Tanach
Shemot 20:15-18 שמות כ׳:ט״ו-י״ח
Part of: YitroYitro, Aliyah 7Chapter 20
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וְכׇל־הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת־הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת־הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּֽעַמְדוּ מֵֽרָחֹֽק׃
All the people saw the sounds, the flames, the sound of the shofar, and the mountain emitting smoke. The people saw [all this] and they trembled, and stood far off.
All the people saw the sounds, the flames, the sound of the shofar, and the mountain emitting smoke. The people saw [all this] and they trembled, and stood far off.
Rashi
רואים את הקולות. רואין את הנשמע, שאי אפשר לראות במקום אחר (שם):
Saw the sounds. They saw that which is normally heard which is impossible to see on any other occasion.
את הקולות. היוצאין מפי הגבורה:
The sounds — which came from the Almighty.
וינעו. אין נוע אלא זיע (שם):
And they trembled. The root word נוֹעַ [here] means “trembling.”
ויעמדו מרחוק. היו נרתעין לאחוריהם שנים עשר מיל, כאורך מחניהם, ומלאכי השרת באין ומסייעין אותן להחזירם, שנאמר מַלְכֵי צְבָאֹות יִדֹּדוּן יִדֹּדוּן (תהלים סח, יג. — מכילתא שם):
And stood far off. They were startled backwards for twelve mil, the distance of their encampment, and the ministering angels came and helped bring them back, as it is said: The angels of the hosts encouraged them to move bit by bit.
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה דַּבֵּר־אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ וְנִשְׁמָעָה וְאַל־יְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ אֱלֹהִים פֶּן־נָמֽוּת׃
They said to Moshe, “You speak to us and we will listen. Let Elohim not speak with us [anymore] lest we die.”
They said to Moshe, “You speak to us and we will listen. Let Elohim not speak with us [anymore] lest we die.”
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הָעָם אַל־תִּירָאוּ כִּי לְבַֽעֲבוּר נַסּוֹת אֶתְכֶם בָּא הָאֱלֹהִים וּבַעֲבוּר תִּהְיֶה יִרְאָתוֹ עַל־פְּנֵיכֶם לְבִלְתִּי תֶחֱטָֽאוּ׃
Moshe said to the people, “Do not be afraid. It was to exalt you that Elohim came [in this manner], so that the fear of Him be on your faces that you not sin.”
Moshe said to the people, “Do not be afraid. It was to exalt you that Elohim came [in this manner], so that the fear of Him be on your faces that you not sin.”
Rashi
לבעבור נסות אתכם. לגדל אתכם בעולם, שיצא לכם שם באומות שהוא בכבודו נגלה עליכם:
To exalt you. To exalt you before the world so that you become renown amongst the nations that He in His Glory revealed Himself to you.
נסות. לשון הרמה וגדולה, כמו הָרִימוּ נֵס (ישעיה סב, י), אָרִים נִסִּי (שם מט, כב), וְכַנֵּס עַל הַגִּבְעָה (שם ל, יז), שהוא זקוף:
Exalt. נַסּוֹת has the meaning of: uplifting and greatness as in: “Lift up your banner,” [or:] “I will lift up my banner,” or: “As a banner on a hilltop,” [so called] because it is raised high.
ובעבור תהיה יראתו. על ידי שראיתם אותו יָראוּי וּמְאֻיָּם, תדעו כי אין זולתו, ותיראו מפניו:
So that the fear of Him. Due to the fact that you saw Him, He is feared and dreaded. You will thereby know that there is none beside Him and you will therefore fear Him.
וַיַּעֲמֹד הָעָם מֵרָחֹק וּמֹשֶׁה נִגַּשׁ אֶל־הָֽעֲרָפֶל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁם הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ {ס}
The people stood far off. Moshe drew near to the dense cloud where [the Divine Presence of] God was.
The people stood far off. Moshe drew near to the dense cloud where [the Divine Presence of] God was.
Rashi
נגש אל הערפל. לפנים משלש מחיצות, חושך, ענן, וערפל, שנאמר וְהָהָר בֹּעֵר בָּאֵשׁ עַד לֵב הַשָּׁמַיִם חשֶׁךְ עָנָן וְעֲרָפֶל (דברים ד, יא). ערפל הוא עב הענן, שאמר לו הנה אָנֹכִי בָּא אֵלֶיךָ בְּעַב הֶעָנָן (שמות יט, ט):
Drew near to the dense cloud — within the three barriers — darkness, clouds, and the dense cloud, as it is said: “The mountain was engulfed in flame until the very middle of the heavens with darkness, clouds, and dense cloud.” עֲרָפֶל is the עַב הֶעָנָן (thick cloud) of which He said to him (Moshe): “Behold I will come to you (בְּעַב הֶעָנָן) in the thickness of the cloud.”
וכל העם רואים. מלמד שלא היה בהם אחד סומא, ומנין שלא היה בהם אלם, תלמוד לומר ויענו כל העם, ומנין שלא היה בהם חרש, תלמוד לומר נעשה ונשמע (מכילתא פ"ט):
All the people saw. This teaches that not one among them was blind. And from where do we derive that there was no mute among them? Because the Torah says: “All the people answered.” And from where do we derive that there was no deaf person among them? Because the Torah says: “We shall do and we shall hear.”