body and are not dependent on the land, and Israel is obligated to observe them whether in the land [of Israel] or outside it, whether during the time when the Temple exists or when it doesn’t exist, except for these two commandments I am [the Lord your God] and You shall have no [other gods] which are not fulfilled except when Israel dwells on their land and God makes His face shine upon them and speaks to them directly, for they do not exist with the hiding of [God’s] face. But at the time when the children are exiled from their Father’s table, then I am the Lord your God is not fulfilled, as our Sages already said (Ketubot 110b) that one who dwells outside the Land [of Israel] is like one who has no God, etc. And You shall have no other gods is not fulfilled because it is said in the rebuke (Deuteronomy 28:64) And there you will serve other gods. Rashi explained: “Since you pay taxes to the priests of idolatry, the verse considers it as if you worshipped them.” Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke these two commandments specifically in direct address, because when Israel is successful, it is said (Leviticus 26:9) I will turn to you. And then the Holy One, blessed be He, speaks with them face to face, and at that time these two commandments are fulfilled, therefore it says before Me. But the rest of the commandments are fulfilled even when Israel is in a state of the hiding of [God’s] face, therefore they are stated in third person. And this is what was said (Makkot 24a) I am and You shall have no we heard from the mouth of the Might. They specifically mentioned the attribute of Might regarding the Holy One, blessed be He, because this was said about the time when Israel is in tranquility, and at that time they add strength to the Might above. But at the time when they are in a state of the hiding [of His] face, they weaken His strength, as it were, as our Sages said (Yalkut Shimoni, Ha’azinu 945) that the righteous add strength to the Might above, as it is said (Numbers 14:17) And now, may the strength of the Lord be increased. And the wicked weaken His strength, as it is said The Rock who bore you, you weakened. And all this is said from the perspective of the receivers, for in truth there is no change above, as it is written (Malachi 3:6) I am the Lord, I have not changed. But this weakening of strength occurs at the time when a wicked person’s sins have captured him and his judgment is decided to cut off the flow of the channels from him. It appears as if there is, heaven forbid, a weakening of strength above which prevented [God] from doing good to him. But the righteous cause the flowing of the channels, and through them the Might above is seen.

And as for what is said, “who brought you out of the land of Egypt,” and it does not say, “who created heaven and earth” — this is because one who wishes to lie will distance his witnesses, as this matter [of creation] they did not see. Therefore, He mentioned to them the thing which they saw with their own eyes. And so you will find in the book of the Zohar. And who created you is not said because our Sages of blessed memory said (Eruvin 13b) that it would have been better for man not to have been created than to have been created. And here, He only came to mention the good things that He did for them, because on account of these they are obligated to serve Him.

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” Since it says I am the Lord and the special Name is in the language of Being [Havayah], indicating that He, blessed be He, is always in His being, whether in the past, present, or future — at all times He was, is, and will be in one state of being — it was necessary to say here You shall have no [other gods], because these [other gods] are not in a state of being and they change. For we find that our Sages of blessed memory (Pesachim 23) interpret the language of will be [yihyeh] as indicating “in their state of being they will remain.” Therefore it says here [literally] There will not be for you to indicate that they [other gods] will not remain in their state of being, but rather they change and become “others” — both from the perspective that as they age, their form deteriorates, in the city You despise their image (Psalms 73:20); and from the perspective that they change from silver to gold to wood to stone; and from the perspective that they are “other” to their worshippers, who cry out to them but are not answered. Therefore it saysthere will not be for you, and the proof of this is that they are other gods. And it says before Me — we have already said above that specifically when My face is turned toward you, then You shall have no other gods, but if sin causes you to be in a state of “the hiding of [God’s] face” [hester panim], then inevitably you will serve other gods, as Moses warned in the rebuke (Deuteronomy 28:64), And there you will serve other gods, which means that because you pay taxes to idolatrous priests, Scripture considers it as if you worshipped them.

Another explanation: Since God appeared to them in many aspects [literally “faces”], at the sea as a mighty warrior and at Mount Sinai as an elder seated in a council, you might say that since I appeared in several forms, there must be multiple authorities. Therefore, the verse says before Me [literally, upon My faces] in a form that can be understood as plural, to indicate that all those aspects are truly one and the same.

Another explanation: “Panim” [faces/before Me] is a language of anger and wrath, for if they say as they said in the days of Ezekiel, Let us be like the nations, etc. and they wanted to cast off the yoke of the kingdom of heaven, the Holy One, blessed be He, responded to them, What comes into your mind shall never come to pass; for with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out, I will rule over you (Ezekiel 20:32–33). Therefore it says before Me [al panai], for in My anger and in My wrath I will rule over you if you wish to cast off the yoke of My kingdom from upon yourselves.

And he said: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness that is in heaven, etc.” Even though there are many types of idolatry that do not have a likeness neither in heaven nor on earth, nevertheless, he specifically mentioned these because if they were worshipping things that the world has no need for, the Holy One, Blessed be He, would destroy them. But now that they are also worshipping things that the world needs, such as the sun and moon and similar things — should He destroy His world because of the fools who corrupted it? And if He were to destroy those things that the world has no need for, all the more so would those who worship things that the world needs become even more irreverent, for they would say: “Since those [idols] were destroyed and these [celestial bodies] were preserved, surely there must be something substantial to them.” Therefore, He specifically mentioned those things in heaven and on earth that cannot be destroyed, and if people do not worship these, there is no concern about other forms of idolatry, because they can easily be destroyed like chaff driven by the wind.

“For I am the Lord your God, a jealous God.” The meaning is not the standard sense of jealousy, for a mighty one is only jealous of another who is as mighty as he is. Rather, “jealous” [kana] is as Rashi explained: “One who is zealous to punish, etc.” This is what clarifies the matter of jealousy when it says, visiting the iniquity of fathers upon children to the third and fourth generations. The commentators explain that these are the generations that the sinner can see in his lifetime, and his eyes will witness their downfall. It seems to me that this is also the reason it states and showing kindness to thousands, because the righteous are called “living” even in their death. Therefore, even after death, one will see his reward and the fruits of his labor before him when he sees his children prospering through God’s kindness forever and ever. The reason why children are held accountable for the sins of their fathers: if they are minors, they are like a branch of a tree, and “a fetus is considered a part of its mother” — and similarly of its father. And if they are adults who continue the practices of their fathers, they remain connected to their fathers through these actions, and they are like a branch still attached to the tree. Therefore, it is just that they receive double for all their sins, as they will be consumed both by their own iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers. However, if they do not continue the practices of their fathers, they are like a branch that has been completely cut off from the tree, and they have no connection or attachment to their fathers.

And why it uses the language of ‘remembering’ here and the language of ‘doing’ there. We have already explained above in Parashat Vayera on the verse and God remembered Sarah the difference between ‘remembering’ and ‘doing’ — that there is more substantiality in ‘doing’ than in ‘remembering’. And always the measure of goodness is greater, therefore when speaking of punishment it uses the language of ‘remembering’, which is merely a basic recollection, but regarding the measure of goodness it says and does kindness — actual doing in practice, because He is a God who actively brings salvation, and from the Most High evil does not actively emanate. And regarding the negative measure it says upon children and does not say to children, because “upon children” means at a time when they continue the deeds of their fathers in their hands, and in addition to the sin of the children, the sin of their fathers is also remembered against them. But regarding the measure of goodness it says to thousands and not “upon thousands,” to say that even at a time when the children have no merit of their own, nevertheless they benefit from the merit of their fathers. And this promise has stood for us in every generation, that even a generation that is entirely guilty still benefits from the merit of their ancestors.

And what it says “to thousands,” and at the end of Parshat Va’etchanan it is written, who keeps the covenant and the kindness to those who love Him and to those who keep His commandments for a thousand generations — it seems to me that this is all one calculation. Because the extraordinary goodness is doubled twofold, as alluded to in “covenant and kindness,” which is for a thousand generations, this is the same as keeping kindness alone without covenant for thousands [of generations]. And in the Talmud (Sotah 31a), they answered that one [verse] refers to [serving God] out of love, and the other [verse] refers to [serving God] out of fear.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Our Sages said (Shevuot 39) that the entire world trembled when the Holy One, blessed be He, said You shall not take, etc. The reason for this is because it is written (Hosea 4:2–3), Because of swearing, lying, murder, and theft, the land will mourn. From this verse, our Sages learned (ibid. 39a) that for all transgressions, only the transgressor is punished, but for a vain oath, both the transgressor and the entire world are punished. Therefore, it was appropriate that the whole world trembled when He said You shall not take, for everyone is affected by the punishment. The reason for this is made clear in the wording Lo tisa [do not take], which is an expression of lifting up. This is similar to someone who lifts up a tree and raises it — certainly all the branches shake along with the tree. Similarly, one who swears by God’s name, since all created beings depend on His blessed name, when one “lifts” His blessed name, it’s as if he has lifted and raised all the branches that are carried with it and attached to it, meaning all the creations above and below. Therefore, it is just that they all tremble and that the punishment affects them all. That is why it says here, For the Lord will not hold guiltless. The word for [ki] functions as giving a reason, as if to say it is an absolute fact that He cannot clear him, because this sin cannot be forgiven at all. This is what we have said in God’s name: that the Holy One, blessed be He, forgives only matters between Him and His creatures, but not matters between man and his fellow. Therefore, one who has touched the holy tree itself and caused punishment to all its branches, both the dwellers above and below, how could the Holy One, blessed be He, forgive him? And where are all the beings who received punishment because of him, that he might appease them? Can he go from one end of the heavens to the other, and from the depths of the earth to the height of the firmament to appease all the beings in the upper and lower realms that he has affected? Therefore it says, For the Lord will not hold guiltless — it is not in the Holy One’s power to forgive this sin, for it simply cannot be forgiven.

There is no need to elaborate further on the severity of an oath, and on the severity of mentioning God’s name in vain, for this is well-known and renowned, and the length of this exile will prove that this sin alone is sufficient for the prolonged nature of this ongoing exile due to the common habit on our tongues, as God’s name is fluent on the lips of every person from Israel who does not tremble and does not fear when mentioning it. And for all sins between man and his fellow, there is judgment below, but for this grave offense, there is neither judge nor judgment.

And so said the prophet Isaiah (48:1–2) Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came forth from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is His name. He means that they should have been careful with mentioning His great name, blessed be He, because their name is like the name of their Master, since they are the house of Jacob who was called by the name of Israel, which includes the name “El” [God] in it [“Yisra-El” = straight with God], and they came forth from Judah, which includes all the letters of the special Name [the Tetragrammaton]. Thus, the name of God and the special Name are included within them. Nevertheless, they swear by these two names — by the name of the Lord, and make mention of the God of Israel — but not in truth, etc. For regarding these two names it was said, You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. And if you would say that the reason they are not careful with these two names is because they are not treasured and important in their eyes, to this he responds: For they call themselves of the holy city — for they identify themselves with the holy city that is called by God’s name, as it is written and the name of the city from that day shall be, “The Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35). And they stay themselves upon the God of Israel saying, The Lord of hosts is His name — that He is Lord over all the hosts of Israel. If so, they identify themselves everywhere with His blessed name, and all these names are treasured and important in their eyes, yet nevertheless they are not careful with them and mention the Name not in truth, nor in righteousness. This corresponds to the two times that in vain is mentioned here [in our verse] — one meaning “for no purpose” and one meaning “falsely.” Now, truth is the opposite of falsehood, and when it says not in righteousness, this means “for no purpose,” because one who swears in court intends to justify his claims, and regarding this it is said and by His name shall you swear (Deuteronomy 10:20). But one who mentions the Name for no purpose does not intend to justify his claims, but rather to justify his vain utterances, and this is called not in righteousness.

Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it. Since He warned about accepting the yoke of His blessed kingship, that one should not have other gods, and adjoined to it the matter of the prohibition of oaths, for all of this concerns the sanctification of His blessed name, He adjoined to them the remembrance of the Sabbath day, that throughout all the days of the week one should remember the Sabbath day. For this reason they said in the Mekhilta that one should not count as other nations count, but rather count for the sake of the Sabbath: the first day of the Sabbath [Sunday], the second day of the Sabbath [Monday], and through this you will remember the Sabbath day. And this remembrance helps to sanctify the Holy One, blessed be He. This is the meaning of to sanctify it, for it does not say “sanctify the Sabbath day,” since it is already sanctified and established, but rather to sanctify it refers back to the Holy One, blessed be He, who was mentioned above in You shall not take [the name of the Lord your God in vain]. For through swearing, one profanes the Name, as it is written And you shall not swear by My name falsely, thereby profaning the name of the Lord your God (Leviticus 19:12). And in contrast to this, remembering the Sabbath day helps you to sanctify the Holy One, blessed be He, by remembering that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth with His blessed name, as it is written For in Yah, the Lord is the Rock of worlds (Isaiah 26:4). And through this remembrance you will know to conduct yourself with holiness regarding His blessed name, by remembering that with His blessed name all the worlds were created, and if so, certainly they all depend on His blessed name.

Know and understand what the kabbalists have written, that the word “oath” [shevuah] is derived from the word “seven” [sheva], as Rabbeinu Bachya wrote in this portion and in the portion of Vayera on the verse Therefore he called that place Beer-sheva, because there they both swore (Genesis 21:31). This is because the Holy One, blessed be He, created all existence and bounded them within six directions, and the great Name, blessed be He, is the seventh that rides over all of them. One who takes an oath touches the seventh, meaning His blessed Name. And the Sabbath sanctifies the seventh [day], therefore it is fitting that the Holy One, blessed be He, the Seventh, be sanctified on the seventh day. Those who understand will comprehend this matter, for it is clear. And just as one does not use any of the holy Names that are alluded to in the number seven, so too one should not engage in work on the seventh day. Therefore, every seventh is holy to God, whether in days, in the Sabbatical year, or in the Jubilee.

“And it says ‘Six days you shall labor and do all your work.’” This entire verse seems superfluous. Furthermore, it begins with labor and concludes with work. Additionally, the termlabor requires explanation, because one is only a servant in relation to a master, and for one who works for oneself, who is his master? In our commentary “Ollelot Ephraim,” discourse 269, we explained that you shall labor refers to serving God. It is saying that for all six days, you should first serve God and afterward also do all your work, for Torah is good when accompanied by work. But the seventh day is entirely for the Lord your God — you shall not do any work of your own, but you should still serve God on the Sabbath as well. The verse says sheshet and not “shishah” to indicate that you should not do your work for the full six days, because you need to add from the secular to the sacred. The word sheshet is like sheloshet days, which means “three of days” [indicating the addition of part of the day before it and part of the day after it].

And what is said in the first commandments, For in six days the Lord made etc. and in the second [version] it is written (Deuteronomy 5:15) And you shall remember that you were a slave etc. They are all one reason according to the commentators who say that the reason for all the plagues of Egypt was to publicize the belief in the creation of the world, as the Abarbanel of blessed memory wrote, and as we wrote above in Parashat Va’era, because through those miracles they would also believe in the creation of the world. Therefore, these two reasons are all one, and soon this will be explained in another way. Furthermore, the commentators have spoken about resolving this question — seek it from its neighbor and you will find it.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. We have observed and seek to provide a good explanation and understanding for the differences found between the first and second versions of the Ten Commandments: 1. In the first version, it is written Remember the Sabbath day whereas in the second version, it is written Observe the Sabbath day. 2. In the first version, the phrase as the Lord your God commanded you is not written, whereas in the second version, it is written regarding the Sabbath and honoring father and mother, as the Lord your God commanded you. 3. In the first version, the reason given for keeping the Sabbath is for in six days the Lord made… etc., whereas in the second version, a different reason is given: and you shall remember that you were a slave… etc. 4. In the first version, there is no mention of ox and donkey regarding the Sabbath, whereas in the second version it says and your ox and your donkey and all your animals. 5. In the first version, it is written that your days may be prolonged, whereas in the second version, it adds that it may be good with you. 6. In the first version, it is written do not covet, whereas in the second version, it adds do not desire. 7. In the first version, there is no mention of “his field,” whereas in the second version, his field is added. 8. In the first version, your neighbor’s house precedes your neighbor’s wife, whereas in the second version, your neighbor’s wife precedes your neighbor’s house. 9. In the first version, it is written false witness, whereas in the second version, it says vain witness. 10. In the first version, do not commit adultery, do not steal, etc., all appear without the conjunction “and” [vav], whereas in the second version, they all appear with the conjunction “and” [vav].

As the commentators of the Torah have already gone out to gather scattered explanations, and they did not find a single approach that would suffice for all the aforementioned questions, it is reasonable to hear one brief proposal taken from the words of our Sages (Yalkut Devarim 33:951) that the Holy One, blessed be He, approached all the nations to see if they would accept the Torah, and Esau did not want to accept it because of You shall not murder.

And with this, all these changes will be resolved. In the first [tablets], it says “Remember the Sabbath day.” He did not want to say “Guard the Sabbath day” in order not to give an opening for the nations to say, “How can He command us to refrain from all work? Hasn’t it already been said to the descendants of Noah, day and night shall not rest (Genesis 8:22)?” And our Sages of blessed memory (Sanhedrin 58b) learned from here that a Gentile who observes the Sabbath is liable for the death penalty. Therefore, it says Remember the Sabbath day, suggesting that even one who is not obligated in guarding [the Sabbath] is at least obligated in remembering it, because all nations are obligated to remember the Sabbath day in order to establish in their hearts the belief in the world’s creation, which gives faithful testimony to the existence of the Blessed Holy One. For included in the seven Noahide laws is the prohibition against idol worship. And even though the nations cannot accept the command you shall not do any work, nevertheless they can accept upon themselves the commandment of remembering, which they too are obligated in, to keep the creation of the world before their eyes as a remembrance. For this reason, it was necessary to give a reason in the first set of commandments: For in six days the Lord made [heaven and earth…] because this is the reason to remember the creation of the world. And if He had given the reason and you shall remember that you were a slave [in Egypt…], the nations would say, “We were not slaves in Egypt, therefore we do not need to accept the Sabbath.” Therefore, He gave them the reason For in six days the Lord made [heaven and earth…], because this reason is sufficient for both Israel and the nations. And do not challenge me from what is said, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt — perhaps the nations would say, “He did not bring us out of Egypt, and therefore we are not obligated to accept Him as God.” The answer to this is that the meaning is not that because of that exodus they are obligated to accept Him, for even without this they are obligated to accept Him because He created heaven and earth and all that is in them. And why did He connect the matter to this exodus? To say that even this exodus alone would be sufficient to subjugate you to Me. And this is what Rashi explained: “The exodus is sufficient reason for you to be subservient to Me.” From the fact that he said “the exodus is sufficient reason,” we can deduce that this is not the main reason.

But the second commandments that were spoken to Israel alone were said in the language of “shamor” [guard/keep]. For they are obligated in both remembering and guarding from all work, therefore the reason given is and you shall remember that you were a slave, etc., for this is the reason for resting from work.

And there are those who say, that what is hidden in the word remember [zakhor] when you write the letters zayin, kaf, reish [which spell “zkr”] — the final letters [of these three letters] spell “nefesh” [soul]. And what is hidden in the word guard [shamor] when you write shin, mem, reish [which spell “shmr”] — the final letters [of these three letters] spell “neshamah” [breath], alluding to the additional soul that every person from Israel has on the Sabbath day. And according to our approach, this alludes to the extra soul specifically in that commandment that comes to Israel alone, but the nations only have the nefesh [basic soul] alone, in the secret of ruach, nefesh, neshamah [spirit, soul, higher soul] as is known to those knowledgeable in this wisdom. Therefore, the hint of the word “nefesh” comes in the word remember [zakhor] which is shared by both [Israel and the nations].

In the latter [tablets], it is said “as the Lord your God commanded you” regarding Shabbat and honoring father and mother. Because at Marah, the Israelites were commanded about these [commandments] but not the [other] nations. And if He had said this in the first set of tablets, He would have given an opening to the [other] nations to say: “Why did He not command us as well regarding these two commandments before the giving of the Torah?” And they would say, “Just as He began commanding Israel and not us, now too we have no desire to accept [the commandments], and let Him finish with whom He started.”

In the first [commandments] it did not say “that it may be good with you.” For Ibn Ezra explained that “that it may be good with you” refers to the World to Come, which is entirely good, and that your days may be lengthened refers to this world. Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed be He, did not want to promise in the first set of commandments to the nations of the world anything but the reward of this world, which can be seen with the eye, with its reward being immediate and its recompense before them. But if He had promised them the reward of the World to Come, which no eye has seen, they certainly would not listen, for they would say, “One who wishes to lie makes his witnesses distant,” and they would say, “Since one is not true, the other is also not true,” and they would doubt even the reward of this world. But the second set of commandments, which were said to Israel alone, promised the reward of the World to Come, for they are believers, the children of believers, and they do not question God, and they believe in all His promises, both in this world and in the next.

In the first commandments, “your ox and your donkey” were not mentioned because they are included in “your cattle,” but in the latter commandments, your ox and your donkey are specified to derive a gezeirah shavah [textual analogy]: “ox-ox” for the prohibition against muzzling, “donkey-donkey” for the obligation to unload (Bava Kamma 54b). This is because Israel had already accepted all the commandments, including the mitzvot of unloading and not muzzling which were given after the giving of the Torah. However, with the nations, before they heard the Ten Commandments, the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to test them first to see if they would accept these commandments, and if they had accepted the commandments, He would have commanded them afterward regarding the other mitzvot, including the laws of not muzzling and unloading as well. Therefore, there was no need to write “your ox and your donkey” here for the purpose of a gezeirah shavah, because all the commandments were still in doubt as to whether they would accept them. But Israel said, All that God has spoken we will do and we will hear, meaning whatever He would command us further.

In the first [Ten Commandments] it says “false witness,” and in the second [version] it adds “vain witness.” The Ramban explains that one should not testify even about a matter that would not cause any liability, such as testifying that so-and-so said he would give this person a maneh [a monetary unit] but did not make a formal acquisition. This is called “vain” and an empty matter, and this is an additional restriction. This commandment is only appropriate for Israel, because the remnant of Israel will not commit injustice nor speak falsehood, even though that falsehood does not harm their fellow in any way. Perhaps the [other] nations would not be able to abide by this additional restriction; therefore in the first [version] it says false witness. And regarding why it says witness in the singular form, it seems to me [the author] that one should not testify even individually, because even though a single witness cannot obligate payment of money, nevertheless he can cause an oath [to be required]. But when testifying about something vain and empty, it does not even cause an oath.

In the latter [version of the Ten Commandments], it says “you shall not desire” instead of “you shall not covet.” Know that Ibn Ezra wrote that coveting [chamdah] also refers to the theft of the coveted object, as it is written They covet fields and seize them (Micah 2:2). And it is written I coveted them and took them (Joshua 7:21). And Maimonides agreed with him, saying that one does not transgress the commandment of you shall not covet until one takes the object which he coveted. But desire [ta’avah] is only in the heart alone. Ibn Ezra endeavored to explain that a person has the power, through habit, to control the prohibitions against coveting and desiring, even in the heart. This happens when a person accustoms himself to the trait of being content with what he has. According to his words, it makes perfect sense why you shall not desire was specifically stated in the latter version of the Ten Commandments, which pertains only to Israel, because they had become accustomed to the trait of contentment during the poverty of Egypt, and they were capable of accepting and fulfilling this commandment. However, the nations that were not accustomed to the trait of contentment — how could they accept the commandment of you shall not desire? For this matter is not within a person’s power to fulfill, as one’s heart is not under one’s control, and the wicked are under the control of their hearts. Therefore, He only mentioned the coveting that leads to theft. For this reason, the first version of the Ten Commandments did not mention “his field,” because land generally cannot be stolen and always remains in the possession of its owner. But regarding the desire in the heart, it also mentioned his field.

And regarding why [the Torah] warned in the latter [version of the Ten Commandments] using the language of “coveting” for a neighbor’s wife and the language of “desiring” for his property, all of this is an extension [of the prohibition], for regarding property, even the desire in one’s heart is forbidden, and certainly the coveting that leads to theft. But regarding a woman, our Sages said (Yoma 29a) that thoughts of sin are more difficult than the sin itself. According to this, [in the latter version] it states do not covet to emphasize the extent [of the prohibition], and certainly [it includes] the thoughts of the heart. And the matter of coveting that leads to taking a woman means that because he covets her, he arranges circumstances and events so that her husband will divorce her and he will take her, and this is certainly not as evil as constant lustful thoughts. In the first [version of the Ten Commandments], house precedes wife because coveting a house means to eventually take it through theft, which involves a physical action. But coveting a wife does not mean desiring to steal her while she is still married to another man [as that would be adultery, already covered by do not commit adultery], rather it means not causing one’s fellow to divorce her so that one can take her himself, which does not involve as much action. Therefore it states in a manner of “not only this, but even that” — meaning, not only is coveting a house and wealth to steal them obviously forbidden, but even coveting a neighbor’s wife to take her after she is divorced is also forbidden, even though it does not involve as much action. But in the latter [version], which uses do not desire to emphasize that even desire in the heart is forbidden regarding property, and for a wife it mentions do not covet there is no gradation of “not only this, but even that” because coveting and desiring are two distinct matters and they are equally weighted.

And what is said in the latter commandments is “You shall not murder and you shall not commit adultery.” The vav [meaning, ‘and’] adds to the first matter to prohibit to Israel even adultery with the hand, that is, to emit seed in vain, because this adultery has an aspect of murder, namely the blood of his seed. As it concludes in the tractate (Niddah 13b) Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written: Your hands are full of blood (Isaiah 1:15)? This refers to those who commit adultery with the hand. And they interpreted this verse similarly: Those who slaughter children in the valleys (Isaiah 57:5). Although they interpreted (there, 13a) “do not read it as slaughter [shochatei] but as ‘squeeze’ [sochatei],” nevertheless, also actually read it as slaughter, as it says, your hands are full of blood. And this warning is specifically for Israel because they are holy from the days of their forefathers and they can withstand this, but the first commandments which were also said to the nations — He did not want to be so strict with them, because perhaps they would not be able to withstand this.

“And you shall not steal.” The [additional] letter vav [at the beginning of the commandment] hints that not only is adultery with a married woman forbidden, but even sexual relations with an unmarried woman is prohibited, as it is called “stolen waters,” as it is written Stolen waters are sweet (Proverbs 9:17), and this verse speaks about sexual relations with an unmarried woman.

“And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” The letter vav [meaning “and”] adds to the first matter, saying that not only is the stealing of persons or property forbidden, but even the stealing of one’s thoughts [deception] is forbidden. For example, one should not offer many gifts to another person knowing that he will not accept them, and similar things. This falls under the category of false and idle speech, done in vain, and is included in the commandment You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

And you shall not covet. The [Hebrew letter] vav [in this commandment] adds to the previous matter, because anyone who deceives others typically flatters them because he covets what belongs to his fellow and hopes to receive some benefit in return. If one does not covet, why would he flatter someone for nothing? All these are additional restrictions that the nations [of the world] were unable to uphold. Therefore, God did not want to be so strict with them, [thinking] perhaps they would listen. And when the nations refused to accept anything, even the lenient [commandments], He returned and gave them to Israel with all these stringencies, because He knew that their [Israel’s] material nature was pure and clean, and they would be able to uphold them. With this, all the questions and differences are resolved.

Honor your father and your mother. With this commandment, He concludes the first five commandments that speak of honoring God, blessed be He, because for this reason it says in all of them the Lord your God, and He does not mention the Name in any of the latter five commandments which deal with matters between man and his fellow. And the commandment to honor father and mother, although it is between man and his fellow, nevertheless this commandment also relates to honoring God, blessed be He, because there are three partners in [the creation of] a person: the Holy One, blessed be He, his father, and his mother. And if you honor father and mother because from them was formed the material and the body which perishes and decays, how much more so [a fortiori] should you honor your Father in heaven who gave you the soul, the superior part that exists eternally. And in the tractate Kiddushin (30b), our Rabbis taught: “There are three partners in [the creation of] a person, etc.” And it concludes there: “When a person honors his father and mother, I [God] consider it as though I dwelt among you and you honored Me.” And it is difficult [to understand]: Who mentioned “dwelling”? From where did they learn to say “as though I dwelt among you”? Certainly, they learned this from what we find that in all five latter commandments, the Name is not mentioned because they speak of matters between man and his fellow. If so, why did He mention the Lord your God regarding honoring father and mother? Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, made a dwelling for His great Name, may He be blessed, alongside [the mention of] father and mother, to say that one who honors father and mother, it is “as though I dwelt among you and you honored Me.” And therefore his reward is length of days, because attachment to God, the source of life, gives long life to a person. And if he honors father and mother because from them was formed the material [body], then certainly the soul, which is a portion of God from above, will give honor to its Father in heaven, and through its attachment to Him, it will merit length of days, as it is written But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive, every one of you, today (Deuteronomy 4:4).

“You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery,” etc. After completing the five commandments between man and God, blessed be He, He mentioned corresponding to them five commandments between man and his fellow, as they are mentioned in the Mekhilta, how they were parallel to each other and the similarities, like that which they said “You shall not murder corresponds to I am [the Lord your God],” because whoever sheds blood is as if diminishing the image and likeness [of God], as it is said: Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God He made man (Genesis 9:6). And there is no need for this reason except for one who says “Please kill me” and forgives the killing, yet nevertheless his blood shall be shed because it [life] is not given to be forgiven, since there is a portion of God above in him, and who can permit [the taking of] the heavenly portion? This is also the reason for one who kills himself.

The concept of the image and likeness is: that in all visions, it is God’s way to appear in the likeness of a human form, even though without doubt there is no actual image or likeness [to God], as it is written To whom will you compare Me that I should be equal? says the Holy One (Isaiah 40:25). And it is written: What likeness will you arrange for Him? (Isaiah 40:18). Nevertheless, when He appears, He shows the likeness of a human to His creatures, and because of the importance of humans, He appears in this likeness, as it is written And on the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a human (Ezekiel 1:26). Behold, you see that in truth there was no actual human appearance there, but rather a likeness with the appearance of a human. Similarly, He appeared at the sea as a warrior and at Mount Sinai as an elder. Therefore, it is proper to show respect to this likeness, and one who murders diminishes this likeness, because he causes God to no longer desire to appear in this likeness, since it has become despised among the creatures. And one who sees a murdered person [is reminded of the verse] for a hanging person is a curse of God, and there is no need to elaborate further on this.

It seems to me that the commandment “You shall not murder” corresponds to “I am [the Lord your God],” because Jacob and Esau made a division between them, as Jacob chose God as his portion, and The Lord is his inheritance, while Esau chose the profession of By your sword you shall live. Therefore, Esau denied the fundamental principle [of faith], as concluded in (Bava Batra 16b) that he denied the fundamental principle, as it is written Why do I need this? and it is written This is my God, etc. Therefore, the commandment I am [the Lord] came to the house of Jacob, and correspondingly they were warned not to adopt the profession of Esau, because this profession led him to denial [of God]. For this reason, the children of Esau did not accept the Torah, because murder leads to denial of I am the Lord your God, and if so, the entire Torah is nullified. If there is no Commander, there is no place for any commandment. Therefore, he [Esau] refused to accept even the other commandments, because the matter of murder contradicts everything, as the murderer thinks he is doing the will of the planet Mars through the power of the celestial minister, and by this he denies God’s divinity. And these are ancient matters.

“You shall have no other gods,” corresponding to “do not commit adultery.” As it is written regarding idolaters, The adulterous woman, etc. (Ezekiel 16:32) and many similar verses. And it seems reasonable to say that adultery also causes one to worship idols, as proven by the incident with Baal Peor in Shittim. And as it is written regarding intermarriage with the seven nations, For he will turn your son away from following Me (Deuteronomy 7:4), because there is nothing that leads to idolatry like the seduction of a foreign woman, who with her smooth talk will lead him away from God. This matter is well-known and famous, and famous things do not require proof.

“Do not take [God’s name in vain]” corresponds to Do not steal. For one who steals will ultimately swear falsely, as it is said You shall not steal… and you shall not swear… (Leviticus 19:11-12), because one sin leads to the other. Therefore it is written It shall enter the house of the thief and the house of one who swears falsely by My name and it shall consume it… (Zechariah 5:4). The verse equates these two transgressions because one leads to the other, and their essence is the same: the thief acts as if the Eye Above does not see, as it were, and similarly, one who swears falsely in order to validate his lies before people also acts as if the Eye Above does not see, as it were. Therefore, whoever commits one sin falls into the other, even if he swears about something unrelated to theft. This is my understanding, in addition to what is mentioned in the Mechilta.

“Remember the Sabbath day,” corresponds to “You shall not bear false witness.” For anyone who desecrates the Sabbath testifies that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not create His world in six days and rest on the seventh. And it seems to me, since it is said regarding the Sabbath from pursuing your affairs and speaking words (Isaiah 58:13), and our Sages of blessed memory said (Shabbat 113b) that your speech on Sabbath should not be like your speech on weekdays, the reason for this is because all of man’s actions are performed through his instruments of action, but the action of the Holy One, blessed be He, is through speech alone, as by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and He spoke, and it came to be (Psalms 33:6–9). Accordingly, when a person rests on the Sabbath and does not perform work with his instruments of action, this rest does not resemble the rest of the Holy One, blessed be He, because the Holy One, blessed be He, rested even from the speech of His mouth, whereas man only rests from the action of his instruments of work. Therefore, it is said and speaking words, that your speech on Sabbath should not be like your speech on weekdays, to remember the rest of the Holy One, blessed be He, who rested from speech. From Him you shall see and likewise do, not to speak on Sabbath about your personal matters, but only about heavenly matters. And by remembering the Sabbath day, which one is obligated to sanctify the utterances of his lips by not speaking about weekday matters, then at least during the rest of the week, even though an instrument used for holy purposes on Sabbath is used for mundane purposes during the weekdays, one should at least sanctify the words of his lips by not uttering falsehood from his mouth and not bearing false witness against his fellow.

Honor your father, etc., corresponding to do not covet. The Mekhilta concludes that anyone who covets will ultimately have a son who curses him. This matter requires explanation, for what connection do these things have to each other? It seems appropriate to explain that anyone who covets his neighbor’s wife certainly thinks about her during intercourse, and it is as if the son is born to him from another woman whom he coveted and thought about. Therefore, the son does not honor his mother properly because his father was thinking about another woman. And he will not honor his father properly either, because one who covets women does not intend to have children but rather to fulfill his desire, and he did not intend to beget this son. Therefore, it is as if the son is not his son, and consequently he will not honor him, for everything follows intention. The coveting of property is also related to honoring father and mother, because one who covets others’ property does not honor them properly due to being consumed by the ravenous hunger of property lust, since honoring means providing for them from one’s wealth — feeding them, giving them drink, and clothing them. So without doubt, this covetous person’s eye is stingy even with his father and mother, withholding from them what they need.

And all the people saw the voices, etc. There is a need to be precise about this matter — how did they see what is [normally] heard? And what is meant by the statement that follows, And the people saw and they trembled and stood at a distance, after it had already been stated And all the people saw, etc.? If so, why do I need And they saw? Similarly, regarding what was said, Speak with us and we will hear — the word we will hear seems superfluous.

And indeed it is reasonable to understand that each and every utterance that came from the Holy One, blessed be He, immediately became materialized, and that utterance had so much substance that they saw all the letters flying in the air as if everything was written before them. And proof for this is from what is written: By the word of the Lord, the heavens were made (Psalms 33:6). This shows that every utterance that comes from the Holy One, blessed be He, creates a new creation. And similarly, after the creation, they said (Chagigah 14a) that from every utterance that comes from the Holy One, blessed be He, an angel is created. And so all these utterances, after they came from the mouth of the Almighty, had substance to them. And therefore our Sages of blessed memory said (Pesachim 87b) that when Moses broke the tablets, the letters were flying, and if there was no substance to the letters, how could they fly? And greater evidence than this is that regarding the second tablets, it is written: And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets (Exodus 34:1). It does not say “like the words that were,” but rather the words that were, teaching that those same letters that were flying from the first tablets were fixed in the second ones. And if so, certainly there was substance to those letters. Therefore it says, And all the people saw the voices, meaning the voice of God speaking to them — those voices they saw with their eyes.

And you should understand and know that the sense of sight is more refined in humans than the sense of hearing, for a person can see from many miles away, but cannot hear from so far because the sense of hearing does not operate from such a distance as does the sense of sight. The Israelites were afraid, in any case, of the voice of God because it was awesome. Therefore, when Israel saw that they could see the voice of His word, blessed be He, they thought that even if they stood at a distance and did not hear the voice speaking to them, it would still be sufficient for them to see before them the form of the letters in the air. Thus it says And the people saw and they trembled and stood at a distance (Exodus 20:15), meaning that because the people saw — they saw the form of the letters — therefore they stood at a distance, saying, “Seeing alone is sufficient for us, even without hearing.” Afterwards, the Israelites regretted [their decision] and said, “Why should God stand at a distance? Is it not better for us to draw near to His holy place?” And in order to be saved from the fear of the voice, they said to Moses, You speak with us and we will hear (Exodus 20:16), for even though hearing is not comparable to seeing, it is still sufficient for us to hear, even if we do not see the form of all the letters. And our Sages of blessed memory said (Shabbat 88b): When the Israelites retreated, the ministering angels were nudging them to bring them closer to the Divine Presence, etc. And concerning that time, the verse You speak with us and we will hear was stated. Even though it is not explicitly mentioned in this verse that they were being nudged, David came and explained it, saying Kings of armies did flee, did flee [understood here as meaning, nudged, nudged] (Psalms 68:13).

“And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid.’” [Do not be afraid] of hearing the voice of God, for God has come to test you, and so that His fear will be upon your faces. He said that it is good for you to receive the commandments through both seeing and hearing together, because from each one individually comes a specific purpose. Regarding hearing, he gave the reason for God has come to test you. The word test [nisot] is related to the raising of a banner [nes], because God wanted to elevate you with greater excellence above all nations. Therefore, He wants you to hear His voice, for nothing like this has ever been heard among any nation that could boast that they heard the voice of God and lived, as it is written: For who is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire as we have, and lived? (Deuteronomy 5:23). From here is sound and good proof that hearing the voice of God is for Israel a raising of a banner above every nation and tongue. And regarding the seeing of the letters before them in the air, he gave a second reason, saying so that His fear will be upon your faces, that you may not sin. For the Torah is called “the pure fear of the Lord,” and God wanted this image to be upon your faces always, so that it would always appear to you as if the Torah were written before you, so that you would never come to sin, for it will not be forgotten from your mouths because the impressions of these letters will remain before your faces always. And this is a very precious interpretation.

You have seen that I spoke with you from the heavens, etc. Our Sages said (Mekhilta Yitro, Ch. 5) that the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to Israel at the sea as a mighty warrior waging war, and at Mount Sinai as an elder sitting in session. Now, the mighty warrior in battle indicates a red appearance, as it is written Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like his who treads in the wine vat? I have trodden the winepress alone, etc., and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, etc. (Isaiah 63:2-3). And an elder sitting in session indicates a white appearance, His raiment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool (Daniel 7:9). And perhaps in remembrance of this, you might want to make white forms from silver and red forms from gold, in order to draw upon yourselves through these forms an outpouring of favor from the First Cause, blessed be He. Therefore, He said, You have seen that I spoke with you from the heavens — as an elder sitting in session, and you have already seen at the sea the likeness of redness. Therefore, I need to warn you not to make with Me gods of silver and gods of gold, do not make for yourselves.

And He said, “with Me,” and “for you,” because the white forms made of silver are meant to be with Me, for I am the Lord who teaches you for your benefit, and you want through this image to bring the student closer to the teacher. But the red form made of gold you shall make for yourselves so that you will be saved from the one who makes war, that he will not fight against you as well. However, since He immediately said afterward, an altar of earth you shall make for Me, it seems that this is connected to the beginning of the matter, because God wanted them to build an altar of earth and not of silver and gold. For one who does so, it is as if they made gods of silver and gold, since God has no desire for an abundance of gifts and offerings of silver and gold, but rather an altar of earth you shall make for Me, which indicates the quality of humility, for in these I delight, says the Lord. And from Me they shall see and so shall they do, because wherever you find the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, there you find His humility (Megillah 31a). And this indicates His great Name, blessed be He, which is composed of letters whose numerical value is the lowest of all the letters of the alphabet, when you write Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh in the way we explained above (Parashat Miketz 41:1). And similarly in this section, after completing the 10 Commandments, which contain words numbering the same as [the numerical value of] the word “ekev” [heel], and so explained Rabbi Yaakov Baal HaTurim, who gave several interpretations for the word “ekev.” And I say that this is a reference to what is said The result of humility is the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 22:4). For anyone who is haughty, the wisdom of his Torah departs from him, and humility is what God has commanded, and it is the foundation of the entire Torah. Therefore He said, You have seen that I have spoken with you from heaven. For the Lord is exalted, yet He regards the lowly. And even though My Presence is in heaven, nevertheless, from My dwelling place I have spoken with you, and this is proof that God has no desire for the haughty. Therefore, you shall not make with Me gods of silver, etc. This is a command regarding the altar, that it should not be made of silver and gold, but rather an altar of earth you shall make for Me, which indicates the quality of humility.

And he said in every place where I will mention My name. Which is composed of letters whose numerical value is small, as it is said Then I will come to you, to the crushed and lowly people like you, as it concludes in the Tractate Sotah (5), I dwell with the crushed and lowly of spirit (Isaiah 57:15). Rav Huna and Rav Chisda [disagreed], one said “I [come] to the crushed” — Rashi explains: I elevate him until he dwells beside Me. And one said “I am with the crushed,” meaning, I bring My Divine Presence to rest beside him. And it makes more sense according to the one who says “I am with the crushed,” for behold, the Holy One, Blessed be He, passed over all mountains and hills and caused His Divine Presence to rest on Mount Sinai. End quote. And this is what is meant by I will come to you and bless you, namely, “I am with the crushed.”

“And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for by wielding your sword upon it you have profaned it.” This teaches that God wanted to demonstrate humility through this altar, while the sword represents pride, as it is written and who is the sword of your pride (Deuteronomy 33:29). Therefore, wielding the sword profanes it. And He concludes the boundary of humility with the statement, You shall not ascend My altar by steps, etc. Because ascending by steps is going from one level to another, and in this ascent there is a path of pride and arrogance, and it is not appropriate for there to be a path of haughtiness in the place where the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. He gives a reason for this: that your nakedness may not be exposed upon it. Although the verse is to be understood literally, it also contains an allusion that every path of pride and arrogance has an aspect of exposing nakedness, as our Rabbis said (Sotah 4b), “Anyone who is arrogant is as if he has been intimate with all forbidden relationships, etc.” They further stated there that anyone who is arrogant will eventually stumble with a married woman. The reason for this will be explained, God willing, in Parashat Korach on the verse And Moses heard and fell on his face. Our Rabbis said (Sanhedrin 110a) that they suspected him of adultery, and this was because they said that all his actions were for the sake of self-exaltation, as it is said Why do you exalt yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? (Numbers 16:3) And Moses heard, etc. He understood this from their words when they said, For all the congregation, all of them are holy, and why do you exalt yourselves? Because wherever there is holiness, there is a boundary against sexual immorality. If so, why do you exalt yourselves to desecrate their holiness through sexual immorality? Therefore, Moses heard, and there the entire matter and its reason are explained. And in the adjacent Parashat Mishpatim (21:1), it will be explained that this is why the seat of the Sanhedrin was near the altar, so that they would resemble each other, and whoever is disqualified from the altar is also disqualified from being a judge. For this reason, our Rabbis interpreted (Jerusalem Talmud Bikkurim 3:3) the verse You shall not make with Me gods of silver as referring to unsuitable judges who were appointed because they possess silver and gold while having no spirit within them. Therefore, we have found a place to explain the entire passage regarding the appointment of proper judges.