Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 19:13/אבן עזרא על שמות י״ט:י״ג
אלא תגע בו. מלת "בו" שבה אל האדם הנוגע בהר והטעם לא יכנס אדם אחריו לתפשו רק יסקלוהו הרואים ממקום מעמדם מיד, ואם רחוק יורוהו בחצים:
1NO HAND SHALL TOUCH HIM. The word bo (him) refers to the person who touches the mount.112 also means “it.” Thus our verse may be taken to mean, no hand shall touch it, that is, the mountain (see previous note). Hence I.E.’s comment. It means that no one shall enter after him113 to grab him. On the contrary, those who see him shall immediately stone him from where they are standing or shall shoot him through with arrows if he be distant.
בומלת יירה. משונה מרעותה כי משפט בעלי היו"ד להתחלף בוי"ו בעתיד בנין נפעל כמו ולא יִוָדַע השבע (ברא' מא לא) יסרתני וָאִוָסֵר (ירמי' לא יז) אולי עשו כך שלא תתערב עם גזרת למען תורא (תה' קל, ג) כי האלף והה"א נחים בסוף המלה, אין הפרש ביניהם במבטא:
2[SHOT THROUGH.] The word yiyareh (shot through) differs from its counterparts.114 as their first letter. The root of yiyareh is yod, resh, heh. For the rule pertaining to roots that have a yod as their first letter is that the yod changes to a vav in the nifal imperfect, as in the word yivvada (be known)115, dalet, ayin. in and the plenty shall not be known (Gen. 41:31) and va-ivvaser (and I was chastised)116 in Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised (Jer. 31:18). Perhaps they117 did this so that this root118 not be confused with the root of tivvare (thou mayest be feared)119, resh, alef. in That Thou mayest be feared (Ps. 130:4).120 (cast) and yara (feared) were conjugated in the exact same way in the nifal imperfect, it would be hard to distinguish one from the other. Hence in one the yod changed into a vav, as is the rule, and in the other the yod remained unchanged. For the alef and the heh are silent at the end of the word and there is no difference in pronunciation between them.121
גאם בהמה אם איש לא יחיה. ולא העוף, כי לא יוכלו לקחתו כי יעוף מיד:
3WHETHER IT BE BEAST OR MAN, IT SHALL NOT LIVE. Not so a bird as it cannot be taken, for it immediately flies away.
דבמשוך היובל. פי' כבש, ונקרא היובל כן, בעבור והעברת שופר תרועה (ויקרא כה, ט) כי שופר הוא מקרני הכבש, וכן כתוב במשוך בקרן היובל בשמעכם את קול השופר (יהושע ו ה) והתימה על האומרים, כי על קול השופר הולך וחזק מאד, משה ידבר במשוך היובל, כי קול השופר הוא פלא גדול, אין במעמד הר סיני גדול ממנו כי קולות וברקים וענן כבד גם הם נראים בעולם, וקול שופר לא נשמע עד יום עשרת הדברים והנה לא היה מקרן כבש:
4WHEN THE RAM’S HORN SOUNDETH LONG. Yovel (ram) is a lamb.122 which is made from a ram’s horn, is by extension referred to as a yovel. Thus bi-meshokh ha-yovel is to be rendered: when the ram’s horn soundeth long. I.E. uses the term keves, which means a lamb. He probably meant a ram. See Rosh Ha-Shanah 26a. Jubilee (yovel) is so called because Scripture states, Then shalt thou make proclamation with the blast of a shofar123 (Lev. 25:9), and the shofar is made from the horns of a lamb.124 is so called because it is inaugurated by the sounding of the shofar, which is made from a ram’s horn. It is similarly written, And it shall be, that when they make a long blast with the horn of the yovel,125 and when ye hear the sound of the shofar126 and yovel refer to one and the same thing. (Josh. 6:5). One must wonder at those who say that And when the voice of the horn waxed louder and louder, Moses spoke (v. 19) refers to when the ram’s horn127 soundeth long.128 For the voice of the horn129 was a great wonder;130 there was no greater wonder at that assembly around Mount Sinai. For sounds of thunder, lightning, and a thick cloud are also visible in the world. However, the voice of the horn131 was unheard of until the day of the Decalogue.132 Behold, the sound133 spoken of in verse 19. was not from the horn of a lamb.134
האמר הגאון כאשר יתקע משה בשופר אז נתן להם רשות לעלות וזה היה אחר רדת משה ביום הכפורים וצוה לעשות המשכן:
5[WHEN THE RAM’S HORN SOUNDETH LONG, THEY SHALL COME UP TO THE MOUNT.] The Gaon135 says136 that when Moses sounds the horn it will give them permission to ascend.137 will signal that one is permitted to climb Mount Sinai. This took place after Moses descended138 on the Day of Atonement and commanded that the tabernacle be constructed
והמה יעלו בהר. אמר ר' שמואל בן חפני, כי טעם המה, אהרן ובניו ושבעים זקנים, שכתוב עליהם "ואל משה אמר עלה את ה' אתה ואהרן נדב ואביהוא ושבעים מזקני ישראל" (כד א) ולשאר ישראל לא נתן רשות לעלות אל הר סיני, על כן אמר המה ולא אחרים ודבריו טובים בעיני כי הכבוד היה תמיד על ההר עד שנעשה המשכן דכתיב, וכבוד ה' מלא את המשכן (מ לד) אז דבר עם משה באהל מועד אולי אז תקע משה בשופר, ונתן לו רשות לעלות בהסתלק הכבוד:
6THEY SHALL COME UP TO THE MOUNT. Rabbi Samuel ben Hofni says that “they” refers to Aaron, Aaron’s sons, and the seventy elders concerning whom it is written, And unto Moses He said: Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel (Ex. 24:1).139 means when the ram’s horn soundeth long after the revelation. Rabbi Samuel thus disagrees with Saadiah’s interpretation that the reference is to the Day of Atonement when Moses descended Sinai. However, Moses did not give permission to the rest of the people to ascend Mount Sinai. He therefore said “they” and not others. His words appear good in my sight. For the glory was continually on Sinai until the tabernacle was erected, as it is written, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Ex. 4:34). God then spoke with Moses in the tent of meeting. Perhaps Moses then sounded the horn140 and now that the glory was gone,141 God gave him142 permission to ascend.143