Yitro answers

Yitro 5720 “The Chosenness of Israel”

שמות פרק יט

(ד) אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי לְמִצְרָיִם וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל־כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים וָאָבִא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָי:

(ה) וְעַתָּה אִם־שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־בְּרִיתִי וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל־הָעַמִּים כִּי־לִי כָּל־ הָאָרֶץ:

(ו) וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ־לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:

Alef.

1.  

שמות פרק טו

(כו) וַיֹּאמֶר אִם־שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע לְקוֹל יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ

וְהַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו תַּעֲשֶׂה וְהַאֲזַנְתָּ לְמִצְוֹתָיו

וְשָׁמַרְתָּ כָּל־ חֻקָּיו

כָּל־הַמַּחֲלָה אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי בְמִצְרַיִם לֹא־אָשִׂים עָלֶיךָ כִּי אֲנִי יְקֹוָק רֹפְאֶךָ: ס

שמות פרק יט

(ה) וְעַתָּה אִם־שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי

x

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־בְּרִיתִי

וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל־הָעַמִּים כִּי־לִי כָּל־ הָאָרֶץ:

2.  

תהלים פרק עג

(כג) וַאֲנִי תָמִיד עִמָּךְ אָחַזְתָּ בְּיַד־יְמִינִי:

(כד) בַּעֲצָתְךָ תַנְחֵנִי וְאַחַר כָּבוֹד תִּקָּחֵנִי:

(כה) מִי־לִי בַשָּׁמָיִם וְעִמְּךָ לֹא־חָפַצְתִּי בָאָרֶץ:

(כו) כָּלָה שְׁאֵרִי וּלְבָבִי צוּר־לְבָבִי וְחֶלְקִי אֱלֹקים לְעוֹלָם:

Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou Holdest my right hand. Thou wilt Guide me with Thy Counsel, and afterward Receive me with Glory. Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And beside Thee I desire none upon earth. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the Rock of my heart and My Portion forever.  

The statement in Tehillim could be interpreted as the response on Bnai Yisrael’s part to HaShem’s Proposal.

a. Will the Jews listen to HaShem’s Direction and Covenant? You will Guide me with Your Council.

b.  Will you be My Treasure?  Whom else in Heaven do I have? I don’t want Anyone else. God is the Rock of my heart and My Portion forever.

  Beit.

שמות פרק יט

(ג) וּמֹשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל־הָאֱלֹקים וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו יְקֹוָק מִן־הָהָר לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:

1.  Subsequently, HaShem Orders Moshe to come up Mt. Sinai, before Moshe ascends:

שמות פרק יט

(כ) וַיֵּרֶד יְקֹוָק עַל־הַר סִינַי אֶל־רֹאשׁ הָהָר וַיִּקְרָא יְקֹוָק לְמֹשֶׁה אֶל־רֹאשׁ הָהָר וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה:...

(כד) וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו יְקֹוָק לֶךְ־רֵד וְעָלִיתָ אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן עִמָּךְ וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהָעָם אַל־יֶהֶרְסוּ לַעֲלֹת אֶל־יְקֹוָק פֶּן־ יִפְרָץ־בָּם:

שמות פרק כד

(א) וְאֶל־מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל־יְקֹוָק אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְשִׁבְעִים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם מֵרָחֹק:...

(יב) וַיֹּאמֶר יְקֹוָק אֶל־מֹשֶׁה עֲלֵה אֵלַי הָהָרָה וֶהְיֵה־שָׁם וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת־לֻחֹת הָאֶבֶן וְהַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר כָּתַבְתִּי לְהוֹרֹתָם:

At the beginning of Chapter 19, Moshe is described as ascending without being invited by HaShem to Do so. This leads Chizkuni to assert that Moshe exercised his own initiative and climbed the mountain uninvited.

2.    Chizkuni wanted to connect the discussion in Chapter 19 with what HaShem had Told Moshe earlier, using the verb “עבד”. In that way, the commentator suggests that HaShem did Invite Moshe, in effect telling him that once the Exodus is completed, that Moshe would lead the people in worshipping HaShem in the same place that the Revelation at the burning bush occurred, i.e., Har Sinai. Now that Moshe had returned to Sinai, he was following up with what HaShem had Promised him in the past:

שמות פרק ג

(יב) וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי־אֶהְיֶה עִמָּךְ וְזֶה־לְּךָ הָאוֹת כִּי אָנֹכִי שְׁלַחְתִּיךָ בְּהוֹצִיאֲךָ אֶת־הָעָם מִמִּצְרַיִם תַּעַבְדוּן אֶת־הָאֱלֹקים עַל הָהָר הַזֶּה:

Gimel.

שמות פרק יט

(ה) וְעַתָּה אִם־שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־בְּרִיתִי וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל־הָעַמִּים כִּי־לִי כָּל־ הָאָרֶץ:

1א. If HaShem is Referring to making the Jewish people His most special People, what does the phrase “כי לי כל הארץ” have to do with this? Just because HaShem is Master of the world does not necessarily mean that all of the peoples are His.

 ב.  According to Ibn Ezra, what gives HaShem the Ability to choose one nation from among all of them is that all nations belong to Him.

According to R. Mareinus, the idea that all nations “belong” to HaShem, should make it impossible for Him to Prefer one nation over the others. Nevertheless, HaShem Makes an exception, Does something irrational, and Chooses Israel to be His Treasure.

  ג.

דברים פרק י

(יג) לִשְׁמֹר אֶת־מִצְוֹת יְקֹוָק וְאֶת־חֻקֹּתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְטוֹב לָךְ:

(יד) הֵן לַיקֹוָק אֱלֹקיךָ הַשָּׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם הָאָרֶץ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּהּ:

This would appear to support Ibn Ezra, i.e., because all nations belong to HaShem, therefore He is Able to Command one nation in particular to have to accept His Commandments.

ד.

שמות פרק לב

(ט) וַיֹּאמֶר יְקֹוָק אֶל־מֹשֶׁה רָאִיתִי אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה וְהִנֵּה עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹרֶף הוּא:

Ibn Ezra might interpret the verse as, even though this people might appear not to be appropriate for My Attention, since they are stubborn, nevertheless since all nations belong to Me, if I Choose to Develop a special relationship with the Jewish people, that is My Perogative.

2.   HaKetav VeHaKabbala views the phrase “כי לי כל הארץ” not as the reason why HaShem is Able to Choose Israel from among all the other nations, but rather the perspective that qualifies the Jewish people for being chosen, i.e., that they view all things, not only the spiritual, but even the physical and material, as manifestations of and opportunities for demonstrating how all things should be done LeShem Shamayim.

Daled.

שמות פרק יט

(ח) וַיַּעֲנוּ כָל־הָעָם יַחְדָּו וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְקֹוָק נַעֲשֶׂה וַיָּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל־יְקֹוָק:

(ט) וַיֹּאמֶר יְקֹוָק אֶל־מֹשֶׁה הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָּא אֵלֶיךָ בְּעַב הֶעָנָן בַּעֲבוּר יִשְׁמַע הָעָם בְּדַבְּרִי עִמָּךְ וְגַם־בְּךָ יַאֲמִינוּ לְעוֹלָם וַיַּגֵּד מֹשֶׁה אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל־יְקֹוָק:

(י) וַיֹּאמֶר יְקֹוָק אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵךְ אֶל־הָעָם וְקִדַּשְׁתָּם הַיּוֹם וּמָחָר וְכִבְּסוּ שִׂמְלֹתָם:

(יא) וְהָיוּ נְכֹנִים לַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי כִּי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִשִׁי יֵרֵד יְקֹוָק לְעֵינֵי כָל־הָעָם עַל־הַר סִינָי:

(יב) וְהִגְבַּלְתָּ אֶת־הָעָם סָבִיב לֵאמֹר הִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם עֲלוֹת בָּהָר וּנְגֹעַ בְּקָצֵהוּ כָּל־הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּהָר מוֹת יוּמָת:

(יג) לֹא־תִגַּע בּוֹ יָד כִּי־סָקוֹל יִסָּקֵל אוֹ־יָרֹה יִיָּרֶה אִם־בְּהֵמָה אִם־אִישׁ לֹא יִחְיֶה בִּמְשֹׁךְ הַיֹּבֵל הֵמָּה יַעֲלוּ בָהָר:

1.  The difficulty in the text is that in v. 8, it states that Moshe brought the people’s answer to HaShem, and when HaShem Responds, in v. 9 it says again that Moshe told the words of the people to HaShem, without mentioning that Moshe got down down and come up again after consulting with the people. Why should ostensibly the same thing have to be told to HaShem twice?

2.  Ibn Ezra—the second phrase is to be understood as the pluperfect, i.e., that Moshe had already told HaShem what the people had said. Therefore it is not a new comment but rather a reference to the one that had already been made.

RaMBaN—After HaShem Mentions to Moshe His Plan to Speak to Moshe in a cloud to allow for the people to “overhear” the conversation, the second phrase indicates that Moshe protests to HaShem that this would not be necessary since the people are prepared to accept and believe in whatever Moshe claims in HaShem’s Name.

Ibn Kaspi—The second phrase indicates that we should keep in mind what Moshe had already said, since it introduces the need for the preparations that are outlined in v. 10-13, i.e., since Moshe had told HaShem the people’s response, before HaShem Commented in v. 9, the text wishes us to return to Moshe’s original comment in order to understand the need for the instructions that follow.

3.  Avraham’s original instruction to Eliezer was:

בראשית פרק כד

(ד) כִּי אֶל־אַרְצִי וְאֶל־מוֹלַדְתִּי תֵּלֵךְ וְלָקַחְתָּ אִשָּׁה לִבְנִי לְיִצְחָק:

According to some, מולדתי means “my family”.

Yet when Eliezer sees a candidate for Yitzchak to marry, he seems to seal the deal before determining who the girl is related to:

(כב) וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלּוּ הַגְּמַלִּים לִשְׁתּוֹת וַיִּקַּח הָאִישׁ נֶזֶם זָהָב בֶּקַע מִשְׁקָלוֹ וּשְׁנֵי צְמִידִים עַל־יָדֶיהָ עֲשָׂרָה זָהָב מִשְׁקָלָם:

(כג) וַיֹּאמֶר בַּת־מִי אַתְּ הַגִּידִי נָא לִי הֲיֵשׁ בֵּית־אָבִיךְ מָקוֹם לָנוּ לָלִין:

(כד) וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו בַּת־בְּתוּאֵל אָנֹכִי בֶּן־מִלְכָּה אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה לְנָחוֹר:

When Eliezer reprises the story to Rivka’s family, he changes the sequence:

(מז) וָאֶשְׁאַל אֹתָהּ וָאֹמַר בַּת־מִי אַתְּ וַתֹּאמֶר בַּת־בְּתוּאֵל בֶּן־נָחוֹר אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה־לּוֹ מִלְכָּה וָאָשִׂם הַנֶּזֶם עַל־אַפָּהּ וְהַצְּמִידִים עַל־יָדֶיהָ:

Ibn Ezra resolves the contradiction by suggesting that v. 23-24 had already been spoken by the servant and Rivka before he placed the jewelry on the girl.

Similarly, when Eliezer and Rivka first  encounter Yitzchak when returning to Canaan,

Ibn Ezra assumes that the reason that seeing Yitzchak makes such an impression upon Rivka that she “falls off” her camel, was because she had already discussed with Eliezer who this was coming towards them.

(סד) וַתִּשָּׂא רִבְקָה אֶת־עֵינֶיהָ וַתֵּרֶא אֶת־יִצְחָק וַתִּפֹּל מֵעַל הַגָּמָל:

(סה) וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָעֶבֶד מִי־הָאִישׁ הַלָּזֶה הַהֹלֵךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה לִקְרָאתֵנוּ וַיֹּאמֶר הָעֶבֶד הוּא אֲדֹנִי וַתִּקַּח הַצָּעִיף וַתִּתְכָּס:

4.   

שמות פרק יד

(לא) וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־הַיָּד הַגְּדֹלָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְקֹוָק בְּמִצְרַיִם וַיִּירְאוּ הָעָם אֶת־יְקֹוָק וַיַּאֲמִינוּ בַּיקֹוָק וּבְמֹשֶׁה עַבְדּוֹ:

Ibn Ezra is concerned about why it was necessary for Moshe to tell HaShem what the people had said when he presented to them God’s Proposal for how they could become an Am Segula. Hadn’t the Tora earlier on following the miracle at Yam Suf stated that the people had unconditional belief in HaShem and Moshe. If so, then wouldn’t their stating Na’aseh VeNishma, Moshe’s relaying their commitment to HaShem be redundant in light of 14:31, and HaShem’s Plan to speak to Moshe from the midst of a Cloud visible to the Jewish people all be unnecessary?

Ibn Ezra answers that in 14:31, it doesn’t say that all of the Jewish people believed in HaShem and Moshe, leaving open the possibility that some did not and therefore it was their additional commitment about which Moshe was now speaking. The commentator even proposes that had the text stated in 14:31 “all the Jewish people”, there would have still been the possibility that a minority did not share this belief and therefore needed to be asked additional times where they now stood vis-à-vis belief in God.

5.  

שמות פרק ט

(ו) וַיַּעַשׂ יְקֹוָק אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה מִמָּחֳרָת וַיָּמָת כֹּל מִקְנֵה מִצְרָיִם וּמִמִּקְנֵה בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא־מֵת אֶחָד:

(יט) וְעַתָּה שְׁלַח הָעֵז אֶת־מִקְנְךָ וְאֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר לְךָ בַּשָּׂדֶה כָּל־הָאָדָם וְהַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר־יִמָּצֵא בַשָּׂדֶה וְלֹא יֵאָסֵף הַבַּיְתָה וְיָרַד עֲלֵהֶם הַבָּרָד וָמֵתוּ:In order to demonstrate that even when it says “all”, some could have been excluded, the commentator cites first the plague of Dever in which the text states that all of the animals died, yet when Barad is threatened, it is stated that any animals in the field will be killed and therefore they should be brought indoors. If all of the animals died during Dever, where do the animals threatened in Barad come from? Consequently Ibn Ezra concludes “all” doesn’t literally mean “all”.

6.  Even if we interpret the phrase at the end of 19:9 that it is to be understood as something that had already been said, what is gained from such an interpretation? What are the words coming to demonstrate or teach? Isn’t there a presumption that even if the words syntactically make sense, they should also have some purpose, some particularly unique content?

7.  A proof to RaMBaN’s interpretation is that the people do not overhear HaShem Speaking to Moshe, as HaShem Proposes in v. 9, but rather will hear HaShem directly Speaking to them and therefore they have to engage in the preparations that are outlined in v. 10-13. Sure enough, when we read Chapter 20 in which the actual Revelation takes place, we see the people being directly Addressed by HaShem:

שמות פרק כ

(טו) וְכָל־הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת־הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת־הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק:

(טז) וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה דַּבֵּר־אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ וְנִשְׁמָעָה וְאַל־יְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ אֱלֹקים פֶּן־נָמוּת:

(יז) וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הָעָם אַל־תִּירָאוּ כִּי לְבַעֲבוּר נַסּוֹת אֶתְכֶם בָּא הָאֱלֹקים וּבַעֲבוּר תִּהְיֶה יִרְאָתוֹ עַל־פְּנֵיכֶם לְבִלְתִּי תֶחֱטָאוּ:

8.  According to RaMBaN, as opposed to Ibn Ezra (see answer Daled 6) there is a purpose for these extra words, i.e., Moshe is pointing out something to HaShem which leads to His Changing how He Intends to Conduct the Revelation on Sinai.

9. עד שאין ראוי להביא חברים—this type of literary construct happens so often it isn’t even worthwhile to cite other examples. They are unnecessary in order to understand the text before us.

    שנית דבר מה להצעה למה שירצה לומר, כל שכן בהיותם סיבה הכרחית—when a person wishes to state something, he often reiterates it, particularly when he has a specific purpose in mind which he wishes to achieve.

    לפי זאת ההגדה סיבה עצמית למה שכתוב אחריו—Moshe’s telling the message from the people a second time is a direct cause for what is stated subsequently (in v. 10-13).

   וזה לצרף ולסמוך העילה עם העלול—this is in order to join together the cause with the effect. (in the case of the Egyptians pursuing the Jews, first it states that the Egyptians pursued, and then it repeats that they pursued and overtook the Jews. The repetition is to demonstrate that it was the pursuit that led to the overtaking. So too in the case of Moshe repeating what the people said, it is this repetition that led to HaShem Insisting that the people prepare themselves in v. 10-13.

10.  See end of answer 9 above. The reason why the two cases are not entirely parallel is because the second term for “pursuit” וירדפו is not indicative of a separate action, but rather calls to mind what had already been stated earlier by the word  וירדף. In the case of Moshe being described as stating a second time what the people had said, it is not a continuation of the first instance, but a separate action all together.