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1 โ[1] ืืืงืจื ืื ืืฉื AND [THE LORD] CALLED UNTO MOSES โ All oral communications of the Lord to Moses whether they are introduced by ืืืจ or by ืืืจ or by ืฆื were preceded by a call (to prepare him for the forthcoming address) (cf Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Chapter 1 1-2). It is a way of expressing affection, the mode used by the ministering angels when addressing each other, as it is said (Isaiah 6:3) โAnd one called unto another [and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts]โ. To the prophets of the nations of the world, however, God revealed himself in a manner which Scripture describes by an expression ordinarily used for denoting events of a casual character and of uncleanness, as it is said, (Numbers 23:4) โand God happened to meet (ืืืงืจ) Balaamโ (the term ืืืงืจ, from the root ,ืงืจื, is connected with ืึดืงึฐืจึถื which denotes โchanceโ, โoccurrenceโ, and has also the meaning of โuncleannessโ, by analogy with Deuteronomy 23:11: โืื ืืืื ืืืืจ ืืงืจื ืืืื) (cf. Bereishit Rabbah 52:5).
โ[2] ืืืงืจื ืื ืืฉื AND HE CALLED UNTO MOSES โ This implies that the Voice went on and reached his (Mosesโs) ears only but all the other Israelites did not hear it). One might think that for the subsections there was also such a call! It, however, states, โ[And the Lord called unto Moses] and spake (ืืืืืจ) [to him]โ, thus intimating that a ืืืืจ, a complete section had (was preceded by) a call (e. g., in our text chapters 1โ4), but not the subsections. And what purpose did these subsections serve (i. e., why are the larger sections broken up into smaller ones)? To give Moses an interval for reflection between one division and another and between one subject and another โ something which is all the more necessary for an ordinary man receiving instruction from an ordinary man (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Chapter 1 9).
โ[3] ืืืื TO HIM โ This is intended to exclude Aaron. Rabbi Judah said, โThirteen communications in the Torah are stated, according to the wording of the text, to have been spoken to Moses and Aaron together; but corresponding to these there are thirteen which include expressions with a limitative force to teach you that they were spoken not to Aaron but to Moses only, with the view that he should communicate them to Aaron. The following are the thirteen limitations: (Numbers 7:89) โ[And when Moses had come into the appointed tent] that He might speak with him, [then he heard the Voice] speaking unto him โฆ [from between the two cherubim]: and he spoke unto himโ; (Exodus 25:22) โand there I will be met by theeโ; โ all the thirteen instances you will find in Torath Cohanim (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Chapter 2 1. โ I might, however, think that they (Aaron and all Israel) heard at least the sound of the Divine utterance (ืืืืืจ), even though they could not distinguish the words! However, in the text, Numbers 7:89: ืืืฉืืข ืืช ืืงืื ืืืืจ ืืืื,where it might have said ืืโ...โ ื]ืงืื], it says ืืืืโโโฆ โื]ืงืื], โAnd he heard the voice (ืืงืื) uttering itself (ืืืืจ) right up to him (ืืืื)โ โ consequently Moses alone heard the utterance, and all Israel did not hear it) (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Chapter 2 8).
โ[4] ืืืื ืืืขื FROM THE APPOINTED TENT โ This teaches us that the Voice broke off and did not issue beyond the appointed tent. One might think that this was so because the Voice was a very low one! Scripture, however, states, (Numbers 7:89) โ[when he entered the tent he heard] the Voiceโ. What does it mean by the Voice? It was the Voice that is so minutely described in Psalms, (29:4, 5) โThe voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars. But if this be so (that it was a very powerful voice), why does Scripture state, โ[and the Lord spoke to him] from the appointed tentโ (ืืืื ืืืขื and does not state ืืืื ืืืขื)? Because it intends to tell us that the Voice broke off and that it was heard only in the tent). A similar case we have in Ezekiel that a powerful sound uttered within the Temple was not heard outside: (Ezekiel 10:5) โAnd the sound of the cherubimsโ wings was heard up to the outer courtโ. One might think then that the sound was a very low one! Scripture, however, continues โas the Voice of the Almighty God when He speakethโ! If this was so why, then, does Scripture state, โ[it was heard] up to the outer court onlyโ? Because when it (the sound) reached there it broke off (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Chapter 2 10-11).
โ[5] ืืืื ืืืขื ืืืืจ [AND THE LORD โฆ SPOKE UNTO HIM] OUT OF THE APPOINTED TENT, SAYING โ One might think from this that the Lord spoke to him from the entire house (i.e. from any part of the appointed tent)! Scripture, however, states, (Numbers 6:89) โ[and he heard the Voice speaking unto him] from off the coveringโ. From this, again, one might think that he heard the Voice coming from off the entire covering (from any part of it)! Scripture, however, continues, โfrom between the two cherubimโ. Consequently the words ืืืื ืืืขื cannot denote the place from which the Lord spoke to Moses, but the area within which the Voice was heard (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Chapter 2 12).
โ[6] ืืืืจ SAYING โ This implies โGo and speak to them words that will bring them to a subdued frame of mind):โIt is for your sake that He communicates with meโ!โ And indeed we find this was so; for all the thirty โ eight years during which Israel in the wilderness were placed, as it were, under excommunication โ from the time of the incident of the spies and onwards โ there was no intimate conversation of God with Moses, for it is said, (Deuteronomy 2:16, 17) โSo it came to pass, when were consumed all the men of war (i. e. the men who had waged war immediately after the return of the spies; cf. Numbers 14:40โ45. It was they and their generation who wandered in the wilderness as though excommunicated) โฆ that the Lord spake unto me, saying, โฆโ โ only then was a divine communication again made to me (Sifra). Another explanation of ืืืืจ is that it means โto speak to Godโ: it implies, โGo and tell them My commands and bring Me back word whether they will accept them, as it is said, (Exodus 19:8) โAnd Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Chapter 2 13).
Version: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934
Source: https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH001969084
License: Public Domain