Tanach
Shemot 32:7-14 שמות ל״ב:ז׳-י״ד
Part of: Ki TisaKi Tisa, Aliyah 2Chapter 32
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֶךְ־רֵד כִּי שִׁחֵת עַמְּךָ אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלֵיתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
Adonoy spoke to Moshe, “Go down, for your people have become corrupt—those whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt.
Adonoy spoke to Moshe, “Go down, for your people have become corrupt—those whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt.
Rashi
לך רד. רד מגדולתך, לא נתתי לך גדולה אלא בשבילם (ברכות לב.), באותה שעה נתנדה משה מפי בית דין של מעלה:
“Go down.” I.e., “Descend from your exalted position. I did not give you your high position except for their sake.” At that moment Moshe was ostracized by the Heavenly Court.
שחת עמך. שחת העם לא נאמר, אלא עמך, ערב רב שקבלת מעצמך וגיירתם, ולא נמלכת בי, ואמרת טוב שידבקו גרים בשכינה, הם שחתו והשחיתו:
Your people have become corrupt. It is not said: “the people have become corrupt,” but, rather: “your people” — the riffraff whom you accepted, on your own accord, and you accepted as proselytes without consulting Me, and you thought it good that proselytes be joined to the Shechinah — they have become corrupt and have corrupted others.
סָרוּ מַהֵר מִן־הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִם עָשׂוּ לָהֶם עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־לוֹ וַיִּזְבְּחוּ־לוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶֽעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
They have departed quickly from the way that I commanded them, they have made for themselves a molten calf. They have prostrated themselves to it and offered sacrifices to it, and have said, ‘These, Yisrael, are your gods who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
They have departed quickly from the way that I commanded them, they have made for themselves a molten calf. They have prostrated themselves to it and offered sacrifices to it, and have said, ‘These, Yisrael, are your gods who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה רָאִיתִי אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה וְהִנֵּה עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹרֶף הֽוּא׃
Adonoy said to Moshe, “I have seen [observed] this people, and behold they are a stiff-necked people.
Adonoy said to Moshe, “I have seen [observed] this people, and behold they are a stiff-necked people.
Rashi
קשה עורף. מחזירין קשי ערפם לנגד מוכיחיהם וממאנים לשמוע:
Stiff-necked. So-called because they turn their stiff necks towards those who reprimand them and refuse to listen.
וְעַתָּה הַנִּיחָה לִּי וְיִֽחַר־אַפִּי בָהֶם וַאֲכַלֵּם וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה אוֹתְךָ לְגוֹי גָּדֽוֹל׃
Now leave Me alone and My wrath will blaze against them and destroy them. I will then make you into a great nation.”
Now leave Me alone and My wrath will blaze against them and destroy them. I will then make you into a great nation.”
Rashi
הניחה לי. עדיין לא שמענו שהתפלל משה עליהם והוא אומר הניחה לי, אלא כאן פתח לו פתח והודיעו שהדבר תלוי בו, שאם יתפלל עליהם לא יכלם (שמו"ר מב, י):
Leave Me alone. We have not yet heard of Moshe praying for them and already He has said, “Leave me alone”?! But He thereby gave him an opening and let him know that the matter depends on him, that if he will pray for them He will not destroy them.
וַיְחַל מֹשֶׁה אֶת־פְּנֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לָמָה יְהֹוָה יֶחֱרֶה אַפְּךָ בְּעַמֶּךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּכֹחַ גָּדוֹל וּבְיָד חֲזָקָֽה׃
Moshe implored before the Presence of Adonoy, his God, and he said, “Adonoy! Why should Your wrath blaze against Your people whom You brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
Moshe implored before the Presence of Adonoy, his God, and he said, “Adonoy! Why should Your wrath blaze against Your people whom You brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
Rashi
למה ה' יחרה אפך. כלום מתקנא אלא חכם בחכם, גבור בגבור:
“Adonoy! Why,” etc. Can there be a thought of jealousy, unless it is a wise man of a wise man or a powerful man of a powerful man.
לָמָּה יֹאמְרוּ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר בְּרָעָה הֽוֹצִיאָם לַהֲרֹג אֹתָם בֶּֽהָרִים וּלְכַלֹּתָם מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָֽאֲדָמָה שׁוּב מֵחֲרוֹן אַפֶּךָ וְהִנָּחֵם עַל־הָרָעָה לְעַמֶּֽךָ׃
Why should Egypt be able to say, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains, and to annihilate them from the face of the earth?’ Turn from [withdraw] Your blazing wrath, and reconsider the [intent of doing] evil to Your people.
Why should Egypt be able to say, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains, and to annihilate them from the face of the earth?’ Turn from [withdraw] Your blazing wrath, and reconsider the [intent of doing] evil to Your people.
Rashi
והנחם. התעשת מחשבה אחרת להיטיב להם:
And reconsider. I.e., formulate another plan to do good to them.
על הרעה. אשר חשבת להם:
The evil — that You had planned for them.
זְכֹר לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לָהֶם בָּךְ וַתְּדַבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם אַרְבֶּה אֶֽת־זַרְעֲכֶם כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם וְכׇל־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי אֶתֵּן לְזַרְעֲכֶם וְנָחֲלוּ לְעֹלָֽם׃
Remember Avraham, Yitzchok and Yisrael, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your Self, and said to them, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of the heaven; and all this land of which I have spoken, I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.’”
Remember Avraham, Yitzchok and Yisrael, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your Self, and said to them, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of the heaven; and all this land of which I have spoken, I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.’”
Rashi
זכור לאברהם. אם עברו על עשרת הדברות, אברהם אביהם נתנסה בעשר נסיונות ועדיין לא קבל שכרו, תנהו לו ויצאו עשר בעשר:
Remember Avraham. If they transgressed the Ten Commandments, their father Avraham was tested through ten tests, and has not yet received his reward, give it to him [now] and let the “ten” offset the “ten.”
לאברהם ליצחק ולישראל. אם לשרפה הם, זכור לאברהם שמסר עצמו להשרף עליך באור כשדים, אם להריגה, זכור ליצחק שפשט צוארו לעקידה, אם לגלות, זכור ליעקב שגלה לחרן (שמו"ר מד, ה), ואם אינן נצולין בזכותן, מה אתה אומר לי ואעשה אותך לגוי גדול, ואם כסא של שלש רגלים אינו עומד לפניך בשעת כעסך, קל וחמר לכסא של רגל אחד (ברכות לב.):
Avraham, Yitzchok and Yisrael. If [their punishment is to be] by burning then remember Avraham who offered himself to be burnt for Your sake in Ur Kasdim. If [it is to be] by the sword, then remember Yitzchok who stretched forth his neck at the “binding.” If [it is to be] through exile, then remember Yaakov who went into exile to Charan. And if they cannot be saved by their [forefathers’] merit, then what is this that You tell me: “I will make you into a great nation”? If a chair with three legs cannot stand before You at the time of Your anger [then this is] certainly [true] of a chair with one leg.
אשר נשבעת להם בך. לא נשבעת להם בדבר שהוא כלה, לא בשמים ולא בארץ, לא בהרים ולא בגבעות, אלא בך, שאתה קיים ושבועתך קיימת לעולם, שנאמר בִּי נִשׁבַּעְתִּי נְאֻם ה' (בראשית כב, טז), וליצחק נאמר, וַהֲקִימֹותִי אֶת הַשְׁבֻעָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ (שם כו, ג), וליעקב נאמר אֲנִי אֵל שַׁדַּי פְּרֵה וּרְבֵה (שם לה, יא), נשבע לו באל שדי:
To whom You swore by Your self. You did not swear to them by something that is finite — neither by the heavens, nor by the earth, neither by the mountains, nor the hills, but only by Your Self. Who is eternal, and Your oath remains forever, as it is said: “‘By My Self I have sworn,’ says God.” To Yitzchok it was said: “I will establish the [same] oath that I swore to Avraham, your father.” And to Yaakov it was said: “I am God Almighty, be fruitful and multiply.” Thus He swore to him by “God Almighty.”
וַיִּנָּחֶם יְהֹוָה עַל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לַעֲשׂוֹת לְעַמּֽוֹ׃ {פ}
Adonoy reconsidered the [intent of doing] evil that He had said He would do to His people.
Adonoy reconsidered the [intent of doing] evil that He had said He would do to His people.
וידבר. לשון קושי הוא, כמו וַיְדַבֵּר אִתָּם קָשֹׁות (בראשית מב, ז):
[Adonoy] spoke. [וַיְדַבֵּר] is a term of harshness as in: “(וַיְדַבֵּר) He spoke with them harshly.”