Difference between revisions of "The Decalogue: Direct From Hashem or Via Moshe/2/en"
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<point><b>"אָנֹכִי עֹמֵד בֵּין ה' וּבֵינֵיכֶם"</b> – This clause refers to the second part of the experience when Moshe served as an intermediary to deliver the final eight commandments.</point> | <point><b>"אָנֹכִי עֹמֵד בֵּין ה' וּבֵינֵיכֶם"</b> – This clause refers to the second part of the experience when Moshe served as an intermediary to deliver the final eight commandments.</point> | ||
<point><b>The nation's fear – "דַּבֵּר אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ וְנִשְׁמָעָה"</b> – According to these sources, this episode took place in the middle of the Decalogue, between the second and third commandments.  It is recorded out of order so as not to interrupt the flow of the story and to keep the Decalogue in one continuous list.  R. Yosef Bekhor Shor adds that had it not been for their fear, the nation might have heard all the commandments in this manner.  Alternatively, Hashem had never planned on relaying more than these commandments regardless of the nation's fears.<fn>It should be noted that, in this aspect, this position is much more similar to the approach above that has the nation hear all ten commandments, than to Ramban below.  In contrast to Ramban, both these positions assume that at some point Hashem's original plan changed due to the nation's fear, disagreeing only regarding at which point the nation was fearful (after the second or tenth commandment).  In selecting between the possibilities, one position is motivated by the switch in speaker and the other by the placement of the scene depicting the fear.</fn></point> | <point><b>The nation's fear – "דַּבֵּר אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ וְנִשְׁמָעָה"</b> – According to these sources, this episode took place in the middle of the Decalogue, between the second and third commandments.  It is recorded out of order so as not to interrupt the flow of the story and to keep the Decalogue in one continuous list.  R. Yosef Bekhor Shor adds that had it not been for their fear, the nation might have heard all the commandments in this manner.  Alternatively, Hashem had never planned on relaying more than these commandments regardless of the nation's fears.<fn>It should be noted that, in this aspect, this position is much more similar to the approach above that has the nation hear all ten commandments, than to Ramban below.  In contrast to Ramban, both these positions assume that at some point Hashem's original plan changed due to the nation's fear, disagreeing only regarding at which point the nation was fearful (after the second or tenth commandment).  In selecting between the possibilities, one position is motivated by the switch in speaker and the other by the placement of the scene depicting the fear.</fn></point> | ||
− | <point><b>"כִּי יְרֵאתֶם מִפְּנֵי הָאֵשׁ וְלֹא עֲלִיתֶם בָּהָר"</b> – This verse seems to imply that, were it not for their fears, the people would have ascended the mountain.  This poses a difficulty for this approach which maintains that the people expressed their fears midway through the Decalogue, as during the Revelation | + | <point><b>"כִּי יְרֵאתֶם מִפְּנֵי הָאֵשׁ וְלֹא עֲלִיתֶם בָּהָר"</b> – This verse seems to imply that, were it not for their fears, the people would have ascended the mountain.  This poses a difficulty for this approach which maintains that the people expressed their fears midway through the Decalogue, as during the Revelation they were prohibited from ascending the mountain regardless of whether they were afraid.  Thus, this approach might need to explain, as Ibn Ezra above, that Moshe is saying that despite the fact that they did not ascend the mountain, they were still in fear.<fn>R"Y Bekhor Shor, in contrast, posits that Moshe is referring to a future ascent of the mountain, to hear the rest of the commandments.</fn></point> |
<point><b>Switch from 1st to 3rd person</b> – R. Yosef Kara adduces support for this approach from the fact that the Decalogue switches from first person to third person immediately after the second commandment.  If this is when Moshe began to speak, the third person references to Hashem make sense.</point> | <point><b>Switch from 1st to 3rd person</b> – R. Yosef Kara adduces support for this approach from the fact that the Decalogue switches from first person to third person immediately after the second commandment.  If this is when Moshe began to speak, the third person references to Hashem make sense.</point> | ||
<point><b>"מֹשֶׁה יְדַבֵּר וְהָאֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְקוֹל"</b> – Rashi explains that when Moshe relayed the eight commandments, Hashem gave Moshe's voice extra strength so that he could be heard.<fn>Accordingly, the phrase "יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְקוֹל" means that Hashem amplified the volume of Moshe's words, and not that He responded to Moshe.</fn></point> | <point><b>"מֹשֶׁה יְדַבֵּר וְהָאֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְקוֹל"</b> – Rashi explains that when Moshe relayed the eight commandments, Hashem gave Moshe's voice extra strength so that he could be heard.<fn>Accordingly, the phrase "יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְקוֹל" means that Hashem amplified the volume of Moshe's words, and not that He responded to Moshe.</fn></point> |
Version as of 20:14, 18 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. These, in turn, have important ramifications for how one understands the entire purpose of the revelation at Mt. Sinai.
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. As such, the main purpose of revelation was not to instill faith in Hashem, but to teach the nation to believe in Moshe's prophecy. On the other end of the spectrum, Ibn Ezra and others look at the depiction of the episode as a "face to face" encounter. They posit that Hashem conversed directly with the people, relaying to them all ten utterances with the goal of inculcating belief in God.
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. Ramban explains that the goal of Revelation was twofold – to instill belief in both Hashem and in Moshe as His prophet. The fundamentals of faith were thus relayed directly, while the rest was taught via Moshe, who from this point on was to continue in this capacity as teacher of the law.
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.
- This position highlights the goal of teaching the nation to believe in Hashem, as per the verse in Devarim, "אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ לָדַעַת כִּי ה' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים".22 Divine revelation to a mass audience was a unique event in world history and constitutes one of the strongest proofs of God's existence and the Torah's Divine origin.23
- According to Shadal, there may have been a dual purpose of instilling belief in both Hashem and Moshe. By hearing Hashem speak to Moshe before the actual revelation (see below), the nation recognized his prophetic stature, and by hearing Hashem on their own during revelation, they came to believe in God.
- Spoke to all – According to Ibn Ezra,28 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.29
- 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 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.31
- Before the Decalogue – According to Ibn Ezra, Abarbanel, and Shadal,32 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.33
- Before and during – Ralbag maintains that the verse refers to Hashem's words both before and during the Decalogue.34 The mention of Moshe speaking refers only to the earlier conversation, but the fact that Hashem spoke "בְקוֹל" can refer to both.35
- 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.36
Understood Only Two
The nation understood only two commandments directly from Hashem. These commentators disagree as to how the nation received the other eight:
Other Eight Only 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 Without Words for Other Eight
Hashem communicated also the final eight commandments to the nation, but in these they discerned only His voice and needed Moshe to serve as an interpreter.