AND UNTO MOSES HE SAID: ‘COME UP UNTO THE ETERNAL etc.’ “This section was told to Moses before the giving of the Ten Commandments, on the fourth day of Sivan.” This is Rashi’s language. “*And the Eternal said unto Moses: ‘Come up to Me into the mountain, and be there’*⁴⁶⁵ — this was said to Moses after the Giving of the Torah.” These too are Rashi’s words. But if so, the sections of the Torah are not in chronological order, nor even in their ordinary sense! Moreover, it is written here, And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Eternal, and all the ordinances,⁴⁶⁶ which are these ordinances written above, concerning which He said, And these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.⁴⁶⁷ For it is not correct to interpret the expression: and all the ordinances,⁴⁶⁶ to mean [as Rashi wrote], the ordinances which “the sons of Noah”⁴⁶⁸ were commanded, or the laws which were given to the Israelites in Marah⁴⁶⁹ which they had already heard and knew, and besides, the word *vayesapeir (and he told)*⁴⁶⁶ always indicates new things which one tells! But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra has already grasped this subject correctly, in explaining the verses to be in their proper order, when he commented:⁴⁷⁰ “Up to here is the Book of the Covenant.” On the basis of this statement it can be seen that all the sections of the Torah are in methodical arrangement. For after the Giving of the Torah immediately on the same day G-d said to Moses, Thus shall you tell the children of Israel: Ye yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven,⁴⁷¹ and He began to warn them again against idolatry, by saying, Ye shall not make with Me etc.,⁴⁷², Verse 20. and He continued to command him, Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them,⁴⁶⁷ and all the commandments following that, and finally He finished with the admonition against the worship of idols which they find in the Land, and against making a covenant with their worshippers. He then said to Moses, “After you have commanded them this, come up unto the Eternal, thou and Aaron.” The section mentions that Moses did according to the command of G-d, and came to the camp and told the people all the words of the Eternal⁴⁶⁶ as He had commanded him, Thus shall you tell the children of Israel: Ye yourselves have seen etc.;⁴⁷¹ and all the ordinances,⁴⁶⁶ as He had commanded him, Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.⁴⁶⁷ The people received everything with joy and said, All that the Eternal hath spoken will we do,⁴⁷³ the Revelation and Ramban is now discussing the events after the Revelation, we must perforce understand his use of that verse, in a stylistic manner, namely, that the people joyfully accepted upon themselves the duty of observing all of G-d’s commandments. meaning that all these things which G-d has told you we will do, for we believe in your words; just as he narrated in the Book of Deuteronomy [that the people said to him], and thou shalt speak unto us all that the Eternal our G-d may speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it,⁴⁷⁴ and then Moses wrote them down. Thus on that day he wrote down in a book all that he had been commanded — the statutes, the ordinances, and the laws — and he rose up early in the morning⁴⁷⁵ of the following day to make a covenant with them concerning all this. He built the altar and offered the sacrifices,⁴⁷⁵ and put half of the blood upon the altar of G-d, and half of it he put in basins⁴⁷⁶ [in order to sprinkle upon the people],⁴⁷⁷ and he took the book which he had written the day before and read it in their hearing,⁴⁷⁸ and they accepted upon themselves to make the covenant with Him, saying. All that the Eternal hath spoken will we do, and hearken⁴⁷⁸ to you and to whatever you will command in His Name. Then he sprinkled upon them half of the blood [which he had put in the basins], for this is the sign of a covenant, when two things⁴⁷⁹ come in equal parts. Now after he finished what he did with them, he had to fulfill the word of G-d which He told him, Come up… thou and Aaron, etc. and it is with reference to this that it is said, Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu etc.⁴⁸⁰ He completed that which he had been commanded,⁴⁸¹ (Verse 2). by coming near alone unto the Eternal. It is with reference to this that it is said, And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud etc.⁴⁸² Thus the act of the covenant took place on the day after the Giving of the Torah, and on that day was the ascent, when Moses went up into the mountain and he stayed from then on for forty days. It is with reference to this that Scripture explains, and on the seventh day He called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud,⁴⁸³, Verse 16. [i.e., the seventh day of the month Sivan, which was the day after the Giving of the Torah], and it is said, And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud.⁴⁸² All this is correctly and clearly explained. Now I have seen in the Mechilta⁴⁸⁴ That the Rabbis differed on this matter. Some say⁴⁸⁵ that the making of the covenant took place before the Giving of the Torah — on the fifth day of Sivan — and Moses said to them: “Now you are bound, held and tied; tomorrow come and accept upon yourselves all the commandments.” But Rabbi Yosei the son of Rabbi Yehudah says: “All these acts were done on one and the same day,” that is to say all these acts were performed on the same day, namely the day after the Torah was given — all that Moses told the people and the writing of the Book of the Covenant — all as we have explained. And to this one [i.e., Rabbi Yosei the son of Rabbi Yehudah] we listen, since he has spoken according to the accepted opinion.⁴⁸⁶

footnotes: ⁴⁶⁵ Verse 12 (further in this section). ⁴⁶⁶ Verse 3. ⁴⁶⁷ Above, 21:1. ⁴⁶⁶ Verse 3. ⁴⁶⁸ See Vol. I, p. 417, Notes 147-8. ⁴⁶⁹ See above, 15:25. ⁴⁶⁶ Verse 3. ⁴⁷⁰ On the preceding Verse (23:33). ⁴⁷¹ Above, 20:19. ⁴⁷² Ibid. ⁴⁶⁷ Above, 21:1. ⁴⁶⁶ Verse 3. ⁴⁷¹ Above, 20:19. ⁴⁶⁶ Verse 3. ⁴⁶⁷ Above, 21:1. ⁴⁷³ Above 19:8. See though my Hebrew commentary, p. 447, where it is pointed out that since this verse relates to an event before ⁴⁷⁴ Deuteronomy 5:24. ⁴⁷⁵ Verse 4. ⁴⁷⁵ Verse 4. ⁴⁷⁶ Verse 6. ⁴⁷⁷ As explained further in Ramban, (also in Rashi). For the reason of exact division into two equal parts see further in the text of Ramban and also in Note 479. ⁴⁷⁸ Verse 7. ⁴⁷⁸ Verse 7. ⁴⁷⁹ By putting half of the blood upon the altar of G-d and the other half upon the people, Moses indicated that “the two [parties to the covenant] come into equal parts.” See Deuteronomy 26:17-18, and also Vayikra Rabbah 6:5, where the equal division of the blood is explained as signifying that G-d swore to Israel never to exchange it for another nation, and Israel swore eternal fidelity to G-d. ⁴⁸⁰ Verse 9. ⁴⁸¹ I.e., And Moses alone shall come near unto the Eternal ⁴⁸² Further, Verse 18. ⁴⁸³ Ibid. ⁴⁸² Further, Verse 18. ⁴⁸⁴ Mechilta above, 19:10. ⁴⁸⁵ This is the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael. ⁴⁸⁶ See Peah 4:1 for origin of this expression [“to this one we listen etc.”].

And unto Moses He said. The reason for this kind of expression [when it should have said, as elsewhere, And the Eternal spoke unto Moses], is that up till now the commandments and the ordinances were addressed to the children of Israel, therefore Scripture said here that this particular commandment was given to Moses, that he alone should do it; thus He commanded him: “After you have set before them the commandments and the ordinances, and have made with them the covenant, come up to Me.” This was why Moses fulfilled the first command [i.e., of telling the people the section beginning with Ye yourselves have seen — above 20:19 — up to for they will be a snare unto thee — 23:33], on the sixth day of Sivan, [following the Revelation which took place on that morning], and on the seventh he rose up early in the morning and made with them the covenant, and after that he went up into the mountain, he and those that were asked to come,⁴⁸⁷ as they were commanded.⁴⁸⁸

footnotes: ⁴⁸⁷ I.e., Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel (Verse 1). ⁴⁸⁸ I.e., just as at the time of the Giving of the Torah Moses had a place designated for himself, Aaron a place designated for himself, and the people a place designated for themselves (see Ramban above 19:19), so here too Moses approached closer than Aaron, etc.

Come up to the Eternal. In line with the simple meaning of Scripture, the reason for this expression [when it should have said: “Come up unto Me”], is because it is the Scriptural style to mention the proper name instead of the pronoun, such as: *And Lemech said… Ye wives of Lemech;*⁴⁸⁹ and the Eternal sent Jerubaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel.⁴⁹⁰ A similar case is the verse, and cause Thy face to shine upon Thy Sanctuary that is desolate, for the Eternal’s sake.⁴⁹¹ In the Talmud,⁴⁹² however, we find that they⁴⁹³ [a Jewish infidel], to Rav Idie for sectarian purposes. The answer here quoted was given by Rav Idie. asked, “It should have said, ‘come up to Me,’” and therefore they said, “this refers to Mattatron, whose name is even as the Name of his Master.”⁴⁹⁴ That is to say, “And unto Moses He — the Divine Name mentioned at the beginning of this subject, namely, And the Eternal said unto Moses⁴⁹⁵ — said, come up to Mattatron, for My Name is in him.” The meaning is thus: “Come up to the place of the Glory where the great angel is,” and the intention was that Moses should come into the midst of the cloud⁴⁸² where the Glory of G-d was, but he should not come right up to the Proper Divine Name, for man shall not see Me, and live.⁴⁹⁶ The intention of our Rabbis is thus not at all as Rashi had written above.⁴⁹⁷ (33:2) has reference to Mattatron. That is not correct, for Moses did not consent that the angel mentioned there should go with them (Abusaula). See also Ramban above 23:20 for a full discussion. In Tractate Sanhedrin also the Rabbi [Rashi] turned the subject around.⁴⁹⁸.” Ramban’s opinion, as explained above, is that the Eternal said, “Come up to Mattatron.” Now I have already mentioned⁴⁹⁹ 12:12. the Rabbis’ intention concerning this name [Mattatron], and all their words are true. In that homily, however, [related in Tractate Sanhedrin, concerning the infidel’s question to Rav Idie],⁴⁹³ [a Jewish infidel], to Rav Idie for sectarian purposes. The answer here quoted was given by Rav Idie. the Sages spoke in an abstract manner, since Rav Idie did not want, Heaven forbid, to reveal to that infidel who asked him the question, the matter of the great Mattatron and its secret! Instead, he mentioned to him that the verse speaks of the angel who is “the guide of the road” of the world below; and hence he told him, that “even as a guide we refused to accept him, for it is written [that Moses said], If ‘panecha’ — [literally: ‘Thy face’ or ‘Thy presence’] go not up, carry us not up hence,”⁵⁰⁰ for we accepted no messenger, only the Revered G-d. I have already explained⁵⁰¹ clearly the secret of panim (face) and the whole subject to those learned in the secret lore of the Cabala, in the section of the Giving of the Torah.

footnotes: ⁴⁸⁹ Genesis 4:23. It should have said: “My wives.” ⁴⁹⁰ I Samuel 12:11. Since Samuel was the speaker, he should have said: “and myself.” ⁴⁹¹ Daniel 9:17. It should have said: “for Thy sake.” ⁴⁹² Sanhedrin 38b. ⁴⁹³ “They” — the Rabbis, asked. To understand, however, the following references in Ramban it is necessary to know that the question was addressed by a min ⁴⁹⁴ See Ramban above, 23:20. ⁴⁹⁵ Above, 20:19. ⁴⁸² Further, Verse 18. ⁴⁹⁶ Further, 33:20. ⁴⁹⁷ 23:20. — Ramban refers to what Rashi wrote there, that the verse mentioned further on [after the sin with the golden calf], and I will send an angel before thee ⁴⁹⁸ In Sanhedrin 38 b, Rashi commented: “This is Mattatron. It was he who said Come up unto the Eternal ⁴⁹⁹ Above, 23:20, and in Seder Bo ⁴⁹³ “They” — the Rabbis, asked. To understand, however, the following references in Ramban it is necessary to know that the question was addressed by a min ⁵⁰⁰ Further, 33:15. ⁵⁰¹ Above, 20:3.

AND MOSES ALONE SHALL COME NEAR UNTO THE ETERNAL. In the opinion of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra this too is a case where a proper name is used instead of a pronoun, for after the expression, Come up unto the Eternal, it should have said, “and you alone shall come near,” but such is the Scriptural style, as I have mentioned.⁵⁰² Similarly: And the Eternal caused to rain upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Eternal,⁵⁰³ which means “from Him;” And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law,⁵⁰⁴ which means “his father-in-law.” Also: And the Eternal sent Jerubaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel,⁴⁹⁰ and similarly: Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes… unto King Solomon.⁵⁰⁵ The correct interpretation here appears to me to be that this commandment was addressed also to Aaron, and he too heard the Voice of G-d saying to Moses, Come up unto the Eternal, thou, and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.⁵⁰⁶ And if so, it was necessary that the name of the one who was to draw near [i.e., Moses] be expressly mentioned, for it was he alone who was to come near [and not Aaron]. And even if [we were to explain that when G-d said, Come up unto the Eternal etc.] He spoke to Moses directly [and Aaron did not hear it], it would still be necessary to explain that “you Moses alone shall come near unto the Eternal,” and the mere pronoun “thou” would not have sufficed.⁵⁰⁷ Therefore He said, And Moses alone shall come near; but they shall not come near. This is the reason for the word l’vado (alone), to exclude Aaron who had been included previously with Moses as far as the commandment [to “come up”].

footnotes: ⁵⁰² Above, Verse 1. ⁵⁰³ Genesis 19:24. ⁵⁰⁴ Numbers 10:29. ⁴⁹⁰ I Samuel 12:11. Since Samuel was the speaker, he should have said: “and myself.” ⁵⁰⁵ I Kings 8:1. The meaning is: he gathered them “to himself.” ⁵⁰⁶ Above, Verse 1. ⁵⁰⁷ For since Aaron’s name was after all mentioned in the command [in Verse 1], it was already necessary that Moses’ name be designated in Verse 2, so that he would know that it was he who was to come near, otherwise it would have included Aaron as well. Therefore etc.

AND MOSES CAME AND TOLD THE PEOPLE ALL THE WORDS OF THE ETERNAL. At the time that this whole commandment mentioned here was given, Moses was at the place where he drew near unto the thick darkness where G-d was,⁵⁰⁸ and now he came to that “far off” place where the people had been at the time of the Revelation,⁵⁰⁸ and told them all that he had been commanded [i.e., beginning with Ye yourselves have seen — above 20:19 — up to the end of all the commandments and ordinances, 23:33], and they listened to his voice. Scripture does not say here: “and he came down from the mountain,” for they were all then at the lower part of the mountain,⁵⁰⁹, 19:17. and not at the top where the Glory of G-d was; [the difference] was only that Moses was near the place of the thick darkness, whilst the people stood from afar at the time of the giving of the commandments, as I have explained.⁵¹⁰, 19:19, and 20:15. When Moses left his place and began coming towards the people, all the heads of their tribes and their elders came up to the place where the priests that come near to the Eternal⁵¹¹, 19:22. stood, and said to him, *Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us;*⁵¹² Go thou near, and hear etc.,⁵¹³, Verse 24. for they thought that the Revered G-d Himself would tell them all the commandments of the Torah just as He had told them the Ten Commandments. Then Moses came together with the heads of the tribes and the elders to the place where the people were standing and told all of them all the words of G-d, and they said, “We will do all that He has commanded us in the Ten Commandments, and we will hearken⁵¹⁴ to your voice in everything that you have commanded, or will command in His Name, exalted be He.” When Moses went back afterwards to the edge of the mountain with the elders, as G-d had commanded him,⁵⁰⁶ then G-d said to him again, Come up to Me into the mountain, and be there.⁵¹⁵ It was at that time that He informed him, I have heard the voice of the words of the people, which they have spoken unto thee; they have well said all that they have spoken,⁵¹⁶ and He commanded him: Go say to them: Return ye to your tents. But as for thee, stand thou here by Me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which thou shalt teach them.⁵¹⁷, Verses 27-28. It is with reference to this that He said here, And I will give thee the Tablets of stone, and the law and the commandment,⁵¹⁸ meaning, that to you alone I will give the law and the commandments which you will teach them, and they will keep them as they have undertaken to do.

footnotes: ⁵⁰⁸ Above, 20:18. ⁵⁰⁸ Above, 20:18. ⁵⁰⁹ Ibid. ⁵¹⁰ Ibid. ⁵¹¹ Ibid. ⁵¹² Deuteronomy 5:22. ⁵¹³ Ibid. ⁵¹⁴ Verse 7. ⁵⁰⁶ Above, Verse 1. ⁵¹⁵ Verse 12. ⁵¹⁶ Deuteronomy 5:25. ⁵¹⁷ Ibid. ⁵¹⁸ Verse 12. See Vol. I, p. 7 for Ramban’s interpretation of each term mentioned.

AND HE SENT ‘NA’AREI’ (THE YOUNG MEN OF) THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. These were the firstborns, as Onkelos rendered it, for it was they who used to offer the burnt-offerings and the peace-offerings. But I do not know why Scripture designates the firstborns by the term na’arei (the young men)? Perhaps it is because Scripture mentioned the elders who are the nobles of the children of Israel,⁵¹⁹ therefore it called the firstborns ne’arim (young men), for in relation to the elders they were young. It thus indicates that Moses sent them to offer the sacrifices not because of their status in wisdom, for they were not yet advanced in age, but only an account of the birthright, through which they were set aside to offer sacrifices. In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, the young men of the children of Israel were the youth of Israel who had not tasted of sin,⁵²⁰ and had never come near a woman, for they were the most select and holy of the people, in a similar manner to that which the Rabbis have said:⁵²¹ “The young men of Israel who have not tasted of sin⁵²², Note 6). are destined to give forth a fragrance like the Lebanon etc.”⁵²³” (ibid). The word Lebanon [of the root lavan — white] is an allusion here to the Sanctuary which “whitens” [atones for] the sins of Israel. The thought suggested then is that these young men who have not tasted of sin are as beneficial to Israel as the Sanctuary (Maharsha).

footnotes: ⁵¹⁹ Further, Verse 11. ⁵²⁰ Erubin 21b. ⁵²¹ Berachoth 43b. ⁵²² “Who have not tasted of sin” is not found in our Gemara, but it is present in manuscripts of the Talmud and other early works (see Dikdukei Sofrim, ibid. ⁵²³ “As it said, His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his fragrance as Lebanon (Hosea 14:7)

OXEN UNTO THE ETERNAL. The reason they brought oxen is that as long as Israel was in the wilderness they feared the attribute of justice, this being indeed the source of their mistake at the incident of the golden calf — as I will mention there.⁵²⁴ And so they now offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings all of oxen, for a similar reason to that of the bullock brought by the anointed priest [for a sin-offering],⁵²⁵ and the bullock which the court brings for an erroneous decision [which contradicts in part what the Torah enjoins],⁵²⁶, Verse 14. and the bullock for idolatry,⁵²⁷ as well as the Red Heifer.⁵²⁸, 19:2. See Ramban there: “Its redness alludes to the attribute of justice, etc.”

footnotes: ⁵²⁴ See Ramban further, 32:1. ⁵²⁵ Leviticus 4:3. ⁵²⁶ Ibid. ⁵²⁷ Numbers 15:24. ⁵²⁸ Ibid.

AND MOSES TOOK HALF OF THE BLOOD AND HE PLACED IT ‘BA’AGANOTH.’ These are vessels made unlike the shape of the regular basins of the altar. Hence Scripture states that half of the blood of the sacrifices which Moses intended to sprinkle on the people, he put into these vessels, and the other half he sprinkled upon the altar from the regular basins in which he had received the blood, as is the customary way with all offerings. But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that ba’aganoth served for both halves, [and thus the word signifies the regular basins of the altar]. Such is also the opinion of Onkelos, who translated ba’aganoth as b’mizr’kaya [a term referring to the regular basins].

AND THEY SAW THE G-D OF ISRAEL. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained: “They saw Him in a prophetic vision, this being similar to the verse: I saw the Eternal standing beside the altar.⁵²⁹ — And there was under His feet the like of a paved work of sapphire stone.⁵³⁰ This is identical with what the prophet Ezekiel saw: as the appearance of a sapphire stone was the likeness of a throne.⁵³¹ — And the like of the very heaven for clearness,⁵³⁰ means that they saw under the paved work of sapphire stone the likeness of the very heaven for clearness, which is identical with the firmament, like the color of the terrible ice, stretched forth⁵³², Verse 22. over the heads of the living creatures [that Ezekiel saw]. Now here it is written, And they saw the G-d of Israel, and there it is written, This is the living creature that I saw under the G-d of Israel.⁵³³, 10:20. [In saying that he saw the living creature under the G-d of Israel, the prophet Ezekiel] used a shortened expression, for the living creature was under the firmament which was under the throne, and all this was under the Glorious Name.” [Thus far is Ibn Ezra’s language.] In line with the simple meaning of Scripture the expression the G-d of Israel is used here to indicate that the merit of their father Israel [Jacob] was with them, and it was through his merit that they beheld this vision. And by the way of the Truth, [the mystic doctrine of the Cabala], it is because Scripture mentioned at the Giving of the Torah, and G-d spoke,⁵³⁴ this being identical with the verse, Behold, the Eternal our G-d hath shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire,⁵³⁵ therefore Scripture explained here that they saw the G-d of Israel. It does not say as it does in all other places, the Eternal, the G-d of Israel,⁵³⁶ but mentioned this [the G-d of Israel] in order to say that the seventy elders perceived in this vision more than the rest of the people who saw upon the earth His great fire,⁵³⁷ because the people saw through a partition of cloud and thick darkness.⁵³⁸, 5:19. Onkelos hinted at this, for he translated here, “and they saw the Glory of the G-d of Israel,” but did not render it, “and the Glory of G-d revealed itself to them,” as is his way of translating in other places.⁵³⁹, Onkelos translated: “and the Glory of the Eternal revealed itself…” Here, however, he wrote “and they saw,” in order to indicate that they achieved a greater insight in this vision than the rest of the people.

footnotes: ⁵²⁹ Amos 9:1. ⁵³⁰ Continuing Verse 10 before us. ⁵³¹ Ezekiel 1:26. ⁵³⁰ Continuing Verse 10 before us. ⁵³² Ibid. ⁵³³ Ibid. ⁵³⁴ Genesis 1:3. ⁵³⁵ Deuteronomy 5:21. ⁵³⁶ Above, 5:1, etc. ⁵³⁷ Deuteronomy 4:36. ⁵³⁸ Ibid. ⁵³⁹ E.g., in Numbers 16:19, where it states, And the Glory of the Eternal appeared unto all the congregation

AND TO ‘ATZILEI’ (THE NOBLES OF) THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. These are Nadab, and Abihu, and the elders mentioned above.⁵⁴⁰ They are called atzilim [of the root atzal, to emanate] because the spirit of G-d emanated upon them. Similarly, *I have called thee ‘mei’atzilehah’*⁵⁴¹ — from those upon whom His spirit has emanated, or the great people upon whom honor has descended from royalty.

footnotes: ⁵⁴⁰ Verse 1. ⁵⁴¹ Isaiah 41:9.

The meaning of the expression He laid not His hand, is that since He had said, But let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the Eternal, lest He break forth upon them,⁵⁴² therefore He let it be known here that they had been careful to observe that command and that He did not break forth upon them, and that the nobles of the children of Israel were worthy of that which they saw in this vision; thus the meaning of the verse is that they beheld G-d but they did not break through to come up unto the Eternal.⁵⁴²

footnotes: ⁵⁴² Above, 19:24. ⁵⁴² Above, 19:24.

And they did eat and drink. This means that they ate there the peace-offerings at the lower part of the mountain before G-d previous to their returning to their tents, for peace-offerings have to be eaten within an enclosure; in Jerusalem they were eaten within the wall of the city,⁵⁴³ in Shiloh⁵⁴⁴ they could be eaten within sight of Shiloh,⁵⁴³ and here they were eaten before the altar at the lower part of the mountain, and not in the camp.

footnotes: ⁵⁴³ Zebachim 112b. ⁵⁴⁴ The Tabernacle stood in Shiloh, in the territory of the tribe of Ephraim, for three hundred and sixty-nine years. After Shiloh was destroyed by the Philistines, the Tabernacle stood in Nob and then in Gibeon — a period of fifty-seven years — and then finally the Sanctuary was built by King Solomon in Jerusalem. ⁵⁴³ Zebachim 112b.

The meaning of the expression and they drank, is that they made it an occasion for rejoicing and festival, for such is one’s duty to rejoice at the receiving of the Torah, just as He commanded when they finished writing all the words of the Torah upon the stones, And thou shalt sacrifice peace-offerings, and shalt eat there; and thou shalt rejoice before the Eternal thy G-d.⁵⁴⁵ And with reference to Solomon it is written, Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee etc.,⁵⁴⁶ and immediately after that, he came to Jerusalem… and made a feast for all his servants.⁵⁴⁷ “Said Rabbi Eleazar:⁵⁴⁸ From here you learn that we make a feast at the finishing of the Torah.” With reference to David, Solomon’s father, it is likewise said that when the people gave of their free-will towards the building of the Sanctuary, And they offered sacrifices unto the Eternal, and offered burnt-offerings unto the Eternal etc., and they did eat and drink before the Eternal on that day with great gladness.⁵⁴⁹ Similarly, here too on the day of the “wedding” of the Torah,⁵⁵⁰ they did likewise.

footnotes: ⁵⁴⁵ Deuteronomy 27:7. ⁵⁴⁶ II Chronicles 1:12. ⁵⁴⁷ I Kings 3:15. ⁵⁴⁸ Shir Hashirim Rabbah 1:9. ⁵⁴⁹ I Chronicles 29:21-22. ⁵⁵⁰ Taanith 26b.

AND THE ETERNAL SAID UNTO MOSES: ‘COME UP TO ME INTO THE MOUNTAIN.’ This is the same command which He had said to him on the preceeding day [i.e., on the sixth of Sivan], *Come up unto the Eternal;*⁵⁵¹ and Moses alone shall come near unto the Eternal,⁵⁵² and now on the seventh day of Sivan He said additionally to him, and be there, and I will give thee the Tablets of stone etc., for Moses was to stay on the mountain until He would give him the Tablets of stone, and the law and the commandment. The expression which I have written refers back to the Tablets of stone; that thou mayest teach them relates to the law and the commandment. Thus the meaning of the verse is: “and I will give thee the Tablets of stone which I have written, and the law and the commandment that thou mayest teach them.” This is identical with what He said in the Book of Deuteronomy, And I will speak unto thee all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which thou shalt teach them.⁵⁵³ Rashi wrote: “Which I have written in the Tablets of stone.⁵⁵⁴ That thou mayest teach them, for all the six hundred and thirteen commandments are implicit in the Ten Commandments.”⁵⁵⁵ And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented: “The law, this refers to the first and second commandments; and the commandment refers to the other eight mentioned.” It is a comment of no value, since the verse in Deuteronomy mentioned above, And I will speak unto thee, etc.⁵⁵³ testifies that He is speaking about all the commandments. In accordance with the opinion of our Rabbis it is possible that the expression which I have written is a hint that the whole Torah was written before Him before the creation of the world, as I have mentioned at the beginning of the Book of Genesis.⁵⁵⁶

footnotes: ⁵⁵¹ Verse 1. ⁵⁵² Verse 2. ⁵⁵³ Deuteronomy 5:28. ⁵⁵⁴ This sentence is not found in our Rashi. ⁵⁵⁵ Our Rashi adds: “And Rabbeinu Saadia Gaon listed in his ‘Azharoth’ [Exhortations — liturgical poems treating of the Divine Commandments] the commandments which may be associated with each of the Ten Commandments.” — See further in my Foreword to “The Commandments,” Vol. I, pp. VIII-X. ⁵⁵³ Deuteronomy 5:28. ⁵⁵⁶ Vol. I, pp. 8, 14-15.

AND MOSES ROSE UP, AND JOSHUA HIS MINISTER. “I do not know in what capacity Joshua was serving here. But it appears to me that the disciple was accompanying the master as far as the place where the limits of the mountain were marked out, for beyond them Joshua was not permitted to go, and from there Moses went up alone into the mountain of G-d, while Joshua pitched his tent there for the whole of the forty days. Thus we find that when Moses came down from the mountain it is written, And Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted,⁵⁵⁷ from which we learn that Joshua was not with them in the camp” [at the time of the making of the golden calf]. Thus far is Rashi’s language. In my opinion, Joshua was one of the seventy elders [who were asked to ascend the mountain], for there was nobody more worthy amongst the seventy elders of Israel to approach G-d than he, and when Moses separated from them [to ascend higher], Joshua accompanied his master up to the border [beyond which he was not permitted to go]. Now do not object to my explanation on this point from what the Rabbis have said⁵⁵⁸, 16. Rashi in Verse 10 here brings part of the Midrash with reference to Nadab and Abihu. concerning the punishment of these elders at Taberah,⁵⁵⁹ — that is, among the most distinguished and prominent ones among them, namely the elders (see Rashi ibid., Verse 1). Now the reason why the elders were singled out for punishment at that time is stated by the Rabbis as follows: Since at the time of the Giving of the Torah they gazed more intently than they were permitted to, behaving as if they were eating and drinking (see here Verse 11), they were liable to death. But since G-d did not wish to disturb the joy caused by the Giving of the Torah, He waited with their punishment till Taberah. — Now on the basis of this Midrash you might think that Joshua, too, was like the elders and unworthy of seeing Divine visions. But, concludes Ramban, this was not the case with Joshua. for they said so concerning all of them except Joshua, for he was indeed worthy to see visions of G-d and to receive prophecy.

footnotes: ⁵⁵⁷ Further, 32:17. ⁵⁵⁸ Tanchuma Beha’alothcha ⁵⁵⁹ Numbers 11:3. The place was called Taberah (which means “burning”) because the Eternal burnt among them

AND UNTO THE ELDERS HE SAID: ‘TARRY YE HERE FOR US.’ The meaning of this is that when Moses parted from them with his minister, he commanded them that they should tarry there. It does not mean that they were to stay there day and night until their return, for he said, and behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whosoever hath a cause, let him come near unto them, and it is in the camp that parties to a dispute would be found, since that was where the seat of justice was, and he had already told everybody, Return ye to your tents.⁵⁶⁰ But the meaning of tarry ye here is that they should stay at that place, and should not break through to come up to them, even to the place where Joshua was, until he [Moses] would come back to them. In my opinion it is possible that the explanation of the verse is as follows: “Sit⁵⁶¹ [translated as “tarry”] in its literal meaning: “sit” — sit in court in our place and act as a substitute for us. in our place and serve as a substitute for us in the camp; Aaron and Hur are with you, and whosoever hath a cause — one of those hard causes that they would bring to me⁵⁶² — let him come near unto them in my place.” He said unto them as a special recognition to Aaron and Hur, for they were to come before all the elders and they would all be assembled at one place, just as he said Aaron and Hur are with you. Thus Moses commanded that the elders together with Aaron and Hur should sit as a court, just as he himself did, over the officers of thousands and hundreds, until he returns, since he knew that he would tarry in the mountain. He said: for us [tarry ye here ‘for us’] as a mark of honor to his disciple, just as he said to Joshua, Choose us out men.⁵⁶³ This is a correct interpretation. But Rashi wrote: “And unto the elders he said — when he left the camp, Tarry ye here for us — stay you with the rest of the people so as to be ready to judge each man’s dispute.” But this is impossible, for they were not at that moment in the camp, and what sense would there be for him to tell them so when they were in the camp and had already been appointed as judges! Terumah

footnotes: ⁵⁶⁰ Deuteronomy 5:27. ⁵⁶¹ Ramban thus takes the Hebrew word sh’vu ⁵⁶² See Deuteronomy 1:17. ⁵⁶³ Above, 17:9.