Chumashחומש

לא תהיה משכלה. אִם תַּעֲשֶׂה רְצוֹנִי:

לא תהיה משכלה THERE SHALL NOTHING BE BEREAVED OF YOUNG, if you will act according to My will.

משכלה. מַפֶּלֶת נְפָלִים אוֹ קוֹבֶרֶת אֶת בָּנֶיהָ קְרוּיָה מְשַׁכֵּלָה:

משכלה BEREAVED OF YOUNG — A woman who miscarries or who buries her children at a very early age is called משכלה.

והמתי. כְּמוֹ וְהָמַמְתִּי, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וֶאֱשַׁגֵּשׁ. וְכֵן כָּל תֵּבָה שֶׁפֹּעַל שֶׁלָּהּ בְּכֶפֶל אוֹת אַחֲרוֹנָה, כְּשֶׁתֵּהָפֵךְ לְדַבֵּר בִּלְשׁוֹן פָּעַלְתִּי, יֵשׁ מְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁנּוֹטֵל אוֹת הַכְּפוּלָה וּמַדְגִּישׁ אֶת הָאוֹת וְנוֹקְדוֹ בִּמְלָאפוּם כְּגוֹן וְהַמֹּתִי מִגִּזְרַת וְהָמַם גִּלְגַּל עֶגְלָתוֹ (ישעיהו כ"ח), וְסַבּוֹתִי (קהלת ב'), מִגִּזְרַת וְסָבַב בֵּית אֵל (שמואל א ז׳:ט״ז), דַּלֹּתִי (תהילים קט"ז), מִגִּזְרַת דָּלְלוּ וְחָרְבוּ (ישעיהו י"ט), עַל כַּפַּיִם חַקֹּתִיךְ (ישעיהו מ״ט:ט״ז), מִגִּזְרַת חִקְקֵי לֵב (שופטים ה'), אֶת מִי רַצּוֹתִי (שמואל א י״ב:ג׳), מִגִּזְרַת רִצַּץ עָזַב דַּלִּים (איוב כ'). וְהַמְתַרְגֵּם וְהַמֹּתִי וְאֶקְטַל, טוֹעֶה הוּא, שֶׁאִלּוּ מִגִּזְרַת מִיתָה הָיָה, אֵין הֵ"א שֶׁלָּהּ בְּפַתָּח וְלֹא מֵ"ם שֶׁלָּהּ מֻדְגֶּשֶׁת וְלֹא נְקוּדָה מְלָאפוּם, אֶלָּא וְהֵמַתִּי כְּגוֹן וְהֵמַתָּה אֶת הָעָם הַזֶּה (במדבר י״ד:ט״ו), וְהַתָּי"ו מֻדְגֶּשֶׁת לְפִי שֶׁתָּבֹא בִּמְקוֹם שְׁתֵּי תָוִי"ן, הָאַחַת נִשְׁרֶשֶׁת – לְפִי שֶׁאֵין מִיתָה בְּלֹא תָי"ו – וְהָאַחֶרֶת מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת, כְּמוֹ אָמַרְתִּי, חָטָאתִי, עָשִׂיתִי, וְכֵן וְנָתַתִּי הַתָּי"ו מֻדְגֶּשֶׁת, שֶׁהִיא בָאָה בִּמְקוֹם שְׁתַּיִם, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה צָרִיךְ שָׁלֹשׁ תָּוִי"ן – שְׁתַּיִם לִיסוֹד, כְּמוֹ בְּיוֹם תֵּת ה' (יהושע י'), מַתַּת אֱלֹהִים הִיא (קהלת ג'), וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁית לְשִׁמּוּשׁ:

והמתי I WILL CONFOUND — This is equivalent to וְהָמַמְתִּי (i. e. the root is המם). Its rendering in the Targum is ואשנש “and I will confound”. Similar is every verb the root of which has its last letter doubled (verbs ע"ע): when it is changed (conjugated) to express the idea of “I have done something” (i. e. the first person singular perfect of the Kal; the same really applies to some inflected forms of other conjugations also) there are occasions when one omits the doubled letter (it is actually the first of the two similar letters) and dageshes the remaining letter of these two and vowels it with מלאפום (our חולם). Examples are: וְהַמֹּתִי which is of the same derivation as, (Isaiah 28:28) “and the wheel of his cart makes a confused noise (המם)”; (Ecclesiastes 2:20) וְסַבֹּתִי, “and I turned about” which is of the same derivation as, (I Samuel 7:16) “and he went round (וסבב) to Bethel”; (Psalms 116:6) דַלֹּתִי “I was low”, of the same derivation as, (Isaiah 19:6) “The waters shall become low (דללו) and dried up”; (Isaiah 49:16) “I have graven thee (חַקֹּתִיךְ) upon the palms of my hand”, of the same derivation as, (Judges 5:15) “things engraved (חקקי) in the heart”; (I Samuel 12:3) את מי רַצֹּתִי “whom have I crushed”, of the same derivation as, (Job 20:19) “because he hath crushed (רצץ) and hath forsaken the poor”. He, however, who translates it in the Targum by וְאֶקְטַל , is in error. For if it were derived from the root denoting death (מות), the ה in it would not be vowelled with Patach and its מ would not be dageshed nor vowelled with חולם, but it would read וְהַמַתִּי, as, (Numbers 14:15) “Now if Thou shalt kill (וְהַמַתָּ) this people”, the ת being dageshed because it would come in place of two ת’s, one being a root-letter — for no form of מות can be written without at least one ת (that in the root) — and the other being a servile letter (part of the suffix), just as תִּי in אמר-תי and חמא-תי and עשי-תי. Similarly with נתתי: the second ת is dageshed because it comes in the place of two ת’s — since it (the word) really requires three ת’s, two for the root, as in, (Joshua 10:12) “the day when the Lord giveth (תת)”, and in, (Ecclesiastes 3:13) “it is the gift (מתת) of God”, — and the third as a servile letter.

ערף. שֶׁיָּנוּסוּ מִפָּנֶיךָ וְיַהַפְכוּ לְךָ עָרְפָּם:

ערף NAPE OF THE NECK — i. e. they will flee before you and so turn the napes of their necks to you.

הצרעה. מִין שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף, וְהָיְתָה מַכָּה אוֹתָם בְּעֵינֵיהֶם וּמַטִּילָה בָהֶם אֶרֶס וְהֵם מֵתִים. וְהַצִּרְעָה לֹא עָבְרָה אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן, וְהַחִתִּי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי הֵם אֶרֶץ סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג, לְפִיכָךְ מִכָּל שֶׁבַע אֻמּוֹת לֹא מָנָה כָאן אֶלָּא אֵלּוּ, וְחִוִּי אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁהוּא מֵעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וָהָלְאָה, שָׁנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בְמַסֶּכֶת סוֹטָה (דף ל"ו), עַל שְׂפַת הַיַּרְדֵּן עָמְדָה וְזָרְקָה בָהֶם מָרָה:

הצרעה THE HORNETS — This is a kind of insect which wounded their eyes and injected poison in them, so that they died. The hornets did not cross the Jordan and the Hittite and the Canaanite whom Scripture mentions here as being driven out by them were the inhabitants of the land of Sichon and Og (on the east side of the Jordan). It is for this reason that Scripture enumerates here of all the seven nations that Israel fought against when entering Palestine only these two (cf. Joshua 24:12, where the text expressly states that the peoples driven out by the hornets were those of שני מלכי האמרי, “of the two kings of the Amorites” who are identical with Sihon and Og). But the Hivites lived on the other bank of the Jordan and somewhat beyond it and yet it states here that the hornets would drive them out! They were indeed driven out by the hornets, for our Rabbis have explained in Treatise Sotah 36a that the hornets placed themselves on the east bank of the Jordan and from there cast the poison against them.

שממה. רֵקָנִית מִבְּנֵי אָדָם, לְפִי שֶׁאַתֶּם מְעַט וְאֵין בָּכֶם כְּדֵי לְמַלֹּאות אוֹתָהּ:

שממה DESOLATE — empty of human beings, for you are but few and not sufficient to fill it all up.

ורבה עליך. וְתִרְבֶּה עָלֶיךָ:

ורבה עליך means, [LEST THE ANIMALS OF THE FIELD] MULTIPLY AGAINST THEE.

עד אשר תפרה. תִּרְבֶּה, לְשׁוֹן פְּרִי, כְּמוֹ פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ (בראשית א'):

עד אשר תפרה UNTIL THOU BE FRUITFUL — i. e. until you become many. תפרה is of the same root and meaning as no fruit, as, (Genesis 1:28) פרו ורבו “be fruitful and multiply”.

ושתי. לְשׁוֹן הֲשָׁתָה, וְהַתָּי"ו מֻדְגֶּשֶׁת מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבָּאָה תַּחַת שְׁתַּיִם, שֶׁאֵין שִׁיתָה בְּלֹא תָי"ו, וְהָאַחַת לְשִׁמּוּשׁ:

ושתי is of the root שית or שות. The ת is dageshed, because it comes in place of two ת’s (ושת-תי) — one is necessary because no grammatical form of שות can be without the ת of the root, and the other is a servile letter (part of the suffix).

עד הנהר. פְּרָת:

עד הנהר UNTO THE RIVER — the Euphrates.

וגרשתמו. וּתְגָרְשֵׁם:

וגרשתמו means AND THOU SHALT DRIVE THEM OUT.

כי תעבד וגו'. הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ כִּי מְשַׁמְּשִׁין בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר, וְכֵן בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת, וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן אִי שֶׁהוּא אֶחָד מֵאַרְבַּע לְשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁהַכִּי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ, וְגַם מָצִינוּ בְּהַרְבֵּה מְקוֹמוֹת אִם מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר, כְּמוֹ וְאִם תַּקְרִיב מִנְחַת בִּכּוּרִים (ויקרא ב'), שֶׁהִיא חוֹבָה:

כי תעבד וגו׳ FOR IF THOU SERVE etc. — Both particles כי in this verse have the meaning of אשר “that”. It has this meaning in several passages. This is really the sense of the Aramaic word אי (Hebrew אם) which itself is one of the four meanings in which כי is used (cf. Gittin 90a. where the four usages of כי are given). In fact we find אם (‎אי) used in many passages in the sense of אשר, e. g., (Leviticus 2:14) ואם תקריב where it certainly should not be translated “if” — but ”when thou offer an offering of thy first-fruits”, for this offering is not optional but is obligatory (cf. Rashi on that verse).

ואל משה אמר. פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ נֶאֶמְרָה קֹדֶם עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, בְּד' בְּסִיוָן נֶאֱמְרָה לוֹ עֲלֵה (שבת פ"ח):

ואל משה אמר AND UNTO MOSES HE SAID — This section was spoken before the Ten Commandments were given (i. e. אמר is the pluperfect); it was the fourth of Sivan when “Come up” was said to him (Shabbat 88a).

ונגש משה לבדו. אֶל הָעֲרָפֶל:

ונגש משה לבדו AND MOSES ALONE SHALL STEP NEAR unto the thick darkness (cf. Exodus 20:18).

ויבא משה ויספר לעם. בּוֹ בַיּוֹם:

ויבא משה ויספר לעם AND MOSES CAME AND RELATED TO THE PEOPLE — on that same day (the 4th of Sivan).

את כל דברי ה'. מִצְוַת פְּרִישָׁה וְהַגְבָּלָה:

את כל דברי ה׳ ALL THE WORDS OF THE LORD — the commands concerning their keeping apart from women and the setting of bounds at Mount Sinai.

ואת כל המשפטים. שֶׁבַע מִצְווֹת שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בְנֵי נֹחַ, וְשַׁבָּת וְכִבּוּד אָב וָאֵם וּפָרָה אֲדֻמָּה וְדִינִין שֶׁנִּתְּנוּ לָהֶם בְּמָרָה (סנהדרין נ"ו):

ואת כל המשפטים AND ALL THE JUDGMENTS which had been ordained before the Sinaitic legislation: the seven commands given to the “Sons of Noah” (the non-Israelite world), the law of the Sabbath, of filial respect, of the “red heifer” and regarding the administration of justice, all of which had been given to them already in Marah (cf. Sanhedrin 56b).

ויכתב משה. מִבְּרֵאשִׁית וְעַד מַתַּן תּוֹרָה, וְכָתַב מִצְווֹת שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בְמָרָה:

ויכתב משה AND MOSES WROTE [ALL THE WORDS OF THE LORD] — from בראשית up to (but not including) the account of the Giving of the Torah and he wrote down the commandments that were given to them in Marah (cf. Mekhilta on Exodus 19:10).

וישכם בבקר. בַּחֲמִשָּׁה בְּסִיוָן:

וישכם בבקר AND ROSE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING — on the fifth of Sivan (cf. Rashi on Exodus 19:11) (Shabbat 88a).

את נערי. הַבְּכוֹרוֹת:

את נערי THE LADS — the first-born sons (Zevachim 115b; Onkelos).

ויקח משה את חצי הדם. מִי חִלְּקוֹ? מַלְאָךְ בָּא וְחִלְּקוֹ (ויקרא רבה ו'):

ויקח משה חצי הדם AND MOSES TOOK THE HALF OF THE BLOOD — Who divided it into halves? An angel came down and divided it (Leviticus Rabbah 6:5).

באגנת. שְׁתֵּי אַגָּנוֹת, אֶחָד לַחֲצִי דַּם עוֹלָה וְאֶחָד לַחֲצִי דָּם שְׁלָמִים לְהַזּוֹת אוֹתָם עַל הָעָם. וּמִכָּאן לָמְדוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ לַבְּרִית בְּמִילָה וּטְבִילָה וְהַזָּאַת דָּמִים, שֶׁאֵין הַזָּאָה בְּלֹא טְבִילָה (כריתות ט'):

באגנת IN BASONS — There were two basons, one for holding the half of the blood of the burnt offering and the other for holding the half of the blood of the peace offerings, in order to sprinkle it (both bloods) on the people. From here have our Rabbis inferred (Keritot 9a) that our ancestors entered into the covenant with God by means of circumcision, immersion and sprinkling of blood — and although immersion is not mentioned in this paragraph it must have taken place, for no sprinkling is effective without immersion preceding it (cf. Tosafot Yevamot 46b ד"ה דאין הזאה בלא טבילה).‎

ספר הברית. מִבְּרֵאשִׁית וְעַד מַתַּן תּוֹרָה וּמִצְווֹת שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בְמָרָה:

ספר הברית THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT — the book which we have said contained the part of the Torah from בראשית till the “Giving of the Torah” including the Commandments that were given to them at Marah (Mekhilta; cf. Rashi on v. 4).

ויזרק. עִנְיַן הַזָּאָה, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וּזְרַק עַל מַדְבְּחָא לְכַפָּרָא עַל עַמָּא:

ויזרק means sprinkling — he sprinkled it on the people (not he threw it against the people, as this word might imply; cf. e. g., Exodus 9:8: וזרקו משה השמימה). The Targum, however, renders it by: and he poured it (the blood) upon the altar as atonement for (על) the people, adding the words “upon the altar”, and taking על העם to denote “on behalf of the people”, i. e. he poured it out to atone for the people.

ויראו את אלהי ישראל. נִסְתַּכְּלוּ וְהֵצִיצוּ וְנִתְחַיְּבוּ מִיתָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא רָצָה הַקָּבָּ"ה לְעַרְבֵּב שִׂמְחַת הַתּוֹרָה וְהִמְתִּין לְנָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא עַד יוֹם חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּשְׁכָּן, וְלַזְּקֵנִים עַד וַיְהִי הָעָם כְּמִתְאוֹנְנִים, וַתִּבְעַר בָּם אֵשׁ ה' וַתֹּאכַל בִּקְצֵה הַמַּחֲנֶה (במדבר י"א) – בַּקְּצִינִים שֶׁבַּמַּחֲנֶה (תנחומא):

ויראו את אלהי ישראל NOW THEY SAW THE GOD OF ISRAEL — They gazed intently and failing in this they peeped in their attempt to catch a glimpse of the Supreme Being, and thereby made themselves liable to death. But it was only because God did not wish to disturb the joy caused by the Giving of the Torah, that He did not punish them instantly, but waited (postponed the punishment) for Nadab and Abihu until the day when the Tabernacle was dedicated, when they were stricken with death, and for the elders until the event of which the text relates, (Numbers 11:16) “And when the people complained …. and the fire of the Lord burned among them and destroyed בקצה המחנה” — those who were the קצינים “nobles” of the camp (Midrash Tanchuma, Beha'alotcha 16).

כמעשה לבנת הספיר. הִיא הָיְתָה לְפָנָיו בִּשְׁעַת הַשִּׁעְבּוּד, לִזְכֹּר צָרָתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהָיוּ מְשֻׁעְבָּדִים בְּמַעֲשֵׂה לְבֵנִים (ויקרא רבה):

כמעשה לבנת הספיר AS IT WERE THE BRICKWORK OF SAPPHIRE — This had been before Him during the period of Egyptian slavery as a symbol of Israel’s woes — for they were subjected to do brick-work (cf. Jerusalem Talmud Succah 6:3; Leviticus Rabbah 23:8).

וכעצם השמים לטהר. מִשֶּׁנִּגְאֲלוּ הָיָה אוֹר וְחֶדְוָה לְפָנָיו:

וכעצם השמים לטהר AND AS IT WERE AS THE BODY OF HEAVEN FOR PURITY — This implies that as soon as they (the Israelites) were delivered there was radiance and rejoicing before Him.

וכעצם. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, לְשׁוֹן מַרְאֶה:

וכעצם — Translate it as the Targum does: “as the appearance”.

לטהר. לְשׁוֹן בָּרוּר וְצָלוּל:

לטהר means FOR BRIGHTNESS AND CLEARNESS.

ואל אצילי. הֵם נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְהַזְּקֵנִים:

ואל אצילי AND UPON THE NOBLES — these were Nadab and Abihu and the elders —

לא שלח ידו. מִכְּלָל שֶׁהָיוּ רְאוּיִים לְהִשְׁתַּלֵּחַ בָּהֶם יָד (תנחומא, ויקרא רבה כ'):

לא שלח ידו HE LAID NOT HIS HAND — This implies that they well deserved that God should stretch forth His hand against them (Midrash Tanchuma, Beha'alotcha 16).

ויחזו את האלהים. הָיוּ מִסְתַּכְּלִין בּוֹ בְּלֵב גַּס מִתּוֹךְ אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה, כָּךְ מִדְרַשׁ תַּנְחוּמָא, וְאֻנְקְלוֹס לֹא תִרְגֵּם כֵּן.

ויחזו את האלהים AND THEY BEHELD GOD [AND DID EAT AND DRINK] — They gazed at him intimately as though their association with Him were a matter of eating and drinking. Thus does the Midrash Tanchuma, Beha'alotcha 16 explain it. Onkelos, however, does not translate the passage this way (i. e. he does not take it in a depreciative sense that Nadab and Abihu and the elders acted improperly. His translation is: they beheld God’s Glory and rejoiced in their offerings which were accepted as though they were eating and drinking). —

אצילי. לְשׁוֹן גְּדוֹלִים, כְּמוֹ וּמֵאֲצִילֶיהָ קְרָאתִיךָ (ישעיהו מ"א), וַיָּאצֶל מִן הָרוּחַ (במדבר י"א), שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת אַצִּילָה (יחזקאל מ"א):

אצילי means “the great men”, as, (Isaiah 41:9) “I called thee from the chief men (אציליה) thereof”; (Numbers 11:17) “And he increased (ויאצל) some of the spirit” (cf. Rashi on Numbers 11:17 and Onkelos on 11:25); (Ezekiel 41:8) “six cubits in its size (largeness) (אצילה‎)”.

ויאמר ה' אל משה. לְאַחַר מַתַּן תּוֹרָה:

ויאמר ה’ אל משה AND THE LORD SAID TO MOSES — after the Giving of the Law,

עלה אלי ההרה והיה שם. אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם:

עלה אלי ההרה והיה שם COME UP TO ME INTO THE MOUNTAIN AND REMAIN THERE forty days.

את לחת האבן והתורה והמצוה אשר כתבתי להורתם. כָּל שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וּשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִצְווֹת בִּכְלַל עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת הֵן, וְרַבֵּנוּ סְעַדְיָה פֵּרֵשׁ בָּאַזְהָרוֹת שֶׁיָּסַד לְכָל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר מִצְווֹת הַתְּלוּיוֹת בּוֹ:

את לחת האבן והתורה והמצוה אשר כתבתי להורתם [AND I WILL GIVE THEE] THE TABLETS OF STONE, AND THE LAW, AND THE COMMANDMENT WHICH I HAVE WRITTEN TO TEACH THEM — All the six hundred and thirteen commandments are implicitly contained in the Ten Commandments and may therefore be regarded as having been written on the tablets. Rabbi Saadia specified in the אזהרות which he has composed those commandments which may be associated with each of the Ten Commandments.

ויקם משה ויהושע משרתו. לֹא יָדַעְתִּי מַה טִּיבוֹ שֶׁל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כָּאן, וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי, שֶׁהָיָה הַתַּלְמִיד מְלַוֶּה לָרַב עַד מְקוֹם הַגְבָּלַת תְּחוּמֵי הָהָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לֵילֵךְ מִשָּׁם וָהָלְאָה, וּמִשָּׁם וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה לְבַדּוֹ אֶל הַר הָאֱלֹהִים, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ נָטָה שָׁם אָהֳלוֹ וְנִתְעַכֵּב שָׁם כָּל אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, שֶׁכֵּן מָצִינוּ כְּשֶׁיָּרַד מֹשֶׁה וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת קוֹל הָעָם בְּרֵעֹה (שמות ל״ב:י״ז), לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עִמָּהֶם:

ויקם משה ויהושע משרתו AND MOSES ROSE AND HIS MINISTER JOSHUA — I am not sure in what capacity Joshua appears here, but I think that as a disciple he was accompanying the teacher as far as the place where the bounds of the mountain were marked out, whence onward he was not permitted to proceed. From that point ויעל משה MOSES alone ASCENDED אל הר האלהים THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD, whilst Joshua pitched his tent there and stayed there during the whole forty days which Moses spent on the mountain. For thus we find that when Moses came down from the mountain it states, (Exodus 32:17) “and Joshua heard the voice of the people that they shouted” — from which we may infer that he was not with them in the camp.

ואל הזקנים אמר. בְּצֵאתוֹ מִן הַמַּחֲנֶה:

ואל הזקנים אמר BUT UNTO THE ELDERS HE SAID when he left the camp (אמר in the sequence of verbs which we find here denotes the pluperfect; the translation therefore is: and to the elders he had said).

שבו לנו בזה. וְהִתְעַכְּבוּ כָּאן עִם שְׁאָר הָעָם בַּמַּחֲנֶה, לִהְיוֹת נְכוֹנִים לִשְׁפֹּט לְכָל אִישׁ רִיבוֹ:

שבו לנו בזה ABIDE YE HERE FOR US and stay ye with all the other people in the camp so as to be ready to decide his dispute for each man.

חור. בְּנָהּ שֶׁל מִרְיָם הָיָה וְאָבִיו כָּלֵב בֶּן יְפֻנֶּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּקַּח לוֹ כָלֵב אֶת אֶפְרָת וַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת חוּר (דהי"א ב'), אֶפְרָת זוֹ מִרְיָם כִּדְאִיתָא בְּסוֹטָה:

חור [AND] HUR — He was the son of Miriam and his father was Caleb the son of Jephunneh, as it is said, (1 Chr. 2:9) “Caleb took unto him Ephrath, who bare him Hur”; and Ephrath is identical with Miriam, as it is stated in Treatise Sotah 11b.

מי בעל דברים. מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ דִּין:

מי בעל דברים HE WHO HAS ANY MATTER TO DO — i. e. he who has any law-suit.

ויכסהו הענן. רַבּוֹתֵינוּ חוֹלְקִים בַּדָּבָר, יֵשׁ מֶהֵם אוֹ' אֵלּוּ שִׁשָּׁה יָמִים שֶׁמֵּר"ח (עַד עֲצֶרֶת יוֹם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה):

ויכסהו הענן AND THE CLOUD COVERED IT (lit., “him”) [SIX DAYS] — Our Rabbis are of different opinions as to what this passage means. Some of them hold that these were the six days from the first of Sivan (until the Feast of Weeks, the day of the Giving of the Law) —

ויכסהו הענן. לָהָר:

and that the word ויכסהו in the phrase ויכסהו הענן “the cloud covered him” or covered “it” means that it covered the mountain.

ויקרא אל משה ביום השביעי לוֹמַר עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, וּמֹשֶׁה וְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹמְדִים, אֶלָּא שֶׁחָלַק הַכָּתוּב כָּבוֹד לְמֹשֶׁה; וְיֵ"אֹ ויכסהו הענן לְמֹשֶׁה ששת ימים לְאַחַר עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, וְהֵם הָיוּ בִּתְחִלַּת אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם שֶׁעָלָה מֹשֶׁה לְקַבֵּל לוּחוֹת, וְלִמֶּדְךָ שֶׁכָּל הַנִּכְנָס לְמַחֲנֵה שְׁכִינָה טָעוּן פְּרִישָׁה שִׁשָּׁה יָמִים (יומא ג'):

ויקרא אל משה ביום השביעי AND HE CALLED UNTO MOSES ON THE SEVENTH DAY of Sivan to utter the Ten Commandments. It is true that Moses and all Israel were standing there but the text states, “He called unto Moses” merely to give special honour to Moses calling him by name. Others, however, say that the passage means: AND THE CLOUD COVERED HIM — Moses, FOR SIX DAYS after the Ten Commandments had been given. These were at the beginning of the forty days which Moses spent on Mount Sinai when he went up to receive the Tablets, and Scripture teaches you that whosoever enters the camp of the Divine Majesty (here the mountain and later on the Holy of Holies) requires separation from others (must live in seclusion) for six days (Yoma 4a).

בתוך הענן. עָנָן זֶה כְּמִין עָשָׁן הוּא, וְעָשָׂה לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה לְמֹשֶׁה שְׁבִיל בְּתוֹכוֹ (שם ד'):

בתוך הענן INTO THE MIDST OF THE CLOUD — This cloud was thick like smoke and God made a path for Moses through it (Yoma 4b).