Rashi on TanakhExodus 33

Leave, go up from this. Eretz Yisrael is the highest of all the lands. Therefore it says: “Go up.” An alternate explanation [for the expression: “Go up”]: as opposed to what He said to him in time of anger: “Go down,” He said to him in time of good-will “Go up.”

You and the people. Here he did not say: “and your people.”

And I will drive out the Canaanites, etc. These are [only] six nations. [This is because] the Girgashite nation got up and cleared out on their own from before them.

To a land flowing with milk and honey — do I tell you to bring them up.

For I will not go up among you. It is for this reason that I say to you “I will send an angel before you.”

For you are a stiff-necked people — and when My Shechinah is among you and you are rebellious against Me it causes Me to increase My anger against you.

Destroy you. אֲכֶלְךָ comes from כִּלָיוֹן — “destruction.”

This bad news — that the Shechinah will not reside or go with them.

[No] man [wore] his ornament. [This refers to] the crowns given to them at Chorev when they responded, “We shall do and we shall listen.”

Were I to go up among you for one moment. I would destroy you. “Were I to go up among you, and you would be rebellious against me — in your stubbornness, I would be angry with you for [only] one moment which is the length of time that My anger lasts, as it is said: “Hide for almost a moment, until the anger passes,” and I would destroy you. It is therefore better for you that I send an angel.

And now — this is the punishment that you will receive immediately, that you will remove your ornaments from yourselves.

And I know what to do with you. Insofar as the accounting for the rest of the sin I know what I have in My heart to do to you.

Their ornaments from Mount Chorev. Their ornaments which they possessed from Mount Chorev.

And Moshe — from the time of the sin and on —

would take the tent. [יִקַּח] is an ongoing action (present tense): he would take his tent and pitch it outside the encampment. He thought: one who is ostracized by the master ought to be ostracized by the disciple as well.

A distance — of two thousand amohs, similar to what is said: “Only let there be a distance between you (the B’nei Yisrael) and it (the Ark) of about two thousand amohs by measure.”

And he called it. He would refer to it as Tent of Meeting — a gathering place for those who seek knowledge of Torah.

Everyone who sought Adonoy. From here [we derive] that one who seeks to be in the presence of an “elder” (a Torah scholar) is as if he is in the presence of the Shechinah.

Would go out to the Tent of Meeting. [יֵצֵא here is] the same [tense] as יוֹצֵא (i.e., present tense). An alternate explanation of וְהָיָה כָּל מְבַקֵּשׁ ה' . Even the ministering angels, when they would inquire as to the place of the Shechinah their fellow-angels would say to them: “But He is there in Moshe’s tent”!

Whenever. [וְהָיָה is] in the present tense.

Moshe went out — from the encampment to go to the tent —

all the people would rise. They would stand up before him and would not sit until he disappeared from view.

And they would gaze after Moshe — in an admiring way, [saying, in effect:] “Fortunate is one born of woman who is assured that the Shechinah will follow him into the entranceway of his tent.”

And would speak with Moshe — the same as וּמְדַבֵּר עִם משֶׁה (present tense). Onkelos translates it וּמִתְמַלֵּל עִם משֶׁה which is respect for the Shechinah, as in: “He heard the voice מִדַבֵּר to him” and it does not read מְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו . Because when it reads מִדַּבֵּר its interpretation is: the Voice speaking to itself which the ordinary person happens to overhear, but when it reads מְדַבֵּר it implies that the king is speaking with the ordinary person.

Prostrated themselves — to the Shechinah.

Adonoy spoke to Moshe face to face. The correct reading of Onkelos is וּמִתְמַלֵּל עִם משֶׁה .

He returned to the camp — after [God’s] conversing with him Moshe would return to the encampment and teach the elders what he had learned. Moshe acted in this way from Yom Kippur until the mishkon was erected but not longer. For on the 17th of Tammuz the tablets were broken and on the 18th he burned the Calf and judged the sinners and on the nineteenth he went up [the mountain], as it says: “The next day Moshe said to the people, etc.” and spent forty days there and asked for mercy [for the B’nei Yisrael], “and he would return to the encampment,” because it is in the present (ongoing) tense. The same applies to this whole section: וְרָאָה כָל הָעָם (v. 10) is וַחֲזַן — “would see,” וְנִצָבוּ (v. 8) is וִקַיְימִין — “they would rise,” וְהִבִּיטוּ (ibid.) is וּמִסְתַּכְּלִין — “they would gaze,” וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ (v. 10) is וְסָגְדִין — “they would bow.” But its midrashic explanation is:

God spoke to Moshe that he must return to the encampment; he said to him: “I am angry and you are angry; if so, who will again bring them near to me.”

Behold You say to me. רְאֵה (lit. “see”) means: Set Your “eyes” and Your “heart” on Your words. You say to me, etc. [“lead this people up”] but You did not let me know, etc. [whom You would send with me]. And this that You said to me: “Behold, I am sending an angel” is not considered letting me know for I do not wish it [to happen].

You [also] said, “I know you by name.” [Saying to me, in effect:] “I have recognized you from among other people ‘by name’ — i.e., to recognize your importance,” for You said to me [to indicate this importance]: “Behold I come to you in the thickness of the cloud, etc. and also in you will they believe forever.”

Now — if it is so that I have found favor in Your eyes please let me know Your ways — i.e., what reward do You give to those who find favor in Your eyes —

so that I will know You that I may find favor in Your eyes. And through this (i.e., knowing Your ways) the degree to which You give reward — what is this “finding of favor” which I have found in Your eyes. Hence the interpretation of לְמַעַן אֶמְצָא חֵן is: so that I may appreciate the extent of the reward for “finding favor.”

And consider that this nation is Your people — so that You not say: “And I will make you into a great nation,” while You abandon these [the people]; consider that they are Your people of yore, and if You become contemptuous of them I could not be certain that those who descend from me will endure. And my reward for this people, please make known to me. Our Sages, however, give midrashic interpretations of it in Tractate Berachos, but my purpose is to explain the verses in their context and order.

He [God] said, “My Presence will go [with you]. It is as Onkelos translates it: [שְׁכִנְתִּי תְהַךְ — “My Shechinah will go,” meaning:] “I will no longer send an angel, I, Myself, will go,” as in: “(וּפָנֶיךָ) You, yourself, will go into battle.”

He (Moshe) said to him — “that is exactly what I wish that You not bring us up from here through an angel.”

And how will it be known. The finding of favor will be known only by Your Self going with us. But I ask one more thing of You that You no longer allow Your Shechinah to rest on the nations of the world.

So that I and your people will be distinguished. I.e., through this we will be set apart from all other people, etc., as in: “God (הִפְלָה) distinguished between the cattle of Israel etc.”

Also this thing — that My Shechinah will no longer rest upon the nations of the world — I will do. But the [prophetical] words of Bilaam were not by means of the resting of the Shechinah [on him], but, rather, “when fallen (i.e., asleep) but with the eyes uncovered.” For example: “To me a word was stolen” — they (the prophets of the other nations) heard through an intermediary.

He (Moshe) then said. “Please grant me a vision of Your Glory.” Moshe saw that it was a favorable moment and that his words were finding acceptance. So he made an additional request to be shown a vision of His Glory.

He (God) said, “I will cause all My goodness to pass, etc.” I.e., “The time has come for you to see of My Glory, that which I will allow you to see, because I want and need to teach you the order of prayer. For, when you needed to ask for mercy for the Israelites, You reminded Me of the merit of the Patriarchs. You thought that were the merit of the Patriarchs to be exhausted there would no longer be any hope. I will, therefore, cause to pass all the attributes of My goodness before you on the rock while you are concealed in the cave.

And will proclaim the Name, Adonoy, in your presence — so as to teach you the order of asking for mercy even if the merit of the Patriarchs is exhausted. And in this order that you see Me, “wrapped [in a tallis]” while proclaiming “the thirteen attributes,” teach Yisrael to do likewise. And by mentioning before Me [My attributes] “Merciful One! Gracious One” they will be answered, for My mercies are never exhausted.

I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious. [I.e.,] those times that I will wish to be gracious.

And I will be compassionate — those times that I will wish to be compassionate. Up to this point He only promised him that “at times I will respond, at times I will not respond.” But at that time [when He actually proclaimed His attributes,] He said to him: “Behold, I establish a covenant,” thus promising him [that once the Attributes are invoked] they will never return unanswered (lit. empty).

And He said, “You cannot,” etc. Even when I cause all My goodness to pass before you, I shall not permit you to see My Presence.

“Behold, there is a place with Me.” In the mountain, where I constantly speak with you, I have a place prepared for your needs, where I will conceal you so that you will not be hurt, and from there you will see what you may see. That is the plain explanation. However, its midrashic explanation is that [“a place”] refers to the place where the Shechinah is and He, therefore, says: “The place is with Me” and He does not say: “I am in the place,” for God is “the place of the world” but the world is not “His place.”

When My Glory passes by. [Meaning:] When I pass by you.

In a cleft of the rock. [The word בְּנִקְרַת expresses the idea of a hole] as in: “Will you (תְּנַקֵּר) bore out the eyes of those men”? [or:] “The ravens of the valley (יִקְּרוּהָ) will bore it out” [or:] “I have dug and drunk water”; They all have a common root. Therefore נִקְרַת צוּר means “a place dug out in the rock.”

And I will cover [you] with My Hand. From here it may be derived permission is given to destroyers to destroy. Onkelos translates it (i.e., וְשַׂכֹּתִי כַפִּי) וְאָגֵין בְּמֵימְרִי — “I will protect you with My word.” This is a euphemism as a way [of explaining] respectfulness towards the One on High, Who, [obviously] does not need to cover him actually, with His Hand.

Then I will remove My Hand. [Onkelos translates it:] וְאַעְדֵי יָת דִּבְרַת יְקָרִי — “I shall remove the guidance of My Glory,” [Meaning:] “When I remove the guidance of My Glory from before your face” — to go away from there [then —]

you will see My Back. He showed him the tephillin-knot [behind the Head].