Ki Tisa כי תשא

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

כי תשא This has the meaning of obtaining: WHEN THOU TAKEST [THE SUM], (not of “lifting up” as in Genesis 40:13); as the Targum has it, תקבל. The sense is: when you wish to obtain the sum total of their number — to know how many they are — do not take their census by their polls but each of them shall give half a shekel, and you shall count these, and so ascertain their number.

ולא יהיה בהם נגף THAT THERE BE NO CALAMITY AMONG THEM — for numbers (i. e. things that have been numbered) are subject to the influence of the “evil eye”, and therefore if you count them by their polls pestilence may befall them, as we find happened, in the days of David (II Samuel 24:10 and 15).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

זה יתנו THIS SHALL THEY GIVE — He (God) showed him (Moses) a kind of fiery coin the weight of which was half a shekel and said to him, “Like this shall they give” (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 9).

העבר על הפקדים [EVERY ONE] THAT PASSETH AMONG THEM THAT ARE MUSTERED — Scripture uses the expression כל העבר על הפקדים instead of merely saying כל הפקדים because it is the practice of those who count animate beings to make these pass before them one after the other, counting them as they pass. Similar are: (Leviticus 27:32) “whatever passeth (יעבר) under the rod”; (Jeremiah 33:13) “the flock shall pass again (תעברנה) under the hands of him that counteth them”.

מחצית השקל בשקל הקדש THE HALF OF A SHEKEL AFTER THE SHEKEL OF HOLINESS – i. e. after the weight of the shekel which I have appointed for you as the standard by which to weigh the shekels used for sacred purposes, as, for instance, those shekels mentioned in the section dealing with estimating things dedicated to the Sanctuary and with “fields of possession” so dedicated (Leviticus ch. 27).

עשרים גרה השקל A SHEKEL IS TWENTY GERAHS — Having stated that it must be a holy shekel it now tells you exactly how much it is.

גרה in Hebrew denotes what is called a מעה, a coin of small value, in Aramaic. And in this sense we find it in the book of Samuel (I Samuel 2:36) “[every one that is left] shall come and crouch to him for a piece of (אגורת) silver and a morsel of bread” which the Targum renders by למעה דכסף.‎

עשרים גרה השקל A SHEKEL IS TWENTY GERAHS — For a full shekel is four zuz and a zuz was originally five meahs (consequently a shekel was twenty meahs or gerahs); only that they increased it (the zuz) by one sixth and so raised its value to six meahs of silver. Now THE HALF OF THIS (the original) SHEKEL of which I have spoken to you SHALL THEY GIVE AS A HEAVE OFFERING TO THE LORD.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

מבן עשרים שנה ומעלה FROM TWENTY YEARS OLD AND ABOVE — Scripture teaches you here that anyone less than twenty years of age does not go forth to the army nor is he to be counted among the “men” (of whom v. 12 speaks).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

לכפר על נפשתיכם TO MAKE AN EXPIATION FOR YOUR SOULS — in order that you may not be liable to the plague in consequence of the census. Another explanation of לכפר על נפשתיכם is that it was really an atonement for their sins: because Scripture alludes here to three different heave offerings since it uses the expression תרומת ה׳ three times (twice in vv. 14 and 15, ‘תרומת ה, and once in vers 13, ‘תרומה לה). One mention is an allusion to the heave offering that was to be used for the making of the sockets, for he (Moses) counted them when they began to contribute towards the building of the Tabernacle, when each gave half a shekel, the total amounting to a hundred talents, as it is said, (Exodus 38:25) “and the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents”, and of these the sockets were made, as it is stated, (Exodus 38:27) “And of the hundred talents of silver [were cast the sockets of the Sanctuary etc.]”. The second heave offering was also levied by way of census, for he numbered them again after the Tabernacle was erected; that is the census referred to in the beginning of the Book of Numbers: (Numbers 1:1) “[And the Lord spake unto Moses] … on the first day of the second month in the second year … [Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel]”, and on that occasion, too, each of them gave half a shekel. These were employed in purchasing the communal sacrifices for each year. Rich and poor were made alike in regard to these half shekels; and it is with reference to this heave offering that Scripture uses here the expression לכפר על נפשתיכם, “to make expiation for your souls”, for sacrifices were brought in order to make atonement. The third heave offering was that offered for the building of the Tabernacle, as it is said, (Exodus 35:24) “Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass…”. In this heave offering, however, they did not all participate alike, but each one brought whatever his heart prompted him to give (Talmud Yerushalmi Shekalim 1:1; cf. Rashi on Exodus 25:1).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ונתת אתו על עבדת אהל מועד AND THOU SHALT GIVE IT FOR THE SERVICE OF THE APPOINTED TENT — From this statement you may learn that he (Moses) was commanded to take their census when they began to contribute towards the building of the Tabernacle, after the incident of the golden calf, because the pestilence had befallen them, as it is said, (Exodus 32:35) “and the Lord plagued the people”. A parable: To what may this be compared? To a flock that is dear to its owner upon which there fell pestilence. As soon as it ceased he said to the shepherd, “I beg of you, count my sheep and ascertain how many of them are left”. He did this to show that it (the flock) was dear to him (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 9). — It is, however, impossible to say that the census mentioned here is identical with that spoken of in the Book of Numbers (1:1), for there (in Numbers 1:1) Scripture states, “[And God spake to Moses …] on the first day of the second month … [Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel etc.]”, whilst the Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month as it is said, (Exodus 40:2) “On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up [the Tabernacle etc.]”, and from this census (that mentioned in this paragraph) — from the shekels obtained by it — the sockets used for its boards were made, for it is said, (Exodus 38:27) and of the hundred talents of silver were cast [the sockets of the sanctuary]”. Consequently you learn from this that two censuses were taken, viz., one at the beginning of their contributing towards the Tabernacle, after the Day of Atonement (when Moses first commanded the people to engage in the construction of the Tabernacle; see Rashi on Exodus 33:11, last sentence), in the first year, and the other in the second year, in Iyar, after the Tabernacle had already been set up. If you ask, however: is it at all possible that on both of these occasions the number of the Israelites was exactly the same, viz., 603,550, for in the account of how the silver of those that were numbered of the congregation was used (Exodus 38:27) it is so stated, and in the Book of Numbers (1:46) exactly the same is stated, “Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty”; were not these censuses taken in two different years, and surely it is impossible that there were not at the time of the first census people nineteen years old who accordingly were not counted and who became twenty years old in the second year when the second census was taken and this must have added to the total?! The reply to this question is: As far as the years of men’s ages are concerned they were counted in the same year, but reckoning from the time of the exodus from Egypt they were two different years in which the censuses were held. For when we speak of a period beginning with the exodus from Egypt, which took place in Nisan, we calculate from Nisan, as we have learned in Treatise Rosh Hashanah 2b. Consequently the Tabernacle was being built in the first year and was erected in the second year, because a new year began on the first of Nisan following the exodus. The years of people’s ages, however, were counted according to the era of the creation of the world which begins with Tishri, consequently from this point of view both censuses took place in the same year: the first in Tishri after the Day of Atonement when the Omnipresent became reconciled with Israel to grant them His pardon and when they received the command regarding the construction of the Tabernacle, and the second on the first of Iyar, so that those who were only 19 years old after the Day of Atonement when the first census was taken, were not yet regarded as twenty in Iyar when the second census was held even though they were born between Tishri and Iyar.

על עבדת אהל מועד FOR THE SERVICE OF THE APPOINTED TENT — i. e. for the sockets that were made of it (the expiation money).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

כיור A LAVER — like a large pot with teats which discharged water by the way of their openings.

וכנו — Understand this as the Targum renders it: בסיסה ITS BASE, i. e. a stand specially made for the laver.

לרחצה TO LAVE WITHAL — This, of course, refers to the laver and not to the base.

ובין המזבח BETWEEN [THE APPOINTED TENT AND] THE ALTAR — the altar of burnt offering of which it is written, (Exodus 40:6) that is was to be set “before the entrance of the dwelling of the appointed tent”. The laver was drawn a little to the side and stood facing the open space which was between the altar and the Tabernacle, and it did not stand between them at all because it is stated (Exodus 40:29) “and he put the altar of burnt offering by the entrance of the dwelling of the appointed tent” which implies that the altar was in front of the entrance of the appointed tent, but that the laver was not in front of the entrance of the appointed tent. How was it arranged? It was drawn a little towards the south. Thus is it stated in Treatise Zevachim 59a.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

את ידיהם ואת רגליהם THEIR HANDS AND THEIR FEET The priest washed his hands and his feet simultaneously. Thus we learn in Zevachim 19b: How was the procedure in washing hands and feet? He placed his right hand upon his right foot (knee) and his left hand upon his left foot (knee) and thus washed both simultaneously.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

בבאם אל אהל מועד WHEN THEY COME INTO THE APPOINTED TENT to burn incense in the morning and at evening, or to sprinkle of the blood of the bullock offered by the anointed High-Priest (Leviticus 4:5, 7) and of the he-goats offered as atonement for the sin of idolatry (all of which services were performed in the interior of the Sanctuary) (Zevachim 19b).

ולא ימתו THAT THEY DIE NOT — thus it follows that if they do not wash they will die: You may rightly draw this conclusion for in the Torah laws are sometimes stated only by implication: consequently from what is said here in the negative (that they die not) you may derive the positive (that they will die if they do not observe the law here laid down).

אל המזבח [OR WHEN THEY STEP] NEAR THE ALTAR — i. e. the outer altar, in which case there is no entering into the appointed tent but the service is performed in the court.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ולא ימתו THAT THEY DIE NOT — This statement is intended to declare subject to the death penalty anyone who ministers at the outer altar without having washed his hands and his feet, because from the first mention of “death” (v. 20) we can only infer that one is subject to death for entering the Sanctuary under these circumstances.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

בשמים ראש PRINCIPAL SPICES — i. e. excellent ones.

וקנמן בשם AND OF CINNAMON SPICE — Because cinnamon is the bark of a tree there is some of good quality, having fragrance and a pleasant taste and there is some which is merely like wood; Scripture therefore felt itself compelled to state, “Cinnamon בשם — with sweet scent”: of the good species.

מחציתו חמשים ומאתים [AND OF CINNAMON SPICE] HALF SO MUCH, EVEN TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY [SHEKELS] — The half of what is to be brought shall be 250 shekels; consequently the whole weight of this species was 500 shekels exactly the same as that of the myrrh. But if this be so, why is it (the quantity to be brought) expressed in halves? It is the ordinance of Scripture that it should be brought in halves only, so that the quantity may be increased by two overweights, for there was no exact balancing of the scales in weighing the spices, but a little was always added. Thus it is stated in Keritot 5a.

וקנה בשם AND CALAMUS SPICE — i. e. cane of sweet spices. Because there are canes which do not bear sweet spices Scripture had to state (add the word) בֹשֶׂם‎

חמשים ומאתים TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY was the amount of its entire weight (not of the half of it as in the case of the preceding ingredient).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וקדה AND OF CASSIA [FIVE HUNDRED SHEKEL] — קדה is the name of a root of a certain herb. In the language of our Sages it is called קציעה (cf. Onkelos).

הין ONE HIN — twelve logs. The Sages in Israel are of different opinions as to the purpose of the oil. R. Meir said: in it the roots were boiled. Whereupon R. Jehuda said to him: Surely it (the quantity of oil) was not sufficient even to smear the roots with it, but they were steeped in water so that, being saturated with it, they should not absorb the oil; the oil was then poured upon them and they were left thus until it (the oil) absorbed their scent and then they skimmed the oil off the roots (Horayot 11b; Keritot 5a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

רקח מרקחת A COMPOUND COMPOUNDED — רקח is a noun and its accent proves it, for it is on the first syllable, on the ר, so that it is a noun just as are רֶקַח in (Song 8:2) “I would cause thee to drink of the mixed wine (מיין הרקח)” and רֶגַע in (Exodus 33:5) “one moment (רֶגַע אחד)”, and it is not a participle like (Isaiah 51:15) “[I am the Lord] who stireth up (רוֹגַע) the sea”, or (Isaiah 42:5) “Who spreadeth forth (רֹקַע) the earth”, where the accent is on the last syllable. Any thing (ingredient) which is mixed with another so thoroughly that one becomes impregnated with the other as regards the smell or the taste is called a מרקחת.

Thus רקח מרקחת (lit., a mixing of a mixture) means a compounding effected by skilled art and perfect mixing.

מעשה רקח THE WORK OF A COMPOUNDER — רֹקֵחַ is the name given to a workman skilled in this matter.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ומשחת בו AND THOU SHALT ANOINT WITH IT — All anointings mentioned in Scriptures were made in the form of a Greek X except the anointing of kings which were made round the head like a crown (wreath) (Keritot 5b).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וקדשת אתם AND THOU SHALT SANCTIFY THEM — This anointing (mentioned v. 26) sanctifies them so that they become most holy. And in what consists their holiness? כל הנגע בהם וגו׳ that WHOSOEVER TOUCHETH THEM [SHALL BECOME HOLY]. — Whatever is proper for use in a particular sacred vessel becomes itself holy (more lit., becomes holy with bodily holiness) as soon as it comes into it, so that it becomes invalid as an offering under the following conditions: when after it had been placed in the vessel it had been taken (lit., had gone forth) outside the fore-court, or when it had been left the whole of the night without being placed on the altar, or when it has come into contact with a טבול יום (a person who had been unclean and has taken the ritual immersion but is awaiting sunset to be regarded as clean, as is prescribed in Leviticus 22:7). Moreover it cannot be redeemed by payment of its value to the Temple treasury, thereby to reassume its ordinary character. But whatever is not proper to them (to these vessels) they do not make holy (Zevachim 87a). A similar statement is made in an uncontroverted (Hebrew: perfect) Boraitha (Zevachim 83b) about the hallowing power of the altar: Since it is said, (Exodus 29:37) “Whatsoever toucheth the altar shall become holy”, I might infer that this applies to a thing whether it was fitting to be an offering at the time when it was brought into the Sanctuary or whether it was not fitting; Scripture therefore states immediately afterwards, (Exodus 29:38) “[Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar]; two lambs”. Now how is it in the case of the lambs? They are fitting for the altar! So, also, does the preceding statement, “Whatsoever [touches the altar shall become holy]”, refer only to anything that is fitting (i. e. that was already fitting to be brought upon the altar and became disqualified only after it had been brought into the forecourt of the Sanctuary). — In all cases where the term משח, “to anoint”, is used with reference to the Tabernacle or priests or kings it is rendered by the Targum by the appropriate form of the verb רבה, “to raise to high rank”, “to distinguish”, because the anointing of them had no other purpose than to show the distinction that was being bestowed upon them. For thus did the Heavenly King ordain (Rashi uses here the words of the text, (Esther 1:9) that this should constitute their installation in their high office. In any other case, however, where משח is used, — for instance, (Exodus 29:2) “wafers [unleavened] משוחים with oil”; (Amos 6:6) “and with the chief ointments ימשחו” — the Aramaic expression for them in the Targum is the same term as the Hebrew text, viz., a form of משח; (because in these passages anointing is an end in itself, whilst in the former case it is an indication only of elevation to a distinguished position).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

לדרתיכם THROUGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS — From here our Rabbis derived that it (the oil of anointment) was miraculously preserved in its entirety for the time to come (for the Messianic days) (Horayot 11b).

זה has the numerical value of 12, alluding to the 12 “logs” which was the measure for the oil of anointment (Horayot 11b; cf. Rashi v. 24).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

לא ייסך with two “yods” has the meaning “he shall not do something” (i. e. it is 3rd person masc. sing. Kal), similar to ייטב in (Deuteronomy 6:18) “that it may be well (ייטב) with thee”.

על בשר אדם לא ייסך UPON MAN’S FLESH SHALL IT NOT BE POURED — anything from that selfsame oil (which Moses had prepared).

ובמתכנתו לא תעשו כמהו AND ACCORDING TO ITS PROPORTION YE SHALL NOT MAKE ANY LIKE IT — In regard to the quantities of its spices ye shall not make any other oil like it — i. e. in regard to the weights of these spices in proportion to the measure of a hin of oil; but if one uses less or more of these spices in proportion to the measure of a hin of oil, it is permitted to do so. And even if it is made in the same proportions as this (the oil made by Moses) it is not the one who anoints himself with it that is punishable (for this applies only to one who anoints himself with the oil made by Moses) but he who compounds it (Keritot 5a).

ובמתכנתו is a term denoting amount, as (Exodus 5:8) “the quantity (מתכנת) of bricks”. Similar is the word מתכנת used of the incense (v. 37).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ואשר יתן ממנו WHOSOEVER PUTTETH ANY OF IT — of that made by Moses (Keritot 5a)

על זר UPON A STRANGER — when it is not required for installing a person into the high-priesthood or kingdom (Keritot 5b).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

נטף is balsam. Because it is merely the sap which drips from the wood of the balsam tree it is called נטף, “dripping” (Keritot 6a). In old French it is called gomme; English gum. The balm itself, however, is called thériaque (cf., however, Ramban).

ושחלת AND ONYCHA This is a root of a fragrant herb, smooth and transparent like a fingernail, In the language of the Mishna it is called צפורן, a nail (cf. Keritot 6a). This is exactly how Onkelos renders it: וטופרא, which is the Aramaic word corresponding to the Hebrew צפורן‎.

וחלבנה — This is a malodorous spice which is called galbanum. Scripture enumerates it among the spices of the incense to teach us that we should not regard as a light thing the duty of associating with ourselves when we band together for fasts and prayers Israelites who are transgressors — that they should be counted as ourselves (Keritot 6b).

סמים means other SPICES also.

ולבנה זכה AND PURE FRANKINCENSE — From here our Rabbis learned that eleven spices were mentioned to Moses on Sinai (a technical term, like הלכה למשה מסיני) as the ingredients of the incense. For the least number implied by the plural סמים is two; balsam, onycha and galbanum are three, making together five. The word סמים that follows (without stating any number) is intended to add a similar number as these already prescribed, viz., five, making ten, and frankincense makes eleven. They are the following: balm, onycha, galbanum, frankincense, myrrh, cassia, spikenard and saffron, altogether eight — for שבלת and נרד are one, it being given this compound name only because the nard resembles a שבלת, a spike, — costus, aromatic bark and cinnamon, altogether eleven. “Borith karshina” (lye obtained from a species of vetch) which is also mentioned in Keritotot 6a in connection with the ingredients of the incense was not burnt itself as incense, but the onycha was rubbed with it in order to whiten it — that it should be (look) better (Keritot 6a).

בד בבד יהיה means, these four ingredients mentioned here shall be equal, weight for weight — as the weight of one so shall be the weight of another. Thus indeed we learn (Keritot 6a): the balm, the onycha, the galbanum and the frankincense shall each have the weight of seventy manehs. The term בד seems to me to mean “a single article” (cf. בָּדָד, לְבַד) – they shall be “one equal with one”: they shall be the one the same as the other.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ממלח TEMPERED TOGETHER — Understand this as the Targum renders it: מעורב, mixed — that they should thoroughly intermix the powder of the ingredients. I think that similar in meaning to it are the nouns in (Jona 1:5) “Then the mariners (המלחים) were afraid”; (Ezekiel 27:27) “thy mariners (מלחיך) and thy pilots”, who are so called because they turn over (stir up) the water with oars when they propel the ship — like a person who stirs up beaten eggs with a spoon in order to mix them with water. Anything that a person wishes to mix up thoroughly he stirs up with his finger or with a spoon.

ממלח טהור קדש TEMPERED TOGETHER, PURE AND HOLY — i. e. tempered together shall it (the compound) be, pure shall it be, and holy shall it be.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ונתת ממנה וגו׳ AND THOU SHALT PUT OF IT [BEFORE THE TESTIMONY IN THE APPOINTED TENT] — This refers to the incense which was burnt daily on the inner altar that was in the tent of meeting.

אשר אועד לך שמה WHERE I WILL BE MET BY THEE — All appointments for the purpose of speaking unto you which I shall make with you I shall confine to that place (cf. Rashi on Exodus 25:22).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

במתכנתה means, according to the quantity of spices used by Moses.

‘קדש תהיה לך לה IT SHALL BE UNTO THEE HOLINESS FOR THE LORD — This means that you must not make it except in honour of My Name.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

להריח בה [WHOSOEVER SHALL MAKE LIKE UNTO THAT] TO SMELL THERETO [SHALL BE CUT OFF] — but you may make some according to these quantities of your own spices for the purpose of selling it to the community (cf. Keritot 5a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

קראתי בשם I HAVE CALLED BY NAME — to accomplish My work — BEZALEL.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

חכמה WISDOM is what a person hears from others and learns (makes his own).

תבונה UNDERSTANDING is understanding a matter by one’s own intelligence deducing it from the things one has already learned.

דעת means holy inspiration.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

לחשב מחשבה lit., TO DEVISE DEVICES — this refers to the weaving of an artist’s work.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ובחרשת denotes artisanship generally, as (Isaiah 40:20) “a clever artisan (חרש חכם)”. Onkelos, however, more closely defines the term each time it occurs in this verse and varies the definition he gives of them: the first he renders by אמנות and the second by נגרות, because the lapidary is called in Aramaic אמן, whilst the worker in wood is called נגר, and he therefore uses the abstract forms of these nouns to specify the particular kind of artisanship here intended.

למלאת TO SET IN — i. e. to put it into its setting, so as to fill it in (למלאת) by making the setting according to the size of the bottom of the stones and its thickness.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ובלב כל חכם לב וגו׳ AND IN THE HEARTS OF ALL THAT ARE WISE HEARTED [I HAVE GIVEN WISDOM] — and there are still other wise-hearted men among you (beside Bezalel and Oholiab) and all these in whom I have given wisdom shall make all that I have commanded thee.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ואת הארן לעדת AND THE ARK FOR THE TESTIMONY — for the purpose of the Tablets of the testimony (not, “the ark to serve as the testimony”; the ל denotes “for” in the sense of “for the use of”, and the term עדת is an abbreviation of לחות העדות).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

הטהרה THE (PURE [CANDELABRUM] — It is called טהרה because the term זהב טהר, pure gold, is used of it (cf. Exodus 25:31) (not טהרה in contrast to טמאה).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

‎ואת בגדי השרד AND THE GARMENTS OF THE SERVICE — I think — according to the plain sense of the verse — that one cannot say that Scripture is here speaking of (referring to) the priestly garments, because to them refer the next words: “and the garments of holiness for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to minister as priests”. But these בגדי שרד are identical with the garments of blue purple wool, and red purple wool, and crimson wool which are mentioned in the chapter (Numbers IV.) giving an account of Israel’s encampments: (Numbers 4:12) “and they shall put them in a garment of blue purple”; (Numbers 4:13) “and spread a garment of red purple thereon”; (Numbers 4:8) “and they shall spread upon them a garment of crimson”. And indeed my opinion appears correct, because it is said, (Exodus 39:1) “And of the blue purple, and of the red purple, and of the crimson, they made garments of the service (בגדי שרד) to minister in the holiness”, and linen is not mentioned among them (these materials). Now if Scripture were speaking of the priestly garments it could not have omitted “linen”“, for we do not find in respect of even one of them (of the priestly garments) mention of red purple or crimson without linen.

בגדי השרד GARMENTS OF SERVICE — Some explain שרד to mean work and service (cf. שרת to serve), as the Targum renders it: לבושי שמושא, “garments for the service”. There is, however, no other example of it (of שרד) in Scriptures. I, however, think that it is an Aramaic expression, like the Targum of קלעים, hangings, which Onkelos renders by שרדין, and of מכבר, “grate”, which he renders by שרדא, both words denoting net-work, and they are called “garments of שרד, net-work”, because they were woven not in the ordinary way but with the needle (a kind of crochet-work), made with many holes; “lacies” in old French; English, net or mesh-work.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ואת קטרת הסמים לקדש AND INCENSE OF AROMATICS FOR THE SANCTUARY — i. e. for the purpose of letting it (the incense) rise in smoke in the היכל which is the “קדש” (that part of the Tabernacle or Temple in front of the קדש קדשים‎.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ואתה דבר אל בני ישראל SPEAK THOU ALSO UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — AND thou, although I have given thee charge to command them concerning the work of the Tabernacle let it not appear a light thing to thee to set the Sabbath aside on account of that work.

אך את שבתתי תשמרו BUT NEVERTHELESS MY SABBATHS SHALL YE KEEP — Even though you be anxious and alert to do the work promptly the Sabbath nevertheless you must not set aside on its account. The words אך and רק wherever they occur in Scripture have limitative force (Rosh Hashanah 17b; cf. Rashi on Rosh Hashanah 17b on אכין ורקין). Here Scripture intends by the word אך to except the Sabbath from the days on which the work of the Tabernacle may be done.

כי אות היא ביני וביניכם FOR IT IS A SIGN BETWEEN ME AND YOU — There is a mark of distinction in the relation that exists between us, viz., the fact that I have chosen you by letting you inherit for rest that day on which “I” rested.

לדעת TO KNOW — (not, “for you to know”, but) for the nations of the world to know through it, כי אני ה' מקדשכם THAT I AM THE LORD THAT DOTH SANCTIFY YOU.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

מות יומת SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH by the judges if there are witnesses testifying to the desecration and if the warning required by law had been given to the culprit immediately before he committed the offence.

ונכרתה SHALL BE CUT OFF [FROM AMONG HIS PEOPLE] by God, if no such warning had been given (Mekhilta).

מחלליה means, whosoever treats it as חול, ordinary, in so far as its sanctity is concerned.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

שבת שבתון denotes, reposeful rest and not rest of a casual character.

‘קדש לה HOLINESS TO THE LORD — The observance of its holiness shall be (it shall be kept holy) to the glory of My Name and by My command (because I have commanded it).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וינפש AND WAS REFRESHED — Take it as the Targum renders it: ונח “and He rested”. Every form of נפש is derived from the noun נֶפֶש, soul; the idea is, that one calms his soul and takes breath when one reposes after the toil of labour. — And He of Whom it is written, (Isaiah 40:28) “[… the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth] fainteth not nor is He weary”, and Whose every action is accomplished by His mere command had the term “repose” written of (ascribed to) Himself in order to make comprehensible to the human ear what it can understand.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ויתן אל משה וגו׳ AND HE GAVE UNTO MOSES etc. — There is no “earlier” or “later” (no chronological order) in the events related in the Torah: in fact the incident of the golden calf (related in ch. 32) happened a considerable time before the command regarding the work of the Tabernacle was given (ch. 25 and the following chapters). For on the seventeenth of Tammuz were the Tablets broken (when the people were worshipping the calf) and on the Day of Atonement God became reconciled with Israel (after Moses had prayed 80 days for forgivenness; so that it is very unlikely that the command for the building of the Tabernacle should have been given before that day) and on the next day, the eleventh of Tishri (cf. Rashi on Exodus 33:11, at end of comment on ושב אל המחנה), they began to bring their contributions for the Tabernacle which was set up on the first of Nisan. (From the seventeenth of Tammuz until the eleventh of Tishri are almost three months — ימים רבים) (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 31).

ככלתו WHEN HE FINISHED [SPEAKING] — The word ככלתו is written defectively (without a ו after the ל) to intimate that the Torah was handed over to Moses as a gift (note the word ויתן), complete in every respect, even as the bride (the word ככלתו is taken to be connected with “כלה”, bride) is handed over to the bridegroom completely equipped with all she requires — for in a period brief as this which Moses spent on the mountain, he must have been unable to learn in its entirety every law to be derived from it. Another explanation why the word is written defective is: just as a bride (כלה) bedecks herself with 24 ornaments — those which are mentioned in the book of Isaiah (ch. 3) — so a scholar (תלמיד חכם) ought to be thoroughly versed in the contents of the 24 books of Scripture (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 16).

לדבר אתו TO SPEAK WITH HIM the statutes and the judgments contained in the section beginning with ואלה המשפטים (ch. Exodus 21 ff.).

לדבר אתו TO SPEAK “WITH” HIM — The use of the word אתו “with him” teaches us that Moses first heard the laws from the mouth of the Almighty and that then they both again repeated each Halacha together (Exodus Rabbah 41:5).

לחת TABLETS — The word is written defectively לחת (without a ו between ח and ת), thus intimating that they were both alike in every respect (Exodus Rabbah 41:6).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

כי בשש משה [AND WHEN THE PEOPLE SAW] THAT MOSES DELAYED LONG — Understand (בשש as the Targum does, as an expression denoting “lateness”.. Similar are: (Judges 5:28) “[Why is] his chariot so long (בשש) [in coming]?”; (Judges 3:25) “And they waited until it was late (עד בוש)”. For when Moses ascended the mountain he said to them (to the Israelites): at the end of a period of forty days (i. e. on the fortieth day) I shall return during the first six hours of the day (before noon). They thought that the day on which he ascended the mountain (the seventh of Sivan) was to be included in this number (thus — Sivan having 30 days — he was expected back before noon on the sixteenth of Tammuz). In fact, however, he had said to them “after forty days” meaning complete days — forty days, each day together with its night that precedes it — (as is the customary Jewish reckoning; cf. Genesis 1:5: ויהי ערב ויהי בקר). Now, as regards the day of this ascent, its night was not part of it that it can be reckoned as a complete day, for he ascended on the seventh of Sivan early in the morning (cf. Rashi on Exodus 19:3); it follows therefore that the fortieth day really fell on the seventeenth of Tammuz and not as the people had believed on the sixteenth. On the sixteenth of Tammuz Satan came and threw the world into confusion, giving it the appearance of darkness, gloom and disorder that people should say: “Surely Moses is dead, and that is why confusion has come into the world!” He said to them, “Yes, Moses is dead, for six hours (noon) has already come (בשש = ‎בא שש) and he has not returned etc.” — as is related in Treatise Shabbat 89a (cf. Rashi and Tosafot there and Tosafot on Bava Kamma 82a ד"ה כדי). One cannot, however, say that they erred only on account of it being a cloudy day, their mistake consisting in not being able to distinguish between forenoon and afternoon, and that thus they were correct in their supposition that he was to return on the sixteenth of Tammuz; for this assumes that he really returned on the day when they made the calf, but that they were under the impression that noon was past — for, as a matter of fact, Moses did not come down until the following day (the day after they had made the calf), for it is said (v. 6) “And they rose up early in the morrow, and brought up burnt offerings”— and only after wards the Lord said to Moses (v. 7) “Go, go down; for thy people … have corrupted themselves”.

אשר ילכו לפנינו [MAKE US GODS] WHICH SHALL GO BEFORE US — They wished to have many gods (the words אלהים is to be taken as plural since the verb ילכו is plural; cf. Sanhedrin 63a).

כי זה משה האיש FOR AS FOR THIS MOSES — This Moses implies that Satan showed them something that looked like Moses being carried on a bier in the air high above in the skies (cf. Shabbat 89a).

אשר העלנו מארץ מצרים [THAT MAN] THAT BROUGHT US UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, and who used to show us the way we had to go; now that he is dead we need gods which shall go before us.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

באזני נשיכם [BREAK OFF THE GOLDEN PENDANTS], WHICH ARE IN THE EARS OF YOUR WIVES — Aaron said to himself: women and children have a love for their ornaments; perhaps the matter will be delayed because they will hesitate to give their ornaments, and in the meantime Moses may arrive. They (the men), however, did not wait until the women and children made up their minds but they took the ornaments off themselves (cf. v. 3: they took off the pendants which were in their ears; there is no reference to the pendants belonging to the women) (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 21).

פרקו is an imperative plural derived from פרק which is used for the singular, just as בָּרְכוּ is derived from בָּרֵךְ‎ (פרקו and ברכו are both masculine imperative Piel).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ויתפרקו AND [ALL THE PEOPLE] BRAKE OFF — פרק is a term denoting “unloading a burden”. Being a transitive verb one would expect ויפרקו instead of the reflexive form ויפרקו but when they took them (the pendants) off their ears they themselves became unloaded from their pendants and therefore ויתפרקו “they unloaded themselves”, is the appropriate word to use; décharger in old French, English discharge.

את נזמי is the same as מנזמי, (they unloaded themselves from their pendants), (את having the same meaning as מן), similar to (Exodus 9:29) “As soon as I am gone out את העיר”, which means מן העיר, from the city.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ויצר אתו בחרט — One can translate this in two ways. The one is: to take ויצר in the sense of “tying up” (Hiphil of צרר) and בחרט in the sense of “a garment”, similar to (Isaiah 3:22) “and the mantles and the scarfs (והחריטים)”; ‎(2 Kings 5:23) “and bound (ויצר) two talents of silver in two cloths (חריטים)”. The other way is: to take ויצר in the sense of “forming figures” (Hiphil of צור) and חרט as denoting goldsmiths’ tool with which they engrave and cut figures into gold, like a writer’s stylus that incises letters on boards and tablets, as we find it in, (Isaiah 8:1) ‘‘[Take a great roll] and write on it with a man’s pen (חרט)”. This (the second explanation) is what Onkelos means when he renders the passage by וצר יתיה בזיפא and he formed it with a “זיפא”, a term which is connected with the word זיוף “forgery”. It is a tool with which letters and modelled figures are engraved in gold — a kind of work which they term niel in old French (cf. Rashi and our Note on Exodus 25:33), and by means of which seals are forged (מזיפין)‎.

עגל מסכה A MOLTEN CALF — As soon as he (Aaron) had thrown it (the gold) into the fire in a melting pot the magicians amongst the mixed multitude who had come up with them from Egypt came and made it (the golden calf) by their magic art. There are some who say that Micah the idolator mentioned in Judges ch. 17, was there, who had been drawn forth from the foundations of a building in Egypt where he was nearly crushed. He had in his possession a “supernatural name” (שם) and a plate upon which Moses had written: “Come up, ox, come up, ox!” in order to raise the coffin of Joseph who is compared to an ox (cf. Deuteronomy 33:17) out of the Nile, and he cast it (the plate) into the melting pot and the calf (the young ox) came out (ויצא העגל הזה) (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 19).

מסכה MOLTEN is a term connected with מתכת, molten metal (ס and ת being interchanged in these words). Another explanation is: there were used in it (for making the golden calf) 125 talents of gold, corresponding to the numerical value of מסכה, which is 125 (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 19).

אלה אלהיך THESE ARE THY GODS, [O ISRAEL] — It does not state that they said “these are our gods, [O Israel]”; hence we may learn that it was the mixed multitude which came up from Egypt that gathered themselves together against Aaron, and it was they who made it and afterwards led Israel astray after it (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 19).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וירא אהרן AND WHEN AARON SAW that there was the breath of life in it — as it is said with reference to the golden calf, (Psalms 106:20) “[They changed their glory] into a similitude of an ox that ate grass” — and he realized that Satan’s work had succeeded and that he had no argument (lit., mouth) to put them (the people) entirely off.

ויבן מזבח HE BUILDED AN ALTAR to put them off.

ויקרא חג לה׳ מחר AND CALLED OUT … TO-MORROW IS A FESTIVAL TO THE LORD — to-morrow, not to-day, for he hoped that Moses might return before they would worship it (the calf). This is the plain meaning of the verse. The Midrashic explanation of it in Leviticus Rabbah 10:3 (— it supplies an object to the verb וירא —) is: Aaron saw many things; he saw Hur, his sister’s son, who had reprimanded them, and whom they had killed. This is the meaning of ויבן מזבח, viz., וַיָבֶן, he realized (taking the word as from the root בון, to understand, to realize) מִזָּבוּחַ לפניו from him who lay slaughtered before him (מזבח is vowelled to be read as מִזָּבוּחַ) what would happen to him if he offered resistance. A further explanation of וירא אהרן in the Midrash is: He saw what the situation was and said: It is better that the offence should attach itself to me than to them. And yet a further Midrashic explanation of וירא is: He looked into the matter and said: If they build this altar themselves, one will bring a clod and another a stone and the result will be that their work will be accomplished all at once; through myself building it and being dilatory in my work, in the meantime Moses may come.

חג לה׳ A FESTIVAL TO THE LORD — not to the golden calf. In his heart it (the feast) was for Heaven (the Lord). He felt confident that Moses would return by the morrow and that they would worship the Omnipresent (Leviticus Rabbah 10:3).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וישכימו AND THEY ROSE UP EARLY [IN THE MORNING] — Satan made them zealous in order that they might sin, for later on in the forenoon Moses actually came down from the mountain.

לצחק TO PLAY — There is implied in this term besides idolatry also sexual immorality, — as we find the word used in, (Genesis 39:17) “to mock (לצחק) me” where unchastity is meant as is evident from the context — and blood-shed, as it is said, (II Samuel 2:14) “Let the young men arise and play (וישחקו) before me; [and they caught every one his fellow by the head and thrust his sword in his fellows side]”— here, too, Hur was assassinated (Midrash Tanchuma 3:9:20).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וידבר AND [THE LORD] SAID — This term דבר when not followed by a word of the root אמר implies censorious speech, as (Genesis 42:7) “And he spake (וידבר) roughly (קשות) unto them”.

לך רד GO, GO DOWN from your high position; I have given you distinction only for their sake! (Berakhot 32a). At that moment Moses was excommunicated by a decree of the heavenly court (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 22).

שחת עמך THY PEOPLE HAVE CORRUPTED THEMSELVES — It does not say the people have corrupted but “thy” people — the mixed multitude whom you received of your own accord and accepted as proselytes without consulting Me. You thought it a good thing that proselytes should be attached to the Shechina — now they have corrupted themselves and have corrupted others (Exodus Rabbah 42:6).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

קשה ערף STIFF-NECKED — They turn their stiffened necks towards those who reprove them (i e. they turn their back upon them) and refuse to listen.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

הניחה לי LET ME ALONE — So far we have not heard that Moses had prayed on their behalf and yet He says “let Me alone!” which implies a refusal to his entreaty! But by saying this He opened the door to him (offered him a suggestion) intimating to him that if he prayed for them He would not destroy them (Shemot Rabbah 42:9; cf. also Berakhot 32a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

למה ה‘ יחרה אפך WHEREFORE, O LORD, DOTH THY WRATH GLOW [AGAINST THY PEOPLE] — Does anyone become jealous of another, except a wise man of a wise man or a hero of a hero?! (Avodah Zarah 55a)

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

והנחם AND REPENT — form another resolution, viz., to do them good,

על הרעה INSTEAD OF THE EVIL You have thought to bring upon them.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

זכור לאברהם (lit., remember for Abraham) — If they have transgressed the Ten Commandments, their father Abraham was tried by ten trials and has not yet received his reward for them. Give it to him now — remember for him this merit — and let the ten trials he successfully withstood countervail the infringement of the Ten Commandments (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 24; Shemot Rabbah 44:4).

לאברהם ליצחק ולישראל REMEMBER FOR ABRAHAM, FOR ISAAC, AND FOR ISRAEL — If they are to be punished with death by burning, remember for Abraham his merit that he gave himself over to be burnt for Your sake (for the sanctification of the Divine Name) in Ur (in the fire) of the Chaldees; if with death by the sword, remember for Isaac the merit that he stretched forth his neck to the knife on the occasion of the “Binding”. If by exile, remember for Jacob the merit that he went into exile to Haran (leaving the paternal roof in order to fulfil his father’s command). If, however, they cannot be saved by their ancestors merit what is the good of You saying to me, “and I will make of thee a great nation”? — if a chair with three legs (the merits of the three patriarchs) cannot stand before You in the moment of Your wrath, how much the less a chair with only one leg (the merits of myself alone) (Berakhot 32a).

אשר נשבעת להם בך TO WHOM THOU SWAREST BY THINE OWN SELF — Thou didst not swear to them by a thing which is perishable — neither by the heavens nor by the earth, nor by the mountains, nor by the hills — but by Thy very Self, Who endurest forever and Whose oath endures for ever. For it is stated that God said to Abraham, (Genesis 22:16, 17) “By Myself have I sworn saith the Lord … [I will greatly multiply thy seed]”; to Isaac it was said, (Genesis 26:3, 4) “and I will perform the oath which I sware by Myself unto Abraham thy father … [and I will multiply thy seed]”; and to Jacob it was said, (Genesis 35:11) “I am God Almighty, be fruitful and multiply”; thus to him also God swore by Himself — by God Almighty (Shemot Rabbah 44:23).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

משני עבריהם ON BOTH THEIR SIDES could the letters be read, and this constituted a miraculous piece of work (Shabbat 104a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

מעשה אלהים המה [THE TABLETS WERE] THE WORK OF GOD — This means what it literally implies: God Himself (Hebrew: in His glory) made them. Another explanation (taking מעשה in the sense of “occupation”) is: Just as a man says to his fellow, “All that Mr. So-and-so occupies himself with is only with such-and-such a work”, so is the delight of the Holy One, blessed be He, confined to the Torah alone (cf. Proverbs 8:31 the whole of which chapter is taken as a description of God’s relation to the Torah) (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 16).

חרות — The expressions חרת (which occurs only here in Scriptures) and חרט have the same meaning, both of them signifying engraving; entailler in old French

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ברעה means WHEN THEY WERE SHOUTING for they were shouting for joy and making merry.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

אין קול ענות גבורה IT IS NOT THE VOICE OF THE CRY OF MASTERY —This sound does not seem to be the sound of the utterance of victors who cry, “Victory!” nor is it the sound of the defeated who cry, “Alas — let me flee!”.

קול ענות means, the sound of blasphemy and cursing (Shemot Rabbah 41:1) which distress (עַנֵּה to vex, to grieve) the soul of him who hears them — even when they are only related to him.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וישלך מידו AND HE CAST [THE TABLETS] OUT OF HIS HAND — He said: “What is the law regarding the Paschal lamb which is only one of the commandments? The Torah states: (Exodus 12:43) “No stranger shall eat thereof”! (cf. Rashi on that verse: a stranger means one who has enstranged himself by his doings from his Father in heaven — an apostate). “But the whole Torah is here (written on the tablets) and all the Israelites are apostates, can I possibly give it (the Torah) to them?!” (Shabbat 87a).

תחת ההר BENEATH THE MOUNTAIN — i. e. at the foot of the mountain.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ויזר AND STREWED IT — The verb זרה denotes scattering about, similar to, (Job 18:15) “Brimstone shall be scattered (יזרה) upon his habitation”; (Proverbs 1:17) “Surely in vain the net is strewn (מזורה) [in the sight of any bird]” where this expression is used because people usually bestrew it (the net) with grain and pulse.

וישק את בני ישראל AND HE GAVE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TO DRINK OF IT — He intended to put them to the test as faithless wives were tried (cf. Numbers 5:12—31) (Avodah Zarah 44a). Three different death-penalties were inflicted there: It there were witnesses to the act of idolatry and a legal warning had preceded the deed the offender was put to death by the sword (cf. vv. 27, 28) as was the regulation regarding the inhabitants of an apostate city (Deuteronomy 13:13—18) when there were many (as was the case here; a single idolator, however, was subject to the death by stoning; cf. Deuteronomy 17:2—5). If there were witnesses but there had been no caution, they were destroyed by the plague, as it is said, (v. 35) “And the Lord plagued the people”. In cases where there were neither witnesses nor warning they were punished by dropsy — for the water which Moses gave them to drink put them to the test and if they were guilty their bellies swelled (cf. Yoma 66b).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

מה עשה לך העם הזה WHAT DID THIS PEOPLE UNTO THEE How many pains must you have endured — it must be that they inflicted suffering on you, before you brought this sin upon them!

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

כי ברע הוא [THOU KNOWEST THE PEOPLE] THAT THEY ARE SET ON EVIL — They always go on the wrong way and with temptations, before the Omnipresent.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ואמר להם AND I SAID UNTO THEM one single thing, — simply, “Who has any gold?” — but they hastened and broke it off from themselves and gave it to me.

ואשלכהו באש AND I CAST IT INTO THE FIRE, and I did not know that this (i. e. this living) calf would come out, ויצא — BUT IT DID COME OUT.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

פרע means UNCOVERED — its (the people’s) shame and disgrace were revealed; the word has the same meaning as in (Numbers 5:18) “[and the priest shall uncover (ופרע) the woman’s head”.

לשמצה בקמיהם means, that this thing would become an ignominy for them in the mouth of all who will rise against them.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

מי לה' אלי means, WHOEVER IS FOR THE LORD let him come TO ME.

כל בני לוי ALL THE SONS OF LEVI — All the sons — from this we may gather that all the tribe of Levi remained worthy men (consequently “slay every man his brother” in the next verse can refer only to one who was his brother from the same mother, as explained by Rashi there) (Yoma 66b).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

כה אמר הי וגו׳ THUS SAITH THE LORD etc. — Where did he say so? In the command, (Exodus 22:19) “He that sacrificeth unto any god shall utterly be destroyed”. Thus is it stated in the Mechilta.

אחיו HIS BROTHER from the same mother, but from a different father, and who was therefore an ordinary Israelite and not a Levite (Yoma 66b).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

מלאו ידכם CONSECRATE YOURSELVES — You who are killing them (your own relatives) will by this very act install yourselves as priests of the Omnipresent God,

כי איש FOR EVERY MAN among you will consecrate himself בבנו ובאחיו BY HIS SON AND HIS BROTHER (by their death at his hand).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

אכפרה בעד חטאתכם [PERADVENTURE] I SHALL MAKE AN EXPIATION FOR YOUR SIN — i. e. I shall put an effacing and a wiping off and a covering in front of your sin, to serve as a barrier between you and your sin.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

אלהי זהב GODS OF GOLD — Moses emphasized the word “gold” as some excuse for their sin: It is You who have caused them to do this, for You gave them gold in abundance and everything they wished; what else were they likely to do if not to sin? A parable: this may be compared to a king who provides his son with food and drink, attires him with beautiful garments and hangs a money-bag round his neck and then deliberately places him at the door of a house of ill-fame! What else is the son likely to do if not to sin!? (Berakhot 32a)

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ועתה אם תשא חטאתם YET NOW, IF THOU WILT FORGIVE THEIR SIN — well and good: then I do not suggest to You, “Blot me out [of Thy book], ואם אין מחני BUT IF NOT, BLOT ME OUT.” This is an elliptical sentence, the words “Well and good” being omitted; of such there are many in Scripture.

מספרך OF THY BOOK — of the entire book of the Torah; that people should not say about me that I was not worthy enough to pray effectively for them.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

אל אשר דברתי לך OF WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN UNTO THEE — Here we have an instance of לך connected with the verb דבר being used in place of אליך (i. e. where לך actually means speaking to, not as its usual meaning it, speaking “concerning” someone or “in the interest of” someone as often pointed out by Rashi; cf. e. g., Rashi’s comment on Genesis 28:15). Similar is, (1 Kings 2:19) “to speak unto him (לדבר לו) for Adonijah” (cf. Rashi on that verse).

הנה מלאכי BEHOLD, MINE ANGEL [SHALL GO BEFORE THEE] — My messenger, not Myself.

וביום פקדי וגו׳ AND IN THE DAY WHEN I VISIT [I WILL VISIT THEIR SIN UPON THEM] — At present I listen to you and will refrain from consuming them all at once — but ever and ever throughout the ages, when I am visiting them for their sins I shall visit them at the same time for a little of this sin in addition to their other sins for which I am then punishing them. Indeed no punishment ever comes upon Israel in which there is not part payment for the sin of the golden calf (cf. Sanhedrin 102a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ויגף ה' את העם AND THE LORD PLAGUED THE PEOPLE — This was death inflicted by the heavenly Judge on those to whose offence there had been witnesses but no legal caution (cf. Rashi on v. 20).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

לך עלה מזה GO, GO UP HENCE — The land of Israel is situated higher than all the other neighbouring lands, therefore it said “go up” (Zevachim 54b). Another explanation is: As a compensation for what He had said to him (Moses) in a time of anger, (Exodus 32:7) “Go, go down”, He now said to him, at a time of good-will, “Go, go up”.

אתה והעם THOU AND THE PEOPLE [WHICH THOU HAST BROUGHT UP] — Here — (in contrast to Exodus 32:7) it does not say “and thy people” (the mixed multitude which thou, of thine own accord, hast brought up from Egypt) (Midrash Tanchuma 3:9:26).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וגרשתי את הכנעני וגו׳ AND I WILL DRIVE OUT THE CANAANITE etc. — These are only six nations whilst in Deuteronomy 7:1 seven such are mentioned! But the Girgashites, the seventh, arose and emigrated of their own accord from before them (the Israelites) and therefore are not mentioned here amongst those who were driven out (Jerusalem Talmud Shevi'it 6:2; Leviticus Rabbah 17:6).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ארץ זבת חלב ודבש UNTO A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY do I bid you to bring them up.

כי לא אעלה בקרבך BECAUSE I WILL NOT GO UP AMONG THEE, therefore I say to thee, I will send an angel before thee.

כי עם קשה ערף אתה FOR THOU ART A STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE, and if My Shechina were in thy midst and thou rebelledst against Me, I might become exceedingly angry with thee and destroy thee on the way.

אכלך is an expression for ‘‘destroying”.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

הדבר הרע THIS EVIL THING — that the Shechina would not dwell nor go with them.

איש עדיו [AND NO MAN PUT ON HIM] HIS ORNAMENT — the crowns which were given them on Horeb when they said: (Exodus 24:7) “we shall do and hearken” (Shabbat 88a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

רגע אחד אעלה בקרבך וכליתיך WERE I TO GO UP AMONG THEE ONE MOMENT, I SHOULD CONSUME THEE — If I were to go up amongst you and you rebelled against Me in your stiff-neckedness I would be angry with you but one moment — for this is the duration of His wrath (Berakhot 7a), as it is said, (Isaiah 26:20) “Hide thyself for a short moment, until the indignation be passed” — and I would consume you; therefore it is better for you that I should send an angel.

ועתה AND NOW — This punishment shall be inflicted upon you now, at once, viz., that you should put off your ornaments from you.

ואדעה מה אעשה לך AND I KNOW WHAT I SHALL DO UNTO THEE — In respect to the visitation for the remainder of the sin which still remains unpunished (cf. Rashi on Exodus 32:34) I know what is in My mind to do unto you.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

את עדים מהר חורב means THEIR ORNAMENT which they possessed from (מִ, from — in consequence of what happened at) MOUNT HOREB.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ומשה AND MOSES, from the time of the sin and henceforth,

יקח את האהל USED TO TAKE THE TENT — יקח expresses an action continually going on — he used to take his tent and pitch it without the camp. He said, “One who has been placed under an interdict by the Master must be placed under an interdict by His disciple also” (Since God had stated that He would not dwell amongst the people, Moses, the disciple, also felt compelled to remove from their midst) (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 27).

הרחק DISTANT [FROM THE CAMP] — two thousand cubits, just as it is stated, (Joshua 3:4) Yet there shall be a space between you (the Israelites) and it (the Ark) about 2,000 cubits by measure” (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 27).

וקרא לו AND HE CALLED IT — This does not mean that he so named it once for all but that whenever he spoke of it he used to call it the tent of meeting, i. e. a meeting-place for those who sought instruction in the Torah.

כל מבקש ה׳ EVERY ONE WHO SOUGHT THE LORD — Hence (from the fact that anyone who visited Moses is described here as “one who seeks the Lord”) we may learn that he who makes a call on (Hebrew: seeks) a scholar (זקן is a Rabbinical term for a wise man; cf. Kiddushin 32b: אין זקן אלא חכם) may be regarded as paying his respects to the Divine Presence (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 27).

יצא אל אהל מועד WENT OUT UNTO THE APPOINTED TENT — יֵצֵא (the imperfect) has here the meaning of יוֹצֵא (the participle: cf. Rashi on יקח וכו׳), i. e. he used to go out. Another explanation of והיה כל מבקש ה׳ is: The word כל, “every one”, implies: even the ministering angels used to go out unto the appointed tent; whenever these enquired where was the place of the Divine Glory their fellow-angels used to answer them: See, He (God) is in the tent of Moses.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

והיה — This expresses an action continually going on (“and it used to be”),

כצאת משה WHEN MOSES WENT OUT from the camp in order to go אל האהל INTO THE TENT, יקומו כל העם ALL THE PEOPLE ROSE UP — they used to stand up before him and did not sit down until he vanished from their sight (Hebrew: was hidden from them).

והביטו אחרי משה AND THEY LOOKED AFTER MOSES — Not sneeringly but out of admiration; they exclaimed: Happy is the human being (Hebrew: one born of woman) who is so sure that the Shechina will enter the door of his tent after him (cf. Kiddushin 33b; Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 27, Exodus Rabbah 51:6).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ודבר עם משה — This means the same as ומדבר עם משה AND HE USED TO SPEAK WITH MOSES (The verb ודבר expresses the idea of an action always going on as Rashi has explained the preceding verbs). The Targum renders it by ומתמלל עם משה (Hithpeal) i. e. He used to speak to Himself with (in the presence of) Moses — which is an expression of respect used with reference to the Shechinah. A similar Hebrew expression is, (Numbers 7:89) “Then he heard the voice מִדַּבֵּר to him” (= מתדבר, with assimilated ת), and it does not read there, מְדַבֵּר, “speaking to him”. Where the reading is מִדַּבֵּר its interpretation is: The voice was speaking by itself (i. e. it was not directed to any particular person) and the ordinary man naturally heard it (because he was there); but where the reading is מְדַבֵּר, it implies that the King was conversing with the ordinary man.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

והשתחוו AND THEY PROSTRATED THEMSELVES to the Shechinah.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ודבר ה׳ אל משה פנים אל פנים AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES FACE TO FACE — Here too (as in v. 9) in spite of the fact that the text states “face to face” the Targum is: ומתמלל עם משה‎.

ושב אל המחנה .( AND HE RETURNED INTO THE CAMP — After God had conversed with him, Moses used to return to the camp and teach the elders what he had learned. This Moses practised from the day of Atonement until the Tabernacle was set up, but no longer. For on the seventeenth of Tammuz the tablets were broken, on the eighteenth he burnt the calf and punished the of fenders, on the nineteenth he ascended the mountain, as it is said (Exodus 32:30) “And it came to pass on the morrow (the day after he had punished the wrongdoers; cf. vv. 26—29), that Moses said unto the people”, [Ye have sinned a great sin and now I will go up to the Lord]”. There he spent forty days and sought mercy for the people, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 9:18) “And I threw myself down before the Lord [as at the first, forty days and forty nights]”. These terminated on the last day of Ab (there were 11 days from the 19th to the 29th of Tammuz therefore 29 days in Ab complete the forty) and he then returned to the people. On the first day of the New Moon of Ellul it was said to him, (Exodus 34:2) “And be ready in the morning] and go up in the morning unto mount Sinai” — to receive the second tablets. He again spent there the forty days of which it is stated, (Deuteronomy 10:10) “[And I stayed in the mountain, according to the first, days, [forty days and forty nights]”. The words כימים הראשונים, “like the first days”, cannot refer to the number of days for this is stated immediately afterwards; they are to be joined with עמדתי — I stayed in the same state as on the first days: How were the first forty days passed? In God’s good-will (because the Israelites had not yet sinned)! So, too, the last forty days were passed in God’s good-will — from which you must admit that the intervening forty days were passed in God’s anger. On the tenth of Tishri God became reconciled with Israel in joy and perfect affection and said to Moses: “I have forgiven!” and handed him over the second tablets, whereupon Moses went down and began to command them concerning the work of the Tabernacle (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 31; Seder Olam 6; Rashi on Exodus 18:13, Deuteronomy 9:18 and also Taanit 36b). They were occupied in its construction until the first of Nisan and from the time when it was set up God did not converse with him any more except from the tent of meeting.

ושב אל המחנה AND HE RETURNED TO THE CAMP — The translation in the Targum is: וְתָיִב למשריתא (a participle) “and he used to return to the camp”, because (as explained above) it denotes continuous action. Similarly, he translates all the verbs occuring in this section by participles: וראה כל העם he renders by ונצבו ;וחזן by והביטו ;וקימין by והשתחוו ;ומסתכלין by וסגדין. The Midrash explains ודבר ה' אל משה thus: And the Lord spake to Moses that he should return to the camp. He said to him: I am angry and you are angry; if this is to remain so, who will attract them to Me again? (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 27 and Berakhot 63b).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ראה אתה אמר אלי SEE. THOU SAYEST UNTO ME — Set Thy eyes and Thy heart to Thy own words (Think for a moment of what Thou, Thyself, hast told me)

אתה אמר אלי וגו׳ ואתה לא הודעתני וגו׳ THOU SAYEST UNTO ME [BRING UP THIS PEOPLE] AND NEVERTHELESS THOU HAST NOT LET ME KNOW [WHOM THOU WILT SEND WITH ME] — for what You have said to me (Exodus 23:20) “And I will send an angel before thee” is not “letting me know”, for I am not satisfied with it.

ואתה אמרת ידעתיך בשם YET THOU HAST SAID, I HAVE KNOWN THEE BY NAME — I have distinguished you from all other human beings by a characteristic (שם) which shows my importance in Thy eyes, for, see, Thou hast said to me, (Exodus 19:9) “Behold, I come unto thee in a thick cloud etc.… and also in thee they shall believe for ever”.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ועתה וגו׳ NOW THEREFORE etc. — If it is true that I have found favour in Thy eyes, הודיעני נא את דרכך LET ME KNOW THY WAY — let me know what is the reward which Thou givest to those who find favour in Thine eyes.

ואדעך למען אמצא חן בעיניך means, that I may know by this (by Your letting me know Your way) the nature of the reward You bestow — what is this “finding of grace” which You have granted to me (Hebrew: which I found in Your eyes). The explanation of למען אמצא חן accordingly is: that I may find out (אמצא) how great is the reward attendant on this “finding of grace”.

וראה כי עמך הגוי הזה AND CONSIDER THAT THIS NATION IS THY PEOPLE so that You should not say, as You have said, (Exodus 32:10) “And I will make thee a great nation”, whilst these (the whole people) You will abandon! Consider that they are Your nation from of old, and if You reject them, surely I cannot rely upon it that those who are born of me will endure — rather let me know through this people the reward that is to be paid me (by sparing them). Our Rabbis have given a Midrashic explanation of this in Treatise Berakhot 7a but I come (my purpose is) to explain the verses in a manner fitting to them and in their context.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ויאמר פני ילכו AND HE SAID, MY FACE SHALL GO WITH THEE Understand this as the Targum renders it: My Shechinah will go — I will no more send an angel with you, but I Myself will go. פנים here has the sense of “Self” as in (II Samuel 17:11) “and that thou go in the battle in thine own person (פניך)”.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

‎ויאמר אליו AND HE SAID UNTO HIM — This is what I desired: for if it is to be by an angel rather do not bring us up from here.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ובמה יודע אפוא FOR WHEREIN SHALL IT BE KNOWN HERE [THAT I AND THY PEOPLE HAVE FOUND FAVOUR IN THY EYES] — i. e. wherein shall the “finding of favour” be known, הלא בלכתך עמנו IF NOT BY YOUR GOING WITH US!? And yet another thing do I ask You: that You should not let Your Shechinah rest upon the other peoples of the world (Berakhot 7a).

ונפלינו אני ועמך SO SHALL WE BE DISTINGUISHED, I AND THY PEOPLE — through this very thing we shall become different from all the peoples. נפלינו is of the same root and meaning as in (Exodus 9:4) “And the Lord shall make a separation (והפלה) between the cattle of Israel etc.”

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

גם את הדבר הזה THIS THING ALSO — that My Shechinah shall not rest henceforth upon the other nations of the world, אעשה I WILL DO. And thus He did, for the prophetical words of Balaam (the heathen prophet) were not uttered by reason of the Shechinah resting upon him, but, as Scripture describes it, (Numbers 24:4) “[he saw the vision of the Almighty] fallen, but with eyes uncovered” (i. e. whilst fallen into a sleep his mental eyes were open and he saw in a dream what the Almighty was to reveal unto him) in a state of mind similar to that described by Job (Job 4:12) “a word was by stealth conveyed (יגנב) to me” — they (the heathen prophets) used to hear God’s message through a medium.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ויאמר הראני נא את כבדך AND HE SAID I BESEECH THEE, SHOW ME THY GLORY — Moses saw that the hour was propitious and that his petitions were being favourably received, he therefore made a further request — that God should let him behold a reflection of His Glory.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ויאמר אגי אעביר וגו׳ AND HE SAID, I WILL MAKE ALL MY GOODNESS PASS [BEFORE YOU] — The time has arrived when you shall see of My Glory so much as I will allow you to see according as I wish, and therefore I find it necessary to teach you a set form of prayer. Just now when you felt the need to pray for mercy on Israel’s behalf you besought Me to remember the merits of the patriarchs and you thought that if the merits of the patriarchs are exhausted there is no more hope — I will therefore cause all the attribute of My goodness to pass before you on the rock whilst you are placed in the cave.

וקראתי בשם ה׳ לפניך AND I WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD BEFORE THEE, to teach you the formula when praying for mercy even though the merits of the patriarchs should be exhausted. And according to the manner in which you see Me doing this, cloaked — as it were — in the Talith and proclaiming the thirteen attributes of mercy, do you teach Israel to do. And because that they will make mention before Me of the attributes: “Merciful”, “Gracious!” thereby proclaiming that My mercies do not fail (even though the merits of the patriarchs are exhausted) (Rosh Hashanah 17b).

וחנתי את אשר אחון I WILL BE GRACIOUS TO WHOM I WILL BE GRACIOUS i. e. in times when I shall be disposed to be gracious,

ורחמתי AND I WILL SHEW MERCY — those times that I shall desire to show mercy (Midrash Tanchuma 3:9:27). For the time being He only gave him (Moses) the promise: At times I will answer your prayer, at times I will not answer it. But at the time this was carried out (i. e. when He proclaimed the Attributes) He said to him (Exodus 34:10) “Behold, I make a covenant…” (I make this irrevocable) — thus assuring him that they (the 13 Attributes of Mercy when invoked in time of need) will never prove ineffective (Rosh Hashanah 17b).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ויאמר לא תוכל וגו׳ AND HE SAID, THOU CANST NOT [SEE MY FACE] — and even when I make all My goodness pass before you I shall not allow you to see My face.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

הנה מקום אתי BEHOLD, THERE IS A PLACE BY ME — On the mountain where I am continually speaking with you there is a place prepared by Me for your sake where I will hide you that you may not be hurt by the vision. From there you will see what you will be permitted to see. A Midrashic explanation is that by the word מקום Scripture is speaking of the place where the Shechinah is and that He therefore said, “The place is by Me” and He did not say, “I am in the place”, because the Holy One, blessed be He, is the “place” of the Universe (comprises the Universe) but His Universe is not His place (does not encompass Him) (Genesis Rabbah 68:9).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

בעבר כבדי WHEN MY GLORY PASSETH BY – i. e. when I shall pass before you.

בנקרת הצור IN A CLEFT OF THE CRAG — נקרה is similar in meaning to the verbs in (Numbers 16:14) “Wilt thou bore out (תנקר) the eyes of these men?”; (Proverbs 30:17) “The ravens of the valley shall pick it out (יקרהו)‎”; (2 Kings 19:24) “I have digged a well (קרתי) and drunk strange waters”. All these have the same derivation. נקרת הצור thus means a place dug out of the rock.

ושכתי כפי AND I WILL SHELTER [THEE] WITH MY HAND — Hence it is evident that permission has been given to the destructive agencies to wound. The Targum renders ושכתי כפי by ואגין במימרי “I will protect thee with My word” This is merely a circumlocution in a manner more respectful to the Most High God and the Targum did not translate it literally because He (God) does not need to cover a person with the hand actually in order to protect him.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

והסרתי את כפי AND I WILL REMOVE MY HAND — The Targum renders this by ואעדי ית דברת יקרי “I will remove the guidance of My Glory”; it means: when I shall remove the guidance of My Glory from before thine eyes — to go right away from that place,

וראית את אחרי THEN THOU SHALT SEE WHAT IS BEHIND ME — He showed him the Tephillin-knot which is placed behind the head (cf. Berakhot 7a; Menachot 35b).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

פסל לך HEW THEE — He showed him a quarry of sapphire in his tent and said to him: The chips (פסל = פסלת) shall be thine (לך). It was from this that Moses became so rich (cf. Midrash Tanchuma 3:9:29; Leviticus Rabbah 32:2).

Another explanation of פסל לך is: פסל לך HEW THYSELF — thou hast broken the first tablets, do thou therefore hew others. A parable: this may be compared to a king who travelled to a remote country (more lit., to a province over-sea) leaving his betrothed at home with her handmaids. Through the immoral conduct of her handmaids she also gained a bad reputation (more lit., there went forth against her an evil name). Her bridesman arose and tore up the marriage-contract saying: If the king proposes to kill her I shall say to him, “She is not yet thy wife” (the marriage contract which might have served as evidence being destroyed. The king made enquiry, found that the immorality had been only on the hand maids’ side and became reconciled with her. Her bridesman then said to the king, “Write another marriage contract for her because the first has been torn up”. Whereupon the king replied: You tore it up; do you therefore purchase for her new paper and I will write it for her in My handwriting. So, here, too: the King is the Holy One blessed be He, the handmaids are the mixed multitude, the bride’s friend is Moses, and the betrothed of the Holy One, blessed be He, is Israel — therefore it is said פסל לך, “Hew thyself the new tablets” (Midrash Tanchuma 3:9:30).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

נכון means PREPARED.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ואיש לא יעלה עמך AND NO MAN SHALL GO UP WITH THEE — Because the first tablets were given amidst great noises and alarms and a vast assembly the “evil eye” had power over them (they did not endure) — there is no finer quality than to be unostentatious! (Midrash Tanchuma 3:9:31).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ויקרא בשם ה׳ AND HE CALLED BY NAME, O LORD — We render this in the Targum by, 'ויקרא בשמא דה and he (Moses) called on the name of the Lord.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ה׳ ה׳ THE LORD, THE LORD — This is the attribute of Divine mercy. The one (the first ה׳) alludes to God having mercy on the sinner before he sins and the other after he has sinned and repented (Rosh Hashanah 17b).

אל GOD — This is also an attribute of Divine mercy (it is not, as אלהים, an attribute of stern justice). Thus also does Scripture say, (Psalms 22:2) “My God, my God (אלי ,אלי) why hast Thou forsaken me?” — for surely one would not say to the attribute of stern Justice “why hast Thou forsaken me?”! Thus have I found in the Mechilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 15:2:2.

ארך אפים SLOW TO ANGER — He defers (מאריך) His anger and does not hasten to punish — it may be that the sinner will repent.

ורב חסד AND ABUNDANT IN MERCY — to those who need mercy because they have not sufficient merits to be saved by them.

ואמת AND TRUTH — faithfully rewarding those who perform His will.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

נצר חסד means God keeps (stores up) the mercy which a person does in His presence,

לאלפים TO THOUSANDS — to two thousand generations (the plural, “generations”, and “two” is the least that this can imply; cf. Rashi on Exodus 20:6).

עונות — These are sins committed presumptuously (with premeditation). פשעים — These are sins committed rebelliously.

ונקה לא ינקה AND WHO WILL BY NO MEANS CLEAR THE GUILTY — According to its plain sense this means that He is not altogether indulgent to sin (He does not entirely remit the punishment), but little by little exacts punishment from, him (the sinner). Our Rabbis, however, have explained: ונקה, And he clears — He clears those who repent, לא ינקה, He does not clear — but does not clear those who will not repent (Yoma 86a).

פקד עון אבות על בנים VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN — when they retain in their hands (follow the example of) the evil doings of their ancestors. This must be the meaning because in another verse of a similar character it has already been stated: of them that hate Me (cf. Exodus 20:5: Visiting the iniquity of fathers upon the children, upon the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me (Berakhot 7a; Sanhedrin 27b).

ועל רבעים means AND UPON THE FOURTH GENERATION — It follows, therefore, that the measure of good (reward) is greater than the measure of punishment in the proportion of one to five hundred, for in respect to the measure of good it says: “Keeping mercy for thousands” (two thousands at least) (cf. Rashi above: Tosefta Sotah 4:1; see also Rashi on Exodus 20:5).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וימהר משה, AND MOSES MADE HASTE — When Moses saw that the Shechinah passed by and heard the sound of the proclamation he immediately prostrated himself.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ילך נא אדני בקרבנו LET MY LORD, I PRAY THEE, GO AMONG US as Thou hast promised (cf. Exodus 33:14), since Thou forgivest iniquity. And even if it be a stiff-necked people and they have rebelled against Thee and Thou didst on that account say, (Exodus 30:3) “lest I consume thee in the way” — yet pardon Thou our iniquity etc. — כי is sometimes used in place of (in the sense of) אם, “if”.

ונחלתנו. AND TAKE US FOR THINE INHERITANCE — make us a special inheritance unto Thyself. This is the same request as that contained in (Exodus 33:16) “that we should be different, I and thy people [from all other peoples]” — which means that You should not let Your Shechinah rest upon the other peoples of the world (cf. Rashi on this verse).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

כרת ברית [BEHOLD, I] MAKE A COVENANT about this.

אעשה נפלאת — The word נפלאת is an expression of the same meaning as ונפלינו (Exodus 33:16; so that the phrase means: I will make a difference) meaning that you shall be different in this respect from all other peoples — in that My Shechinah will not rest upon them.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

את האמרי וגו׳ THE AMORITE etc. — There are only six nations mentioned here, because the seventh, the Girgashites, arose and emigrated of their own accord (Leviticus Rabbah 17:6; cf. Rashi on Exodus 33:2).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

אשריו — An אשרה was a tree which they worshipped.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

קנא שמו WHOSE NAME IS קנא — Who is zealous (מקנא) to exact punishment from the sinners and is not indulgent towards idolatry. This (the above) is always the meaning of the root קנא wherever it is used in connection with God. Consequently קנא שמו His name (His characteristic) is קַנָּא that of a zealot, implies: He maintains (insists upon) his superiority over other gods, and punishes His enemies (those who worship idols).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ואכלת מזבחו AND THOU EAT OF HIS SACRIFICE — You might perhaps think that there is no punishable offence in eating of it, this is not so, but I will account it unto you as though you consent to his idolatrous worship because through this (through partaking of his meals) you will be induced to take your daughters unto your sons (cf. Avodah Zarah 8a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

חדש האביב THE MONTH OF ABIB — the month of early ripening — the month when the grain is in its first stage of ripening.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

כל פטר רחם לי EVERY FIRST OFFSPRING OF THE WOMB IS MINE amongst human beings,

וכל מקנך וגו׳ AND also ALL THY CATTLE WHICH IT (the mother animal) BRINGS FORTH AS MALE BY AN OX OR AN ASS OPENING its womb: it means, that a male animal opens her womb.

פטר is an expression denoting “opening”; similar is (Proverbs 17:14) “As if one openeth (letteth run) (פוטר) water so is the beginning of strife”. The ת of תזכר expresses the feminine gender and refers to the animal in labour (i. e. the prefix is 3rd fem. sing., not 2nd masc. sing.: the subject to תזכר must be supplied “the mother animal”).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ופטר חמור AND THE FIRST OFFSPRING OF AN ASS [THOU SHALT REDEEM] — but not that of any other unclean animal (Bekhorot 5b).

תפדה בשה THOU SHALT REDEEM WITH A LAMB — one gives a lamb to the priest and it remains in his possession with the character of a non-holy object (חולין — an ordinary animal). The firstborn ass is then permitted to the owner to be used for work (Bekhorot 9b).

וערפתו THEN THOU SHALT BREAK ITS NECK — one breaks its neck with a hatchet and so slays it (Bekhorot 10b). The reason is: he (the owner of the ass) has caused loss to the possessions of the priest (by not giving him the lamb) therefore must he suffer loss in his possessions (Mekhilta).

כל בכור בניך תפדה ALL THE FIRSTBORN OF THY SONS THOU SHALT REDEEM — Five Sela’im are the ransom fixed for him, as it is said (Numbers 18:16) “And those that are to be redeemed, from a month old shalt thou redeem [according to thy valuation, for the money of five shekels]”. (For the whole of this verse cf. Rashi on 13:13).

ולא יראו פני ריקם AND NONE SHALL APEAR BEFORE ME EMPTY — According to the plain sense of the verse this is an independent statement and does not refer to the firstborn just mentioned — because in connection with the command concerning the firstborn there is no duty of appearing before the Lord; but it is another (a separate) prohibition merely connected by a conjunctive ו with the former statement and means: when you go up to the festival gathering to Jerusalem to appear before the Lord, none shall appear before Me empty; it is your duty to bring the burnt offering prescribed for the appearance before My face (Chagigah 7a). According to the Halachic explanation of the Boraitha this portion of the verse is redundant (since the same commandment already appears Exodus 23:15) and is consequently “free” (מופנה) to be used for a גז"ש (an analogy based on verbal similarity in two texts, viz., the word ריקם here and in the text Deuteronomy 15:13 לא תשלחנו ריקם “thou shalt not let him go away ריקם”) — it is repeated here after the law about the first born to teach you that the outfit given to a Hebrew slave when he leaves your service should consist of five Sela’im-worth of each of the things (mentioned Deuteronomy 15:14: thy sheep, thy threshing floor, and vinepress) just as the ransom of the firstborn is five Sela’im. Thus are we taught in Treatise Kiddushin 17a.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

בחריש ובקציר IN PLOUGHING TIME AND IN HARVEST [THOU SHALT LEAVE OFF] — Why are ploughing and harvesting specially mentioned (since all work is forbidden on Sabbath)? There are some of our Rabbis who say that this refers to ploughing in the year preceding the Sabbatical year which ploughing passeth into (produces its first fruits in) the seventh year and to harvesting grain that has reached one-third of its maturity during the Sabbatical year which harvesting actually goeth forth into (takes place in) the eighth year, that following the Sabbatical year; and that this statement is intended to teach you that one must add part of the secular time to the holy time (i. e. that one must apply to a certain period before the beginning and after the termination of the Sabbatical year the laws applicable to that year in order to prevent its desecration). Thus, the following is what it (this verse) means: “Six days thou mayest work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest”; but even with regard to the six days’ work which I have permitted you there are years when ploughing and harvesting are forbidden. This must be the meaning, referring to ploughing in the sixth year and harvesting in the seventh, and it cannot refer to the seventh year itself for it is unnecessary to make any mention of ploughing and harvesting in the seventh year being forbidden, for it is already said (Leviticus 25:4) “[But in the seventh year …] thou shalt neither sow thy field [nor prune thine vineyard]”! Others, however, hold that Scripture in this part of the text, is only speaking of the ordinary Sabbath day, as in the first part, and ploughing and harvesting which are specially mentioned in it as being forbidden on the Sabbath are mentioned to suggest to you the following: What is the characteristic of ploughing? It is an optional act (no such work being commanded anywhere in the Law)! So, too, is harvesting forbidden on Sabbath only when it constitutes an optional act! There is, therefore, excluded the harvesting of the barley for the “Omer” (cf. Leviticus 23:10: ye shall reap the harvest thereof) which is obligatory and which therefore supersedes the Sabbath (occasions a suspension of the Sabbath laws) (Rosh Hashanah 9a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

בכורי קציר חטים [THE FESTIVAL] OF THE FIRST OF THE WHEAT HARVEST — It is so called because on it you offer the two loaves of wheat (Leviticus 23:17).

בכורי OF THE FIRST [OF THE WHEAT HARVEST] — It is so called because it (the offering of the two loaves) is the first meal offering which is brought in the Temple of the new wheat crop; for the meal offering of the Omer which had already been brought on Passover was of barley (Menachot 84a).

וחג האסיף AND THE FESTIVAL OF INGATHERING — the festival that falls at the time of the year when you gather in thy produce from the field into the barns. The word אסף here means bringing in (and not, collecting), as (Deuteronomy 22:2) “thou shalt gather it (ואספתו) into thine house” (cf. Rashi on Exodus 23:16 and on Genesis 49:29).

תקופת השנה lit., [THE FESTIVAL …] THE YEARS CIRCUIT — i. e. the festival at the coming round of the year — at the beginning of the coming (the new) year.

תקופת is a term denoting going round.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

כל זכורך means all the males among you (cf. Rashi on Exodus 23:17 and the note thereon). — Many precepts of the Torah are stated and then repeated, aye, some of them three times and even four (this section, for instance, is, with a few alterations, identical with the contents of chapter Exodus 23:12—19) in order to declare him who infringes them guilty and to punish him for each of the number of prohibitions which are connected with them and for each of the number of positive commands which are connected with them.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

אוריש means as the Targum has it אתריך, I will drive out. Similar is (Deuteronomy 2:31) “Begin to drive out (רש)”; and similar is, (Numbers 21:32) “and drove out (ויורש) the Amorites” — all having the sense of expelling.

והרחבתי את גבלך [I WILL DRIVE OUT THE NATIONS BEFORE THEE] AND ENLARGE THY BOUNDARIES — and consequently you may be far from the Chosen House (the Temple) and you will then not be able to appear before Me continually; therefore I appoint for you these three seasons.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

לא תשחט וגו׳ THOU SHALT NOT OFFER [THE BLOOD OF MY SACRIFICE TOGETHER WITH LEAVEN] — i. e. thou shalt not kill the Passover lamb whilst leaven is still existent in your possession. This is an admonition addressed to him who slaughters the Passover lamb, as well as to him who sprinkles its blood or to one of the members of the party formed to eat that lamb in company (Pesachim 63a).

ולא ילין NEITHER SHALL [THE SACRIFICE OF THE FESTIVAL OF PASSOVER] REMAIN OVER NIGHT — Understand this as the Targum renders it: ולא יביתון ... בר ממדבחא … ‎“There shall not remain overnight away from the altar till the morning the fat of the sacrifice” — this law of leaving the fat away from the altar overnight does not serve to invaliditate the sacrifice if it has been placed on the top of the altar some time during the night, even if it be not entirely burnt by morning, nor is the law about leaving the fat overnight infringed except if it has not been placed on the altar by the dawn of the morning (but any time during the night one may lift it up from the pavement on to the altar (Zevachim 87a; cf. Rashi on Exodus 23:18).

זבח חג הפסח means the pieces of its fat (which had to be burnt on the altar). From here you may derive the law concerning all cases of burning the pieces of fat and the limbs of sacrifices (i. e. you may derive the general rule regarding all sacrifices).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ראשית בכורי אדמתך THE FIRST OF THE FIRST-FRUITS OF THY GROUND [THOU SHALT BRING INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD THY GOD] — but only from the seven kinds of produce which are mentioned as an excellency of thy land (Deuteronomy 8:8) “a land of wheat and barley and vines etc (Mishnah Bikkurim 1:3). The דבש mentioned in this verse is date honey (not that of bees).

לא תבשל גדי THOU SHALT NOT SEETHE A KID [IN ITS MOTHER’S MILK] — This is a prohibition to mix meat with milk. This is written three times in the Torah: once to prohibit the eating of such mixture, once to prohibit us from deriving any other benefit (besides eating) from it and once to prohibit the cooking of it (Chullin 115b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 23:19).

גדי A KID — Any tender young animal is comprehended under the term גדי, a calf and a lamb also. From the fact that the writer felt it necessary to state specifically in several passages “a kid of the goat” you may learn that the term גדי without further definition implies any suckling (young animal) (Chullin 113a; cf. Rashi on Exodus 23:19).

בחלב אמו IN THE MOTHER’S MILK — A fowl is therefore really excluded from this law since it has no milk; for the prohibition regarding it (using it with milk) is not a Biblical law but only an enactment of the Soferim (Chullin 113a).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

את הדברים האלה [WRITE THOU] THESE WORDS — These words, but you are not permitted to write down the “Oral Law” (Gittin 60b).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ויהי ברדת משה AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN MOSES WENT DOWN [FROM MOUNT SINAI] — when he brought the second tablets on the Day of Atonement.

כי קרן עור פניו THAT THE SKIN OF HIS FACE BEAMED — קרן is an expression connected with the word קרנים “horns”, and the phrase, קרן אור, the light-“horned” , is used here because light radiates from a point and projects Like a horn. And whence was Moses privileged to have the rays of glory? Our Rabbis said that they originated at the time when he was in the cave, for the Holy One, blessed be He, then put His hand upon his face, as it is said, (Exodus 33:22) “And I will shelter thee with My hand” (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 37).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

וייראו מגשת אליו AND THEY WERE AFRAID TO STEP NIGH UNTO HIM — Come and see how great is the power (influence) of sin! For before they streched forth their hand to sin what does Scripture say? (Exodus 24:17) “And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel”, — and yet they were not afraid and did not tremble! But after they made the golden calf they recoiled and trembled even at the sight of the rays of glory of Moses! (Sifrei Bamidbar 1:8)

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

הנשאים בעדה THE PRINCES IN THE CONGREGATION — is the same as the more usual expression נשיאי העדה, the princes of the congregation.

וידבר משה אלהם AND MOSES SPOKE TO THEM the message of the Almighty. This whole section (i. e. all the verbs in it) denotes frequentative action (thus וידבר means “Moses used to say”, ויקרא meant “He used to call”, נגשו means “they used to come near” etc).

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ואחרי כן נגשו AND AFTERWARDS [THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] STEPPED NIGH — After he (Moses) had taught the elders he used again to teach the section or the single Halacha in question to the Israelites. The Rabbis have taught: How was the system of teaching? Moses used to learn the law from the mouth of the Almighty; Aaron entered and Moses taught him his lesson. Now Aaron moved away and took his seat to the left of Moses. Then his (Aaron’s) sons entered and Moses taught them their lesson. They moved away and Eleazar took his seat to the right of Moses, whilst Ithamar sat down at Aaron’s left. The elders then entered and Moses taught them their lesson. The elders moved away and took their seat at the side. Finally the whole people entered and Moses taught them their lesson. Consequently what was taught came into the possession of the whole people once, into the possession of the elders twice, into the possession of Aaron’s sons thrice and into Aaron’s possession four times etc. — as it is stated in Eruvin 54b.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ויתן על פניו מסוה AND HE PUT A VEIL ON HIS FACE — Render it (מסוה) as the Targum does: בית אפי, a cover for his face. מסוה is an Aramaic expression (from the root סוי, “to look”). It occurs in the Talmud (Ketubot 62b) “her heart perceived (סּוי), and again in Ketubot 60a “הוה קא מסוה לאפה”, where מסוה is an expression for looking: “he looked into her face”, i. e. he gazed at her. Here, too, מסוה denotes a cloth that was put in front of the face and of the region of the eyes. And out of reverence for the “rays of glory” — that not everybody should feast himself on them — Moses used to put the veil in front of them (the eyes), but took it off during the time when he spoke to Israel, and during the time when the Omnipresent conversed with him until the moment when he was going out and also when he went out he went out without the veil.

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

ודבר אל בני ישראל … וראו AND HE SPOKE UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL… AND THEY SAW the rays of glory on his face; and when he moved away from them ...

Rashi — M. Rosenbaum & A. M. Silbermann

והשיב משה את המסוה על פניו עד באו לדבר אתו MOSES REPLACED THE VEIL UPON HIS FACE UNTIL HE CAME IN TO SPEAK WITH HIM — but when he came in to speak with Him he took it off his face.