Yalkut Shimoni on Torah Reader

Four things Moses did of his own reasoning, and his reasoning agreed with the reasoning of the Omnipresent: he shattered the tablets, he separated from his wife, and so forth. How so? He said: If concerning Israel, who were summoned only for the moment and were sanctified only to receive the Ten Commandments, it was said, "Do not approach a woman" (Exodus 19:15), then I, who am summoned for this every day and every hour and do not know when He will speak with me, whether by day or by night, how much more so. And his reasoning agreed with the reasoning of the Omnipresent. Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira says: "Mouth to mouth I speak with him" (Numbers 12:8): mouth to mouth I told him, separate from your wife, as it is said, "Go, say to them, Return to your tents, but you, stand here with Me" (Deuteronomy 5:27-28). He separated from the Tent of Meeting. He said: If Aaron my brother, who is anointed with the oil of anointing and clothed in many garments, was told by the Holy One, blessed be He, "Let him not come at all times" (Leviticus 16:2), then I, who am not summoned for this, how much more so. He shattered the tablets. How so? When he ascended and took them and came down, he rejoiced greatly. Once Israel sinned, he said: If I give these to them, I bind them to grave commandments and make them liable to death by Heaven, for it is written, "You shall have no other gods." He turned back, and the elders saw and ran after him. Moses gripped the heads of the tablets and they gripped their ends, and the strength of Moses prevailed over the strength of the seventy elders, as it is said, "and for all the mighty hand" (Deuteronomy 34:12). Moses looked at the tablets and saw that the writing upon them was flying off, and they grew heavy in Moses's hands and fell from his hands and shattered. Others said: he did not break them until it was told to him from the mouth of the Almighty, "which you shattered" (Exodus 34:1); He said to him, well done that you shattered them. Rabbi Meir says: "And they were there, as the LORD commanded me" (Deuteronomy 10:5), teaching that he was commanded and shattered the tablets. It was taught, Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: a person should always be careful in repentance, for from the answer that Aaron gave Moses the heretics derived license, as it is said, "And I cast it into the fire, and out came this calf" (Exodus 32:24).

(Exodus 32:26-27) "Moses stood at the gate of the camp and said, Whoever is for the LORD, to me!" Rav Chisda said: the tribe of Levi did not worship idols, as it is said, "Moses stood at the gate of the camp..." They raised an objection to him from the verse "who said of his father and mother, I have not seen him" (Deuteronomy 33:9): "his father" means his mother's father from Israel; "his brother" means his brother from his mother; "his sons" means his daughter's sons from Israel [implying Levites had Israelite relatives who did sin]. A wise woman asked Rabbi Eliezer: since all were equal in the matter of the calf, why was their death not equal? He said to her: a woman has no wisdom except at the spindle, as it is said, "and every woman wise of heart spun with her hands" (Exodus 35:25). It was stated: Rav and Levi differed. One said: whoever sacrificed and burned incense died by the sword; whoever embraced and kissed the calf died by plague; whoever rejoiced in his heart died by dropsy. The other said: where there were witnesses and warning, by the sword; where there were neither witnesses nor warning, by dropsy; where there were witnesses without warning, by the plague. "Whoever is for the LORD, to me": who would not wish to be a member of the king's household? Rather, Moses said: whoever did not give a ring to the calf, let him come to me. Immediately, "and all the sons of Levi gathered to him."

(Exodus 32:32) "And now, if You will forgive their sin..." Rabbi Natan says: Jonah went only to destroy himself in the sea, as it is said, "Lift me up and cast me into the sea" (Jonah 1:12). And likewise you find concerning the patriarchs and the prophets, that they gave their lives for Israel. Concerning Moses it says, "And now, if You will forgive their sin" [and if not, blot me out], and "if this is how You deal with me" (Numbers 11:15). Concerning David it says, "And David said to the LORD, Behold, I have sinned, and these sheep, what have they done?" (II Samuel 24:17).

"And if not, blot me, I pray You, out of Your book" (Exodus 32:32). "Out of Your book" — this is the book of the wholly righteous. "Which You have written" — this is the book of the in-between people. Three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah: that of the wholly righteous, who are written and sealed at once for life; that of the wholly wicked, who are written and sealed at once for death; the in-between remain suspended and standing from Rosh Hashanah until the Day of Atonement. If they are found worthy, they are written for life; if not worthy, they are written for death. Rabbi Avin said: What is the verse? "Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous" (Psalms 69:29). "And in the day when I visit, I will visit upon them their sin" (Exodus 32:34). Rabbi Yitzchak said: You have no calamity that comes into the world that does not contain within it part of an ounce — twenty-four parts in the balance — from the first calf, as it is said, "And in the day when I visit" and so on. Rabbi said: This verse refers to a span twenty-four generations later, as it is said, "And He cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause those that have charge over the city to draw near" (Ezekiel 9:1). "And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments" (Exodus 33:6) — this is written elsewhere by way of allusion. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai taught: Israel had a weapon at Sinai, and the Ineffable Name was engraved upon it, and when they sinned it was taken from them. Rabbi Aivu said: It peeled away of itself. And the Rabbis said: An angel would descend and peel it off.

"And Moses would take the tent" (Exodus 33:7). It is written, "And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face" (Numbers 16:4). What report did he hear? Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: He heard that they suspected him of adultery with a married woman, as it is said, "And they were jealous of Moses in the camp" (Psalms 106:16) — this teaches that each and every man grew jealous concerning his wife on Moses's account, as it is said, "And Moses would take the tent." "And everyone who sought the LORD" — this teaches that whoever beholds the face of an elder, it is as if he receives the face of the Divine Presence. "And Moses would take the tent" — he said: One placed under the ban by the master is under the ban to the disciple as well. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Two faces are heated up [both you and the people are inflamed against each other]; turn back from your stance and enter the camp, as it is said, "And the LORD spoke to Moses face to face" (Exodus 33:11). I do not know what this verse means until it says, "and he returned to the camp" (Exodus 33:11) — this teaches that He released him from his vow and brought the tent back into the camp.

"And they looked after Moses" (Exodus 33:8). Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Yitzchak — one said it was to his discredit, and one said it was to his praise. Rabbi Avdimi of Haifa said: When a sage passes by, one rises before him within four cubits, and once he has passed, one sits. When the head of the court passes by, one rises before him as far as the eye can see, and once he has passed four cubits, one sits. When the patriarch passes by, one rises before him as far as the eye can see, and one does not sit until he has taken his seat in his place, as it is said, "And they looked after Moses" and so on. The one who said it was to his discredit: they would say, See his thighs, see his legs! He eats from what is the Jews' and drinks from what is the Jews'. And the one who said it was to his praise: to gaze upon a righteous man brings merit.

"And Moses would take the tent" (Exodus 33:7). Resh Lakish said: When Moses saw that they had forfeited a good gift, he too grew angry with them, as it is said, "And Moses would take the tent." How far away was it? A mile, as it is said, "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits" (Joshua 3:4). A parable: of a king who had a single legion, and they rebelled against the king. What did his commander-in-chief do? He took the king's standard and fled. So too Moses took the Tabernacle and went off with it. "And everyone who sought the LORD" — it is not written here "everyone who sought Moses," but rather "who sought the LORD." Even the angels and the seraphim and the troops would seek Him in order to take from Him permission to go out. They would say to one another: He is in the Tabernacle of Moses. The sun and the moon would seek permission to go out into the world, and they would go to the Tabernacle: "and everyone who sought the LORD."

"And it came to pass, when Moses went out to the tent" (Exodus 33:8) — they would stand at the sides and honor him, saying, Happy is she who bore Moses! What does she behold in him? "And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend" (Exodus 33:9) — they knew that the Divine Presence was being revealed to Moses. "And all the people rose up" (Exodus 33:10). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Moses, return to the camp. He said to Him: I will not return. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Know that Joshua is in the Tabernacle. A parable, to what may the matter be compared? To a noblewoman who grew angry with the king and went out of the palace, while she was raising a certain orphan girl in the palace. The king sent after the noblewoman and said to her: Return to the palace. But she did not wish to return. He said to her: I am telling you to return, and you do not wish to; know that the orphan girl is established in the palace. So too: "And the LORD spoke to Moses face to face" (Exodus 33:11); He said to him: Return to the camp; and he did not wish to return. By your life, Joshua shall be in the Tent of Meeting! He said to Him: Master of the universe, it was not for Your sake that I grew angry with them. See, You say to me, See — that You cannot leave them. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: I have already told you, "And I will send an angel before you" (Exodus 33:2). Moses said to Him: To an angel You are handing me over? "If Your presence does not go, do not bring us up from here" (Exodus 33:15). "Show me now Your ways" (Exodus 33:13). A parable: of a physician who had a disciple, and he taught him every kind of remedy except the cure for an incurable plague. He said to him: Master, you have revealed to me all remedies except the cure for that plague. So too Moses said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the universe, "Show me now Your ways." And He made it known to him, as it is said, "He made known His ways unto Moses" (Psalms 103:7).

"Show me, I pray You, Your glory" (Exodus 33:18) — show me the measure by which You govern the world. He said to him: You cannot stand upon My measures. "My presence will go, and I will give you rest" (Exodus 33:14). Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosi: What is the meaning of what is written, "My presence will go, and I will give you rest"? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Wait for Me until the face of wrath passes, and I will give you rest. From here we learn that one does not appease a person at the moment of his anger. "And we shall be distinguished, I and Your people" (Exodus 33:16). Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosi: Three things Moses requested before the Holy One, blessed be He, and He granted them to him. He requested that the Divine Presence rest upon Israel, and He granted it, as it is said, "Is it not in that You go with us?" He requested that the Divine Presence not rest upon the worshippers of stars and constellations, and He granted it, as it is said, "And we shall be distinguished, I and Your people." He requested to be shown the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and He granted it, as it is said, "Show me now Your ways." He said before Him: Master of the universe, why is there a righteous man to whom good comes, and a righteous man to whom evil comes; a wicked man to whom good comes, and a wicked man to whom evil comes? He said to him: A wicked man to whom good comes is a wicked man who is the son of a righteous man; a righteous man to whom evil comes is a righteous man who is the son of a wicked man. But is it not written, "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children" (Exodus 34:7), and it is written, "fathers shall not be put to death for the children" (Deuteronomy 24:16)? There is no difficulty: the one case is where they hold fast to the deeds of their fathers in their hands, the other where they do not hold fast to the deeds of their fathers in their hands. Rather, this is what He said: A righteous man to whom good comes is a wholly righteous man; a righteous man to whom evil comes is a righteous man who is not wholly righteous. And this differs from Rabbi Meir, for Rabbi Meir said: Two were granted to him and one was not granted to him, as it is said, "And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious" — even though he is not deserving; "and I will show mercy" and so on — even though he is not deserving.

"And He said, Behold, there is a place by Me" (Exodus 33:21). Rabbi Yosi ben Chalafta said: It is not written here "Behold, I am in this place," but rather "Behold, there is a place by Me" — My place is subordinate to Me, and I am not subordinate to My place. "And He said, I will make all My goodness pass before you" (Exodus 33:19). "All My goodness" — this is the measure of good and the measure of retribution. "And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious" (Exodus 33:19). At that hour the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him all the treasuries of the reward that are prepared for the righteous. He said before Him: Master of the universe, whose is this treasury? He said to him: It belongs to those who perform charity. And whose is this one? Of those who support orphans. And so with each and every treasury. Until he saw one treasury. He said to Him: Whose is this one? He said to him: For the one who has merit, I give to him from his reward; and for the one who has nothing, I act with him for free, as it is said, "And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious." It is not written here "to whom grace is shown," but rather "to whom I will be gracious" [the verb is active and unconditioned: My grace flows from Me, not from the recipient's worth].

"And He said, You cannot see My face" (Exodus 33:20). Moses sought to grasp the reward given for the commandments and the tranquility of the wicked. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "You cannot" and so on. And this expression denotes nothing other than the tranquility of the wicked, as it is said, "and He repays those who hate Him to their face" (Deuteronomy 7:10). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "And I will take away My hand" (Exodus 33:23). In this world I show you the reward given to those who fear Me, and in the world to come I will show the righteous the good that is stored away for them. David said, "How great is Your goodness" and so on (Psalms 31:20).

"And He said, You cannot see My face" (Exodus 33:20). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: When I wanted you to see, you did not want to; and now that you want, I do not want. But this disagrees with what Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: As a reward for three things he merited three things. As a reward for "And Moses hid his face" (Exodus 3:6) he merited a radiant countenance. As a reward for "because he was afraid" (Exodus 3:6) he merited "and they were afraid to come near him" (Exodus 34:30). As a reward for "from looking" (Exodus 3:6) he merited "and he beholds the form of the LORD" (Numbers 12:8). "And I will remove My hand, and you shall see My back" (Exodus 33:23). This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him the knot of the tefillin.

"For no human can see Me and live" (Exodus 33:20). Rabbi Yochanan said: Had there remained in the cave where Moses and Elijah stood even as much empty space as the eye of a fine sewing needle, they would not have been able to stand in the cave because of the light.

The emperor Hadrian asked Rabbi Yehoshua. He said to him: Is there a Master over the world? He said to him: And would the world be ownerless? He said to him: And who created heaven and earth? He said to him: The Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "In the beginning He created" and so on (Genesis 1:1). He said to him: Then why does He not reveal Himself twice a year, so that creatures may see and their dread of Him be upon them? He said to him: Because the world cannot endure His radiance, as it is said, "For no human can see Me and live" (Exodus 33:20). He said to him: If you do not show me, I will not believe you. At midday he stood him facing the sun and said to him: Gaze at the sun and you will see Him. He said to him: And who can gaze at the sun? He said to him: Will your ears not hear what your mouth is saying? If the sun, which is but one of a thousand thousands and myriad myriads of servants who serve before Him, and no creature is able to gaze upon it, then the Holy One, blessed be He, whose radiance fills the world, how much more so. And when does He reveal His glory? When idols will perish from the world, as it is said, "And the idols shall utterly pass away" (Isaiah 2:18), and afterward, "And the LORD alone shall be exalted" (Isaiah 2:11), and it says, "And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed" and so on (Isaiah 40:5). The soul does not leave the body until it sees the face of the Divine Presence, as it is said, "For no human can see Me and live" (Exodus 33:20). "Behold, there is a place by Me" (Exodus 33:21).

"Carve for yourself" (Exodus 34:1-2). Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said: From the chips of the tablets Moses grew rich, as it is said, "Carve for yourself," meaning the chips shall be yours. Rabbi Chanan said: A quarry of precious stones and pearls the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to him within his tent, and from there Moses grew rich. At first the Torah was given only to Moses and his descendants, as it is said, "Write for yourself" (Exodus 34:27); "Carve for yourself," just as the carving is yours, so too the writing is yours. Moses dealt generously with it and gave it to Israel, and of him Scripture says, "He who has a generous eye shall be blessed" (Proverbs 22:9). Rabbi Yochanan said: The Holy One, blessed be He, causes His Presence to rest only upon one who is mighty, wealthy, wise, and humble, and all these are derived from Moses. Mighty, as it is written, "And I grasped the two tablets and I broke them before your eyes" (Deuteronomy 9:17), and it was taught that the tablets were six handbreadths in length and six in width. Wealthy, as it is written, "Carve for yourself." Wise, as Rav and Shmuel both said, fifty gates of understanding were given to Moses, all but one, as it is said, "And You made him lack but little of the Divine" (Psalms 8:6). Humble, as it is written, "And the man Moses was very humble" (Numbers 12:3).

A legal teaching: A person of Israel who betroths a woman, who must pay the fee for writing the betrothal document? Thus the sages taught: One writes documents of betrothal and marriage only with the consent of both, and the groom pays the fee. This is what Scripture means by "a time to cast away stones" (Ecclesiastes 3:5), this is Moses, "and Moses cast the tablets from his hand" (Exodus 32:19); "and a time to gather stones," there came a time when he restored them to Israel, as it is said, "Carve for yourself." And this is what Scripture means by "Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry" (Ecclesiastes 7:9). And who was it who became angry? This is Moses, as it is written, "And Moses' anger burned and he cast the tablets from his hand." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Moses, you vented your wrath upon the tablets of the covenant; do you ask that I vent My wrath, when you see that the world could not endure even for an hour? He said to him: And what is there for me to do for you, to lay an accusation upon you? You broke them and you replace them, carve for yourself. It is written, "And he shall restore the deposit that was entrusted with him" (Leviticus 5:23). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: The tablets were not deposited in your hand. "And be ready by the morning" (Exodus 34:2). "And I will write upon the tablets" (Exodus 34:1), and it is written, "And the tablets were the work of God" (Exodus 32:16). They drew a parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a king of flesh and blood who betrothed a woman, and he went and brought the scribe, the ink, the quill, the document, and the witnesses. When she went astray, she must bring everything; it is enough for her that the king gives her the writing and a token by his own hand. You broke them; you replace them.

They asked Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai: Why were the first tablets the work of Heaven and the second the work of man? He said to them: I will tell you to what the matter is comparable. To a king who married a wife, and the paper and the scribe were his, he crowned her at his own expense and brought her into his house. The king saw her laughing with one of his servants, grew angry with her, and put her out. Her best man came to him and said: My lord, do you not know from where you took her? Was she not raised among the servants, and since she grew up among them her heart is bold with them? The king said to him: And what do you ask, that I be reconciled to her? Bring paper and a scribe of your own, and here is my own handwriting. So too Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, when Israel did that deed: Do You not know from what place You brought them out, from a place of idolatry? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: And what do you ask, that I be reconciled to them? Bring the tablets of your own, and here is My handwriting. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: By your life, just as you gave your soul for them in this world, so too in the time to come, when I bring them Elijah, may he be remembered for good, the two of you will come as one, as it is said, "The LORD, His way is in the whirlwind and in the storm" (Nahum 1:3). "In the whirlwind" (basufah), this is Moses, as it is written, "and she placed it among the reeds (basuf) by the bank of the river" (Exodus 2:3); "and in the storm" (uvis'arah), this is Elijah, as it is written, "and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (II Kings 2:11). At that hour he comes and comforts you, as it is said, "Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet... and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children" (Malachi 3:23-24). (It is written in the hint section.)

"Neither let the flocks nor the herds graze" (Exodus 34:3). It was taught: Rabbi Yose says: It is not a person's place that honors him; rather, he honors his place. For so we find at Sinai, that as long as the Divine Presence rested upon it, the Torah said, "Neither let the flocks nor the herds graze." Once the Divine Presence departed, the Torah said, "When the ram's horn sounds long, they may go up the mountain" (Exodus 19:13). And likewise we find regarding the Tent of Meeting, that as long as the Tent of Meeting was pitched, the Torah said, "And they shall send out of the camp every leper and everyone with a discharge" (Numbers 5:2). Once the curtain was rolled up, those with discharges and lepers were permitted to enter there.

"And the LORD passed before him" (Exodus 34:6). Rabbi Yochanan said: Were it not written in Scripture, it would be impossible to say it. This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, wrapped Himself like a prayer leader and showed Moses the order of prayer. He said to him: Whenever Israel sins before Me, let them perform before Me this order and I will forgive them. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: If I keep watch over a person's earlier sins, the world cannot stand; rather, it is upon Me to pass over the first one, and such is the measure. Moses stood in prayer and passed over all that they had sinned, as it is said, "And the LORD passed before him," do not read "vayaavor" (and He passed) but "vayaaver" (and He caused to pass over). And so it says, "Who is a God like You, bearing iniquity and passing over transgression" (Micah 7:18). "The LORD, the LORD" (Exodus 34:6), I am He before a person sins, and I am He after a person sins and does repentance. Rabbi Yehudah said: A covenant is made with the Thirteen Attributes, that they do not return empty, as it is said, "Behold, I make a covenant" (Exodus 34:10). "Slow to anger and abundant in kindness" (Exodus 34:6), He inclines toward kindness. How does He do this? Rabbi Elazar said: He suppresses, as it is written, "He will again have compassion on us, He will suppress our iniquities" (Micah 7:19). Rabbi Yose bar Rabbi Chanina said: He bears, as it is said, "bearing iniquity" (Exodus 34:7). The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: He passes over the first one each time, and such is the measure, and the sin itself is not erased, and if the iniquities are the majority it is reckoned among them. Rava said: Whoever passes over his own measures, they pass over all his transgressions for him, as it is said, "bearing iniquity" (Micah 7:18), for whom does He bear iniquity? For one who passes over transgression. Rav Huna the son of Rav Yehoshua fell ill. Rav Pappa went in to inquire about him. He saw that the world was growing dim for him, the end was near. He said to those present: Prepare provisions for his journey. In the end he recovered. Rav Pappa was ashamed to see him. He said to him: It was so; the Holy One, blessed be He, said, since he does not stand on his rights, do not be exacting with him, as it is said, "bearing iniquity" (Micah 7:18), for one who passes over transgression. "To the remnant of His inheritance" (Micah 7:18), a defect in it: "to the remnant of His inheritance," and not all His inheritance, but to one who makes himself like leftovers. Ilfa raised a contradiction: It is written "abundant in kindness" and it is written "and truth" (Exodus 34:6). At first "and truth," and in the end "abundant in kindness." A parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who was owed a hundred maneh by one of his subjects. He sent a messenger to him and said: Come and make a reckoning with the king. He was distressed. He sent another to him and said: Come and make a reckoning with the king. Again he was distressed. What did the king do? He rose in the night, took a purse, put into it a hundred maneh, and threw it through the window. The man rose and received the purse, and began to be glad. Afterward the king sent another to him, saying: Come and make a reckoning with the king. He came and paid what he owed, so this one pays his debt and the king takes what is his. So it is with people: a person commits a transgression liable to death, and the Holy One, blessed be He, waits for him until he marries a wife and fathers a first and second son. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, takes the son from him; this one pays his debt and the Holy One, blessed be He, takes what is His, and the body remains in its place, as it is said, "If you return, I will restore you, before Me you shall stand" (Jeremiah 15:19).

Rabbi Samuel bar Nachmani said: What is the meaning of what is written, "long of nostrils [slow to anger]" (Exodus 34:6) in the plural, and not "long of nostril" in the singular? It teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, is patient with the righteous and with the wicked alike. "He keeps loving-kindness for thousands" (Exodus 34:7). It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Greater is the one who acts out of love than the one who acts out of fear, for the reward of the latter hangs upon a thousand generations, while the reward of the former hangs upon two thousand. Here it is written, "and showing loving-kindness to thousands, to those who love Me" (Exodus 20:6), and there it is written, "to those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations" (Deuteronomy 7:9). This phrase applies to the words adjacent to it ["those who love Me," hence two thousand], and that phrase applies to the words adjacent to it ["keep His commandments," hence one thousand]. "He visits the iniquity of the fathers" (Exodus 34:7).

"And Moses hastened and bowed his head toward the earth and prostrated himself" (Exodus 34:8). What did he see? Rabbi Chanina ben Gamliel says: He saw "slow to anger." The Rabbis say: He saw "truth." It was taught in a baraita according to the one who says he saw "slow to anger": When Moses ascended on high, he found the Holy One, blessed be He, sitting and writing "slow to anger." Moses said before Him: Master of the universe, [is this only] for the righteous? He said to him: Even for the wicked. Moses said to Him: Let the wicked perish! He said to him: Now you will see that you yourself will have need of this. When Israel sinned in the wilderness, He said to him [Moses]: Did you not say, only for the righteous? Moses said before Him: Master of the universe, did You not say to me, even for the wicked? And this is what is written, "And now, let the power of the Lord be great" (Numbers 14:17). And this is what is written, "Your testimonies are very faithful" (Psalms 93:5), and adjacent to it, "A prayer of Moses" (Psalms 90:1, by the standard ordering). Learn from this that he saw "slow to anger."

Rabbi Yose son of Rabbi Chanina said: It is not written here "bearing iniquities" in the plural, but rather "bearing iniquity" (Exodus 34:7) in the singular. He snatches away one bond of debt from among the transgressions, so that the merits outweigh [the remaining sins]. Rabbi Elazar said: "And to You, Lord, belongs loving-kindness" (Psalms 62:13), and if a person has none [of his own], You give from Yours. This is the view of Rabbi Elazar, that He who is abundant in kindness tilts the balance toward kindness. Rav Huna in the name of Rabbi Abbahu said: The Holy One, blessed be He, has no forgetfulness before Him, yet for the sake of Israel He becomes one who forgets. What is the reason? "Bearing iniquity"—"bearing" is written [hinting that He lifts and removes it]. And so David says, "You have borne the iniquity of Your people, You have covered all their sin, Selah" (Psalms 85:3). "For you shall not bow down to another god" (Exodus 34:14)—this is written in remez 288. "And he will call you and you will eat of his sacrifice" (Exodus 34:15). It was taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Jews outside the Land of Israel are idolaters in purity. How so? A gentile who made a feast for his son and invited all the Jews of the city—even though they eat and drink only their own food and their own attendant stands over them, Scripture reckons it to them as if they had eaten from the sacrifices of the dead, as it is said, "and he will call you and you will eat." One might think [the prohibition applies] only once he has eaten. If so, let the verse say only "and you will eat of his sacrifice." What does "and he will call you" add? It teaches: from the moment of the invitation. "You shall make for yourself no molten gods" (Exodus 34:17–18). Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said: Whoever despises the festivals is as one who worships idols, as it is said, "You shall make for yourself no molten gods," and it is written immediately after, "The feast of unleavened bread you shall keep." "The feast of unleavened bread you shall keep" is written in remez 309. "And all your livestock you shall set apart as males" (Exodus 34:19).

Rav Nachman said: The law follows the words of the Sages. And how much [is the lamb worth]? Rav Yosef said: Even a stunted one worth a sixth of a zuz. Rava said: We too have learned this in a mishnah—"And the firstling of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb," from the sheep or from the goats, male or female, small or large, unblemished or blemished, and one may redeem with it many times over. The text teaches us that even a stunted animal is valid. Rabbi Yehudah the Prince had a certain firstborn donkey. He sent it before Rabbi Tarfon and asked him: How much must I give of it to the priest? He said to him: They have said—a generous eye gives a sela, a grudging eye a shekel [half a sela], and a middling eye a ragya. Rava said: The law is a ragya. And how much is that? Three zuzim, [a value] common to this and common to that [between the two extremes]. This ruling seemed to contradict that ruling. It is not difficult: one applies to a person who comes to ask [in advance], and the other to a person who comes [to fulfill the duty] on his own initiative. Rabbi Yitzchak said in the name of Resh Lakish: One who has a firstborn donkey but has no lamb with which to redeem it may redeem it with its monetary value. For whom is this ruling? If you say according to Rabbi Yehudah, he held that the Torah was strict in requiring specifically a lamb. Rather, it is according to Rabbi Shimon. Or you may even say it accords with Rabbi Yehudah: the redemption of this should not be more stringent than that of consecrated property, and the Torah did not specify a lamb in order to be strict with him, but only to be lenient with him. Rav Nachman son of Rav Yosef redeemed his with vegetables at their value.

A certain unlearned man asked Rabbi Meir: With what is a firstborn donkey redeemed? He said to him: With a lamb, as it is written, "And the firstling of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb" (Exodus 34:20). And if he has no lamb, with what is it redeemed? He said to him: With a kid [a young goat]. He said to him: From where do you derive this? He said to him: As it is written, "This is the animal which you may eat: the ox, the sheep of the flock [seh kesavim], and the goat of the flock [seh izzim]" (Deuteronomy 14:4) [both are called seh, the word the redemption verse uses]. He stood up and kissed him on his head.

"Every firstborn of your sons you shall redeem" (Exodus 34:20). One who set aside the redemption money for his son and it was lost is responsible to replace it. From where do we know this? Rav said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: "Every firstborn of your sons you shall redeem," and "they shall not appear before Me empty-handed" (Exodus 23:15)—just as there the heirs are obligated, so here the heirs are obligated. Our Rabbis taught: All the duties of a son that fall upon the father to perform for him—men are obligated and women are exempt: to circumcise him, to redeem him, to teach him Torah, to take a wife for him, and to teach him a craft. From where do we know about redeeming him? As it is written, "every firstborn of your sons you shall redeem." And where the father did not redeem him, he is obligated to redeem himself, as it is written "tifdeh" [you shall redeem], which may be read "tippadeh" [you shall be redeemed]. And from where do we know that a woman is not obligated [to redeem her son]? As it is written "every firstborn of your sons"—your sons, and not your daughters. Our Rabbis taught: If a man must redeem himself and his son, he takes precedence over his son. Rabbi Yehudah says: His son takes precedence, because his own duty falls upon his father, while his son's duty falls upon himself. Rabbi Yirmiyah said: All agree that where there are only five selas, he takes precedence over his son, for the duty of his own body is preferable. Our Rabbis taught: If one must redeem his son and make the pilgrimage festival, he redeems his son first and afterward makes the pilgrimage. Rabbi Yehudah says: He makes the pilgrimage first and afterward redeems his son, for this [the pilgrimage] is a duty that will pass [if missed], while that [the redemption] is a duty that will not pass. Our Rabbis taught: From where do we know that if a man had five sons from five wives, he is obligated to redeem all of them? As it is said, "every firstborn of your sons you shall redeem," for the Merciful One made it depend on the opening of the womb. "In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest" (Exodus 34:21). Rabbi Akiva says: It need not state plowing and harvest of the seventh year, for it already says "you shall not sow" (Leviticus 25:4). Rather, it refers to the plowing of the eve of the seventh year that extends into the seventh, and the harvest of the seventh year that extends into the year following. Rabbi Yishmael says: Just as plowing is optional, so harvest [here] is optional, excluding the harvest of the Omer, which is a commandment.

"And the Feast of Ingathering at the turning of the year" (Exodus 34:22). Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: One does not declare a leap year unless the [autumn] season would be deficient by the greater part of a month, sixteen days. These are the words of Rabbi Yehudah. Rabbi Yose says: twenty-one days. Rabbi Yochanan said: Both expounded a single verse, "And the Feast of Ingathering at the turning of the year." One master holds we require the entire festival to fall within the new season, and the other master holds we require only part of the festival to fall within the new season. What underlies their dispute? If they held that the day of the equinox completes [the old season], then neither view works out, neither for the one who requires the whole festival within the new season nor for the one who requires only part of it. Rather, they hold that the day of the equinox begins [the new season]. An objection was raised: the day of the equinox completes, says Rabbi Yehudah; the day of the equinox begins, says Rabbi Yose. And it was further taught: one does not declare a leap year unless the season would be deficient by the greater part of a month, sixteen days; Rabbi Yehudah says two-thirds of the month, twenty days; Rabbi Yose says we calculate—sixteen days before Passover, we declare a leap year; sixteen days before the festival [of Tabernacles], we do not declare a leap year. Rabbi Shimon says: even sixteen days before the festival, we declare a leap year. Others say: the minimum is fourteen days. Ravina said: in truth, the "others" are positioned at the season of Tishrei, and they hold that we require the entire festival within the new season. The first day [of the festival] is called "the Feast of Ingathering"—the festival that comes at the time of ingathering. "Three times in the year [all your males shall appear]" (Exodus 34:23)—your males. And likewise "the face of the Lord" is written in remez 357.

"And no man shall covet your land" (Exodus 34:24). Rabbi Eleazar said: those who are sent to perform a commandment are not harmed, neither on their way out nor on their way back. According to whom is this? According to this Tanna, for it was taught: Isi ben Yehudah says, regarding what the Torah said, "And no man shall covet your land," this teaches that your cow shall graze in the meadow and no wild beast shall harm it, and your hen shall peck at the dunghill and no weasel shall harm it. And is this not a matter of inference from minor to major [kal va-chomer]? If creatures whose nature it is to be harmed are not harmed, then a person, whose nature it is not to be harmed, how much more so! I would know this only for the journey out; from where do I know it for the return? The verse states, "and you shall turn in the morning and go to your tents" (Deuteronomy 16:7), teaching that you shall go and find your tent in peace. But once it is derived from "and you shall turn in the morning" that even on the return one is not harmed, why do I need a verse for the journey out? It is needed for the teaching of Rabbi Ami: whoever owns land goes up for the pilgrimage festival, and whoever does not own land does not go up for the festival.

"And no man shall covet your land" (Exodus 34:24). It happened once that a man left a house full of chickens, and he came back and found martens torn open. Another man left his house standing open, and he came back and found a snake coiled upon his door-bolts. Rabbi Pinchas would tell this incident: two brothers in Ashkelon had gentile neighbors. The neighbors said: when these Jews go up to Jerusalem, we will take everything they have. When the brothers went up, the Holy One, blessed be He, sent angels who went in and out of the house in their likeness. When the brothers came back down, the neighbors asked them: whom did you leave inside your house? They said: not a single person. The neighbors said: blessed is the holy God of the Jews, who does not abandon them and does not forsake them. Navot the Jezreelite had a beautiful voice, and he would go up to Jerusalem, and all Israel would gather to hear his voice. One time he did not go up, and worthless men were set against him, and he was lost from the world. What caused this for him? Because he did not go up to Jerusalem to appear and to honor the Holy One, blessed be He, with that which He had graciously given him. Why? Because the Torah already said, "And no man shall covet your land" — when? "When you go up."

"And it shall not remain overnight" (Exodus 34:25). The festival offering [chagigah] would come from the herd or from the flock, from the males or from the females, and it was eaten for two days. Our Mishnah does not follow Ben Teima, for we have learned: Ben Teima says, the festival offering that comes together with the Passover is like the Passover, and it is eaten only for one day and one night. What is his reasoning? As it is written, "and there shall not remain overnight until the morning the sacrifice of the festival" — this is the festival offering; "the Passover," according to its plain meaning; and Scripture compared it [the festival offering] to the Passover. And [according to Ben Teima] it is eaten only roasted, and does not come from the herd, and does not come from females, and does not come when it is two years old, and is eaten only by those registered for it. "The first of the firstfruits of your land" (Exodus 34:26) is written at remez 358. "You shall not cook a kid."

"Write for yourself these words, for by the mouth of [these words]" (Exodus 34:27). Rabbi Eleazar said: the Torah is mostly in writing and a minority by mouth, as it is said, "I would write for him the great things of My Torah" (Hosea 8:12). Rabbi Yochanan said: it is mostly by mouth, as it is said, "for by the mouth of these words." And the other one too — is it not written, "I would write the great things"? That is asked as an astonished question. And the other one too — is it not written, "for by the mouth of these words"? That is because they [the Oral teachings] are difficult, and one is not able to state them fully in writing. Rabbi Yehudah bar Nachmani, the interpreter [meturgeman] of Resh Lakish, expounded: it is written, "Write for yourself these words," and it is written, "for by the mouth of these words." How can both stand? Words that are in writing you are not permitted to recite by mouth, and words that are by mouth you are not permitted to recite in writing. The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: "these" — these you write, but you do not write laws [halakhot]. Rabbi Yochanan said: the Holy One, blessed be He, made a covenant with Israel only for the sake of the words that are by mouth, as it is said, "for by the mouth of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." They said: perhaps a new matter is different, for indeed Rabbi Yochanan and Resh Lakish would study a book of aggadah on the Sabbath, and they expounded thus: "It is a time to act for the LORD; they have voided Your Torah" (Psalms 119:126) — better that one letter of the Torah be uprooted than that the Torah be forgotten from Israel. Great is circumcision, for it is weighed against all the commandments of the Torah, as it is said, "for by the mouth of these words I have made a covenant with you."

...And the tables were the work of God. the tablets were not created from earth (i.e. this physical world) rather from heaven When the Holy One came to give the Torah to Moshe, he said over the order of the Readings, the Mishna, the aggadah and the Talmud as it says "And God spoke all these words..." (Shemot 20:1) - even what an experienced student would ask his teacher. The Holy One said to him go and "teach it to the Children of Israel..." (Devarim 31:19) Moshe replied 'Master of the world, you write it down for your children!' Gd said to him, 'I want to give it to them in writing, but it is revealed before me that in the future the nations of the world will rule over them and take it away from them. Then my children will be like the nations!' So Moshe said 'give them the Readings in written form and the aggadah, Mishna and Talmud orally.' "And the LORD said to Moses: Write down these..." (Shemot 34:27) this refers to the Readings, "...for in accordance with these..." (ibid.) refers to the Mishna and Talmud which make the distinction between Israel and the nations of the world.

"And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights" (Exodus 34:28). Is it possible for a person to go forty days without eating and drinking? Angels descended to Abraham and ate; Moses ascended to the upper realms, saw that there is no eating and drinking there, and so he did not eat and did not drink (this is written at the end of "And these are the ordinances"). "He did not eat bread" — he ate from the bread of the Torah. "And he drank no water" — he drank from the waters of the Torah, as it is said, "Come, eat of my bread" (Proverbs 9:5), and it says, "Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters" (Isaiah 55:1). He would learn Torah by day and review it by himself at night. Why? Only to teach Israel that they should labor in the Torah by day and by night. And from where was he nourished all those forty days? From the radiance of the Divine Presence [Shekhinah]. "Forty days and forty nights" — but is it not written, "and the light dwells with Him" (Daniel 2:22), and "the brightness shall be as the light," and "even the darkness does not darken before You" (Psalms 139:12)? From where, then, did Moses know when it was day and when it was night? Rather, at the hour when the Holy One, blessed be He, taught him Scripture, he knew it was day, and at the hour when He taught him Mishnah, he knew it was night.

Another interpretation: when he would see the angels praising Him with "Holy," he knew it was day; and at the hour when he would see them praising with "Blessed," he knew it was night.

Another interpretation: when he would see them grinding manna to send down to Israel, he knew it was day; and when it was coming down to them, he knew it was night.

Another interpretation. When he would see the orb of the sun coming and bowing down before the Omnipresent, he knew that it was night, and when he would see the moon and the stars and the constellations coming and prostrating themselves, he knew that it was day. When prayer came before the recitation of the Shema, he knew that it was night. The angel who is appointed over prayer waits until the last congregation in Israel has prayed, and he makes of all the prayers a crown, and he sets it upon the head of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said (Proverbs 10:6), "Blessings are upon the head of the righteous one" [read as] upon the head of the Righteous One of the world.

(Exodus 34:29) "And it came to pass when Moses came down (from the mountain) [from Mount Sinai]." From where did Moses take the rays of glory? Our Rabbis say, from the cave, as it is said, "And it shall come to pass, when My glory passes by, that I will put you" and so forth (Exodus 33:22). Rabbi Berekhiah says, from the tablets. The length of the tablets was six handbreadths and their width three, and Moses was holding on by two handbreadths, and the Holy One, blessed be He, by two handbreadths, and there were two handbreadths of space in the middle, from there Moses took the rays of glory.

Rabbi Yehudah bar Nachman said, when Moses wrote the Torah, a little was left over in the pen, and he passed it over his head, and from there the rays of glory were made for him, [as it is said] "And Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone" and so forth (Exodus 34:29). All the glory that he took was from the giving of reward, but the ray remains his, as it is said (Habakkuk 3:4), "Rays come forth from His hand for Him" and so forth, and when the righteous receive their reward in the world to come, he will receive his reward, as it is said (Isaiah 40:10), "Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strength, and His arm rules for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him." (Exodus 34:30) "And they were afraid to come near him" (this is written in remez 363).

(Exodus 34:31-32) "And Moses called to them, and they returned to him." Since it is said (Numbers 10:3-4), "And they shall blow with them; and if they blow with one," but we have not heard to where, behold I reason. "Blowing" is stated here, concerning the congregation, and "blowing" is stated concerning the princes. Just as the blowing stated concerning the congregation is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, so the blowing stated concerning the princes is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Or, perhaps the one who comes first in Scripture comes first in deed? Scripture teaches, "And Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes, to the children of Israel" (Numbers 30:2). Since statements were said in the Torah without specification, and Scripture specified in one of them that the princes come first, so I specify in all the statements in the Torah that the princes come first. Rabbi Yonatan says, it is not necessary, for it has already been said, "And Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the princes returned to him" and so forth, and afterward all the children of Israel drew near. Since a statement was said in the Torah without specification, and Scripture specified for you in one of them that the princes come first, and so forth. And what does Scripture teach by saying "to the heads of the tribes"? It comes to teach you that the annulment of vows is only by experts. (Exodus 34:34) "And he would go out and speak to the children of Israel" (this is written in remez 282).

Portion of Vayakhel. (Exodus 35:1-3) "And Moses gathered." Our Rabbis, the masters of Aggadah, say, from the beginning of the Torah to its end there is no portion that begins with the word "And he gathered" except this one alone. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, make for yourself great assemblies and expound before them in public the laws of Shabbat, so that the coming generations may learn from you to gather assemblies every single Shabbat, and to assemble in houses of study to teach and to instruct Israel words of Torah, what is forbidden and what is permitted, so that My great name may be praised among My children. From here they said, Moses instituted for Israel that they should expound on the matter of the day, the laws of Passover on Passover, the laws of Shavuot on Shavuot, the laws of the Festival on the Festival. Moses said to Israel, if you do according to this order, the Holy One, blessed be He, reckons it for you as though you had crowned Me king in My world, as it is said, "And you are My witnesses, says the LORD, and I am God" (Isaiah 43:12). And likewise David says (Psalms 40:10), "I have proclaimed righteousness in the great assembly." And what tidings did Israel need in the days of David? Were not all the days of David like a foretaste of the days of the Messiah? Rather, he would open and expound before them words of Torah that no ear had ever heard.

"And Moses gathered" - why is it stated? Because it says (Exodus 25:8), "And they shall make Me a sanctuary," I might hear that this applies whether on a weekday or on the Shabbat, and how do I uphold (Exodus 31:14), "those who profane it shall surely be put to death"? Concerning all other labors except the labor of the Sanctuary. [Or perhaps even the labor of the Sanctuary,] and how do I uphold "And they shall make Me a sanctuary"? On all the other days [except the Shabbat, or even on the Shabbat]. And reason would suggest, if the service that comes only from all its preparations nonetheless overrides the Shabbat, the preparations for the service, without which the service cannot come, by reason should override the Shabbat, such as when the horn of the altar was removed or the slaughtering knife became defective. I might hear that one may repair them even on the Shabbat. Scripture teaches, "And Moses gathered," on a weekday and not on the Shabbat. "And he said to them, These are the things." Rabbi says, this comes to include the thirty-nine principal categories of labor, which Moses told them by word of mouth.