AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO YOU OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE FIRE: YE HEARD THE VOICE OF WORDS, ETC. R. Eleazar said: ‘What is meant by “the voice of words”? It means, the Voice which is also called Utterance, because all utterance proceeds from it. Hence also it says “ye heard” [and not “saw”], because “hearing” corresponds to “utterance”.
BUT YE SAW NO FORM. They were not like Moses, of whom it says, “And he beholdeth the form of the Lord”. Or we may say that “form” refers to the inner Voice which was not seen at all. ONLY YE HEARD A VOICE: this is the other voice, which we mentioned above.
Hence there is a higher He and a lower He; the higher He is “the great voice which did not cease”, the flow of which never ceases, and all those “voices” were in it when the Torah was given to Israel.
Now what is called “the repetition of the law” (Deuteronomy) was said by Moses in his own name. For the supreme Wisdom is called the summation of the Torah, and from it all issues through that inner Voice. Eventually it comes to rest in the place called “the Tree of Life”, wherefrom depend the general and the particular, the Written Law and the Oral Law. And to show that both are one, the later (of the Ten) Commandments are in this version connected with one another by “and”.’
R. Jose said: ‘Why do we find here both “thou shalt not covet” and “thou shalt not desire״? Because they are two different grades. A man covets things which it is in his power to obtain (wrongfully), and through coveting he does try to obtain them. A man can desire things even if he sees no way of obtaining them.
GO THOU NEAR AND HEAR, ETC. When the Law was given to Israel, all the Voices were present and the Holy One, blessed be He, was sitting on His throne, and one was seen within another, and the utterance of each came forth from the one above it, wherefore it is said, “The Lord spake to you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire” (Deut. 5, 4), which means that the utterance came forth from the midst of fire and flame, which thrust it forth by the force of spirit and water; and fire, spirit and water all issued from the trumpet which contained them all. Israel were terrified and drew back,
and therefore they said: Do thou speak to us; we do not desire to be spoken to by the mighty Power from on high, but only from the place of the Female, not higher. Said Moses to them: Of a truth ye have weakened my power, and also another power. For had not Israel drawn back and had they listened to the remaining words as to the first,1According to the Rabbis, the Israelites heard the first two commandments directly from God, the rest from Moses. T. B. Maccoth, 24a. the world would never have been laid waste subsequently and they would have endured for generations upon generations.
For at the first moment they did die, for so it had to be on account of the tree of death, but after they revived and stood up God desired to bring them up to the Tree of Life, which is above the tree of death, that they might endure for ever, but they drew back and were not willing; therefore was the power of Moses weakened and another power with him. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: I desired to establish you in an exalted place that ye might cleave to life, but ye desired the place of the Female. Therefore GO, SAY TO THEM, RETURN TO YOUR TENTS: let each one go to his female and join her.
And with all this, since Israel acted thus only through the pious awe that was upon them, nothing worse was said of them than “O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me”, etc. From this we learn that if a man, though doing an action which in itself is bad, does not turn his mind and intent to the evil side, punishment does not fall upon him as on another man, and God does not impute it to him for evil.
(דברים ד׳:י״ב) וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֲלֵיכֶם מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ קוֹל דְּבָרִים אַתֶּם שׁוֹמְעִים וְגוֹ'. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, קוֹל דְּבָרִים, מַאי קוֹל דְּבָרִים. אֶלָּא קוֹל דְּאִקְרֵי דִּבּוּר, דְּכָל דִּבּוּרָא בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֲלֵיכֶם, דְּהָא דִּבּוּר בַּאֲתָר דָּא תַּלְיָא, לְהַאי אִקְרֵי קוֹל דְּבָרִים.
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO YOU OUT OF THE MIDST OF THE FIRE: YE HEARD THE VOICE OF WORDS, ETC. R. Eleazar said: ‘What is meant by “the voice of words”? It means, the Voice which is also called Utterance, because all utterance proceeds from it. Hence also it says “ye heard” [and not “saw”], because “hearing” corresponds to “utterance”.
אַתֶּם שׁוֹמְעִים, דִּשְׁמִיעָה לָא תַּלְיָא אֶלָּא בְּהַאי. בְּגִין דִּשְׁמִיעָה בְּדִבּוּר תַּלְיָא. וּבְּגִין כָּךְ אַתֶּם שׁוֹמְעִים. (ס"א אתם שומעים, ושמיעה בדבור תליא) וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ, (שמות כ״א:ו׳) וְרָצַע אֲדוֹנָיו אֶת אָזְנוֹ בַּמַּרְצֵעַ, בְּגִין דְּפָגִים אַתְרָא דְּאִקְרֵי שְׁמִיעָה, וְהוּא דִּבּוּר וְהוּא שְׁמִיעָה.
קוֹל דְּבָרִים אַתֶּם שׁוֹמְעִים וּתְמוּנָה אֵינְכֶם רוֹאִים. מַאי וּתְמוּנָה. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (במדבר יב) וּתְמוּנַת יְיָ' יַבִּיט. דָּבָר אַחֵר וּתְמוּנָה, דָּא קוֹל פְּנִימָאָה, דְּלָא הֲוָה מִתְחֲזֵי כְּלַל. זוּלָתִי קוֹל, דָּא קוֹל אַחֲרָא דְּקָאַמְרָן. וּתְמוּנָה, אֲמַאי אִקְרֵי הָכִי. בְּגִין דְּכָל תִּקּוּנָא דְּגוּפָא מִינֵּיהּ נָפְקָא.
BUT YE SAW NO FORM. They were not like Moses, of whom it says, “And he beholdeth the form of the Lord”. Or we may say that “form” refers to the inner Voice which was not seen at all. ONLY YE HEARD A VOICE: this is the other voice, which we mentioned above.
וְאִי תֵּימָא אַחֲרָא אִקְרֵי הָכִי נָמֵי. אִין. דְּהַאי אַחֲרָא תִּקּוּנָא דִּלְתַתָּא מִינֵּיהּ נָפְקָא, וּבְּגִין כָּךְ, ה' עִלָּאָה ה' תַּתָּאָה, ה' עִלָּאָה, קוֹל גָּדוֹל וְלָא יָסָף, דְּלָא פַּסְקֵי מַבּוּעֵי לְעָלְמִין, וְכָל אִינּוּן קוֹלוֹת תַּמָּן אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ כַּד אִתְיְיהִיבַת אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכֹלָּא נָפְקָא מֵהַהוּא קוֹל פְּנִימָאָה דְּכֹלָּא, בְּגִין דְּבֵיהּ תַּלְיָא מִלְּתָא.
Hence there is a higher He and a lower He; the higher He is “the great voice which did not cease”, the flow of which never ceases, and all those “voices” were in it when the Torah was given to Israel.
הַאי דְּאִקְרֵי מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, מֹשֶׁה מִפִּי עַצְמוֹ אַמָרָן. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה. אֲמַאי הָכִי. אֶלָּא חָכְמָה עִלָּאָה, כְּלָלָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְקְרֵי, וּמִנָהּ נָפְקָא כֹּלָּא, בְּהַהוּא קוֹל פְּנִימָאָה. לְבָתַר מִתְיַשְּׁבָא כֹּלָּא וְאִתְאֲחָד, בַּאֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי עֵץ הַחַיִּים, וּבֵיהּ תַּלְיָא כְּלַל וּפְרָט, תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָּב ושֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה, וְהוּא אִקְרֵי תּוֹרָה וּמִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה. בְּקַדְמִיתָא גְּבוּרָה דְּלָא פָּסִק, וְהַשְׁתָּא כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא. בְּגִין כָּךְ הָכָא בְּאִלֵּין י' הַדִּבְּרוֹת, כֹּלָּא רָשִׁים בְּוָא"ו, וְלֹא תִּנְאָף, וְלֹא תִּגְנוֹב, וְלֹא תַעֲנֶה, וְלֹא תַחְמוֹד, וְלֹא תִתְאַוֶּה, וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ.
Now what is called “the repetition of the law” (Deuteronomy) was said by Moses in his own name. For the supreme Wisdom is called the summation of the Torah, and from it all issues through that inner Voice. Eventually it comes to rest in the place called “the Tree of Life”, wherefrom depend the general and the particular, the Written Law and the Oral Law. And to show that both are one, the later (of the Ten) Commandments are in this version connected with one another by “and”.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, מַאי וְלֹא תִתְאַוֶּה, כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִּיב וְלֹא תַחְמוֹד, דְּהָא בְּהַאי סַגֵּי. אָמַר לֵיהּ, זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן מָארֵי קְשׁוֹט. חֲמִידָה חַד דַּרְגָּא. תַּאֲוָה דַּרְגָּא אַחֲרָא. חֲמִידָה, דְּאִי יָכִיל, אָזִיל לְמֵיסַב דִּילֵיהּ בְּגִין הַהִיא חֲמִידָה דְּנָקַט, אָזִיל לְמֶעְבַּד עוֹבָדָא. תַּאֲוָה, לָאו הָכִי. דְּהָא אֲפִילּוּ דְּלָא יִנְקוּט אוֹרְחָא לְמֵהַךְ אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ, וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא.
R. Jose said: ‘Why do we find here both “thou shalt not covet” and “thou shalt not desire״? Because they are two different grades. A man covets things which it is in his power to obtain (wrongfully), and through coveting he does try to obtain them. A man can desire things even if he sees no way of obtaining them.
אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, אֲמַאי לָא כְּתִיב וְלֹא תִרְצַח, כְּהָנֵי אַחֲרִינֵי. אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּגִין דְּדַרְגָּא דְּדִינָא בִּגְבוּרָה תַּלְיָא, וְלָא בַּאֲתָר דְּרַחֲמֵי, בְּגִין כָּךְ לֹא תִרְצַח לָא כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ וָא"ו. וּבְגִין דְּבַעְיָין ה' וָוִין אִתּוֹסָף וָא"ו וְלֹא תִתְאַוֶּה, דְּהָא בְּלֹא תִרְצַח לָא בָּעֵי לְמִשְׁרֵי וָא"ו, וְאִתּוֹסַף הָכָא.
שָׁמַע רִבִּי פִּנְחָס דְּיָתִיב אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ, וּנְשָׁקֵיהּ. בָּכָה וְחָיִיךְ. אָמַר גּוּר אַרְיֵה, לֵית מַאן דְּקָאִים קַמַּיְיהוּ, מַאן יָכִיל לְקַיְּימָא קַמֵּיהּ וַאֲבוּהָּ בְּעָלְמָא. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, וְזַכָּאָה חוּלָקִי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דְּזָכֵינָא לְהַאי. עַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (איוב כ״ב:י״ט) יִרְאוּ צַדִּיקִים וְיִשְׂמָחוּ.
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (דברים ה׳:כ״ד) קְרַב אַתָּה וּשֲׁמָע וְגוֹ'. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְיְיהִיבַת אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, (כלהו) כֻּלְּהוֹן קוֹלוֹת אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָתִיב עַל כּוּרְסְיָּיא, וְדָא מִגּוֹ דְּדָא אִתְחֲזֵי, וּמִלּוּלָא דְּדָא נָפִיק מִגּוֹ עִלָּאָה דְּעָלֵיהּ, וְדָא הוּא רָזָא דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ה׳:ד׳) פָּנִים בְּפָנִים דִּבֶּר יְיָ' עִמָּכֶם בָּהָר מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ, דְּמִלּוּלָא נָפְקָא, וּמַלִּיל מִגּוֹ אֶשָּׁא וְשַׁלְהוֹבָא, דְּדָחֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר, בִּדְפִיקוּ דְּרוּחָא וּמַיָּיא, דְּיָהֲבִין חֵילָא. דְּאֶשָּׁא וְרוּחָא וּמַיָּיא, מִגּוֹ שׁוֹפָר, דְּאִיהוּ כָּלִיל לְכֻלְּהוּ נָפִיק. וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְרַחִיקוּ מִדְּחִילוּ דָּא.
GO THOU NEAR AND HEAR, ETC. When the Law was given to Israel, all the Voices were present and the Holy One, blessed be He, was sitting on His throne, and one was seen within another, and the utterance of each came forth from the one above it, wherefore it is said, “The Lord spake to you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire” (Deut. 5, 4), which means that the utterance came forth from the midst of fire and flame, which thrust it forth by the force of spirit and water; and fire, spirit and water all issued from the trumpet which contained them all. Israel were terrified and drew back,
וּבְּגִין כָּךְ, וְאַתְּ תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ, לָא בָּעֵינָן בְּתּוּקְפָא עִלָּאָה דִּלְעֵילָּא, אֶלָּא מֵאֲתָר דְּנוּקְבָּא וְלָא יַתִּיר, וְאַתְּ תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ וְגוֹ'. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה וַדַּאי חָלַשְׁתּוּן חֵילָא דִּילִי, חָלַשְׁתּוּן חֵילָא אַחֲרָא, דְּאִלְמָלֵא לָא אִתְרַחֲקוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיִשְׁמְעוּן כָּל הַהִיא מִלָּה כַּד בְּקַדְמִיתָא, לָא הֲוָה יָכִיל עָלְמָא לְמֶהֱוֵי חָרִיב לְבָתַר, וְאִינּוּן הֲווֹ קַיְימִין לְדָרֵי דָּרִין.
and therefore they said: Do thou speak to us; we do not desire to be spoken to by the mighty Power from on high, but only from the place of the Female, not higher. Said Moses to them: Of a truth ye have weakened my power, and also another power. For had not Israel drawn back and had they listened to the remaining words as to the first,1According to the Rabbis, the Israelites heard the first two commandments directly from God, the rest from Moses. T. B. Maccoth, 24a. the world would never have been laid waste subsequently and they would have endured for generations upon generations.
דְּהָא בְּשַׁעֲתָא קַדְמִיתָא מִיתוּ. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ, דְּהָא אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא גָּרִים. לְבָתַר דְּחַייוּ (דחיו) וְקָמוּ וְקָא סָגּוּ, וּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַעֲלָא לוֹן לְאִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי, דְּקָאִים עַל הַהוּא אִילָנָא דְּמוֹתָא, בְּגִין לְמֶהֱוֵי קַיְימִין לְעָלְמִין, אִתְרְחַק וְלָא בָּעוּן, כְּדֵין אִתְחֲלָשׁ חֵילָא דְּמֹשֶׁה עָלַיְיהוּ, וְאִתְחַלָּשׁ חֵילָא אַחֲרָא. אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אֲנָא בָּעֵינָא לְקַיְּימָא לְכוּ בַּאֲתָר עִלָּאָה, וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בַּחַיִּים, אַתּוּן בָּעִיתוּן אֲתָר דְּנוּקְבָּא שַׁרְיָא. וּבְּגִין כָּךְ, לֵךְ אֱמוֹר לָהֶם וְגוֹ'. כָּל חַד יְהַךְ לְנוּקְבֵיהּ, וְיִתְיַחֵד בָּהּ.
For at the first moment they did die, for so it had to be on account of the tree of death, but after they revived and stood up God desired to bring them up to the Tree of Life, which is above the tree of death, that they might endure for ever, but they drew back and were not willing; therefore was the power of Moses weakened and another power with him. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: I desired to establish you in an exalted place that ye might cleave to life, but ye desired the place of the Female. Therefore GO, SAY TO THEM, RETURN TO YOUR TENTS: let each one go to his female and join her.
וְעִם כָּל דָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לָא עָבְדוּ, אֶלָּא בִּדְחִילוּ עִלָּאָה דְּהֲוָה עָלַיְיהוּ, לָא אִתְּמַר עָלַיְיהוּ, אֶלָּא מִי יִתֵּן וְהָיָה לְבָבָם זֶה לָהֶם וְגוֹ'. מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא, כָּל מַאן דְּעָבִיד מִלָּה, וְלִבָּא וּרְעוּתֵיהּ לָא שַׁוֵּי לְסִטְרָא בִּישָׁא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ בִּישׁ, הוֹאִיל וְלָא עָבִיד בִּרְעוּתָא, עוֹנְשָׁא לָא שַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ. וְלָא כְּבַּר נָשׁ אַחֲרָא. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא דָּאִין לֵיהּ לְבִישׁ.
And with all this, since Israel acted thus only through the pious awe that was upon them, nothing worse was said of them than “O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me”, etc. From this we learn that if a man, though doing an action which in itself is bad, does not turn his mind and intent to the evil side, punishment does not fall upon him as on another man, and God does not impute it to him for evil.