Exo 32:14-33:16

EXO 32

14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

Sanhedrin 108a:16

And there are those who say that the term “vayyinaḥem” has a different meaning: I did not do well that I prepared graves for people in the earth, as I should not have created them in order to destroy them. From where is it inferred that the term “vayyinaḥem” has a negative connotation? It is written here: “Vayyinaḥem,” and it is written there: “And the Lord regretted [vayyinaḥem] the disaster that he thought to do to his people” (Exo 32:14).

15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written.

Rashi’s Commentary

On both sides could the letters be read, and this constituted a miraculous piece of work (Shabbat 104a).

16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

Eruvin 54a:19

And, lastly, Rabbi Eliezer said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets” (Exo 32:16)? This teaches that had the first tablets, the subject of this verse, not been broken, the law would never have been forgotten from the Jewish people, as the law would have been engraved on their hearts.

EXO 33

Moses’ Intercession

12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ ”

Rashi’s Commentary

See, you say to me—Set your eyes and your heart on your words. I.e., think for a moment of what you are saying!

You say to me “Lead” but you have not let me know who will come with us—For what you have said to me (Exo 23:20) “Behold, I send an angel” yet this is not considered informing for I am not satisfied with it.

Yet you have said, “I know you by name”—I have distinguished you from all other human beings with a name of importance. For God said to me (Exo 19:9), “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud . . . and may also believe you forever.”

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. JOH 10:14-15

But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” 2TI 2:19

13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”

Rashi’s Commentary

Now therefore—If it is true that I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, i.e., what reward you give to those who find favor in your sight.

That I may know you in order to find favor in your sight means, that I may know by this the nature of the reward you bestow i.e., what constitutes finding favor, since I have found favor in your sight. The explanation of “in order to find favor” accordingly is: that I may find out how great is the reward attendant on this finding favor.

Consider too that this nation is your people so that you should not say (Exo 32:10), “in order that I may make a great nation of you,” whilst these (the whole people) you will abandon! Consider that they are your nation from of old, and if you reject them, surely I cannot rely upon it that those who are born of me will endure—rather let me know through this people the reward that is to be paid me. Our Rabbis expounded on this in tractate Berakhot 7a but I come to explain the verses in a manner fitting to them and in their context.

Berakhot 7a:25

Lastly, Moses requested that the ways in which God conducts the world be revealed to him, and he granted it to him, as it is stated: “Show me your ways and I will know you” (Exo 33:13).

Moses said before God: Master of the universe. Why is it that the righteous prosper, the righteous suffer, the wicked prosper, the wicked suffer?

God said to him: Moses, the righteous person who prospers is a righteous person, the son of a righteous person, who is rewarded for the actions of his ancestors. The righteous person who suffers is a righteous person, the son of a wicked person, who is punished for the transgressions of his ancestors. The wicked person who prospers is a wicked person, the son of a righteous person, who is rewarded for the actions of his ancestors. The wicked person who suffers is a wicked person, the son of a wicked person, who is punished for the transgressions of his ancestors.

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. JOH 17:3

As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. ROM 11:28

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, EPH 1:17

so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; COL 1:10

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2PE 3:18

14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Rashi’s Commentary

And he said, “My presence will go . . .”—Understand this as the Targum renders it: My countenance will go—I will no more send an angel with you, but I myself will go, similar to the verse: “and that you go to battle in person” (2Sa 17:11).

Berakhot 7a:5

And Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: From where is it derived that one must not placate a person while he is in the throes of his anger, rather he should mollify him after he has calmed down? As it is written, when following the sin of the golden calf, Moses requested that the divine presence rest upon Israel as it had previously, God said to him: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exo 33:14). Rabbi Yoḥanan explained: The Holy One, blessed be he, said to Moses: Wait until my presence of wrath will pass and I will grant your request. One must wait for a person’s anger to pass as well.

Berakhot 7b:4

And Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: From where is it derived that one must not placate a person while the person in the throes of his anger? As it is stated: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exo 33:14).

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. MAT 11:28

teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. MAT 28:20

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.

9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, HEB 4:8-9

15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.

Rashi’s Commentary

And he said to him—This is what I desired: for if it is to be by an angel rather do not bring us up from here.

16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

Rashi’s Commentary

For how shall it be known—I.e., how shall the “finding of favour” be known? Is it not in your going with us? And yet another thing do I ask you: that you should not let your glory rest upon the other peoples of the world (Berakhot 7a).

So that we are distinct, I and your people—Through this very thing we shall become different from every other people, like (Exo 9:4) “But the Lord will make a distinction (וְהִפְלָה) . . . between the livestock of Egypt.”

Bava Batra 15a:11

The baraita further states that Moses wrote his own book, i.e., the law, the portion of Balaam, and the book of Job. This supports Rabbi Levi bar Laḥma, as Rabbi Levi bar Laḥma says: Job lived in the time of Moses. It is written here with regard to Job: “Oh that my words were written [eifo]” (Job 19:23), and it is written there in Moses’ words to God: “For in what shall it be known here [eifo]” (Exo 33:16). The unusual use of the word eifo in these two places indicates that Job and Moses lived in the same generation.

Bava Batra 15b:8

And what is the proof that all these tanna’im maintain that Job was Jewish? As if it should enter your mind to say that he came from the nations of the world, there is a difficulty: After Moses died, did the divine presence rest any longer on the nations of the world? But doesn’t the Master say: Moses requested that the divine presence not rest again on the nations of the world, and his request was granted to him, as it is stated: “That we shall be differentiated, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth” (Exo 33:16), and it is stated there that God acceded to his request.

Berakhot 7a:23

And Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei regarding Moses’ request that the divine presence rest upon Israel as it once had: Moses requested three things from the Holy One, blessed be he, at that time, all of which were granted him. He requested that the divine presence rest upon Israel and not leave, and he granted it to him, as it is stated: “For how can it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” (Exo 33:16). The request: Is it not in your going with us, refers to the resting of the divine presence upon Israel.

Berakhot 7a:24

Moses requested that the divine presence not rest upon the nations of the world, and he granted it to him, as it is stated: “So that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth” (Exo 33:16).

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). MAT 1:23

Therefore go out from their midst,

and be separate from them, says the Lord,

and touch no unclean thing;

then I will welcome you, 2CO 6:17