Exo 18:1-20:15

EXO 18

Jethro’s Advice

1 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

Rashi’s Commentary

Jethro—He was called by seven names: Reuel, Jether, Jethro, Hobab, Heber, Keni and Putiel. He was called Jether (יֶתֶר) because he added (it was through him that there was added) a section to the law namely: “Moreover, look for” (below verse 21). Jethro—so was he called because when he became a proselyte and fulfilled the divine precepts one more letter was added to his name (יִתְרוֹ). Hobab—because he loved (חִבָּב) the law. (cf. Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:2). Hobab is certainly identical with Jethro, as it is said (Jdg 4:11), “the descendants of Hobab, Moses’ father-in-law.” But as to Reuel there are some who say that he was Jethro’s father, as may be seen from Num 10:29. If so, what would be the meaning of (Exo 2:18) “They came home to their father Reuel” Because children call their grandfather: father. This is to be found in Sifrei Bamidbar 79 (on Num 10:29).

Jethro . . . heard—What was the particular report which he heard so that he came?—The division of the Red Sea and the war with Amalek (cf. Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:1; Zevachim 116a).

Moses’ father-in-law—Here Jethro prided himself on his relationship to Moses: I, the father-in-law of the king. Previously, however, Moses had made whatever greatness he had hinge upon his relationship to his father-in-law, as it is said (Exo 4:18), “Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law” (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:4).

All that . . . had done for them through the falling of the manna and through the well (cf. Rashi on Num 21:17) and by the defeat of Amalek.

For Moses and for Israel—Moses alone is of equal in importance to all Israel (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:5).

How the Lord had brought Israel out . . .—This was greater than all other things, and is therefore singled out for mention (cf. Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 18:1:5).

35 This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, “Who made you a ruler and a judge?”—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. ACT 7:35-36

21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

Rashi’s Commentary

Moreover, look for through the Holy Spirit that is upon you (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 18:21:1).

Able men—Rich men who will not need to flatter or to show favour (cf. Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 18:21:1).

Who are trustworthy—These are people commanding confidence (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 18:21:1); who are deserving that one should rely upon their words, and thereby, their words will be listened to.

And hate a bribe—Men who hate (pay no regard to) their property when it is to be made the matter of a law-suit (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 18:21:1), in accordance with what we say: Any judge from whom one has to wring the money he owes only by means of a law-suit is no fitting judge (Bava Batra 58b).

Chiefs of thousands—There were six hundred officers for the six hundred thousand men.

Of hundreds—There were six thousand of them.

Of fifties—Twelve thousand.

And of tens—Sixty thousand (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 18:21:2; Sanhedrin 18a).

EXO 19

8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

Rashi’s Commentary

And Moses reported the words of the people on the next day, which was the third of the month, for he never ascended the mountain to God except early in the morning (Shabbat 86a). But was it really necessary for Moses to deliver the reply to God; God is Omniscient!—But the explanation is that Scripture intends to teach you good manners from the example of Moses: for he did not say, “Since he who sent me knows the reply there is no need for me to report it” (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 19:8).

24 And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.”

Rashi’s Commentary

Go down and warn them a second time. One admonishes a person before an action is to be done and then one again admonishes him at the very moment when the action is to be done (cf. Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 19:24:1).

And come up bringing Aaron with you. But . . . the priests—One might think that they shall also be with you! Therefore it states “and come up.” Consequently you must now admit that you shall have a designated place for yourself, and Aaron a designated place for himself and they a designated place for themselves—Moses approached closer than Aaron and Aaron closer than the priests—but let the people under no circumstances break down their position to come up to the Lord (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 19:24:2), lest he break out against them—Although it (the word יִפְרָץ) is punctuated with a short “kamatz,” it has not departed from its normal grammatical form. So is the way of every word which has the vowel “melupum” (“cholam”); when it comes with a “makkaf” after it the vowelling is changed to a short “kamatz.”

EXO 20

The Ten Commandments

1 And God spoke all these words, saying,

Rashi’s Commentary

God spoke—Heb. אֱלֹהִים. The word אֱֱלֹהִים always means “a judge.” This divine name is used here because there are some sections in the law that contain commandments that if a person performs them, he receives a reward, but if not, he does not receive any punishment for them. I might think that so it is with the Ten Commandments. Therefore, Scripture says: “God (אֱלֹהִים) spoke,” signifying God’s role as a judge, whose function is to mete out punishment when the Ten Commandments are not obeyed.

All these words—This teaches us that the Holy One, blessed be he, said the Ten Commandments in one utterance, something that is impossible for a human being to say in a similar way. If so, why does the law say again, “I am the Lord, your God” (verse 2) and “You shall have no . . .” (verse 3)? Because he later explained each statement of the Ten Commandments individually.

Saying—Heb. לֵאמֹר, lit., to say. This teaches us that they responded to the positive commandments, “Yes,” and to the negative commandments, “No.”

to respond:Heb. לֵאמֹר, lit., to say. [This] teaches [us] that they responded to the positive [commandments], “Yes,” and to the negative [commandments], “No.”

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Rashi’s Commentary

Who brought you out of the land of Egypt—That act of bringing you out of Egypt is alone of sufficient importance that you should subject yourselves to me. Another explanation: because he had revealed himself to them at the Red Sea as a mighty man of war and here he revealed Himself as a grey-beard filled with compassion, as it is stated (Exo 24:10) “under his feet as it were a form of a stone of sapphire, which is explained to mean that this (the stone) was before him at the time of their bondage; “like the very heaven” (i. e. joy and gladness) when they had been delivered. Since I change, appearing in various forms, do not say, “There are two divine beings”; it is I who brought you forth from Egypt and who appeared to you at the Sea (cf. Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 20:2:2). Another explanation: because they then heard many voices, as it is said (v. 15) “Now when all the people saw the thunder”—voices coming from the four cardinal points and from the heavens and from the earth—therefore God said to them, “Do not say there are many deities.” Why did God say in the singular? To afford Moses an opportunity to speak in defence of Israel at the incident of the golden calf. This, is exactly what he did say (Exo 32:11), “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people.” You did not command them, “You shall have no other gods before me” but to me alone! (Shemot Rabbah 43:5)

Out of the house of slavery—This means, from the house of Pharaoh where you were slaves to him. Or perhaps it only says “from the house of slaves,” that they were slaves to slaves! But elsewhere it states (Deu 7:8), “and he redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt,” so that you must now admit that they were slaves of Pharaoh and not slaves to slaves (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 20:2:5).

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

Rashi’s Commentary

You shall have no—Why is this said? But since it states immediately after this, “You shall not make for yourself, etc.” I might say that I have only a prohibition that one may not make such gods; whence could I know that one may not retain an idol that has already been made? Perhaps there is no such law! Therefore it states here: “You shall have no” (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 20:3:1).

Other gods—Which are not gods, but others have made them gods over themselves. It would not be correct to explain this to mean “gods other than me,” for it would be blasphemy of the Most High God to term them gods together with him (cf. Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 20:3:1). Alternatively: strange gods, because they are other (i. e. strange) to those who worship them; these cry to them but they do not answer them, and it is just as though it (the god) is another (a stranger) to him (to the worshiper), one who has never known him at all (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 20:3:1).

Before me—i. e. so long as I exist; and these apparently superfluous words are added in order that you may not say that no one received any command against idolatry except that generation (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 20:3:2).

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”

Rashi’s Commentary

A carved image—It is so called because it is chiselled out.

Or any likeness—The likeness of anything that is in heaven.

15 Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off

Rashi’s Commentary

Now when all the people saw—This statement teaches us that there was not a blind person amongst them. And whence may we learn that there was not a dumb person amongst them? Because it states (Exo 19:8) “All the people answered.” And whence may we learn that there was not a deaf person amongst them? Because it states (Exo 24:7) “We will do and be obedient” (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 20:15:2).

The thunder—They saw that which should be heard (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 20:15:1)—something which is impossible to see on any other occasion.

The thunder which issued from the mouth of the Almighty.

And trembled—Denotes trembling (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 20:15:3).

And they stood far off—They moved back startled twelve miles, a distance equal to the length of their camp, and ministering angels came and assisted them—to bring them back, as it is said (Psa 68:13), “Kings of the armies flee, they flee” (Shabbat 88b).