The Decalogue: Direct From Hashem or Via Moshe/2/en
The Decalogue: Direct From Hashem or Via Moshe?
Exegetical Approaches
All From Hashem
The nation heard the entire Decalogue from Hashem. This position subdivides regarding whether Hashem was directing his words at the people or at Moshe.
Direct Communication
Hashem spoke to the people themselves; they, not Moshe, were his target audience.
- Spoke to all – According to Ibn Ezra, this verse does not insinuate that Hashem was to speak to Moshe alone, but only that when Hashem did speak to him (along with everyone else), his prophetic stature would be verified. The nation had doubted Moshe's prophecy, believing that if Hashem speaks to a person he cannot live afterwards. Thus, Hashem tells Moshe that when the nation sees Him speaking to Moshe during the giving of the Decalogue, they will finally recognize that this is not true.
- Change of plan - According to Ralbag and Abarbanel, originally, Hashem told Moshe that he would speak to him alone and the nation would overhear, leading them to believe in Moshe's prophecy. Moshe then clarified to Hashem that the nation preferred not to have a mediator but desired a direct face to face revelation. Hashem acquiesced and changed the original plan.4
- Before the Decalogue – Shadal asserts that this refers to the nation hearing Hashem's conversation with Moshe before the Decalogue.
- According to Ibn Ezra, Moshe is saying that the nation feared from the fire, despite the fact that they did not go up the mountain.
- This position could have instead said that the original plan (had the nation not been overcome by fear) was to ascend the mountain after the giving of the Decalogue and to hear the rest of the 613 commandments from perhaps an even closer vantage point and at a higher spiritual level.7
- Before the Decalogue – According to Ibn Ezra, Abarbanel and Shadal,8 this refers to the conversation between Moshe and Hashem before the giving of the Decalogue and, as such, provides no information regarding how Hashem delivered the commandments.9
- Before and during – Ralbag maintains that the verse refers to Hashem's words both before and during the Decalogue.10 Hashem conversed with Moshe prophetically, but simultaneously transmitted the message to the nation out loud (via a concrete voice rather than a mental prophecy).
- During the Decalogue – R. Eliezer suggests that that the verse is simply saying that before Hashem spoke to the nation, He waited for Moshe to tell Him that they were ready.
- This position highlights the goal of teaching the nation to believe in Hashem. As Moshe says in Sefer Devarim, after hearing Hashem directly, "אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ לָדַעַת כִּי ה' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים".12
- According to Shadal, there might have been a dual purpose of instilling belief in both Moshe and Hashem. By hearing Hashem speak to Moshe before the actual revelation they recognized his prophetic stature, and by hearing Hashem themselves during revelation, they came to belief in God.
Overheard
Hashem's speech was really directed at Moshe, but Hashem ensured that the nation overheard the conversation.
All Via Moshe
The nation understood none of Hashem's words, requiring Moshe to mediate between the people and Hashem throughout the entire Decalogue. As above, this approach subdivides regarding whether Hashem aimed his words at Moshe or at the people as a whole.
Spoke to Moshe
Hashem spoke to Moshe, who then relayed Hashem's words to the nation. The people themselves did not hear any of Hashem's words, only His voice.
Spoke to Nation
Hashem spoke to the entire nation but due to their distance, only Moshe could understand Hashem's words fully, leading him to act as a translator.
As above. R. D"Z Hoffmann supports the idea that the nation did not comprehend Hashem's words by the repeated emphasis on having heard His voice rather than His words. See Devarim 4:12, 4:33-36, and 5:19-22.26
Combination - Two versus Eight
The nation heard and understood only two commandments without any intermediary. The other eight were delivered via Moshe.
Heard only two
The nation heard Hashem directly during the first two commandments, but then got scared and asked Moshe to tell them the rest.
Heard Ten, Comprehended Two
Hashem gave all of the commandments directly to the nation, but they were able to comprehend only the first two, and Moshe had to transmit the contents of the last eight to them.