כ״ג
כ׳הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י שֹׁלֵ֤חַ מַלְאָךְ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמׇרְךָ֖ בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ וְלַהֲבִ֣יאֲךָ֔ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֲכִנֹֽתִי׃
20I am sending an angeldan angel Or “a messenger,” namely Moses; cf. Gersonides, Luzzatto. before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have made ready.
הנה אנכי שלח מלאך. כָּאן נִתְבַּשְּׂרוּ שֶׁעֲתִידִין לַחֲטֹא, וּשְׁכִינָה אוֹמֶרֶת לָהֶם כִּי לֹא אֶעֱלֶה בְּקִרְבְּךָ (שמות ל"ג):
הנה אנכי שלח מלאך BEHOLD, I SEND A MESSENGER [BEFORE THEE] — Here they were informed that they would once sin and that the Divine Majesty would have to tell them, (Exodus 33:3) “for ‘I’ will not go up among thee” (cf. Exodus Rabbah 32:3).
אשר הכנתי. אֲשֶׁר זִמַּנְתִּי לָתֵת לָכֶם, זֶהוּ פְּשׁוּטוֹ; וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ אל המקום אשר הכנתי כְּבָר מְקוֹמִי כְּנֶגְדּוֹ, וְזֶה אֶחָד מִן הַמִּקְרָאוֹת שֶׁאוֹמְרִים שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁל מַעְלָה מְכֻוָּן כְּנֶגֶד שֶׁל מַטָּה (תנחומא):
אשר הכנתי means, WHICH I HAVE PREPARED in order to give unto you. This is the literal meaning of the verse. The Midrash (taking the word as connected in meaning with the term כִּוֵן “to put a thing in a line with” or “to make it correspond with” another thing) explains אל המקום אשר הכנתי to signify “to the place opposite to which I have long since established the seat of my Glory” (“the place” therefore denotes the Temple; cf. Rashi on Exodus 15:17). This is, according to the Midrash, one of the verses which implicitly state that the Temple in Heaven is situated exactly opposite (מְכֻוָּן) that on the earth (Midrash Tanchuma, Mishpatim 18)
כ״אהִשָּׁ֧מֶר מִפָּנָ֛יו וּשְׁמַ֥ע בְּקֹל֖וֹ אַל־תַּמֵּ֣ר בּ֑וֹ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִשָּׂא֙ לְפִשְׁעֲכֶ֔ם כִּ֥י שְׁמִ֖י בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃
21Pay heed to him and obey him. Do not defy him, for he will not pardon your offenses, since My Name is in him;
אל תמר בו. לְשׁוֹן הַמְרָאָה, כְּמוֹ אֲשֶׁר יַמְרֶה אֶת פִּיךָ (יהושע א'):
אל תמר בו EXASPERATE HIM NOT — This verb is a term denoting rebellion (המראה), similar to, (Joshua 1:18) “Whosoever he be that rebel (ימרה) against thy commandment”.
כי לא ישא לפשעכם. אֵינוֹ מְלֻמָּד בְּכָךְ, שֶׁהוּא מִן הַכַּת שֶׁאֵין חוֹטְאִין, וְעוֹד שֶׁהוּא שָׁלִיחַ וְאֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה אֶלָּא שְׁלִיחוּתוֹ:
כי לא ישא לפשעכם FOR HE WILL NOT PARDON YOUR TRESPASS — He is not accustomed to it (to sin) for he is one of a class of beings who never sin. Besides he is only a messenger and only carries out the mission entrusted to him (i. e. he has no right to pardon you, for this is My prerogative: it is his only to insist upon obedience to My commands) (Midrash Tanchuma, Mishpatim 18).
כי שמי בקרבו. מְחֻבָּר לְרֹאשׁ הַמִּקְרָא – השמר מפניו כי שמי מְשֻׁתָּף בּוֹ. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ זֶה מְטַטְרוֹן שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ כְשֵׁם רַבּוֹ, מְטַטְרוֹן בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא שַׁדַּי (סנהדרין ל"ח):
כי שמי בקרבו FOR MY NAME IS IN HIM — This passage must be connected with the beginning of the verse: Take heed of him etc. — for (כי) My Name is associated with his (i. e. whatever he does, he does in My Name). Our Rabbis said that he (the angel) is Mattatron (מטטרון) whose name is even as the name of his Master, for מטטרון has the numerical value of שדי “the Almighty” (Sanhedrin 38b).
כ״בכִּ֣י אִם־שָׁמ֤וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע֙ בְּקֹל֔וֹ וְעָשִׂ֕יתָ כֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וְאָֽיַבְתִּי֙ אֶת־אֹ֣יְבֶ֔יךָ וְצַרְתִּ֖י אֶת־צֹרְרֶֽיךָ׃
22but if you obey him and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.
וצרתי. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ וְאָעִיק:
וצרתי — render this as the Targum does: I will distress.
כ״גכִּֽי־יֵלֵ֣ךְ מַלְאָכִי֮ לְפָנֶ֒יךָ֒ וֶהֱבִֽיאֲךָ֗ אֶל־הָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ וְהַ֣חִתִּ֔י וְהַפְּרִזִּי֙ וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י הַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִ֑י וְהִכְחַדְתִּֽיו׃
23When My angeleangel See note at v. 20. goes before you and brings you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I annihilate them,
כ״דלֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֤ה לֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א תׇֽעׇבְדֵ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תַעֲשֶׂ֖ה כְּמַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶ֑ם כִּ֤י הָרֵס֙ תְּהָ֣רְסֵ֔ם וְשַׁבֵּ֥ר תְּשַׁבֵּ֖ר מַצֵּבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
24you shall not bow down to their gods in worship or follow their practices, but shall tear them down and smash their pillars to bits.
הרס תהרסם. לְאוֹתָם אֱלוֹהוּת:
הרס תהרסם [BUT] THOU SHALT UTTERLY OVERTHROW THEM — those gods.
מצבתיהם. אֲבָנִים שֶׁהֵם מַצִּיבִין לְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת לָהֶם:
מצבתיהם THEIR MONUMENTS — stones which they set up (root נצב) before which to prostrate themselves.
כ״הוַעֲבַדְתֶּ֗ם אֵ֚ת יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵרַ֥ךְ אֶֽת־לַחְמְךָ֖ וְאֶת־מֵימֶ֑יךָ וַהֲסִרֹתִ֥י מַחֲלָ֖ה מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃ {ס}
25You shall serve the ETERNAL your God, who will bless your bread and your water. And I will remove sickness from your midst.