ויתיצב עמו, together with Moses who was positioned there, as is written (33,21) ונצבת על הצור, “you will position yourself near the rock.”

'ויקרא בשם ה, G’d called out as He was passing, as will be explained presently. This had been predicted already in verse 19 of the last chapter.

וימהר משה, once he saw G’d pass and heard His voice, he immediately began to bow down.

כי עם קשה עורף הוא. Seeing that You are so forgiving You will be able to go in our midst in spite of this.

הנה אנכי כורת ברית, with regard to your request that I personally go with you, the answer is positive, as well as with regard to your request to grant you and the people a mark of distinction. (33,16) נגד כל העם אעשה לך, I will perform such miracles וראה כל העם and the whole nation will see the greatness כי נורה הוא, that it is indeed awesome; we know this from verse 30 where we read that the people were afraid of coming near Moses. It is also reported in verse 35 that the face of Moses radiated rays of light.

כל פטר רחם לי, seeing that through the plague of the killing of the firstborn of Egypt all the Jewish firstborn sons and firstborn male livestock who left Egypt were sanctified. The legislation was recorded after the legislation dealing with festival of matzot.

ששת ימים תעבד, work on the land. Ordinary work on the land as described in Genesis 4,12. We read in Proverbs 12,11 and 28,19 עובד אדמתו ישבע לחם, “he who toils his own land will have sufficient bread to eat.”

בחריש ובקציר תשבות, because such rest is a requirement of good health for the creatures. If such vital wok must not be performed on the Sabbath, how much more so must one abstain from less urgent activities.

את פני האדון, I have already explained these matters in Parshat Mishpatim.

'לא תבשל וגו, I have already explained this legislation on Exodus 23,19.

כתב לך את הדברים האלה, the ones mentioned in this portion beginning with הנני גרש מפניך in 34,11.

כי על פי הדברים האלה, that you will not follow other deities and will not conclude a pact with the present inhabitants of the land of Canaan, and that you will not intermarry with them, and make the three times annual pilgrimage to the Temple.

ויכתוב על הלוחות, G’d Himself inscribed the Tablets. The same words as had been inscribed on the first Tablets were inscribed on the second set. (as per verse 1 of our chapter) The same information is repeated by Moses in Deuteronomy 10,4

כי קרן, an expression denoting majesty. The word occurs in this sense also in Chabakuk 3,4 קרנים מידו לו, “which gives off rays from every side.” Anyone who compares the meaning of the words קרן עור פניו in Deuteronomy 33,17 וקרני ראם לו, “having horns like the reem,” .is completely foolish. It is quite normal for words in the Torah to have more than one meaning, depending on the context in which they are used.

את כל אשר דבר ה' אתו, prior to the sin of the golden calf. Everything which has been written in the Torah, commencing with Exodus 25,2 until 32,1 as well as everything recorded in this paragraph.

מסוה, a cloth bearing this name. The letter ו in this word is integral to it, just as the same letter in the word מקוה in Jeremiah 14,8. Also the letter ת in the word סותה in Genesis 49,11 is integral to the word. We are speaking about garments of different kinds in the various instances, but the words have different origins. The author accepts the view of the commentator Dunash.

יסיר את המסוה, whenever Moses had to convey G’d’s instructions to the people he still did not cover his forehead with the cloth he had removed in order to communicate with G’d. Once he concluded conveying G’d’s words he would again cover his forehead. When G’d would address him, or he would wish to address G’d, he did so without wearing the מסוה.