Tanach
Shemot 24:1-11 שמות כ״ד:א׳-י״א
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וְאֶל־מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל־יְהֹוָה אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְשִׁבְעִים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם מֵרָחֹֽק׃
He [God] had said to Moshe, ‘Go up to [the Presence of] Adonoy, you, Aharon, Nadav, Avihu, and seventy of the elders of [the B’nei] Yisrael, and prostrate yourselves at a distance.
He [God] had said to Moshe, ‘Go up to [the Presence of] Adonoy, you, Aharon, Nadav, Avihu, and seventy of the elders of [the B’nei] Yisrael, and prostrate yourselves at a distance.
Rashi
וְנִגַּשׁ מֹשֶׁה לְבַדּוֹ אֶל־יְהֹוָה וְהֵם לֹא יִגָּשׁוּ וְהָעָם לֹא יַעֲלוּ עִמּֽוֹ׃
Moshe alone shall approach [the Presence of] Adonoy, but they must not approach, and the people must not go up with him.”
Moshe alone shall approach [the Presence of] Adonoy, but they must not approach, and the people must not go up with him.”
Rashi
ונגש משה לבדו. אל הערפל:
Moshe alone shall approach — to the dense cloud (above, 20, 18).
וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וַיְסַפֵּר לָעָם אֵת כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי יְהֹוָה וְאֵת כׇּל־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וַיַּעַן כׇּל־הָעָם קוֹל אֶחָד וַיֹּאמְרוּ כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃
Moshe came and told the people all the words of Adonoy, and all the laws. The people responded with one voice and said, “All the words that Adonoy has spoken, we will do.”
Moshe came and told the people all the words of Adonoy, and all the laws. The people responded with one voice and said, “All the words that Adonoy has spoken, we will do.”
Rashi
ויבא משה ויספר לעם. בו ביום:
Moshe came and told the people — on that same day.
את כל דברי ה'. מצות, פרישה, והגבלה:
All the words of Adonoy. [I.e.] the command to separate [from their wives] and the setting up of boundaries [at Mount Sinai].
ואת כל המשפטים. ז' מצות שנצטוו בני נח, ושבת, וכבוד אב ואם, ופרה אדומה, ודינין, שניתנו להם במרה (מכילתא בחדש פ"ג):
And all the laws. [I.e.] the seven mitzvos given to the descendants of Noach [as well as the mitzvos of:] Shabbos, honoring one’s parents, the red heifer, and administering justice which were given to them in Marah.
וַיִּכְתֹּב מֹשֶׁה אֵת כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי יְהֹוָה וַיַּשְׁכֵּם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּבֶן מִזְבֵּחַ תַּחַת הָהָר וּשְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה מַצֵּבָה לִשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Moshe wrote down all the words of Adonoy. He arose early in the morning, and built an altar beneath the mountain, and [also] twelve monuments [pillars] for the twelve tribes of [the B’nei] Yisrael.
Moshe wrote down all the words of Adonoy. He arose early in the morning, and built an altar beneath the mountain, and [also] twelve monuments [pillars] for the twelve tribes of [the B’nei] Yisrael.
Rashi
ויכתוב משה. מבראשית ועד מתן תורה, וכתב מצות שנצטוו במרה (שם):
Moshe wrote down — [everything] from Bereishis until the giving of the Torah and he also wrote down the mitzvos that they were commanded at Marah.
וישכם בבקר. בחמשה בסיון:
He arose early in the morning — on the fifth of Sivan.
וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶֽת־נַעֲרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַֽיַּעֲלוּ עֹלֹת וַֽיִּזְבְּחוּ זְבָחִים שְׁלָמִים לַיהֹוָה פָּרִֽים׃
He sent the youths [first-born] of B’nei Yisrael and they offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed oxen as peace-offerings to Adonoy.
He sent the youths [first-born] of B’nei Yisrael and they offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed oxen as peace-offerings to Adonoy.
Rashi
את נערי. הבכורות:
The young men. [I.e.] the first-born.
וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה חֲצִי הַדָּם וַיָּשֶׂם בָּאַגָּנֹת וַחֲצִי הַדָּם זָרַק עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
Moshe took half the blood and put it in the basins, and [the other] half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
Moshe took half the blood and put it in the basins, and [the other] half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
Rashi
ויקח משה חצי הדם. מי חלקו, מלאך בא וחלקו:
Moshe took half the blood. Who divided it?! An angel came and divided it.
באגנות. שתי אגנות, אחד לחצי דם עולה, ואחד לחצי דם שלמים, להזות אותם על העם. ומכאן למדו רבותינו, שנכנסו אבותינו לברית במילה וטבילה והזאת דמים, שאין הזאה בלא טבילה:
In the basins. There were two basins — one for half the blood of the burnt-offering, and one for half the blood of the peace-offerings so as to sprinkle them both on the people. It is from here that our Sages concluded that our forefathers entered the Covenant through circumcision, immersion and the sprinkling of sacrificial blood. [Immersion is indicated by the fact that] there is no sprinkling [that is valid] which is not preceded by immersion.
וַיִּקַּח סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית וַיִּקְרָא בְּאׇזְנֵי הָעָם וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָֽע׃
He then took the Book of the Covenant, and read it in the ears of the people. They said, “All that Adonoy has spoken, we will do and we will listen.”
He then took the Book of the Covenant, and read it in the ears of the people. They said, “All that Adonoy has spoken, we will do and we will listen.”
Rashi
ספר הברית. מבראשית ועד מתן תורה, ומצות שנצטוו במרה:
The Book of the Covenant — from Bereishis till the Giving of the Torah and the mitzvos they were commanded in Marah.
וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־הַדָּם וַיִּזְרֹק עַל־הָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה דַֽם־הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת יְהֹוָה עִמָּכֶם עַל כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃
Moshe then took the blood and cast it on the people, and he said, “Behold, this is the blood of the covenant which Adonoy has made with you regarding all these words.”
Moshe then took the blood and cast it on the people, and he said, “Behold, this is the blood of the covenant which Adonoy has made with you regarding all these words.”
Rashi
ויזרוק. ענין הזאה, ותרגומו וזרק על מדבחא לכפרא על עמא:
He cast. [וַיִּזְרֹק has] the meaning of sprinkling. However, Onkelos translates it [literally]: “He cast it on the altar to atone for the people.”
וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְשִׁבְעִים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Moshe and Aharon then went up along with Nadav and Avihu, and seventy of the elders of [the B’nei] Yisrael.
Moshe and Aharon then went up along with Nadav and Avihu, and seventy of the elders of [the B’nei] Yisrael.
וַיִּרְאוּ אֵת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְתַחַת רַגְלָיו כְּמַעֲשֵׂה לִבְנַת הַסַּפִּיר וּכְעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם לָטֹֽהַר׃
They saw [a vision of] the God of Yisrael, and under His feet [there was something] like a brickwork of sapphire, and it was like the essence of heaven in purity.
They saw [a vision of] the God of Yisrael, and under His feet [there was something] like a brickwork of sapphire, and it was like the essence of heaven in purity.
Rashi
ויראו את אלהי ישראל. נסתכלו והציצו ונתחייבו מיתה, אלא שלא רצה הקב"ה לערבב שמחת התורה, והמתין לנדב ואביהוא עד יום חנוכת המשכן, ולזקנים עד וַיְהִי הָעָם כְּמִתְאֹנֲנִים וגו' וַתִּבְעַר בָּם אֵש ה' וַתֹּאכַל בִּקְצֵה הַמַּחֲנֶה, בקצינים שבמחנה:
They saw [a vision of] the God of Yisrael. They intentionally looked and intently gazed and thereby became liable to death. But God did not want to disturb the joy [of the receiving] of the Torah and therefore waited to punish Nadav and Avihu until the day that the Mishkon was dedicated. As for the elders [He waited] until: “The people were as complainers, etc. and a fire from God burnt among them and consumed בִּקְצֵה of the camp,” [בִּקְצֵה meaning] the leaders of the camp.
כמעשה לבנת הספיר. היא היתה לפניו בשעת השעבוד, לזכור צרתן של ישראל שהיו משועבדים במעשה לבנים:
Like a brickwork of sapphire. This was before Him at the time of their enslavement, as a reminder of the oppression of Israel, for they were subjugated to do brick-work.
וכעצם השמים לטהר. משנגאלו היה אור וחדוה לפניו:
And like the essence of heaven in purity. [This symbolizes that] when they were redeemed there was light and joy before Him.
וכעצם. כתרגומו לשון מראה:
And like the essence. וּכְעֶצֶם should be translated as Onkelos does — a term meaning appearance.
לטהר. לשון ברור וצלול:
In purity. לָטֹהַר has the meaning of bright and clear.
וְאֶל־אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ וַיֶּֽחֱזוּ אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּֽוּ׃ {ס}
But against the nobility of the B’nei Yisrael, He [God] did not send His hand. They envisioned God, and they ate and drank.
But against the nobility of the B’nei Yisrael, He [God] did not send His hand. They envisioned God, and they ate and drank.
Rashi
ואל אצילי. הם נדב ואביהוא והזקנים:
But against the nobility. These were Nadav, Avihu and the elders.
לא שלח ידו. מכלל שהיו ראויים להשתלח בהם יד:
He did not send His hand (i.e., punish). Suggesting thereby that they actually deserved that a hand be sent against them.
ויחזו את האלהים. היו מסתכלין בו בלב גס, מתוך אכילה ושתייה, כך מדרש תנחומא (בהעלותך ט"ו). ואונקלוס לא תרגם כן, אצילי, לשון גדולים, כמו וּמֵאֲצִילֶיהָ קְרָאתִיךָ (ישעיה מא, ט), וַיָּאצֶל מִן הָרוּחַ (במדבר יא, כה), שֵׁשׁ אַמֹּות אַצִּילָה (יחזקאל מא, ח):
They envisioned God. They gazed at Him insolently [as someone who converses with a king] while engaged in eating and drinking. This is how Midrash Tanchuma explains it. But Onkelos does not translate it so. אֲצִילֵי means “the great ones,” as in: “I called you (מֵאֲצִילֶיהָ) from its great ones,” [or:] “(וַיָּאצֶּל) He made great some of the spirit,” “six ammos (cubits) in its great size.”
ואל משה אמר. פרשה זו נאמרה קודם עשרת הדברות, ובד' בסיון נאמרה לו עלה:
He (God) had said to Moshe, “Go up.. .” This section was said before [the giving] of the Ten Commandments and it was on the 4th of Sivan that, “Go up!” was said to him.