Rashi on TanakhExodus 20

Elohim spoke. אֱלֹקִים refers only to [God as] Judge. Since there are chapters in the Torah that if a person fulfills them he receives a reward, but if he does not fulfill them he does not receive punishment, I might think that the Ten Commandments are also of this type. Therefore the Torah writes: “Elohim spoke” — that He is a Judge who exacts punishment.

All these words. This teaches that God said the Ten Commandments in one utterance, something that is impossible for man to utter. If this was so then why does the Torah repeat: “I am Adonoy” and “You must not have”? Because He explicitly repeated each and every command separately.

Saying. This teaches us that they replied “Yes” to a positive command and “no” to a negative command.

Who brought you out of the land of Egypt. “The act of bringing you out is sufficient to make you subservient to Me.” An alternate explanation: Since He revealed Himself at the [Reed] Sea as One Who is powerful at war and revealed Himself here as an elderly being, full of compassion, as it is said: “They saw [a vision] of the God of Israel and under His feet [there was something] like a brickwork of sapphire.” This was [the situation] before Him at the time of the enslavement [in Egypt]. “[It was] like the essence of the heavens”... once they were redeemed. [Therefore] “Since I change appearances do not think that there are two dominions” [and therefore God says:] “I am the [same] One Who has brought you out of the Land of Egypt and [Who was with you] at the [Reed] Sea.” An alternate explanation: Because they had heard many sounds, as it is said: “[The people saw] the sounds;” sounds coming from all four directions as well as from the heavens and the earth, do not therefore say that there are many dominions. Why is this section written in the singular: “אֱלֹקֶיךָ” — “your (speaking to one individual) God”? This was to give an opening for Moshe to present a defense for the act of the Golden Calf. This is what is meant when he said: “Why, God, should You be angry at Your nation?” [Meaning:] “It was not to them that You issued the command: You (plural) shall have no other gods but only to me.”

From the house of slaves. [Meaning:] from the house of Pharaoh to whom you were slaves. Or maybe it means simply “from the house of slaves,” [implying] that they were the slaves of slaves. The Torah therefore states: “He redeemed you from the house of slaves, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.” You must therefore conclude that they were slaves of the king and not the slaves of slaves.

You must not have. Why is this said? Since it states: “Do not make for yourself,” I would know only that it is not permitted to make [an idol]. Once it has been made, how would we know that one may not keep it in his possession? The Torah therefore says: “You must not have.”

Other gods — which are not actually gods but others made them into gods over themselves. It would be incorrect to explain as אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים as “gods other than Myself” for it would be disrespectful towards the One Most High to call them gods in relation to Him. An alternate explanation of אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים: that they are אֲחֵרִים (strangers) to those who worship them; they [their worshippers] cry out to them but they [the idols] do not respond to them and it seems as if it is a stranger who has never known him at all.

Before My Presence. [Meaning:] “as long as I exist” (i.e., forever). [It was necessary to state this] so that you should not claim that only that generation was prohibited from idol-worship.

Carved image. [Called פֶּסֶל] because it is נִפְסָל (carved).

Or [any] picture. A picture of any thing in the heavens.

A jealous Almighty. He is jealous to exact punishment and does not act leniently by forgiving the sin of idolatry. Wherever the term קַנָּא [appears] it is enprenment in Old French — “jealousy,” [meaning] He directs His attention to exact punishment.

Of My enemies. As Onkelos explains it — when they (the children) retain in their hands the deeds of their fathers.

Who stores the loving-kindness — that a person does, in order to reward him, for two thousand generations. Consequently [God’s] measure for reward is greater than His measure for punishment by five hundred times, because one is for four generations and the other for two thousand [generations].

In vain. (The second [לַשָׁוְא in the verse] has the meaning of “falsehood” as Onkelos translates it), as you say [in the Gemara]: “What constitutes a שְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא? One who swears of something evident, that it is otherwise, When one swears that a pillar made of stone is made of gold. (The first [לַשָׁוְא] means “for naught” as Onkelos translates it). This refers to one who swears for naught and meaninglessly [an oath] about a tree that it is a tree and about a stone that it is a stone.

Remember. זָכוֹר and שָׁמוֹר were said [by God] in one utterance. Similarly: “Those who profane it shall be put to death,” and: “And on Shabbos [sacrifice] two lambs.” Also: “Do not wear shatnez, make fringes for yourself.” Also: [the prohibition against] “marrying your brother’s wife,” [and:] “her husband’s brother shall come unto her.” This is what is meant when it is said: “God spoke one utterance but I heard two.” [The word] זָכוֹר [and not זְכוֹר] is in the פָּעוֹל [an ongoing action] form, just like אָכוֹל וְשָׁתוֹ — “to eat and drink” [or:] הָלוֹךְ וּבָכֹה — “to go and to weep;” and this is its explanation [of זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת]: Take heed to constantly remember the Shabbos day, so that if you happen upon a [nice] food item set it aside for Shabbos.

And do all your work. When Shabbos comes, it should be in your eyes as if all your work has been done, so that you will not be concerned about work.

You, your son, your daughter. This refers to minors. Or [you might claim that it refers] only to adults. You must admit that they (the adults) have already been commanded. Thus this [command] comes only to warn adults regarding the Shabbos rest of the minors. This is the implication of that which we learned: A minor who offers to extinguish a fire is not to be listened to (i.e., we do not allow it) because [the responsibility for] his Shabbos rest is upon you.

And He rested on the seventh day. As if one could contemplate such a thing, He had it written about Himself that He rested to teach a fortiori from Him regarding a human being, whose work is done with toil and hard labor, that he must rest on Shabbos.

Blessed and made it holy. He “blessed” it with the manna by giving twice as much on Friday, a “double bread,” and “make it holy” with the manna that on Shabbos it did not fall.

So that your days may be lengthened. If you will honor [them], they (your days) will be lengthened. But if not, they will be shortened for the words of the Torah are concisely written; inference may be made from the positive to the negative and from the negative to the positive.

Do not commit adultery. The term נִאוּף applies only with another’s wife, as it is said: “[A man who will commit adultery with a married woman — who will commit adultery with a fellow Jew’s wife], the adulterer and adulteress shall be put to death.” It is also said: “The woman who commits adultery while in her husband’s domain, who takes strangers.”

Do not steal [by kidnapping]. This verse deals with one who steals human beings, [whereas the verse:] “Do not steal” deals with someone who steals property. Or perhaps this is not so but rather this one deals with stealing property while the other deals with kidnapping. Say: “a thing may be learned from its context”: Just as “Do not murder, do not commit adultery” deal with a matter of liability to death by Bais Din, so, too, “Do not steal” deals with a matter where one is liable for death by the Bais Din.

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.”

Saw the sounds. They saw that which is normally heard which is impossible to see on any other occasion.

The sounds — which came from the Almighty.

And they trembled. The root word נוֹעַ [here] means “trembling.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

This is what you must say. In this language (Hebrew).

You have seen. There is a difference between what a person sees and what others tell him, for regarding what others tell him his heart is sometimes divided as to whether [or not] to believe it.

That I have spoken from heaven. But another verse says: “And God descended upon Mount Sinai.” Therefore a third verse comes and balances between them: “From the heavens He made you hear His voice in order to reprimand you and upon the earth He showed you His great fire.” [The explanation being:] His glory in the heavens but His fire and power are upon the earth. An alternate explanation: He lowered the heavens and the heaven of heavens and spread them over the mountain. Similarly it is written: He spread out the heavens and descended.

Do not make anything with Me. [Meaning:] Do not make a likeness of My servants who serve Me on high.

Gods of silver. This comes as a prohibition regarding the Cherubim which you will make to stand with Me, that they not be of silver for if you will alter them to make them of silver they will be considered before Me as idols.

Or Gods of Gold. This comes as a prohibition not to add to the number of two [Cherubim] for if you make four they will be considered before Me as gods of gold.

You must not make for yourselves. Do not say: “I will make cherubim in the Synagogues and in the Houses of Study the same way that I do in the Eternal House.” It is for this reason that it states: “You must not make for yourselves.”

An earthen altar. [I.e.,] attached to the earth [meaning:] that it must not be built on pillars or on a base. An alternate explanation: that they should fill the hollow of the copper altar with earth during their encampment.

Make for me. From its beginning it should be made for My Name.

And slaughter near it. [עָלָיו here means:] near it, as in: “And near him was the tribe of Menasheh.” Or perhaps it means literally upon it. The Torah therefore says: “the flesh and the blood [of the korbon shall be put] upon the altar of Adonoy your God,” but the slaughtering is not upon the altar.

Your burnt-offerings, your peace-offerings — that are from your sheep and your cattle. Hence אֶת צֹאנְךָ וְאֶת בְקָרֶךָ is an explanation of אֶת עֹלֹתֶיךָ וְאֶת שְׁלָמֶיךָ .

Wherever I permit My Name to be mentioned. [Meaning:] wherever I will permit you to mention My Explicit Name there I will come to you and bless you, [meaning:] I will rest My Shechinah upon you.” From here you learn that permission was not given to pronounce the Explicit Name except in a place to which the Shechinah comes, which is the Beis Hamikdosh (lit. His chosen house). There the kohanim were permitted to pronounce the Explicit Name during nesias kappaim (raising the hands over the people) to bless the people.

When [you build] a stone altar. Rabbi Yishmael says: Every אִם and וְאִם in Scripture is optional, except for three: וְאִם מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים תַּעֲשֶׂה לִי (here). You see that this אִם is used in the sense of: “when,” i.e., “And when you make a stone altar do not build it out of hewn stone, for it is your obligation (not optional) to build a stone altar, as it is said: “You shall build [the altar] of whole stones.” Similarly: “אִם you will lend money” is obligatory, as it is said: “And you shall lend to him.” This [אִם] too has the meaning “when.” Similarly: “וְאִם you will offer the meal-offering of bikurim, ” which refers to the minchah of the omer which is obligatory. Hence you are forced to say that these cases of “אִם” are not conditional (“if”) but absolutes and they convey the meaning: “when.”

Hewn stone. [גָזִית has] the same root as גְזִיזָה — “cutting stone” for they are cut and hewn with an iron [tool].

Lest you lift your sword on it. The word “כִּי” here is used in the sense of “lest” which means “perhaps” — “lest it may happen that you lift your sword on it.”

You will [therewith] have profaned it. Hence you learn that if you do lift iron on it you profane it, for the altar was created in order to lengthen the days of man whereas iron was created to shorten the days of man, it would not be right that the one that shortens [man’s life] should be lifted over the one that lengthens [man’s life]. Furthermore, the altar promotes peace between [the Bnei] Yisrael and their Father in Heaven. Therefore there should not come on it anything that cuts and destroys. You can derive from these things a fortiori: Just as [regarding] stones, which cannot see, nor hear, nor speak, [yet] since they promote peace, the Torah says: “Do not lift iron upon them;” then one who promotes peace between husband and wife, between one family and another, between man and his fellow-man, how much more so [does it follow] that no punishment will come to him.

Do not go up with steps. When you will build a ramp for the altar do not make it as a row of steps, [which are called] eschelons in Old French, but rather it should be flat and sloping.

So that your nakedness not be revealed. Because due to these steps you will have to broaden your strides. And though it would not be an actual uncovering of the nakedness for it is written: “Make for them (the kohanim) linen pants,” nevertheless the broadening of the strides comes near [enough] to uncovering one’s nakedness whereby you will be acting towards them (the stones) with disrespect. You can derive from these things a fortiori: Just as these stones that have no sense to take offense at their denigration [yet] the Torah stated that, since there is a need for them, do not act disrespectfully towards them, then your fellow-man, who is in the image of your Creator and takes offense at his denigration, how much more so [must you be careful not to show him disrespect].