Tanach
Shemot 23:20-25 שמות כ״ג:כ׳-כ״ה
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ לִשְׁמׇרְךָ בַּדָּרֶךְ וְלַהֲבִיאֲךָ אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר הֲכִנֹֽתִי׃
Behold, I will send an angel before you, to guard you on the way, and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.
Behold, I will send an angel before you, to guard you on the way, and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.
Rashi
אשר הכנותי. אשר זמנתי לתת לכם, זהו פשוטו. ומדרשו, אל המקום אשר הכינותי כבר, מקומי ניכר כנגדו, וזה אחד מן המקראות שאומרים שבית המקדש של מעלה, מכוון כנגד בית המקדש של מטה:
That I have prepared. That I have prepared to give to you (i.e., Eretz Yisrael). That is its plain meaning. But its midrashic explanation is: “to the place that I have established [for the Temple] [for] My Place (i.e., the Temple of Heaven) has already been set up in line with it. This is one of the verses [in Scripture] which indicate that the Beis Hamikdosh of Heaven is directly in line with the Beis Hamikdosh below.
הִשָּׁמֶר מִפָּנָיו וּשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ אַל־תַּמֵּר בּוֹ כִּי לֹא יִשָּׂא לְפִשְׁעֲכֶם כִּי שְׁמִי בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃
Be careful in his presence and heed [obey] his voice. Do not rebel against him; for he cannot bear [pardon] your transgression, as My Name is in him.
Be careful in his presence and heed [obey] his voice. Do not rebel against him; for he cannot bear [pardon] your transgression, as My Name is in him.
Rashi
אל תמר בו. לשון המראה, כמו אֲשֶׁר יַמְרֶה אֶת פִּיךָ (יהושע א, יח):
Do not rebel against him. תַּמֵּר is from the same root as הַמְרָאָה — “robbing,” as in: “Whoever (יַמְרֶה) will rebel against your order.”
כי לא ישא לפשעכם. אינו מלומד בכך, שהוא מן הכת שאין חוטאין, ועוד, שהוא שליח, ואינו עושה אלא שליחותו:
For he cannot bear your transgression. He is not accustomed to this (the act of sinning) for he is of the group [of beings] who do not sin. An alternate explanation: [He has no power to forgive] for he is only a messenger and can only to do his mission.
כי שמי בקרבו. מחובר לראש המקרא, השמר מפניו כי שמי משותף בו. ורבותינו אמרו, זה מטטרו"ן, ששמו כשם רבו, מטטרו"ן בגימטריא שדי:
As My Name is in him. This follows the beginning of the verse: “Be careful in his presence... for My Name is linked with him.” Our Sages said that this angel is Metatron whose name is the same as his Master’s (God) for מְטַטְרוֹן has the same numerical value as שַׁדַּי (314).
כִּי אִם־שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ וְעָשִׂיתָ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר וְאָֽיַבְתִּי אֶת־אֹיְבֶיךָ וְצַרְתִּי אֶת־צֹרְרֶֽיךָ׃
But if you truly listen to [obey] his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and attack those who attack you.
But if you truly listen to [obey] his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and attack those who attack you.
Rashi
וצרתי. כתרגומו ואעיק:
And I will attack. As Onkelos translates it: וְאָעִיק — “I will oppress.”
כִּֽי־יֵלֵךְ מַלְאָכִי לְפָנֶיךָ וֶהֱבִֽיאֲךָ אֶל־הָֽאֱמֹרִי וְהַחִתִּי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִי הַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי וְהִכְחַדְתִּֽיו׃
My messenger will go before you, and will bring you into [the land of] the Emorites, the Chittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, Chivites, and the Yevusites, and I will then annihilate them.
My messenger will go before you, and will bring you into [the land of] the Emorites, the Chittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, Chivites, and the Yevusites, and I will then annihilate them.
לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶם וְלֹא תׇֽעׇבְדֵם וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כְּמַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶם כִּי הָרֵס תְּהָרְסֵם וְשַׁבֵּר תְּשַׁבֵּר מַצֵּבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
You must not prostrate yourself to their gods, nor serve [sacrifice to] them. You must not adopt their customs. You must totally destroy [their idols] and completely break down their monuments.
You must not prostrate yourself to their gods, nor serve [sacrifice to] them. You must not adopt their customs. You must totally destroy [their idols] and completely break down their monuments.
Rashi
הרס תהרסם. לאותם אלהות:
You must [totally] destroy — their idols.
מצבותיהם. אבנים שהם מציבין להשתחוות להם:
Their monuments. The stones that they set up [for the purpose] of bowing down to them.
וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֵת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם וּבֵרַךְ אֶֽת־לַחְמְךָ וְאֶת־מֵימֶיךָ וַהֲסִרֹתִי מַחֲלָה מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃ {ס}
You must serve Adonoy, your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. I will eliminate sickness from your midst.
You must serve Adonoy, your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. I will eliminate sickness from your midst.
הנה אנכי שולח מלאך. כאן נתבשרו שעתידין לחטוא ושכינה אומרת להם כִּי לֹא אֶעֱלֶה בְּקִרְבְּךָ (שמות לג, ג):
Behold, I will send an angel. Here they are foretold that they are destined to sin, and the Shechinah would then say to them: “For I will not go up among you.”