Difference between revisions of "The Decalogue: Direct From Hashem or Via Moshe/2/en"
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<multilink><a href="RasagShemot19-9" data-aht="source">R. Saadia Gaon</a><a href="RasagShemot19-9" data-aht="source">Commentary Shemot 19:9-21, 20:1</a><a href="R. Saadia Gaon" data-aht="parshan">About R. Saadia Gaon</a></multilink>,<fn>Only part of R. Saadia Gaon's commentary here is extant, making it difficult to completely reconstruct his position.</fn> <multilink><a href="RAvrahamShemot20-1" data-aht="source">R. Maimon</a><a href="RAvrahamShemot20-1" data-aht="source">Shemot 20:1 (cited by his grandson)</a><a href="R. Avraham Maimonides" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham Maimonides</a></multilink> | <multilink><a href="RasagShemot19-9" data-aht="source">R. Saadia Gaon</a><a href="RasagShemot19-9" data-aht="source">Commentary Shemot 19:9-21, 20:1</a><a href="R. Saadia Gaon" data-aht="parshan">About R. Saadia Gaon</a></multilink>,<fn>Only part of R. Saadia Gaon's commentary here is extant, making it difficult to completely reconstruct his position.</fn> <multilink><a href="RAvrahamShemot20-1" data-aht="source">R. Maimon</a><a href="RAvrahamShemot20-1" data-aht="source">Shemot 20:1 (cited by his grandson)</a><a href="R. Avraham Maimonides" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham Maimonides</a></multilink> | ||
</mekorot> | </mekorot> | ||
− | <point><b>Moshe's role</b> – R. Saadia and R. Maimon do not suggest that Moshe played an intermediary role in the sense of explaining or relaying commandments in Hashem's stead, but they do assert that the positioning (having the nation listening in to Hashem and Moshe's conversation) highlighted his elevated status. R. Saadia also adds that after each of Hashem's statements, Moshe repeated it to the people.<fn>Thus, the nation heard each commandment in the Decalogue twice, once from Hashem and once from Moshe.  We do not have the continuation of R. Saadia's commentary, where he | + | <point><b>Moshe's role</b> – R. Saadia and R. Maimon do not suggest that Moshe played an intermediary role in the sense of explaining or relaying commandments in Hashem's stead, but they do assert that the positioning (having the nation listening in to Hashem and Moshe's conversation) highlighted his elevated status. R. Saadia also adds that after each of Hashem's statements, Moshe repeated it to the people.<fn>Thus, the nation heard each commandment in the Decalogue twice, once from Hashem and once from Moshe.  We do not have the continuation of R. Saadia's commentary, where he explained the purpose of such a doubling.</fn></point> |
<point><b>"פָּנִים בְּפָנִים"</b> – This phrase is somewhat difficult for this approach, since one would not normally refer to overheard speech as a "face to face" encounter. These commentators might explain that Moshe is simply saying that, despite the positioning, the nation understood Hashem's words clearly, as if the statements were said to them face to face.</point> | <point><b>"פָּנִים בְּפָנִים"</b> – This phrase is somewhat difficult for this approach, since one would not normally refer to overheard speech as a "face to face" encounter. These commentators might explain that Moshe is simply saying that, despite the positioning, the nation understood Hashem's words clearly, as if the statements were said to them face to face.</point> | ||
<point><b>"אָנֹכִי עֹמֵד בֵּין ה' וּבֵינֵיכֶם לְהַגִּיד לָכֶם אֶת דְּבַר ה'‏"</b> – According to R. Saadia, the phrase refers to Moshe's role during revelation itself, as Moshe literally stood between the nation and Hashem in order to repeat to them Hashem's words.<fn>Alternatively, the phrase means only that Moshe's positioning between the nation and Hashem is what enabled them to overhear Hashem's speech.  This might be the position of R. Maimon.</fn></point> | <point><b>"אָנֹכִי עֹמֵד בֵּין ה' וּבֵינֵיכֶם לְהַגִּיד לָכֶם אֶת דְּבַר ה'‏"</b> – According to R. Saadia, the phrase refers to Moshe's role during revelation itself, as Moshe literally stood between the nation and Hashem in order to repeat to them Hashem's words.<fn>Alternatively, the phrase means only that Moshe's positioning between the nation and Hashem is what enabled them to overhear Hashem's speech.  This might be the position of R. Maimon.</fn></point> |
Version as of 22:38, 6 June 2019
The Decalogue: Direct From Hashem or Via Moshe?
Exegetical Approaches
Overview
The Torah's contrasting portraits of Hashem's revelation to the nation lead commentators to varying understandings of what the nation grasped directly from Hashem and what they understood only via Moshe. On one end of the spectrum, Rambam and R. D"Z Hoffmann focus on the verses which present Moshe as an intermediary, asserting that the people heard only the voice of Hashem, but could not distinguish His words. Moshe, thus, acted as a mediator or translator for all ten.
On the other end of the spectrum, many commentators look at the depiction of the episode as a "face to face" encounter. They, thus, maintain that the nation understood all ten utterances directly from Hashem. While Ibn Ezra and others assume that Hashem conversed directly with the people, R. Saadia, in contrast, suggests that the nation only overheard Hashem's conversation with Moshe.
A middle ground is charted by Rashi, Ramban, and others, who attempt to harmonize the various verses by positing that there was a split in the commandments. The nation understood only the first two from Hashem, but needed Moshe to explain the final eight.
Understood None
The nation heard only the voice of Hashem, but understood none of His words, and Moshe's mediation between the people and Hashem was thus needed throughout the entire Decalogue. Commentators disagree whether the voice was directed at the nation or if they merely overheard the sounds of the Divine conversation with Moshe.
Overheard Voice
The people listened as Hashem communicated the Decalogue to Moshe, but they only heard the Divine voice and could not decipher His words.
Heard Voice Directly
Hashem spoke to the people directly, but due to their distance, they could make out only a voice and not distinct words.
Understood All Ten
The nation understood the entire Decalogue from Hashem. This position subdivides regarding whether Hashem's words were aimed at the people or Moshe.
Overheard Words
Hashem's spoke to Moshe only, but He intended that the nation would listen in on this conversation.
Heard Words Directly
Hashem spoke directly to the people themselves, and they, not Moshe, were His target audience for the entire Decalogue.
- 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 their preconception was false.
- Change of plan – According to Ralbag and Abarbanel, Hashem originally 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 to not have a mediator, but rather desired a direct face to face encounter. As a result, Hashem acquiesced and changed the original plan.25
- 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 also maintain 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.27
- Before the Decalogue – According to Ibn Ezra, Abarbanel, and Shadal,28 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.29
- Before and during – Ralbag maintains that the verse refers to Hashem's words both before and during the Decalogue.30 The mention of Moshe speaking refers only to the earlier conversation, but the fact that Hashem spoke "בְקוֹל" can refer to both.31
- During the Decalogue – R. Eliezer suggests that that the verse refers to the Decalogue but is simply saying that before Hashem spoke to the nation, He waited for Moshe to tell Him that they were ready.32
- 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".34
- According to Shadal, there may have been a dual purpose of instilling belief in both Moshe and Hashem. By hearing Hashem speak to Moshe before the actual revelation, the nation recognized his prophetic stature, and by hearing Hashem on their own during revelation, they came to believe in God.
Understood Only Two
The nation understood only two commandments directly from Hashem. The commentators disagree as to how the nation received the other eight:
Eight From Moshe
Due to the nation's fear, Hashem stopped speaking to them and instead spoke only to Moshe, who then relayed the final eight commandments to the nation.
Voice but No Words
Hashem communicated also the other eight commandments to the nation, but in these they discerned only His voice and needed Moshe to serve as an interpreter.