For in connection with the verse, “Moses spoke and God answered him with a voice” (Ex. 19, 19), we have learnt that this voice was the voice of Moses, the Voice to which he was attached through his superiority over all the other prophets. And because he was attached to this higher grade he was able to say to Israel, “The Lord thy God”, namely, the grade called Shekinah which abode in their midst.’
R. Simeon further said: ‘We have learnt that the curses in Leviticus were uttered by Moses as coming from the mouth of the divine Might, but those in Deuteronomy were uttered by him as from the mouth of himself. What is meant by “as from the mouth of himself,’? Can it be thought that Moses said a single word of the Law of himself?
No: what it refers to is the Voice to which he was attached, which is called “himself’, so that one set of curses were uttered from the mouth of the divine Might and the other of that grade to which he attained in virtue of his superiority over the other prophets. Hence, while in all other places he says “Thy God”, here (in the Shema) he says “Our God”.
Note how diligent men should be to devote themselves to the service of their Master so as to win eternal life. Under the throne of the Holy King there are supernal chambers; and in that place of the throne there is fastened a mezuzah to deliver men from executioners of justice who are ready to assail them in the other world. Similarly did God do to Israel, giving them precepts of the Law which they may observe to deliver themselves from many assailants and accusers that are on the watch for men every day.’
תָּא חֲזֵי כְּתִיב, (שמות י״ט:י״ט) מֹשֶׁה יְדַבֵּר וְהָאֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְקוֹל. וְתָנֵינָן, מַאי בְקוֹל. בְּקוֹלוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה. וְשַׁפִּיר הוּא, בְּקוֹלוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה דַּיְיקָא, בְּהַהוּא קוֹל דְּאִיהוּ אָחִיד בֵּיהּ, עַל כָּל שְׁאַר נְבִיאִין. (מתמן משה אתזן על כלהו) וּבְגִין דְּאִיהוּ אִתְאֲחִיד עַל כֻּלְּהוּ, בְּהַהוּא קוֹל, דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה, הֲוָה אָמַר לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא דְּאִקְרֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּשַׁרְיָיא בְּגַוַויְיהוּ. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ.
For in connection with the verse, “Moses spoke and God answered him with a voice” (Ex. 19, 19), we have learnt that this voice was the voice of Moses, the Voice to which he was attached through his superiority over all the other prophets. And because he was attached to this higher grade he was able to say to Israel, “The Lord thy God”, namely, the grade called Shekinah which abode in their midst.’
וְאָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, תָּנֵינָן, קְלָלוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים, מֹשֶׁה מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה אַמָרָן. וְשֶׁבְּמִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, מֹשֶׁה מִפִּי עַצְמוֹ אָמָרָן. מַאי מִפִּי עַצְמוֹ. וְכִי סַלְּקָא דַּעְתָּךְ דְּאֲפִילּוּ אָת זְעֵירָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, מֹשֶׁה אָמַר לֵיהּ מִגַּרְמֵיהּ.
R. Simeon further said: ‘We have learnt that the curses in Leviticus were uttered by Moses as coming from the mouth of the divine Might, but those in Deuteronomy were uttered by him as from the mouth of himself. What is meant by “as from the mouth of himself,’? Can it be thought that Moses said a single word of the Law of himself?
אֶלָּא שַׁפִּיר הוּא, וְהָא אִתְּעַרְנָא, מֵעַצְמוֹ לָא תָּנֵינָן, אֶלָּא מִפִּי עַצְמוֹ. וּמַאי אִיהוּ. הַהוּא קוֹל דְּאִיהוּ אָחִיד בֵּיהּ. וְעַל דָּא, הַלָּלוּ מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה. וְהַלָּלוּ מִפִּי עַצְמוֹ. מִפִּי הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּאִתְקְשַׁר בֵּיהּ עַל שְׁאַר נְבִיאֵי מְהֵימְנֵי. וְעַל דָּא, בְּכָל אֲתָר אֱלֹהֶיךָ, וְהָכָא אֱלֹהֵינוּ.
No: what it refers to is the Voice to which he was attached, which is called “himself’, so that one set of curses were uttered from the mouth of the divine Might and the other of that grade to which he attained in virtue of his superiority over the other prophets. Hence, while in all other places he says “Thy God”, here (in the Shema) he says “Our God”.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה אִית לְהוּ לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא אוֹרְחַיְיהוּ, בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתַּדְּלוּן בְּפֻלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, וְיִזְכּוּן לְחַיֵּי עָלְמִין. תְּחוֹת כּוּרְסְיָיא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, אִית מָדוֹרִין עִלָּאִין. וּבְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּכוּרְסְיָּיא, מְזוּזָה אִתְקְשַׁר, לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא מִכַּמָּה מָארֵי דִּינִין, דִּזְמִינִין לְאַתְּעָרָא בְּהוּ בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְיָהַב לְהוּ פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּגִין דְּיִשְׁתַּדְּלוּן בָּהּ וְיִשְׁתֵּזְבוּן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, מִכַּמָּה מָארֵי דִּינִין, מִכַּמָּה מְקַטְרְגֵי, דְּאִזְדַּמְנוּן בְּהוּ בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא בְּכָל יוֹמָא.
Note how diligent men should be to devote themselves to the service of their Master so as to win eternal life. Under the throne of the Holy King there are supernal chambers; and in that place of the throne there is fastened a mezuzah to deliver men from executioners of justice who are ready to assail them in the other world. Similarly did God do to Israel, giving them precepts of the Law which they may observe to deliver themselves from many assailants and accusers that are on the watch for men every day.’