Revelation to the Elders at Sinai/2

The Elders at Sinai

Exegetical Approaches

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Meritorious

The elders encounter with Hashem at Sinai was a privilege that they deserved, in line with their merit and standing.

Sources:RashbamShemot 24:10-11About R. Shemuel b. Meir, Ibn EzraShemot First Commentary 24:10-11Shemot Second Commentary 24:10-11About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R"Y Bekhor ShorShemot 24:10-11About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, R. Avraham b. HaRambamShemot 24:10-11About R. Avraham Maimonides, RambanShemot 24:10-11About R. Moshe b. Nachman, Daat ZekeinimShemot 24:11About Daat Zekeinim, R. Yosef ibn KaspiShemot 24:9About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi, RalbagShemot Beur HaParashah 24:10-11About R. Levi b. Gershom #1, SefornoShemot 24:11About R. Ovadyah Seforno, Or HaChayyimShemot 24:11About R. Chayyim b. Atar

Blameworthy

Though they were granted a stay of punishment, the elders at Sinai were deserving of death.  This position differs regarding why:

Inappropriate Seeing

The elders were deserving of death either because they lacked the proper respect when granted the privilege of seeing Hashem, or for the very act of seeing itself.

Sources:Vayikra Rabbah20:10About Vayikra Rabbah, Pesikta DeRav Kahana26:9About Pesikta DeRav Kahana, TanchumaBehaalotekha 16About the Tanchuma, Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan)Shemot 24:9-11About Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), RashiShemot 24:1Shemot 24:10-11About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki,

"לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ" – These sources understand the phrase to mean that Hashem did not send forth His hand to punish the elders,¹ learning from this that they must have been deserving of death. They were granted a stay of execution only because Hashem did not want to ruin the happiness of the Giving of the Torah with the tragedy of their deaths.

"וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ" – These sources divide regarding whether the eating and drinking of this verse is literal² or metaphoric,³ but all agree that it signified that the people did not have proper respect for the encounter with God. They either approached the revelation from literal food and drink, or as if from food and drink, belittling the gravity of the experience and treating Hashem as a friend before whom you are comfortable eating rather than a king before whom you are not.

Seeing Hashem – Rashi suggests that the elders saw Hashem directly.  As such, this alone, regardless of their accompanying behavior, made them liable for death, as Hashem says, "לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי". One might question why Hashem would have invited the elders to approach, if this was to result in their deaths.  Rashi might respond that Hashem had invited them only to "bow from a distance, " yet they took the liberty to also look.

Who are "אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" – Rashi identifies this group with Nadav and Avihu and the 70 elders of verse 10, suggesting that all the verses speak of but one group of people.

"וַיִּרְאוּ אֵת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" vs. "וַיֶּחֱזוּ אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים" – This approach does not differentiate between the terms, assuming that both verses 10 and 11 speak of the same vision. It might explain that the fact is repeated only so as to explain where the elders erred and what was problematic about their action, that they did not only see, but did so with food and drink.

Purpose of the episode – These sources do not explain what was the goal of the episode, but might suggest that Hashem was simply extending to these distinguished individuals the honor of coming closer to God than the rest of the nation.

Flawed Perception

Due to insufficient preparation, the elders attained a flawed perception of God, deserving them death.

Sources:RambamMoreh Nevukhim 1:5About R. Moshe b. Maimon, RalbagShemot Beur HaParashah 24:10-11About R. Levi b. Gershom #2

"לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ" – Rambam understand the phrase to mean that Hashem did not send forth His hand to punish the elders, learning from this that they must have been deserving of death. They were granted a stay of execution only because Moshe intervened on their behalf to delay their punishment.

Seeing Hashem – Rambam asserts that the roots "ראה" and "חזה" have more than one meaning and can refer not only to physical vision, but also to mental insight. The verses do not imply that the elders physically saw Hashem but rather that thy attained some level of intellectual perception and comprehension of Hashem's essence.

וְתַחַת רַגְלָיו כְּמַעֲשֵׂה לִבְנַת הַסַּפִּיר וּכְעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם לָטֹהַר״" – Rambam suggests that this description of the elder's understanding, filled as it is with corporeal imagery,  teaches that their perception was flawed, for they comprehended Hashem as a material being.

"וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ" – Ralbag suggests that this points to the elders' improper preparation. Rather than engaging in solitude, they ate and drank. Rambam might similarly suggest that immersing in physicality is what led the elders to perceive Hashem, too, in physical terms.

Different levels

The verses differentiate between two groups, one of which attained prophecy and merited to comprehend the Divine at a fairly high level, while the other received only a very low level of or no prophecy at all.

Sources:Akeidat YitzchakShemot Peirush 24About R. Yitzchak Arama, AbarbanelShemot 24:1About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, R. Avraham SabaTzeror HaMor Shemot 24:11About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor), HaKetav VeHaKabbalahShemot 11Shemot 24:11About R. Yaakov Mecklenburg

¹ The phrase "שלח יד" often connotes sending forth one's hand specifically with intent  to harm.  see, for instance, Bereshit 22:12, Shemot 3:20, Shemot 9:15 and Shemuel I 22:17 and 24:6.

² This is how Rashi appears to understand the verse.

³ See Vayikra Rabbah, Pesikta DeRav Kahana, and Tanchuma.