ט׳
ד׳אַל־תֹּאמַ֣ר בִּלְבָבְךָ֗ בַּהֲדֹ֣ף יְהֹוָה֩ אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ אֹתָ֥ם ׀ מִלְּפָנֶ֘יךָ֮ לֵאמֹר֒ בְּצִדְקָתִי֙ הֱבִיאַ֣נִי יְהֹוָ֔ה לָרֶ֖שֶׁת אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את וּבְרִשְׁעַת֙ הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָאֵ֔לֶּה יְהֹוָ֖ה מוֹרִישָׁ֥ם מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃
4And when the ETERNAL your God has thrust them from your path, say not to yourselves, “GOD has enabled us to possess this land because of our virtues”; it is rather because of the wickedness of those nations that GOD is dispossessing them before you.
אל תאמר בלבבך. צִדְקָתִי וְרִשְׁעַת הַגּוֹיִם גָּרְמוּ:
אל תאמר בלבבך SAY NOT IN THY HEART, “My righteousness and the wickedness of these nations brought it about that I possess the land;
ה׳לֹ֣א בְצִדְקָתְךָ֗ וּבְיֹ֙שֶׁר֙ לְבָ֣בְךָ֔ אַתָּ֥ה בָ֖א לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אֶת־אַרְצָ֑ם כִּ֞י בְּרִשְׁעַ֣ת ׀ הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָאֵ֗לֶּה יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ מוֹרִישָׁ֣ם מִפָּנֶ֔יךָ וּלְמַ֜עַן הָקִ֣ים אֶת־הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ לַאֲבֹתֶ֔יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹֽב׃
5It is not because of your virtues and your rectitude that you will be able to possess their country; but it is because of their wickedness that the ETERNAL your God is dispossessing those nations before you, and in order to fulfill the oath that GOD made to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
לא בצדקתך, אתה בא לרשת, כי ברשעת הגוים. הֲרֵי כִּי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֶלָּא:
לא בצדקתך אתה בא לרשת … כי ברשעת הגוים NOT FOR THY RIGHTEOUSNESS … DOST THOU GO TO POSSESS [THEIR LAND], but (כי) for the wickedness of these nations. — Here you have the word כי used in the sense of "but".
ו׳וְיָדַעְתָּ֗ כִּ֠י לֹ֤א בְצִדְקָֽתְךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱ֠לֹהֶ֠יךָ נֹתֵ֨ן לְךָ֜ אֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֛ה הַזֹּ֖את לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ כִּ֥י עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֖רֶף אָֽתָּה׃
6Know, then, that it is not for any virtue of yours that the ETERNAL your God is giving you this good land to possess; for you are a stiffnecked people.
ז׳זְכֹר֙ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֔ח אֵ֧ת אֲשֶׁר־הִקְצַ֛פְתָּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר לְמִן־הַיּ֞וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יָצָ֣אתָ ׀ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם עַד־בֹּֽאֲכֶם֙ עַד־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה מַמְרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם עִם־יְהֹוָֽה׃
7Remember, never forget, how you provoked the ETERNAL your God to anger in the wilderness: from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you reached this place, you have continued defiant toward GOD.
ח׳וּבְחֹרֵ֥ב הִקְצַפְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיִּתְאַנַּ֧ף יְהֹוָ֛ה בָּכֶ֖ם לְהַשְׁמִ֥יד אֶתְכֶֽם׃
8At Horeb you so provoked GOD that GOD was angry enough with you to have destroyed you.
ט׳בַּעֲלֹתִ֣י הָהָ֗רָה לָקַ֜חַת לוּחֹ֤ת הָֽאֲבָנִים֙ לוּחֹ֣ת הַבְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁר־כָּרַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה עִמָּכֶ֑ם וָאֵשֵׁ֣ב בָּהָ֗ר אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔לְתִּי וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֥א שָׁתִֽיתִי׃
9I had ascended the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the Tablets of the Covenant that GOD had made with you, and I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, eating no bread and drinking no water.
ואשב בהר. אֵין יְשִׁיבָה אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן עַכָּבָה (מגילה כ"א):
ואשב בהר — The verb ישב here means only "staying" (not "sitting"; it means: I stayed on the mountain) (Megillah 21a).
י׳וַיִּתֵּ֨ן יְהֹוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י אֶת־שְׁנֵי֙ לוּחֹ֣ת הָֽאֲבָנִ֔ים כְּתֻבִ֖ים בְּאֶצְבַּ֣ע אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַעֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כְּֽכׇל־הַדְּבָרִ֡ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה עִמָּכֶ֥ם בָּהָ֛ר מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵ֖שׁ בְּי֥וֹם הַקָּהָֽל׃
10And the ETERNAL gave me the two tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God, with the exact words that the ETERNAL had addressed to you on the mountain out of the fire on the day of the Assembly.
לוחת. לוחת כְּתִיב שֶׁשְּׁתֵיהֶן שָׁווֹת (תנחומא):
לוחת TABLETS — This word is written without a ו before the ת, so that it may be read לוחת (a singular form), to indicate that both of them were alike (Midrash Tanchuma, Eikev 10; cf. Rashi on Exodus 31:18 and Note thereon).
י״אוַיְהִ֗י מִקֵּץ֙ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים לָ֑יְלָה נָתַ֨ן יְהֹוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י אֶת־שְׁנֵ֛י לֻחֹ֥ת הָאֲבָנִ֖ים לֻח֥וֹת הַבְּרִֽית׃
11At the end of those forty days and forty nights, GOD gave me the two tablets of stone, the Tablets of the Covenant.
י״בוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֵלַ֗י ק֣וּם רֵ֤ד מַהֵר֙ מִזֶּ֔ה כִּ֚י שִׁחֵ֣ת עַמְּךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹצֵ֖אתָ מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם סָ֣רוּ מַהֵ֗ר מִן־הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתִ֔ם עָשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם מַסֵּכָֽה׃
12And GOD said to me, “Hurry, go down from here at once, for the people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted wickedly; they have been quick to stray from the path that I enjoined upon them; they have made themselves a molten image.”
י״גוַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֣י לֵאמֹ֑ר רָאִ֙יתִי֙ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֖רֶף הֽוּא׃
13GOD further said to me, “I see that this is a stiffnecked people.
י״דהֶ֤רֶף מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ וְאַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם וְאֶמְחֶ֣ה אֶת־שְׁמָ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה֙ אֽוֹתְךָ֔ לְגוֹי־עָצ֥וּם וָרָ֖ב מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
14Let Me alone and I will destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven, and I will make you a nation far more numerous than they.”
ט״ווָאֵ֗פֶן וָֽאֵרֵד֙ מִן־הָהָ֔ר וְהָהָ֖ר בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֑שׁ וּשְׁנֵי֙ לוּחֹ֣ת הַבְּרִ֔ית עַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֥י יָדָֽי׃
15I started down the mountain, a mountain ablaze with fire, the two Tablets of the Covenant in my two hands.
ט״זוָאֵ֗רֶא וְהִנֵּ֤ה חֲטָאתֶם֙ לַיהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם עֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם לָכֶ֔ם עֵ֖גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה סַרְתֶּ֣ם מַהֵ֔ר מִן־הַדֶּ֕רֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶתְכֶֽם׃
16I saw how you had sinned against the ETERNAL your God: you had made yourselves a molten calf; you had been quick to stray from the path that GOD had enjoined upon you.
י״זוָאֶתְפֹּשׂ֙ בִּשְׁנֵ֣י הַלֻּחֹ֔ת וָֽאַשְׁלִכֵ֔ם מֵעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֣י יָדָ֑י וָאֲשַׁבְּרֵ֖ם לְעֵינֵיכֶֽם׃
17Thereupon I gripped the two tablets and flung them away with both my hands, smashing them before your eyes.
י״חוָֽאֶתְנַפַּל֩ לִפְנֵ֨י יְהֹוָ֜ה כָּרִאשֹׁנָ֗ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔לְתִּי וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֣א שָׁתִ֑יתִי עַ֤ל כׇּל־חַטַּאתְכֶם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חֲטָאתֶ֔ם לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ׃
18I threw myself down before GOD—eating no bread and drinking no water forty days and forty nights, as before—because of the great wrong you had committed, doing what displeased and vexed GOD.
ואתנפל לפני ה' כראשנה ארבעים יום. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ל"ב) וְעַתָּה אֶעֱלֶה אֶל ה' אוּלַי אֲכַפְּרָה, בְּאוֹתָהּ עֲלִיָּה נִתְעַכַּבְתִּי אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, נִמְצְאוּ כָלִים בְּכ"ט בְּאָב, שֶׁהוּא עָלָה בִּשְׁמוֹנָה עָשָׂר בְּתַמּוּז, בּוֹ בַיּוֹם נִתְרַצָּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַר לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה פְּסָל לְךָ שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת (שם ל"ד) עָשָׂה עוֹד אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם, נִמְצְאוּ כָלִים בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, בּוֹ בַיּוֹם נִתְרַצָּה הַקָּבָּ"ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשִׂמְחָה וְאָמַר לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה סָלַחְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶךָ (במדבר י"ד), לְכָךְ הֻקְבַּע לִמְחִילָה וְלִסְלִיחָה, וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁנִּתְרַצָּה בְרָצוֹן שָׁלֵם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּאַרְבָּעִים שֶׁל לוּחוֹת אַחֲרוֹנוֹת (דברים י') וְאָנֹכִי עָמַדְתִּי בָהָר כַּיָּמִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים, מַה הָרִאשׁוֹנִים בְּרָצוֹן אַף הָאַחֲרוֹנִים בְּרָצוֹן, אֱמֹר מֵעַתָּה אֶמְצָעִיִּים הָיוּ בְּכַעַס:
ואתנפל לפני ה׳ כראשנה ארבעים יום AND I FELL DOWN BEFORE THE LORD, AS AT THE FIRST, FORTY DAYS, as it is said (Exodus 32:30) “And now I will go up to the Lord, perhaps I may atone [for your sin]”. At that ascent, which was the second I made, I tarried there forty days — consequently these terminated on the twenty-ninth of Ab, since he had ascended on the eighteenth of Tammuz. On that same day in Ab He became reconciled with Israel and said to Moses (Exodus 34:1) “Hew thee out two tablets”. He stayed there another forty days; consequently these terminated on the Day of Atonement (the tenth of Tishri). On that same day, the Holy One, blessed be He, was gladly reconciled (i.e. completely reconciled) with Israel and said to Moses, I have forgiven according to thy word. On this account it was appointed for pardon and forgiveness. And whence do we know that He was reconciled with them with complete goodwill? Because it is stated in respect to the forty days of the last tablets (in respect to third period of forty days) (Deuteronomy 10:10), “And I stayed in the mountain according to the first days”! What was the case with the first days? They were passed in God’s goodwill! (for they had not yet committed the sin of worshipping the golden calf). So, too, the last forty days were in God’s goodwill! You must now say (admit) that the intervening forty days were passed in God’s anger (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 31; cf. Rashi on Exodus 18:13).
י״טכִּ֣י יָגֹ֗רְתִּי מִפְּנֵ֤י הָאַף֙ וְהַ֣חֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָצַ֧ף יְהֹוָ֛ה עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם לְהַשְׁמִ֣יד אֶתְכֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלַ֔י גַּ֖ם בַּפַּ֥עַם הַהִֽוא׃
19For I was in dread of the fierce anger against you that moved GOD to wipe you out. And that time, too, GOD gave heed to me.—
כ׳וּֽבְאַהֲרֹ֗ן הִתְאַנַּ֧ף יְהֹוָ֛ה מְאֹ֖ד לְהַשְׁמִיד֑וֹ וָֽאֶתְפַּלֵּ֛ל גַּם־בְּעַ֥ד אַהֲרֹ֖ן בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽוא׃
20Moreover, GOD was angry enough with Aaron to have destroyed him; so I also interceded for Aaron at that time.—
ובאהרן התאנף ה'. לְפִי שֶׁשָּׁמַע לָכֶם:
ובאהרן התאנף ה׳ AND WITH AARON THE LORD WAS ANGRY, because he listened to you.
להשמידו. זֶה כִלּוּי בָּנִים, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (עמוס ב') וָאַשְׁמִיד פִּרְיוֹ מִמַּעַל:
להשמידו TO DESTROY HIM — this denotes the extermination of one’s children, and so, too, it states, (Amos 2:9) “And I destroyed (ואשמיד) his fruit (offspring) from above” (Leviticus Rabbah 7:1).
ואתפלל גם בעד אהרן. וְהוֹעִילָה תְפִלָּתִי לְכַפֵּר מֶחֱצָה, וּמֵתוּ שְׁנַיִם וְנִשְׁאֲרוּ הַשְּׁנַיִם:
.(אחרי מות AND I PRAYED FOR AARON ALSO, and my prayer availed to atone half, so that only two of his sons died, and two remained alive.
כ״אוְֽאֶת־חַטַּאתְכֶ֞ם אֲשֶׁר־עֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם אֶת־הָעֵ֗גֶל לָקַ֘חְתִּי֮ וָאֶשְׂרֹ֣ף אֹת֣וֹ ׀ בָּאֵשׁ֒ וָאֶכֹּ֨ת אֹת֤וֹ טָחוֹן֙ הֵיטֵ֔ב עַ֥ד אֲשֶׁר־דַּ֖ק לְעָפָ֑ר וָֽאַשְׁלִךְ֙ אֶת־עֲפָר֔וֹ אֶל־הַנַּ֖חַל הַיֹּרֵ֥ד מִן־הָהָֽר׃
21As for that sinful thing you had made, the calf, I took it and put it to the fire; I broke it to bits and ground it thoroughly until it was fine as dust, and I threw its dust into the brook that comes down from the mountain.
טחון. לְשׁוֹן הוֹוֶה, כְּמוֹ הָלוֹךְ וְכַלּוֹת, מולא"נט בְּלַעַז:
טחון — This is a present tense of continuous action like הלוך וכלות “going on destroying”; moulant in O. F. English grinding (cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 3:6).
כ״בוּבְתַבְעֵרָה֙ וּבְמַסָּ֔ה וּבְקִבְרֹ֖ת הַֽתַּאֲוָ֑ה מַקְצִפִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה׃
22Again you provoked GOD at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah.
כ״גוּבִשְׁלֹ֨חַ יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִקָּדֵ֤שׁ בַּרְנֵ֙עַ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר עֲלוּ֙ וּרְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַ֖תִּי לָכֶ֑ם וַתַּמְר֗וּ אֶת־פִּ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֤א הֶֽאֱמַנְתֶּם֙ ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֖ם בְּקֹלֽוֹ׃
23And when GOD sent you on from Kadesh-barnea, saying, “Go up and take possession of the land that I am giving you,” you flouted the command of the ETERNAL your God—whom you did not put your trust in nor obey.
כ״דמַמְרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם עִם־יְהֹוָ֑ה מִיּ֖וֹם דַּעְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶֽם׃
24As long as I have known you, you have been defiant toward GOD.
כ״הוָֽאֶתְנַפַּ֞ל לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֗ה אֵ֣ת אַרְבָּעִ֥ים הַיּ֛וֹם וְאֶת־אַרְבָּעִ֥ים הַלַּ֖יְלָה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִתְנַפָּ֑לְתִּי כִּֽי־אָמַ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה לְהַשְׁמִ֥יד אֶתְכֶֽם׃
25When I lay prostrate before GOD those forty days and forty nights,athose forty days and forty nights Lit. “the forty days and forty nights that I lay prostrate.” because GOD was determined to destroy you,
ואתנפל וגו'. אֵלּוּ הֵן עַצְמָם הָאֲמוּרִים לְמַעְלָה, וּכְפָלָן כָּאן, לְפִי שֶׁכָּתוּב כָּאן סֵדֶר תְּפִלָּתוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ה' אלהים אל תשחת עמך וגו':
ואתנפל וגו׳ AND I FELL DOWN [BEFORE THE LORD … THE FORTY DAYS … WHICH I HAD FALLEN DOWN] — These are the very same forty days mentioned above (v. 18), and it mentions them a second time here, because there is written here (in the next verse) the wording of his prayer, as it is said, “O Lord God, destroy not thy people, etc.”.
כ״ווָאֶתְפַּלֵּ֣ל אֶל־יְהֹוָה֮ וָאֹמַר֒ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֗ה אַל־תַּשְׁחֵ֤ת עַמְּךָ֙ וְנַחֲלָ֣תְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּדִ֖יתָ בְּגׇדְלֶ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתָ מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם בְּיָ֥ד חֲזָקָֽה׃
26I prayed to GOD and said, “O my Sovereign GOD, do not annihilate Your very own people, whom You redeemed in Your majesty and whom You freed from Egypt with a mighty hand.
כ״זזְכֹר֙ לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֑ב אַל־תֵּ֗פֶן אֶל־קְשִׁי֙ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְאֶל־רִשְׁע֖וֹ וְאֶל־חַטָּאתֽוֹ׃
27Give thought to Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and pay no heed to the stubbornness of this people, its wickedness, and its sinfulness.
כ״חפֶּן־יֹאמְר֗וּ הָאָ֘רֶץ֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוֹצֵאתָ֣נוּ מִשָּׁם֒ מִבְּלִי֙ יְכֹ֣לֶת יְהֹוָ֔ה לַהֲבִיאָ֕ם אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֣ר לָהֶ֑ם וּמִשִּׂנְאָת֣וֹ אוֹתָ֔ם הוֹצִיאָ֖ם לַהֲמִתָ֥ם בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃
28Else the country from which You freed us will say, ‘It was because GOD was powerless to bring them into the land promised to them, and because of having rejected them, that he brought them out to have them die in the wilderness.’
כ״טוְהֵ֥ם עַמְּךָ֖ וְנַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הוֹצֵ֙אתָ֙ בְּכֹחֲךָ֣ הַגָּדֹ֔ל וּבִֽזְרֹעֲךָ֖ הַנְּטוּיָֽה׃ {פ}
29Yet they are Your very own people, whom You freed with Your great might and Your outstretched arm.”