Illustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
Moshe tells Benei Yisrael that they are about to experience מַתַּן תּוֹרָה (matan Torah, the giving of the Torah). Here’s what happens next:
(ח) וַיַּעֲנוּ כָל הָעָם יַחְדָּו וַיֹּאמְרוּ
כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יהוה נַעֲשֶׂה
וַיָּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶת דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל יהוה׃
(ט) וַיֹּאמֶר יהוה אֶל מֹשֶׁה הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָּא אֵלֶיךָ בְּעַב הֶעָנָן בַּעֲבוּר יִשְׁמַע הָעָם בְּדַבְּרִי עִמָּךְ וְגַם בְּךָ יַאֲמִינוּ לְעוֹלָם
וַיַּגֵּד מֹשֶׁה אֶת דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל יהוה׃
(8) All the people answered as one, saying, “All that God has spoken we will do!”
Moshe brought back the people’s words to God.
(9) And God said to Moshe, “I will come to you in a thick cloud, so the people may hear when I speak with you and trust you forever.”
Moshe told the people’s words to God.
Moshe reports back to God twice. In pasuk 8, it’s clear what he’s telling God. But in pasuk 9, it’s not so obvious. Our פַּרְשָׁנִים (parshanim, commentators) wonder: What was Moshe reporting the second time?
וַיַּגֵּד מֹשֶׁה אֶת דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל ה' - זֶהוּ "וַיָּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה…" (שמות יט:ח), כּוֹלֵל וְאַחַר כָּךְ מְפָרֵשׁ.
“Moshe told the people’s words to God” - this is the same thing as “Moshe brought back the people’s words” (from before).
The Torah first makes a general statement (in pasuk 8) and then provides the details (in pasuk 9).
According to Rashbam, the message in pasuk 9 is the same as the message in pasuk 8.
- What would make someone feel they have to repeat details when telling a story? What does that say about those details?
- Why do you think the Torah would repeat the moment of Moshe bringing the people’s words to God? What about their words is worth repeating?
תְּשׁוּבָה עַל דָּבָר זֶה כְּבָר שָׁמַעְתִּי מֵהֶם שֶׁרְצוֹנָן לִשְׁמֹעַ מִמְּךָ. אֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה שׁוֹמֵעַ מִפִּי שָׁלִיחַ לְשׁוֹמֵעַ מִפִּי הַמֶּלֶךְ, רְצוֹנֵנוּ לִרְאוֹת אֶת מַלְכֵּנוּ.
Moshe said to God: I have already heard Benei Yisrael’s answer — they want to hear directly from You. Hearing from the mouth of a messenger is nothing like hearing directly from the mouth of the King. They are saying: We want to see our King.
According to Rashi, pasuk 9 adds something new: a request from the people to hear from God directly.
- Take a look at God’s words in the first half of pasuk 9. Why might these words have prompted Benei Yisrael to request hearing directly from God?
- What is Rashi saying about how the people felt about God? Do you understand their request? How does it feel to really really want to see someone or hear their voice?
- Right after Matan Torah, Benei Yisrael say that they don’t want to hear directly from God. (Look it up! Shemot 20:15.) How might Rashi explain this?
-------------------
