Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 3/אבן עזרא על שמות ג׳
אהר האלהים חרבה. ככה כתב משה, וטעם חרבה, מרוב החום שלא ירד שם גשם, כי הוא קרוב ממצרים דרך שלשת ימים כאשר דבר משה, ובעבור שהיאור רחוק על כן אין שם ליחה, ותגבר בו היבשות:
1THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD, UNTO HOREB. This is the manner in which Moses recorded it.1 since the Lord had not yet revealed Himself on it. However, when Moses wrote the Torah about 40 years later, it was so known. Hence we see that Moses used contemporary terminology when he wrote the Torah. The place is called Horeb because of its great heat and lack of rainfall.2, which means dry. As Moses noted,3 it is located three days’ journey from Egypt. There is no moisture there and the dryness is overpowering because the Nile is far away.
אוירא. יש מפרשים בלבת אש בלהבת אש והנכון בעיני כי פירושו בלב האש כי כן מצאנו מה אמולה לבתך (יחז' טז), ור' אדנים אמר, אילו היה כן היה בלבת בחיר"ק תחת הלמ"ד, כמו אל גִנַת אגוז (שה"ש ו יא) והנה שכח וכְגַנָה זרועיה תצמיח (ישעי' סא יא):
1APPEARED. Some interpret be-labbat esh to mean: in a flame of fire.4 (compare Num. 21:28). Those who say that be-labbat means in a flame explain that be-labbat is short for be-lahavat. However, it appears to me that its meaning is, in the heart5 in the word labbat. of the fire, for we indeed find, How weak is thy heart (libbatekh) (Ezek. 16:30).6 is the word libbah (heart) plus the second person pronominal suffix. Thus libbah means heart and labbat means heart of. It should be noted that the more familiar form for heart is lev. However, Rabbi Adonim7 says that if this were so, then be-labbat would have been vocalized with a chirik beneath the lamed like the word ginnat (garden of) in I went down into the garden of nuts (Canticles 6:11).8 is the construct form of libbah our text should read libbat not labbat, because libbah is vocalized like ginnah (garden), and the construct of ginnah is ginnat, not gannat. Now, Rabbi Adonim seems to have forgotten the word gannah (garden)9 or gannah. Similarly, the word for heart may be vocalized libbah or labbah. In the former the construct form is libbat, in the latter, labbat. The word in our verse follows the paradigm of labbah, hence the form labbat. in And as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth (Is. 61:11).
בהסנה. אמר הגאון כי זה מין קוץ, "ורצון שוכני סנה" (דבר' לג טז) שמים והטעם על השם הנכבד ור' ישועה אמר הכבוד ששכן בסנה ולא דבר נכונה, כי איך יקרא שוכני על רגע אחד, ועוד למה נאמר על גזרת פועל, ואיננו כן עושה שמים וארץ (תה' קכו ח) כי השם הוא עושה תמיד ומעמידם כהגה היוצא מפי אדם ועוד אחר שהזכיר כל מגד הזכיר באחרונה רצון השם, ועוד מה טעם להזכיר זה המלאך, ועוד היה ראוי להיותו שוכני בסנה הידוע, ולפי דעתי כי כל סנה אחד הוא, והוא מין קוץ יבש, וככה הוא בלשון ישמעאל, וככה הר סיני בעבור הסנה וכן פי' ורצון שוכני סנה, רצון שיבקש השוכן במקום הסנה, שהוא דורש ומבקש תמיד שיעשה השם רצונו, וילחלח ארצו שהוא שוכן בה, שהיה מקום יובש וסנה, עד שיהא בא הרווי' והיתה כגן רוה מלוחלח, והודיעו "מתוך הסנה" בה"א הדעת, כי הם דברי משה בכותבו התורה, ובוער מהפעלים היוצאים, כי אש בוערה כמו "אש אוכלה" (דבר' ד כד), והעד "כאש תבער יער" (תה' פג טו) והנה האש שהיה בסנה בוער כל אשר סביביו, כי זה כמו "שלחו באש מקדשך" (תה' עד ז), וככה ההר בוער באש (דבר' ה כ):
2THE BUSH. Saadiah Gaon says that seneh (bush) is a type of thorn bush. He further explains that the word seneh in And the good will of Him that dwelt (shokhni) in the bush (seneh) (Deut. 33:16) means heaven;10 has two meanings. It means either a thorn bush or heaven (Filwarg). that is, it refers to God the glorious.11). Rabbi Joshua,12 on the other hand, says that the verse refers to the glory that dwelt in the bush.13 However, Rabbi Joshua spoke incorrectly, for how can God be called “Him that dwelleth in the bush” when he dwelt there for but a moment.14 Furthermore, why is the word shokhni (dwelt) in the po’el form?15 is the present form of words in the kal. Since God only revealed Himself once in the bush the perfect shakhan (dwelt) should have been used. The word oseh (makes) in Who makes (oseh) heaven and earth (Ps. 121:2) is different,16 (makes) is a po’el, a present form. Now God made heaven and earth at the time of creation. He does not at present make heaven and earth. We thus see that Scripture uses the present form to describe what God did in the past. Now if God is described as making heaven and earth, why can’t He be described as dwelling in the bush? I.E. answers that the two can’t be compared. as God is constantly making and causing heaven and earth to exist in the same manner as speech issues from the mouth of man.17 (oseh) heaven and earth. Isaac Husik in A History of Medieval Jewish Philosophy, J.P.S., Philadelphia, 1940, (p. 190) notes that I.E. “seems to favor the idea of eternal creation and maintenance of the universe, the relation of which to God is as the relation of speech to the speaker, which exists only so long as the speaker speaks. The moment he ceases speaking the sounds cease to exist.” Additionally, after mentioning all the precious things (Deut. 33:13-16), Scripture concludes with the good will of God.18. If Him that dwelt in the bush refers to God, why put the Lord’s blessings last (Krinsky)? Moreover, what reason is there to mention this angel?19 Furthermore, Scripture should have read, ba-seneh (in the bush)20) rather than: And the good will of Him that dwells in a bush (shokni seneh). and thereby would have referred to the well-known bush.21In my opinion seneh (bush) refers to only one thing,22 does not mean a thorn bush or heaven. It has only one meaning. namely, a type of dry thorn bush. This is the case in Arabic.23. Mount Sinai is so named because this type of bush grew there.24 which grows there. Similarly, its25. interpretation is: and the good will that he who lives in the place of the bush (seneh) seeks; that is, a person living in such a place entreats and prays that God do his will and wet the land that he lives in. He prays that God change it from a dry place, a place where the seneh grows, to an amply watered place so that it becomes like a wet and well-watered garden. Scripture states that an angel of the Lord appeared out of the midst of the bush.26 (the bush) implies a distinctive bush. Since there was as of yet nothing special about the bush, Scripture should have read seneh (a bush). It should be noted that J.P.S. translates ha-seneh as a bush. However, its literal translation is, the bush. The word seneh has the definite article the (heh) prefixed to it because these are Moses’ very own words in writing the Torah.27The word bo’er (burned) is a transitive verb. The phrase a burning fire is similar to a devouring fire (Deut. 4:24). As the fire that burneth (tivar) the forest (Ps. 83:15) is proof of this.28 is transitive. Now the fire that burned in the bush devoured all that was around it. Our verse is similar to They have set Thy sanctuary on fire (Ps. 74:7).29 (the bush burned with fire). I.E. believes this should be explained as if written: ba-seneh bo’er esh (a fire burnt the bush). He proves that this is the meaning of the clause through Ps. 74:7, which reads: shilchu va-esh mikdashekha. The literal meaning is: they have set with fire thy sanctuary. According to I.E. this verse is to be read as if written: shilchu esh be-mikdashekha (they have set fire in thy sanctuary) (Filwarg). While the mountain did burn with fire (Deut. 5:20) is also similar.30 (while the mountain burned with fire). Now mountains do not burn. Hence I.E. says that the verse should be interpreted as: the mountain consumed its environment with fire. I.E. explains thus because he believes bo’er to be a transitive verb.
ג ומלת אֻכָּל שם התואר כמו פעול, וכמוהו אם תראה אותי לוקח מאתך (מ"ב ב י) שהוא קמוץ וככה לנער היולד (שופ' יג ח), כהם יוקשים בני האדם (קהלת ט יב) ואלה הפעלים כאשר הם יוצאים, על כן ורגל מוּעָדֶת (משלי כה יט) איננה כמוהם רק השורק תחת חולם, והוא כמו פועלת:
3[WAS NOT CONSUMED.] The word ukkal (consumed) is an adjective.31 (consumed) appears to be a third person pu’al perfect. However, if this were the case it would be vocalized with a pattach, not a kamatz, and would have been preceded by lo, not by enennu (literally, is not). It is similar to the pa’ul.32. If it were pa’ul it would read akhul. The words lukkach (taken), which is vocalized with a kamatz in if thou see me when I am taken (II Kings 2:10), yullad (shall be born) in unto the child that shall be born (Jud. 13:8), yukashim (snared) in even so are the sons of man snared (Eccles. 9:12) are similar.33-like vocalizations. Now since these verbs are transitive, the word mu’edet (unsteady) in and an unsteady leg (Prov. 25:19) cannot be classified among these words34 also appears to be a pu’al-like adjective and should be classified as such, along with ukkal, lukkach, yullad, and yukashim. as these words are transitive.35 form. Mu’edet is similar to mo’edet, a po’elet, with the exception that a shuruk has been substituted for a cholam.36 is a variation of mo’edet, which is a po’elet, the kal singular participle form that is vocalized cholam, segol, segol.
אויאמר משה אסרה נא. גזרת סר אם בא אחריה מ"ם היה למרחוק כמו סורו ממני (תה' ו ט), הוא אומר להם רחקו ממני, ואם אחריה "אֶל" בשלש נקודות תהפך הדבר כמו סורו אלי (שופ' ד יח) סור ממקומך ובא אלי, שיסור ממקומו ויקרב אל מקום הסנה:
1AND MOSES SAID: I WILL TURN ASIDE (ASURAH) NOW. When a verb from the root samekh, vav, resh is followed by a mem it means: to distance from, as in suru mi-menni (turn aside from me) (Ps. 6:9) in which the speaker says, distance yourself from me. However, if the word el (to) which is vocalized with a segol follows it, then it has the opposite meaning, as in suru elai (turn in) (Jud. 4:18), the meaning of which is, turn from your place and come to me. Moses wanted to turn aside from where he was and to then draw near to the bush.37 (I will turn aside now). I.E. believes that this is short for asurah na mi-mikomi (I will turn aside now from my place). We should thus interpret asurah as if it were followed by a mem; i.e., it means: I will turn aside from my place.
באת המראה הגדול. זה אות ראשון כתוב בתורה שעשה השם ע"י נביאו משה, על כן אמר לו וזה לך האות כי אנכי שלחתיך (למטה פ' יב), ואמר יפת טעם זה האות כי האויב נמשל לאש וישראל לסנה על כן לא יבער:
2AND SEE THIS GREAT SIGHT. This is the first sign recorded in the Torah that the Lord did via his prophet Moses. Scripture thus says, and this shall be the token (sign) unto thee that I have sent thee (v. 12).38 Yefet39 says that the interpretation of the sign is as follows: the enemy40 is compared to fire and Israel to a bush. Hence the bush was not burnt.
אוירא ד'. גם אלה דברי משה בסוף, ונקרא המלאך בשם הנכבד כדרך כי שמי בקרבו (למטה כג כא) ושם אפרשנו, וכך המלאך שנראה לגדעון, ושם כתוב "ויאמר לו ד"' (שופ' ו יב) או השם ראה כי סר לראות וצוה את המלאך לקרוא אליו על כן מלת אלהים וזה השם איננו שם העצם רק שם תאר כאשר אפרש, והוא כולל כל קדוש שאינו גוף, ולא כח בגוף, ככתוב "להן אלהין די מְדָרהון עם בשרא לָא איתוהי" (דניאל ב יא) שהוא הגוף, והנה אלהים במקום הזה הוא המלאך הנזכר:
1AND WHEN THE LORD SAW. These words were also written later by Moses.41 The angel was called by God’s revered name in the sense of, for My name is in him (Ex. 23:21).42 (YHVH) saw. According to I.E. it was not actually the Lord but the angel of the Lord mentioned in verse 2. The angel is referred to by the Tetragrammaton because the Lord’s name is in him. See I.E. on Ex. 23:21. I will explain this when I comment on the latter verse. We find the same with the angel that appeared to Gideon. There it is written, And the Lord said unto him (Jud. 6:23).43 (the Lord). Or its meaning is that the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to see the great sight and He commanded an angel to call Moses.44 (YHVH) saw that he turned aside to see, God (elohim) called unto him. According to I.E.’s first interpretation the reference in this verse is to an angel. He now offers a different interpretation. He now suggests that Lord refers to the Deity and elohim (God) to an angel. Hence the use of the term elohim (God) in our verse.45, i.e., an angel to call unto Moses. Hence Scripture reads, God (elohim) called unto him. The name Elohim is not a proper name but is, as I will explain, an adjective.46 It pertains to all holy beings that are incorporeal and are not forces in a body, as it is written, except the angels,47, which is equivalent to the Hebrew elohim. I.E. renders this as angels. whose dwelling is not with flesh (Dan. 2:11), that is, with a body.48 refers to a human body. He explains the verse to mean: except the angels, who do not dwell in any body. Thus elohim refers to the above-noted angel.49. Verse 4 states, God (elohim) called unto him. I.E. explains that elohim refers to the angel of the Lord, as an angel is termed elohin (Krinsky).
אויאמר אל תקרב הלום. הטעם עמוד במקומך, ואל תקרב אל הסנה ששם האש, וככה "הבא עוד הלום איש" (ש"א י כב) ומלת "של" חסר נו"ן כמו "גע" (תה' קמד ה) כי הוא מגזרת ונשל גוים רבים (דבר' ז א):
1AND HE SAID: DRAW NOT NIGH HITHER. Its meaning is, stand in your place and draw not nigh to the bush where the fire is.50 (draw not nigh hither). I.E. explains that the word halom means hither. Is there yet a man come hither? (I Sam. 10:22) is similar.51 (is there yet a man come hither). Here too halom means hither. A nun is missing in the word shal (put off), as it is in the word ga (touch),52 is nun, shin, lamed. In the kal imperative the nun is dropped. Similarly in the word ga, which comes from the root nun, gimel, ayin. for the word shal comes from the same root as ve-nashal (and shall cast out) in and shall cast out many nations (Deut. 7:1).
אויאמר אנכי אלהי. אחר שהזכיר אלהי אביך, פירש כי הם אברהם יצחק ויעקב והחל מאברהם, כי הוא החל לקרוא בשם ד' לבנות מזבח לשם, כי אביו וגם אחיו, היו עובדים ע"ז, והזכיר אלה השלשה, ולא הזכיר שלשה הקרובים אליו, שהם לוי וקהת ועמרם, כי השלשה שהזכיר היו נביאים לבדם, ועוד כי השלשה שהזכיר הם אבות לכל ישראל, ואין לוי כולל, כי משה כנגד כל ישראל וכשאמר למשה אנכי אלהי אביך, כאילו אמר לכל ישראל, כי למשה ידבר במקומם:
1MOREOVER HE SAID: I AM THE LORD OF THY FATHER. After stating, I am the God of thy father, He explains that the reference is to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He starts with Abraham because Abraham was the first to call upon the name of the Lord and he built an altar to the Lord,53 (Abraham) builded there an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord. for his father and his brother worshipped idols. These three54 are mentioned while those closest to Moses, namely, Levi, Kehat, and Amram, are not noted55, if God told Moses, I am the God of thy father, and then enumerated three of Moses’ ancestors he should have mentioned these three rather than Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, for the former were closest to Moses in time. because the former were prophets. Furthermore, they were fathers of all of Israel. Levi was not,56 whereas Moses stood for all of Israel.57 When God told Moses, I am the God of thy father, He was, as it were, speaking to all of Israel because Moses represented Israel.
בויסתר משה פניו. כדרך "כי ראיתי אלהים פנים אל פנים ותנצל נפשי" (ברא' לב לא), ושער העין משער השמים, כי ברגע אחד יראה תמונות רבות רחוקות עם קרובות ואין ככה שער האזנים והאף והחיך והיד, ובעבור יראתו הסתיר פניו:
2AND MOSES HID HIS FACE. This is similar to for I have seen God face, to face, and my life is preserved (Gen. 32:31).58 The sensory perception of the eye59 is like the gate of heaven,60 (from)-sha’ar ha-shamayim. What he probably means is ve-sha’ar ha-ayin karov (similar to) le-sha’ar ha-shamayim. Shamayim (heaven) represents the angels. I.E seems to be saying that the gift of sight is divine, for unlike touch, taste, or hearing it can perceive distant things (Filwarg). for it can see in one moment images that are both far and near. However, this is not the case with the senses of the ears, nose, palate, and hand.61 Moses hid his face because he was greatly afraid.62
אויאמר. השליח ידבר בלשון שולחו:
1AND THE LORD SAID. The messenger speaks the same language as the one who sent him.63
בוטעם ראה ראיתי החמס הנעשה להם בסתר, שלא יראוהו בני אדם אני רואהו:
2[I HAVE SURELY SEEN.] Its meaning is: I have seen that which people do not see, namely, the violence that is done to them secretly.64 (I have surely seen). The repetition of the verb ra’ah implies: I have seen what others have not.
גואת צעקתם. ששומעים הכל אני שמעתי, והמכאובים שיש בלבו אני ידעתי:
3AND HAVE HEARD THEIR CRY. I have heard their cry which is heard by all and I know the pain which they bear in their hearts.65. I.E. explains that any bystander would hear the cry of a slave in pain. However, only God would know what is in his or her heart. I.E. thus notes that God heard what all hear and knew what others did not know.
אוארד. בעבור היות השמים נכבדים מן הארץ, והשם מלא כל כבודו הכל, רק בעבור כי כל הגזרות באות מן השמים, על כן מלת וארד, ועוד כי מעלת המלאך עצומה ואין יכולת במשה לעלות אל השמים, על כן מלת וארד להציל עמי:
1AND I AM COME DOWN. Scripture says this because the heavens are more glorious than the earth.66 implies that God is only in heaven. I.E. says that Scripture employs this terminology only because the heavens are more glorious than the earth since God is all over. God’s glory fills everything.67 It is only because the decrees come down from heaven that Scripture employs the term And I am come down.68. I.E. first proposed that it is used out of respect for God. He now suggests that it refers to God’s decrees. Furthermore, the angel was a higher form69 and Moses was not able to go up to heaven.70 Hence Scripture reads, and I am come down to save my people.71
בולהעלותו. כנגד וארד, כי כאשר אני דר במקום עליון, כן אשכנם במקום שהוא עליון מכל הארץ. ואלה דברי המלאך, וככה כתוב ירכיבהו על במותי ארץ (דבר' לב יג) הנה יצאו מארץ שהם שם בעוני אל ארץ טובה, ולא הזכיר הגרגשי כי הוא קטן מן השבעה, והנה שאלה ראויה, אחר שהששה גוים בני כנען למה הזכיר הכנעני והתשובה, כי כל הארץ תקרא ארץ כנען, כי הוא השם הכולל שהוא המין, והפריזי הוא צידון, ושאר בנים הנזכרים הם מעטים, וכללם הכתוב במלת הכנענים:
2AND TO BRING THEM UP. This is in contrast to and I am come down.72 As I dwell in a high place73 so will I cause them to dwell in the most elevated place that is upon the earth.74 69b, “The Land of Israel is elevated above all the lands of the earth.” I.E. soon implies that this is not to be taken literally. The aforementioned are the words of the angel.75 are the words of an angel (Krinsky). It is likewise written, He made him ride on the high places of the earth (Deut. 32:13).76 Behold, the Israelites went out of a land where they were afflicted to a good land.77. Scripture does not mention the Girgashites78 because they were the smallest of the seven.79 Now, it is fitting to raise the following question: Since six nations were descended from Canaan, why does Scripture mention the Canaanites?80 The answer is: The term Canaanites is an ethnic name and includes all the nations living in Canaan.81 Hence the entire land was called the land of Canaan. The Perizzite is to be identified with Sidon.82 The rest of the sons of Canaan mentioned in Scripture were few in number and are included in the term Canaanite.
אועתה הנה. טעם הנה צעקת בני ישראל שעשו תשובה:
1AND NOW, BEHOLD. Its meaning is: And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel who have repented83 is come unto Me.
בוטעם וגם ראיתי את הלחץ שהזידו עליהם, וככה אמר תרי "כי בדבר אשר זדו עליהם" (למטה יח יא):
2[MOREOVER I HAVE SEEN THE OPPRESSION.] Its meaning is: Moreover I have seen the oppression with which they in their pride oppress them. Jethro similarly said, for that they dealt proudly against them (Ex. 18:11).
אועתה לכה בשליחותי אל פרעה.
1COME NOW THEREFORE. As My messenger to Pharaoh.84 (come now therefore). I.E. renders the latter as: and now go, i.e., now go as my agent.
אויאמר מי אנכי. אין הפרש בין אני ובין אנכי, כמו עמי עמדי ככה מצאנו דרך הלשון גם אני, גם אתה, ואתם, בהתבלע הנו"ן, מגזרת "אָן הלכתם" (ש"א י יד) כי המקום יכיר המדבר, אולי אנכי על זה הדרך מגזרת אנך (עמוס ז ז) על דרך נחושתך (יהו' טז לו), ובעבור שאמר לו "ועתה לכה ואשלחך אל פרעה" השיב הנה אני רועה, והוא מלך גדול, ובעבור שאמר והוציא השיב מי אנכי שאוכל להוציא גוי גדול שהם בני ישראל:
1AND MOSES SAID…WHO AM I. There is no difference between the words ani (I) and anokhi (I).85 The latter are similar to immi (with me) and immadi (with me). We have found that it is the way of the Hebrew tongue to derive the word ani (I) and the words attah (you in the singular) and attem (you in the plural), whose nuns have been swallowed,86 is short for antah and attem for antem. The omitted nuns are compensated for by a dagesh in the tavs. from the root of an (whither) in Whither went ye (I Sam. 10:14), as the place indicates the speaker.87) are you standing? Where am I standing? Hence the pronouns ani, attah (antah), attem (antem). It is possible that the word anokhi is derived from the root of anakh (plumbline) (Amos 7:7)88, like a plumbline (anakh), indicates the exact place of the person who is speaking. According to I.E. the personal pronoun anokhi means: I who stand here. It is thus similar to a plumbline. in a manner similar to the derivation of the word nechushtekh (thy bottom)89 is derived from nechoshet (copper). Nechoshet is a strong metal. It serves as a base. Hence by extension it refers to the base (bottom) of a person. For the meaning of nechushtekh as bottom, see I.E. on Ezek. 16:36. Similarly, anokhi (I) is derived from anakh (plumbline). (Ezek. 16:36).Because the Lord told Moses, come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh (v. 10), Moses responded, I am a shepherd and Pharaoh is a great king.90.Because God told Moses, that thou mayest bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt (v. 10), Moses answered the Lord, Who am I that I am able to bring forth a great nation such as the children of Israel out of Egypt.91.
אויאמר אני אהיה עמך, ותבא אל פרעה, ותוציא את בני ישראל, והנה נתתי לך אות כי אנכי שלחתיך, וטעם להוציאם שיעבדוני על ההר הזה שהראיתי לך בו זה המראה הגדול, וכך הכתוב אומר "המוציא אתכם מארץ מצרים להיות לכם לאלהים" (ויקרא כב לג) וכן אמר משה לפרעה "דרך שלשת ימים נלך במדבר וזבחנו לד' אלהינו" (למטה ה כג), כי זה המהלך בין מצרים הקדמונית ובין הר סיני, רק ישראל בצאתם לא הלכו דרך ארץ פלשתים, ועוד כי ישבו במקום אחד ימים רבים כאשר אפרש, וזהו שאמר משה "ויבן מזבח תחת ההר ויעלו עולות ויזבחו שלמים" (למטה כד) אז כרת ברית עם ישראל להיותם לשם לעם והוא יהיה לך לאלהים:
1AND HE SAID: CERTAINLY I WILL BE WITH THEE. Now go to Pharaoh and bring out the children of Israel and behold, I have given you a token92 that I have sent you. The reason they are being brought out of Egypt is that they should serve Me on this mountain where I have shown you this great wonder.93 It is thus written, (I am the Lord)…that brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God (Lev. 22:23). Moses similarly said to Pharaoh, We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God (Ex. 8:23)94 because the latter is the walking distance between eastern Egypt and Mount Sinai.95 However, when Israel left Egypt they did not go there via the land of the Philistines.96, this contradicts I.E.’s assertion that Ex. 8:23 refers to a request to go to Mount Sinai. I.E. answers that it took Israel three months to reach Sinai because they did not take a direct route. Furthermore, Israel, as I will explain, dwelt in one place for many days.97 It is precisely this98. that Moses spoke of when he wrote, and (Moses) builded an altar under the mount…and…offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings (Ex. 24:4, 5). He then made a covenant with Israel that they be a people unto the Lord and that the Lord be their God.99. 38. Our texts read, “and the Lord be your God.”
אויאמר. עתה ביקש משה מה שם יאמר לישראל משמותיו, כי בשם אל שדי לא יעשה אותות רק בשם הנכבד וא"ר ישועה כי קבלה היתה לישראל מאבותם, כי המושיע לישראל גלה שם חדש שלא נשמע וכאשר ראה "אני ד' אשר הוצאתיך מאור כשדים" (ברא' טו ז) פי' בו כי הם דברי משה ולא דבר נכונה, כי הנה בתחלת התורה בפ' בראשית, אין כתוב השם הנכבד רק אלהים עד לעשות, ומשם והלאה כתוב ד' אלהים, ומשנולד קין כתוב השם לבדו, ולעולם לא ימצא בדברי משה שם אלהים רק השם הנכבד רק במקום אחד, בעבור שאמר פרעה "העתירו אל ה' ורב מהיות קולות אלהים" (למטה ט כה) אז אמר משה מפני ד' אלהים (שם פ' ל) ולא ימצא עוד בכל התורה ככה:
1AND MOSES SAID. Moses now asked which of God’s names he should relate to Israel, for with the name of El Shaddai (God Almighty) he could not perform signs.100 The latter are only performed with God’s great and glorious name.101 and translated as Lord). Rabbi Joshua102 says that the Israelites had a tradition from their forefathers that Israel’s savior would reveal a new name of God to them, a name that they had never heard.103 Now when Rabbi Joshua heard that Scripture states, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees (Gen. 15:7),104 he explained it by saying that these are the words of Moses.105 (God Almighty) when he revealed Himself to the patriarchs. However, Rabbi Joshua is mistaken. In the Torah portion Bereshit at the beginning of the Pentateuch we find that Scripture does not employ the Tetragrammaton but uses the name Elohim (God) until the verse which concludes with the words in creating had made (Gen. 2:3).106 (God). If Moses had employed the name that he knew in writing Genesis, he would have used the Tetragrammaton in Gen. 1, 2:3 as well. Hence we may deduce that Moses was very exact with regard to the names of God when he wrote the Torah and employed the names of the Lord that were applicable to the time or event concerning which he wrote. After the latter verse Scripture refers to God by the name Adonai Elohim (Lord God). After the birth of Cain, Scripture employs the term Adonai (Lord) for the Deity only by itself.107. We never find Moses using the name Elohim for God. Moses always refers to Him by His great and glorious name.108 He uses the term Elohim only in one place. He does this because Pharaoh said, Entreat the Lord, and let there be enough of God’s (Elohim)109 thunderings (Ex. 9:28). Upon hearing this, Moses responded, I know that ye will not fear the Lord (Adonai Elohim) (Ex. 9:30).110) who is the Elohim that Pharaoh referred to (Weiser). However, there is no other similar case in Scripture.111
אויאמר. אהיה. פירושו אשר אהיה כמו "ובית דוד כאלהים" ואחריו "כמלאך ד' לפניהם" (זכרי' יב ה) והוא פירוש כאלהים:
1AND GOD SAID…I AM. Its meaning is, That I Am.112 explains I Am. In other words, God’s name is not I Am That I Am. His name is I Am, the meaning of which is, that I am. Compare, And the house of David shall be as God, As the angel of the Lord before them (Zech. 12:8). Angel of the Lord, which follows God, explains the term God.113
אויאמר עוד. שם אחר והיא מטעם הראשון רק האחד על לשון המדבר, וזה לשון יחיד שאינו מדבר ומגזרת יה, ואלה השלשה שמות הם שמות העצם, ועתה אפרש לך מה טעם שם העצם, וטעם אלה האותיות וקצת סוד השם הנכבד, ולמה אינו נקרא ככתבו.
1AND GOD SAID MOREOVER…THE LORD. Another name meaning the same as the first one.114 (the Tetragrammaton read as if written Adonai) and EHYH (I am) have the same basic meaning. They differ only in form. However, one name (EHYH) is in the first person and this name (YHVH) is in the third person.115 (I am) is a first person form. YHVH is a third person form. It comes from the same root as yah (Lord). These three names are proper names.116, and YH. I will now go on to explain the meaning of the proper name of God, the meaning of its letters, part of the secret of God’s glorious name, and why it is not read as written.117. It is prohibited to sound out its true consonants.
באמר אברהם המחבר. הנה נא הואלתי להאריך, כי ליסוד מוסד אני צריך, דע כי שם העצם הוא המושם לאות ולסימן לקוראו ולשומעו מקום עצם הנקרא, ובארבעה דברים יבדל שם העצם משם התואר, האחד כי שם התאר נגזר ממפעל כמו חֲכַם בני (משלי כז יב) "אם חָכַם לבך" (שם כג טו) פועל עבר, "למען תֶּחְכַּם באחריתך" (שם יט כ) פועל עתיד, ולא כן שם העצם, כמו אברהם, לא יגזר ממנו עבר או עתיד, אעפ"י שיש עצם שנגזר מפעל כמו יצחק לא יאמר יצחקתי, ולא איצחק כי שם עצם איננו במקרה, והדבר הב' שתחבר חכם שם התואר ותאמר חכמים, ולא יתכן לומר מאברהם שהוא שם העצם, לא יאמר על רבים אברהמים, ולא מישראל שהוא שם העצם, א"כ הי' שם שני אנשים, לא יאמר ישראלים, רק יאמר ככה כשיתייחס איש אחד אל ישראל שהוא שם המין, והדבר השלישי שם העצם לא יהיה מבואר בה"א הדעת כאשר יבואר שם התואר, כי מן חכם יאמר "החכם" (קהלת ב יד), והנה לא יאמר האברהם היצחק, ואין טענה במלת אמר הקהלת (שם יב ה) כי איננו שם העצם רק שם תואר לחכמה שנקהלת בו, והאדם הוא שם תאר ויש לו סוד, כי הוא שם המין, ומלת המנשה (דבר' ג יג) בעבור היחס, והדבר הרביעי שם העצם לא יסמוך, כאשר יסמך שם התואר כמו חכם לבב (איוב ט ד), לא יאמר יצחק הדור כי העצם עומד בעצמו, והנה ככה מלת אהיה, גם השם הנכבד מד' אותיות כי שניהם שמות העצם, והנה מצאנו ד' צבאות (ישעי' א ט) והוצרכו רבים לומר כי צבאות שם העצם הוא, או הוא אות בצבא שלו, וזה לא יתכן, כי הנה אלהי הצבאות (עמוס ג יג) ולבדו לא תמצאנו כי אם עם אלהים, או עם השם הנכבד ד' אלהים ואל יקשה בעיניך "ד' אלהים צבאות" (תה' נט ו), כי הוא כדרך והנבואה עודד הנביא (דה"ב טו ה), בעבור שהשם שוכן עד עומד לבדו ובו הכל עומד על כן פעם הוא זה השם כמו תאר, על דרך "ויזכור ימי עולם משה עמו" (ישעי' סג יא) והטעם שהוא המעמיד, על כן ד' אלהים דבקים עמו המלאכים הקדושים, וככה ד' צבאות, הם צבאות השמים, ואל תאבה לשמוע אל דברי הגאון האומר שבעבור ישראל נקרא כן והביא ראיה מן "והוצאתי את צבאותי" (למטה ז ד), הלא תראה "וכל צבא השמים עומדים עליו" (מ"א כב יט):
2The words of Abraham the author: Behold, I now begin to elaborate because I need a firm foundation. Note that a proper name serves as a token and as a sign of the one being referred to by those who enunciate it and those who hear it.118 A proper name is distinguished from an adjective119 in four ways. The first is that an adjective is derived from an imperative, such as chakham (be wise)120 beneath the chet. in My son, be wise (Prov. 27:11), or a perfect, as in My son, if your heart gets wisdom (chakham)121 beneath the chet. (Prov. 23:15), or an imperfect, as in That thou mayest be wise (techkam) in thy latter end (Prov. 19:20).122 (wise, intelligent) is derived from a verb meaning to become wise. However, this is not the case with a proper noun such as Abraham, as no perfect or imperfect form can be derived from it.123 Now even though there are proper nouns that are derived from verbs, such as the name yitzchak (Isaac),124, meaning laughed. we do not say yitzchakti (I was Isaaced) or itzchak (I will be Isaaced).125 A proper name is not used as an adjective.126 The second difference is that an adjective comes in the plural. For example, chakham (wise) becomes chakhamim (wise). However, we do not have a plural form for the proper name avraham (Abraham). Thus we do not say avrahamim (Abrahams). Neither is there a plural for the proper name yisra’el (Israel). Thus if there are two people named Israel in a place we do not say yisra’elim (Israels). We would only use the term yisra’elim if we wanted to relate each of them to the people of Israel, as the term Israel is the name of a group.127) is both the name of a person and the name of a nation. If we want to say that an individual is an Israelite we use the term yisra’eli. If we want to say that two or more people are Israelites we use the term yisra’elim (Israelites). However, if there are two people named Israel in a place, we do not say there are two Israels there (which is proper in English), because the name of individuals does not come in the plural. The third difference is that a definite article is not prefixed to a proper noun as it is to an adjective. From the word chakham (wise) we get he-chakham (the wise man) (Eccles. 2:14).128 can be written with the definite article (he-chakham). However, it is incorrect to say ha-avraham (the Abraham) or ha-yitzchak (the Isaac). The word ha-kohelet (Eccles. 12:8)129 is a proper name. Nevertheless, it has a definite article attached to it. cannot be used as an argument against the aforementioned because the term kohelet is not a proper name but an adjective describing the wisdom which was accumulated.130 is kof, heh, lamed, meaning to gather. Similarly, the word va-ha-adam (Gen. 2:8)131). is an adjective.132 It has a secret meaning to it, as it is the name of a genus.133 The name ha-menasheh (Deut. 3:13)134 (Manasseh) is a proper noun. Yet it has the definite article prefixed to it. has a definite article before it because it refers to genealogy.135 The fourth difference is that a proper noun has no construct form whereas an adjective does. For example, we find, chakham lev (wise of heart) (Job 9:4). However, it would be incorrect to say yitzchak ha-dor (Isaac of the generation), because a proper name stands by itself.136 The same is the case with the name Eheyeh (I am) and also with the glorious name of God, the Tetragrammaton, because both of these names are proper names.137 Now, we do find, Adonai tzeva’ot (the Lord of hosts) (Is. 1:9),138 is apparently in the construct. and as a result many were forced to conclude that tzeva’ot is a proper name139. Hence Adonai tzeva’ot should be rendered, Lord Hosts, not Lord of hosts, for Adonai is not in the construct with tzeva’ot. or that the Lord is outstanding among140 16a. His host.141 means: Lord among His hosts. The Talmud thus interpreted Adonai tzeva’ot as Adonai be-tzeva’ot. The Talmud did so because Adonai cannot come in the construct. However, this is incorrect, because Scripture reads, Elohe ha-tzeva’ot (the God of Hosts) (Amos 3:13).142 has a definite article prefixed to it. Hence it cannot be a personal name. For the same reason, Adonai tzeva’ot cannot be interpreted to mean the Lord is outstanding among His hosts. Tzeva’ot is never encountered by itself. It is always connected either to the word Elohim (God) or to God’s glorious name, Adonai (Elohim).143. However, this appears to be a scribal error, for I.E. goes on to say, “Do not be bothered by the phrase Adonai Elohim tzeva’ot.” Why should the latter present any problem to I.E.’s assertion that the name tzeva’ot is only found connected to Adonai or Adonai Elohim when in this case it is connected to Adonai Elohim? Furthermore, I.E. limits the use of the term “the glorious name of God” to Adonai. He does not use it in reference to Adonai Elohim. Hence we should read, “or to God’s glorious name, Adonai,” and omit the word Elohim (Krinsky). Do not be bothered by the phrase Adonai Elohim tzeva’ot (O Lord God of hosts) (Ps. 59:6),144 is connected to Adonai Elohim (Krinsky) or where tzeva’ot seems to be a personal name, for the verse appears to read, “0 Lord God, Hosts.” as its meaning is similar to ve-ha-nevu’ah oded ha-navi (even the prophecy of Oded the prophet) (II Chron. 15:8).145. That is, the word nevu’at is implied in the word ve-hanevu’ah. See I.E. on Gen. 2:9. Similarly, in our phrase the word Elohe is implied in the word Elohim. Our phrase is thus to be read: Adonai Elohim Elohe ha-tzeva’ot.
גוהנה אלהים תאר השם, כי הוא על לשון רבים ויחיד כמו "הלוא אלוה גובה שמים" (איוב כב יב) ועוד שיסמוך לומר "אלהים אלהי ישראל" (תה' עב יח), ומלת אֵל תקיף וככה שדי "כקול מים רבים כקול שדי" (יחז' א כד) והיה שדי בצריך (איוב כב כה):
3Now the Lord’s personal name is sometimes used in an adjectival sense because God alone exists forever and the existence of all things is contingent upon Him.146 God’s proper name is used here in the same way that the name moshe (Moses) is used in Then He remembered the days of old, when He drew (moshe) His people (Is. 63:11).147 is used as a verb or an adjective. I.E. refers to verbs in the present as adjectives. Similarly, the name Adonai is used as an adjective. The meaning of Adonai when used as an adjective is: the maintainer of existence. Hence in the phrase Adonai Elohim the holy angels are connected to God.148 means the angels (see I.E. on Gen 1:1). In the phrase Adonai Elohim, Adonai is in the construct with Elohim. Thus the meaning of the phrase is: Lord of the angels. Here Adonai is an “adjective,” as it is in the construct. According to I.E., Adonai tzeva’ot means: the One who maintains the world via the agency of the angels. Similarly, in the phrase Adonai tzeva’ot (Lord of hosts) tzeva’ot refers to the hosts of heaven.149 Pay no attention to Saadiah Gaon who says that God is called Adonai tzeva’ot because of Israel.150 refers to Israel. Hence Lord of hosts means Lord of Israel. I.E. disagrees. According to I.E. it means Lord over the angels. Saadiah offers proof151 (hosts) refers to the angels. from and I will…bring forth My hosts (tzivotai), My people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt (Ex. 7:4). However, look at I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him (I Kings 22:19).152 Now the name Elohim is an adjective, because it comes in both the plural and the singular.153 comes both in the singular and the plural it cannot be a proper name. Compare, Is not God (Elo’a) in the height of heaven (Job 22:12).154 is the singular of Elohim. Furthermore, the word Elohim comes in the construct.155 cannot be a proper name. Compare, Elohim Elohe yisra’el (God, the God of Israel) (Ps. 72:12).156 (God of) is the construct form of Elohim. The word El (God) means mighty. The same is true of the term Shaddai (Almighty).157 and Shaddai are the names of God. They are not proper names. Hence according to I.E. they are classified as adjectives. Compare, Like the noise of great waters, like a mighty voice (Ezek. 1:24); and, and thy treasure shall be mighty (shaddai) (Job 22:25).158 means mighty.
דודע כי האחד סוד כל המספר ויסודו, ושנים תחלת מספר הזוגות ושלשה תחלת מספר הנפרדים, והנה כל המספרים הם תשעה מדרך אחת והם עשרה מדרך אחרת, ואם תכתוב התשעה בעיגול ותכפול הסוף עם כל המספר תמצא האחדים שמאלים, והעשרות הדומות לאחדים לפאת ימין ובהגיעך אל חמשה שהוא אמצעי אז יתהפכו המספרים להיות העשרות אחדים והאחדים עשרות ומדרך אחרת הם עשר ספירות בלי מה, כי לא תוכל להחל אחד אם לא יהיו עשרה, והנה עשרה הוא דומה לאחד, והוא שם כולל האחדים שהם מאחד ועד עשרה, ושם העשרה כוללם עם היותם מספר ראשון, ותחלת המספרים הדומים לאחדים כי בהגיעך אל עשרים אז הם שני עשרות כנגד שני אחדים, ושלשים כנגד שלשה אחדים, וכן כל עשרות עד תשעים, הם תשע עשרות כנגד תשעה אחדים, ובהגיעך למספר מאה הוא דומה לאחד, ובהגיעך לתשע מאות, גם הם כנגד תשעה אחדים, עד שתגיע לאלף שהם עשר מאות, גם הוא האלף דומה לאחד, עד היותם תשעה אלפים כנגד תשעה אחדים, ובהגיעך לעשרת אלפים אז נשלם החשבון בהיותו רבבה אחת, וככה עד עשר רבבות על הדרך הזה, כי כל ראשי המספרים הם דומים לאחד על כן אמרו חכמי המספר, כי כל המספרים הם חלק מעשרה, או התחדש מכפלו, או ממחברתו אל אחדיו, או מהשנים דרכים נחברים, והנה עשר ספירות כמספר עשר אצבעות, חמש כנגד חמש וככה הגלגלים תשעה, שהם גופות נכבדות עומדות והעשירי שהוא קדש נקרא כן בעבור שכחו בכל כסא הכבוד והוא התקיף וכל הגופות מקיף, והנה יהיו האמצעיים במספר עשרה הם שנים והם חמשה והם ששה, ואלה ארבעתם אַהוי הם הנכבדים, וכל מספר מרובע ששם אחד נוסף על המרובע ככה יש בשרשו וככה בדומה לו, וכן במרובע חמשה חמשה, ובמרובע ששה ששה, אלה הד' מספרים לעולם שומרים עצמם במרובעת וזהו מעלתם על כל המספרים המרובעים ועוד כי כל מספר הוא באחד בכח והוא בכל מספר במעשה, והוא יעשה בפאה אחת מה שיעשה כל מספר בשתי פאות, והנה כח האחד, ובחברך מרובעו אל מרובע כפלו אז יהיו חמשה, וזהו חשבון השוה במרובעים, כי אם תחבר מרובעו אל מרובע כפלו כה יהיה מעוקב חמשה, וכל מספר לפני חמשה יהי' ערך המעוקב אל השנים המרובעים בחשבון בערך החשבון אל חמשה, ולמעלה מחמשה יהיה הדבר בהיפוך, וחשבון ששה הוא חשבון שוה בחלקיו ואין בכל מערכת מספר שוה רק אחד וכאשר תחבר מרובע האחד אל מרובע ראש הנפרדים יהיה המחובר הוא הדומה ואם תשים אלכסון עגול במספרו ותוציא יתר בשלישית יהיה המשולש שהוא שוה השוקים כמספר הקו הסובב, וכמוהו המרובע הארוך בעגול, ולפני זה המספר יהיה ערך המשולש אל הקו כערכו אל עשרה ולמעלה ממנו הפך הדבר:
4Note that the number one is the secret and the foundation of all numbers,159 (yod, heh, vav, heh) or EHYH (alef, heh, yod, heh). Thus God’s name is written with the letters alef (numerically equal to 1), heh (5), vav (6), and yod (10). and that two is the first of the even numbers and three the first of the odd numbers. Now from one point of view there are only nine numbers.160 However, from another perspective there are ten numbers.161 If the numbers one to nine are written in a circle162 and the last number163 is multiplied by each of the other numbers,164 we find that the ones165 are on the left and the tens, which look like ones, are on the right.166 Now when we come to the number five which is in the middle, we find the reverse; i.e., the tens become ones and the ones become tens.167 However, looked upon from another perspective, there are ten numbers168 without any additions,169 for one cannot begin to count one without ten.170 The number ten is thus like the number one.171 It is a general term for all the ones, i.e., the numbers from one through ten.172 The number ten includes them because they are the first numbers. It is also similar to the ones because it is the first of the numbers,173 in the same way that the ones are, because when we reach the number twenty we have two tens paralleling the number two. Similarly, thirty is like three and all the tens till ninety are like the nine ones. When the number one hundred is reached we once again come upon a number which is similar to one. When we reach nine hundred we once again have nine numbers similar to the nine ones.174 This is so until we reach the number one thousand which consists of ten hundreds. Also, the number one thousand is similar to the number one, and likewise the following numbers correspond to the other nine numbers until nine thousand.175 When we reach ten thousand the sum is concluded because we now have one myriad. The same applies176 until we reach ten myriads. The beginning of all the numbers177 is similar to the number one. Hence mathematicians say that all of the numbers178 are either fractions of ten179 or multiples of ten,180 or the result of adding ten to the ones,181 or a combination of these two.182 Now the ten numbers are the same as the fingers on the hand,183 (1), heh (5), vav (6), and yod (10) which make up the divine name (Weiser). five corresponding to five.184 (1) through heh (5) correspond to the fingers of one hand and the letters/numbers vav (6) through yod (10) correspond to the fingers of the other hand. Similarly, there are nine spheres which are in a constant glorious state.185 38, p. 11). The tenth sphere, which is holy, is so called186 (holy). because its power is manifest throughout the throne of glory.187 It is the most powerful sphere and circles all the bodies.188 There are two middle digits when we count from one to ten, namely, the numbers five and six.189 and vav. See notes 166 and 167 and the text to which they pertain. Now the numbers alef (1), heh (5), vav (6), and yod (10) are the most glorious numerals.190 and YHVH. It will be recalled that I.E. has explained that they are the same name. Any squared number that ends in one will always have the number one in its root.191 The same is true with its counterpart.192 Similarly, the number five will be found in the square of five193 and the number six will be found in the square of six.194 These four numbers always maintain their identity when squared;195), 5 (heh), 6(vav), and 10 (yod) are not lost when squared as other numbers are. For example, the number 2 is not seen in 4. However, 5 maintains its identity in its square, 25. So too with the numbers 1, 6, and 10. therein lies their superiority over all other numbers that are squared. Additionally, every number is potentially present in the number one.196 Similarly, the number one is found in all the actual numbers.197 Furthermore, the number one accomplishes on one side what the other numbers accomplish in two sides.198 Now behold the power of the number one. If you add its square to the square of its double you get five,199 a number whose cube equals its squares, for if you add its square200 to the square of its double201 it will equal its cube.202 In all the numbers preceding five203 the relationship of the cube to the sum of the two squared numbers will be the same as the relationship of that number to five.204 The reverse is the case with the numbers above five.205 The number six206 (numerically equivalent to 6) of God’s name. is equal to its parts.207 There is no other number in the order of the integers that equals its parts aside from this number. When208 (numerically equivalent to 10) of God’s name. the square of one is added to the square of the first of the odd numbers209 we get ten.210 Now if we bisect a circle with a line that is ten units long211 and a line is drawn across the circle a third of the way up, a triangle two of whose sides are equal may be drawn.212 The number representing the area of this triangle will equal the circumference of the circle.213 Similarly the rectangle214 formed in the circle.215 Now up to ten216 the value of the triangle217 to the circumference will be the same as the diameter is to ten.218 The reverse will be the case in the numbers above ten.219
הוהנה אלה ארבעה המספרים הם היקרים ומספרם שנים ועשרים כמספר כל האותיות ואל תחשוב הכפולים כי הם בעצמם, רק מה שהיה ברוחב השיבו באורך, והטעם על המבטא בלשון שם אחד להם ידמו זה לזה, אבל לא ידמו במכתב ובעל לשון הקדש ראה כי חמש מקומות הם מוצאי האותיות, והנה שם חצים שרשים לעולם וחצים פעם שרשים, ופעם נוספים לטעם בראש המלה או בסופה, והנה זה החצי נכבד מהראשון וראוי שיבחר בכל מוצא האות הקל לבטא בו הרבה, וראוי להיות האות הראשון גם החמישי גם הששי גם העשירי קלים במבטא וכבדים בטעם ויהיו נמצאים עם התנועות עד שיהיו ארבעת אותיות המשך, ויהיו פעם נראים ופעם נעלמים, ופעם נוספים ופעם חסירים ופעם מובלעים בדגשות, ופעם מתחלפים אלה באלה:
5Now these four letters220, and yod, the letters of the Tetragrammaton. are very precious. They add up to twenty-two,221 = 1, heh =5, vav =6, and yod =10. the number of the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Do not count the doubled letters twice,222, and kaf come in two forms, regular and final. If the final forms of the aforementioned letters are counted as separate letters, then the Hebrew alphabet has 27 rather than 22 letters. Hence I.E. notes that the variant forms of these letters are not considered as separate letters. as they are the original letters with their horizontal bases straightened to form a line.223 becomes a final nun, the tzadi becomes a final tzadi, the feh becomes a final feh, and the kof becomes a final kof. I.E. speaks of four of the five double letters, since the final mem is a square and thus is not straightened out to form a line. Nevertheless, it is not counted as a separate letter because it is merely a variant of the normal letter. The reason they have one name even though they are written differently is that they have one sound.224 The master of Hebrew grammar225 perceived that the letters have five sources.226 are formed by the throat. The palatals, gimel, yod, kaf, and kof, are formed by the palate. The linguals, dalet, tet, lamed, nun, and tav, are formed by the tongue. The dentals, zayin, samekh, resh, tzadi, shin, and sin, are formed by the teeth. The labials, bet, vav, mem, and peh, are formed by the lips. He classified half of the letters as root letters227, and kof. only, and half as root, prefix, or suffix letters.228, and bet (half of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet) can either be a root letter or a prefix or suffix. Now the second group of letters229 is more important than the first group.230 It is proper that a letter that is said often be one that is easy to pronounce.231 It is also fitting that the alef, heh, vav, and yod be easy to pronounce and have important meanings.232 These four letters are found in the vowels233 or tzere is enunciated, the yod is sounded; when the kamatz is enunciated, the alef and heh are sounded; when the cholam and shuruk are sounded, the vav is enunciated. and are implied letters.234 These letters serve at times as consonants, at times as silent letters,235, and vav are not sounded, i.e., the alef in bereshit, the vav in rishon, the heh in parah, and the yod in beni. and at times as paragogic letters.236 in shosayikh (Jer. 30:16), the heh in redah (Gen. 45:10) (the usual form is red), the vav in ma’ayeno (Ps. 79:2) (the usual form is ma’ayan), the yod in shokhni (Deut. 33:16) (the usual form is shokhen). At times they drop out.237 is missing in the word banu (I Sam. 25:8), the vav in hokhachta (Gen. 24:14), the yod in yered (Gen. 42:38), and the heh in shema’an (Gen. 4:23) (the usual form is shemanah). At other times they are swallowed by a dagesh.238 compensates for them. For example, the alef is missing in yesham (Jer. 49:20), the yod in matti (Gen. 19:19), the yod in leviyyim (Ex. 21:29) and the heh in yishmerennu (Ex. 21:29) (yishmerennu is a variation of yishmerenhu). In all of these instances the missing letter is compensated for by placing a dagesh in the following letter. Finally, at other times they interchange with each other.239 interchanges with the heh in ata (Is. 21:12), the heh with the alef in refah (Ps. 5:4), the vav with the heh in mippo (Ezek. 40:10), the vav with the alef in yokhlu (Ezek. 42:5), and the yod with the alef in nibbeta (Jer. 26:4).
ווהנה אותיות הגרון הם ארבעה ותחלתם עי"ן ואחר חי"ת, ואל תזכור האות כאשר תבטא בתוספות אותיות הנזכרות עם האות, כי אינם מאותיות הגרון, רק האות לבדה כשתשים תחתיה פתח, ולאלה שניהם עי"ן חי"ת כבדים מאוד, ומי שלא נהג בנערותו לבטא בהם לא יכון לדבר בם כמו העכו"ם, על כן נבחרו האל"ף והה"א, גם בחר מאותיות החיך גיכ"ק שהוא אחר הגרון הקלים והם י' כ', על כן היו ג' ק' מהשרשים:
6Now there are four gutturals. They start with the ayin, which is followed by the chet.240 is the hardest guttural to pronounce. Hence it is the first guttural. Next comes the chet, the second hardest guttural to pronounce (Weiser). Then comes the heh, followed by the alef. Do not consider all the letters that make up the name of a guttural in your definition of a guttural, as the additional letters are not made by the throat.241 is spelled ayin, yod, nun. Only the ayin is a guttural. The yod and nun are not. We find this to be the case with all of the gutturals. It is best to refer to them as sounded with a pattach.242 and alef as the ah sounds, to the chet as the cha sound, and to the heh as the ha sound. In this way the guttural sound is fully enunciated. Now the ayin and chet are very hard to sound. A person who is not accustomed to pronouncing them in his youth will not be able to sound them properly. Thus the gentiles cannot sound them.243 or chet, as there is no equivalent sound in the Latin alphabet. Hence only the alef and heh were chosen from among the gutturals to serve as ministering letters.244, ministering letters. Ministering letters were also chosen from among the palatals, i.e., gimel, yod, kaf, kof, as the palate is next to the throat. The yod and kaf were chosen from the palatals to serve as ministering letters because they are the easiest palatals to pronounce. The gimel and kof are therefore only used as root letters.
זואותיות הלשון דטלנ"ת שם השנים שרשים והם ד' ט' והאחרים בחר, ואותיות השיניים זסשרץ כולם כבדים, והקל שבהם השי"ן על כן בחרו והניח האחרים, על כן הוצרך לקחת מאותיות השפה שהם בומ"ף שלשה, והניח האחד שהוא הפ':
7The letters dalet, tet, lamed, nun, and tav are linguals. Two letters, the dalet and the tet, were chosen from the linguals to serve only as root letters. The others serve both as root letters and as ministering letters. The letters zayin, samekh, shin, resh, and tzadi are dentals. They are all hard to pronounce.245, they serve only as root letters. The shin is the easiest of the dentals to sound. Hence it was chosen as a ministering letter while the others were left to serve only as root letters. Therefore three letters were chosen from among the labials, namely, the bet, vav, mem, and peh, to serve as ministering letters.246 The peh was left to serve only as a root letter.
חוראוי להיות תחלת האותיות מהגרון, כי הוא המוצא הראשון במתכונת האדם מלמטה למעלה והאל"ף לפני הה"א, כי הוא הקל מאותיות הגרון, על כן הושם ראש לכל האותיות כנגד האחד, וראוי להיות הה"א האות החמשה, כנגד חמשה במספר שהוא נכבד, ואלה השנים אותיות הם קלים במבטא יותר מכל האותיות, בעבור ששם אות הראשון מהגרון, שם אחריו אות מסוף החמשה מקומות שהוא השפה, על כן היה בי"ת אחר אלף גם וי"ו אחר ה"א, ופ"א אחר עי"ן, והנה היה לו צורך לשום עוד שנים אותיות עד שיגיע אל הה"א, ושם האחד מהחיך והוא גימ"ל, והשני מהלשון והוא דל"ת, על כן הוצרך לשום זי"ן שהוא מהשיניים אחר וי"ו, והנה יש לו צורך לשום אות רביעי שהוא כנגד מספר העשרה עשירי לאותיות, וכבר לקח מהגרון השנים הנכבדים והמבוארים, ומהשפה הקל הנכבד שהוא הוי"ו ואין במוצאם הנשרשים קל מאותיות החיך, והנבחרים היו היו"ד, גם הכ"ף, והיו"ד יותר קל:
8It is only right that the alphabet begin with a guttural, because the throat is the first organ in the framework of the human body to produce a sound.247 It does so from bottom to top.248 The alef comes before the heh because it is the easiest guttural to pronounce. Hence the alef heads all the other letters of the alphabet and is equivalent to the number one. It is fitting that the heh be the fifth number equivalent to the glorious number five.249, the second most easily pronounced guttural, was chosen to represent the fifth letter of the alphabet, which serves as the number 5. This is so, as I.E. has previously explained, because the number 5 is a glorious number. A guttural was chosen to represent this number because the guttural was made by the “first” organ in the body. These two letters are the easiest to enunciate. Now since the first letter of the alphabet is a guttural the second letter in the alphabet was chosen from among the five labials, which are produced by the last of the body’s five organs of speech.250 Hence the bet follows the alef, the vav also follows the heh, and the peh the ayin.251) follows the first guttural of the alphabet (the alef), a labial (a vav) follows the guttural heh and a labial (a peh) follows the guttural ayin. Now it was necessary to put in two letters between the bet and the heh. A palatal, the gimel, was chosen as the third letter and a lingual, the dalet, as the fourth letter.252 Hence a dental, namely, the zayin, follows the vav. The Hebrew grammarian now had to use the fourth of the implied letters253. The implied letters are alef, heh, vav, and yod. for the tenth letter, which is equivalent to the number ten. He had already used the gutturals alef and heh whose great importance has previously been explained as the first and the fifth letters. He had similarly used the vav, which happens to be a very important and easily sounded labial. Now there are no root letters more easily pronounceable than the palatals. He chose from the palatals the yod and the kaf to serve as ministering letters. The more easily pronounceable of the two is the yod.254 rather than the kaf was chosen as the tenth letter.
טוהנה ארבעה אותיות ראוים להיות אותיות המשך, ובעבור כי האל"ף כמו האחד, על כן נמצא נעלם עם כל תנועה, והנה עם חולם ראש, ועם קמ"ץ גדול רָאשִׁים, ועם חיר"ק ראשון, ועם קמ"ץ קטן רֵאשִׁית, ועם שורק מסעף פֻארָה (ישעי' י, לג) ועם פתח גדול לְחַטַּאת ולנדה (זכרי' יג א), ועם פתח קטן עושה פֶלֶא (למטה טו יא), בעבור היותו ראש שמוהו סימן המדבר זכר גם נקבה, ובעבור שלא ימצא נראה באחרונה, על כן איננו סימן רק פעם יתחלף בה"א קראן לי מרא (רות א כ) גבהא קומתו (יחז' לא ה) וימצא נוסף בסוף כמו "ואתיקיהא" (שם מא טו) ההלכוא אתו (יהושע י כד) גם נראה בראשונה, והוא נוסף אתמול (ש"ב ה ב) אזרועך (איוב לא כב) ובאמצע והאזניחו נהרות (ישעי' יט ו), ויכתב בסוף ולא יבוטא בו כמו חטא (דבר' כג כב), ופעם יהיה חסר כמו "על כס יה" (למטה יז טז), ויתחלף בה"א האמון (ירמי' נב טו) ההמון (ש"ב יח כט) גם ביו"ד תתימרו (ישעי' סא ו) יתאמרו (תה' צד ד), גם בוי"ו במבטא, ולעמשה תמרו (ש"ב יט יד):
9Four letters are fit to be implied letters.255, and yod. The alef is silent in all vowels256 is present as a silent letter in each one of the vowels. because it is equivalent to the number one. We find the alef with the cholam in the word rosh (head);257. with the kamatz in roshim (heads);258. with the chirik in the word rishon (first); with the tzere in reshit (beginning of);259. with the shuruk in pura (boughs)260. in Shall lop the boughs (Is. 10:33); with the pattach in chattat (purification)261. in For purification and for sprinkling (Zech. 13:1); and with the segol in pele (wonders)262. in doing wonders (Ex. 16:11). It serves as a first person imperfect prefix in the masculine and in the feminine because it is the first letter of the alphabet. Since the alef is never sounded when it comes at the end of a word, it does not serve as the sign of the feminine.263 serves this purpose. However, it occasionally takes the place of the heh, as in marah (bitter)264. The usual spelling is mem, resh, heh. in call me Marah (Ruth 1:20) and in gaveha (was exalted)265. The usual spelling would be gimel, bet, heh, heh. in its stature was exalted (Ezek. 31:5). The alef is also found employed as a superfluous letter at the end of a word, as in ve-attikeiha266 is an alef. The latter alef is superfluous. (and the galleries thereof) (Ezek. 41:15) and he-halekhu267 is an alef. The latter alef is superfluous. (that went) in that went with him (Joshua 10:24). It is also found as a sounded superfluous letter at the beginning of a word, as in etmol268 in etmol is superfluous. The basic word is temol. Compare, Ex. 5:8; I Sam. 15:20; 20:27. (yesterday) (II Sam. 5:2) and ve-ezro’i269. Hence the alef is superfluous. The text of I.E. reads, ezro’akha. However, the correct reading is ezro’i, as the word ezro’akha is not found in Scripture. (and my arm) (Job 31:22). It is similarly used in the middle of a word, as in ve-he’eznihu (shall become foul) in And the rivers shall become foul (Is. 19:6). The alef is also found unsounded at the end of a word, as in the word chet (sin)270. (Deut. 23:22). At times the silent alef is dropped, as in the word kes (throne)271. The usual spelling is kaf, samekh, alef. in the throne of the Lord (Ex. 17:14). At times it interchanges with a heh or a yod, as in ha-amon272 in place of a heh. The usual spelling is hamon. (the multitude) (Jer. 52:15), which is a variation of he-hamon (II Sam. 18:29); or tityammeru273 in place of an alef, for the root of the word is alef, mem, resh. (shall ye revel) (Is. 61:6), which is a variation of yitammeru (Ps. 94:4). It is also found sounded with a vav, as in tomeru (say ye)274. Actually there is no vav in tomeru in II Sam. 19:22. Either I.E.’s edition of the Bible had a vav, or I.E. quoted from memory and erred, or I.E. considered the cholam equivalent to a vav. in And say ye to Amasa (II Sam. 19:14).
יוהנה השלשה אותיות הם ראוים שיהיו לסימן בראש ובסוף, והנה האות שהוא היו"ד שהוא דומה לאחד שמוהו בסוף סימן המדבר זכר גם נקבה, בפעלים שׁמרתי (תה' יז ד) אמרתי (שמות כג יג), ובשמות כמו שׁמי (שם שם טו) ושמוהו בראש סימן יחיד זכר, הוא דומה לנמצא כמו שמספר עשרה דומה לאחד ושמוהו בסוף הפך זה סימן לנכח הנקבה דְעִי רְאִי (ש"א כה יז) למען תִּזְכְּרִי (יחז' טז סג), ובעבור כי במספר דומה לאחד, היה ליחס, ובעבור היות העשרה כולל כל חשבון, על כן היו"ד באחרונה כולל סימן רבים בסמוכים יְדֵי נשים (איכה ד י), ובסמוך אל המדבר יָדַי נטו שמים (ישעי' מה יב) והיו"ד ימצא נעלם עם חירק רַגְלִי (תה' כו יב), ועם קמץ קטן רגלי חסידיו ישמור (ש"א ב ט), ועם קמץ גדול יָדָיו רַגְלָיו. והיו"ד תחת ה"א הנה יד ד' הוֹיָה (למטה ט ג), ואתה הוה להם למלך (נחמי' ו ו) ותחת ה"א יֶחֱסָיון (תה' לו ה) חסה, ותחת אל"ף "כל פקודי כל ישרתי" (שם קיט קכח), וימצא נוסף יצהר (במד' יה יב), היושבי (תה' קכג א) רבתי (איכה א א), והה"א שמוהו סימן היש הדבר כי כן טעם "הא לכם זרע" (ברא' כג), פעם לתמה הבמחנים (במד' יג יט) הנהיה (דבר' ד לב), ופעמים לדעת המבואר האיש, העבד העברי (ברא' לט יז) האנשים (שם יט ה) ובאחרונה סימן לנקבה לשון עבר גם כן בשמות כי הזכר הניחו בלא סימן אמרו, אמרה קהלת (קהלת יב ח), גם היתה סימן נקבה, בפועלים בעתידים, אשמרנה, ישמרנה, נשמרנה, תשמרנה, ישמרוה, שמרנוה, שמרוה, וסימן בשמות נערה בתולה (דבר' כב כח, והה"א נוסף בבנין הכבד גם בבנין התפעל, גם היא מובלעת מזה בידך (למטה ד ב) כמו יו"ד "בטרם אצרךָ" (ירמי' א ה) ואל"ף "וָאַבֶּדְךָ כרוב הסוכך" (יחז' כח טז), ונוספת באחרונה אשמעה (תה' פה ט), ובשמות כמו לילה (ישעי' כא יב), והוא נעלם עם קמץ עָשָׂה, ועם קטן בונֵה ירושלים (תה' קמז ב) ועם פתח קטן אשר אני בונֶה (דה"ב ב ד), ועם חולם "כי פְרָעֹה, אהרן" (למטה לב כה), גם שְׁלֹמֹה (מ"א א יז), ועם שורק "לא יִקְרְחֻה קרחה" (ויקר' כא ה):
10Now these three letters275, and yod, the letters that the alef interchanges with. are fit to serve as prefixes and suffixes. The letter yod, which is similar to the number one (the alef),276 (numerically equivalent to 10) is the first of the letters which serve as tens (kaf=20, lamed=30, mem=40, etc.). serves as a first person suffix both in the masculine and in the feminine. In the verbal forms we find shamarti (I have kept) (Ps. 17:4) and amarti (I have said) (Ex. 23:13); among the nouns we find shemi (my name) (Ex. 23:21). The yod is also employed as a third person masculine imperfect prefix, as the number ten is like the number one.277, which is numerically equivalent to one, serves as a first person imperfect prefix. The letter yod, which is similar to the number one, i.e., the alef, serves as a third person prefix. In the feminine it is oppositely positioned and serves as a suffix,278 as in de’i (know), re’i (see) (I Sam. 28:17), and tizkeri (thou mayest remember) in that thou mayest remember (Ezek. 16:63). This yod also shows relationship279 at the end of a word sometimes indicates relationship, e.g., yisra’eli, an Israelite; shimoni, a Simeonite. because as a numeral it is similar to the number one.280 The yod is a sign of the plural construct connected to the third person, as in yede (hands of) in The hands of women full of compassion (Lam. 4:10) and yadai (my hands) in even My hands have stretched out the heavens (Is. 45:12) because the number ten281 is numerically equivalent to 10. includes all numbers in it.282 The yod is encountered as a silent letter when it follows a chirik, as in ragli (my foot) (Ps. 26:10); a tzere, as in ragle (the feet of) in He will keep the feet of his holy ones (I Sam. 2:9); or a kamatz, as in yadav (his hands) and raglav (his feet). The yod is found in place of a heh283 (it is also found in place of a vav),284 is found in place of a heh” be emended to “the yod is found in place of a vav.” If the emendation is accepted then we do not have to add what is in parentheses. as in hoyah (is) (Ex. 9:3), which is a variation of the word hovah (wouldest be) in and thou wouldest be their king (Nehemiah 6:6).285 is hovah. In hoyah a yod has been substituted for a vav. The yod takes the place of a heh in the word yechesayun (take refuge) (Ps. 36:8), which comes from the root chet, samekh, heh.286 of the root is missing in yechesayun. A yod takes its place. It takes the place of an alef in yisharti (to be right)287 (spelled with a yod) is a variant of the word isharti (spelled with an alef). in all precepts…all things to be right (Ps. 119:128). The yod is found as a superfluous letter in the words yitzhar (oil)288 is tzadi, heh, resh. The yod serves no purpose, and is therefore superfluous. (Num. 18:12), ha-yoshevi289. (that art enthroned) (Ps. 123:1), and rabbati290. (great) (Lam. 1:1). The heh is also used to indicate the presence of a thing,291 for this is its meaning in he lakehem zera (Lo, here is seed for you) (Gen. 47:23). The heh is also sometimes used to introduce a question,292, the heh interrogative. as in ha-bemachanim (whether in camps) (Num. 13:19), and ha-niheyeh (whether there hath been) (Deut. 4:32); or as the sign of the definite article,293, the heh which indicates the definite article. as in ha-eved ha-ivri (the Hebrew servant) (Gen. 39:17) and ha-anashim (the men) (Gen. 19:5). The heh suffixed to a verb indicates a third person feminine perfect. It is similarly used with nouns.294 is feminine. The masculine form, on the other hand, was left without a sign.295 is the sign of the feminine. The masculine form has no sign. Compare the word amar296. This is obviously a scribal error, for I.E. wants to contrast the third person perfect in the masculine and feminine. Ameru is a third person plural. See Krinsky. and the word amerah in saith Koheleth (Eccles. 7:27).297 is a feminine form, hence the word amerah, a third person feminine. The heh is also used as a sign of the feminine when the imperfect is combined with the pronoun, as in eshmerenah (I will watch her), yishmerennah (he will watch her),298 (he will choose her). nishmerennah (we will watch her), tishmerennah (you will watch her), yishmeruha (they will watch her), shemarnuha (we watched her), and shimruha (watch her). The heh serves as the sign of the feminine noun, compare, na’arah be-tulah (a damsel that is a virgin) (Deut. 22:28). The heh is appended to the hifil299 is added to the root in the hifil. and also to the hitpa’el300 is also added to the root in the hitpa’el. conjugations. The heh is also at times dropped, as in the word mazzeh301 is made up of mah and zeh. In mazzeh a heh is dropped since the word is spelled mazzeh, not mahzeh. It should be noted that mazzeh is the ketiv. The kere is mah zeh. (what is that) in What is that in thy hand (Ex. 4:2). It is similar to the yod of etzarekha302 is yod, tzadi, resh. The yod is dropped in etzarekaha. (I formed thee) in Before I formed thee (Jer. 1:4), and it is like the alef of va-abbedkha303 is alef, bet, dalet. The root alef is dropped in abbedkha, as the alef in abbedkha is a first person prefix. (and I have destroyed thee) in and I have destroyed thee, O covering cherub (Ezek. 28:16). It is also superfluously appended to the end of a verb, as in eshme’ah (I will hear),304. or a noun as in laylah (night).305. See I.E. on Gen. 1:5. It is silent when following the kamatz, tzere, segol, cholam, or shuruk. Compare the words asah (made)306. and boneh (doth build)307. in the Lord doth build up Jerusalem (Ps. 147:2); boneh (build)308. in And the house which I build (II Chron. 2:4); pera’oh (let them loose)309. in for Aaron had let them loose (Ex. 32:25), also shelomoh (Solomon)310. and yikrechu311 but I.E. refers to it as a shuruk. (they shall not make baldness) (Lev. 21:5).
יאובעבור היות הוי"ו מוצאו מהתחברות השפתים על כן שמוהו בראשונה לדבק זה עם זה אברהם ויצחק, (ברא' מח טז) מי פעל ועשה (ישעי' מא ד) ובאחרונה לשון רבים זכרים גם נקבות בפעל עבר, וסימן בעתידים לזכרים ופעמים גם לנקבות, אם תמצאו (שיר ה ח) אם תעירו (שם ב ז), והוי"ו ימצא נעלם עם שורק ועם חולם ובעבור היות הה"א נוסף בסוף סימן הנקבה הוצרכו להיות הוי"ו סימן לזכר שְמָרוֹ גם בשמות יָדוֹ, גם בעתידים "אויב יִרְדְפוֹ" (הושע ח ג) ובתוס' ה"א או נו"ן בדגש או שורק ישׁמרהו (תה' מא ג) "יִשְמְרֶנּו בעליו" (למטה כא לו) וסימן לשון רבים מדברים בפעל עבר ובעתידים:
11The vav is used as a connective and is in such instances placed in front of the word because the vav sound is made by connecting the lips. The vav is used as a connective in the phrases avraham ve-yitzchak (Abraham and Isaac) (Gen. 48:16) and in mi fa’al ve-asah (who hath wrought and done it) (Is. 41:4). The vav is also employed as a masculine and feminine plural perfect suffix. It is also used as a masculine imperfect suffix. It is similarly employed at times as a feminine imperfect suffix, as in im timtze’u (if ye find) (Cant. 5:8) and im ta’iru (that ye awaken not (Cant., 7:2).312 and ta’iru are masculine plural imperfects. However, they are used as feminines. The vav is found as a silent letter when employed with the shuruk and cholam vowels. It is used as a masculine pronominal suffix with words in the perfect, as in shemaro (he watched him); with a noun, as in yado (his hand), and with a verb in the imperfect, as in yirdefo (will pursue him). It is vocalized with a shuruk following a heh, or a nun with a dagesh, as in yishmerehu (preserve him) (Ps. 41:3) or yishmerennu be’alav (its owner hath…kept it in) (Ex. 21:36), because the heh is used as a feminine suffix.313 is a feminine suffix and the vav a masculine suffix. The vav is also used as a sign of the plural in verbs in the perfect and imperfect.314 (they wrote); yichtevu (they will write).
יבוהנה הראיתי כי אלו הארבע אותיות הם אותיות המשך, על כן היו השמות נכבדים שהם שמות העצם מאלה האותיות, והנה השם הראשון איננו במקרא רק במקום הזה, וידענו כי משה לא דבר לפרעה דברי השם רק ככתבו, ולא היה מזכירו בכנוי כי הוא היה קדוש, על כן הוצרכו הקדמונים לכנותו, ופירוש וזה זכרי, כמו זה שמי כי הטעם כפול, והעד שאנחנו קוראין אותו אלהים בהתחברו עם א' ד' שהטעם שהוא אדון, ובאה המלה על דרך לשון רבים דרך כבוד כמו אלהים, על כן האומר לשם כמו לאדם אַדֹנִי שאל (ברא' מד יט) טועה הוא.
12I have shown that these four letters315, and yod. are implied letters. Therefore the proper names316 and YHVH. that are constructed from these four glorious letters are glorious names. Now the first of these divine names317. This term for God is found only in our verse. is only found here. It is not encountered elsewhere in Scripture. We know that when Moses spoke to Pharaoh he enunciated God’s name as written. He did not employ any substitute.318 when he referred to God. He did not refer to Him as Adonai. Moses acted thus because he was holy. However,319 the ancients320 were forced to use a substitute name when referring to God.321 for YHVH. The meaning of and this is My memorial is the same as this is My name,322 means My name. I.E. takes issue with the Talmudic statement that the term My name refers to the way God’s name is written (YHVH) and My memorial to the way that God’s name is sounded (Adonai). Cf. Kiddushin 71a: “This is My name forever (le’olam); it is written le’alem (to be concealed; i.e., God’s name is not ordinarily to be sounded)…R. Abina raised the following contradiction: It is written, This is My name to be concealed (le’alem). Then it is written, This is my memorial (which indicates that God’s name is to be enunciated). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Not as My name is written shall it be pronounced. It is written Yod Heh (Vav Heh), but is pronounced Alef Dalet (Nun Yod-Adonai).” I.E. believes that the latter is aggadic and is not the literal meaning of the text. as our text employs two words with one meaning. Our reading of the divine name as Elohim whenever it is connected to Adonai,323 we read it as Adonai Elohim. Cf. Deut. 3:34; Hab. 3:19. If the original reading of YHVH was Adonai we would read Adonai YHVH as Adonai Adonai. the meaning of which is, He324. is Lord,325 was chosen as a substitute for YHVH. This substitution indicates that YHVH is Lord. is proof of the above.326 is not the original pronunciation of YHVH. This word comes in the plural327 is a plural. It literally means my Lords. out of deference to God328 in the same way that Elohim does.329 is a plural. For a full treatment of the use of a plural in reference to God, see I.E. on Gen. 1:1. Hence if someone addresses the Lord in the same way that he addresses a person and says Adoni (my Lord),330 (my lord) he errs, as he is addressing God the same way that he addresses a human master. as in adoni sha’al (My lord asked) (Gen. 44:19), he errs.
יגועתה אזכיר הטעם, דע כי שלשה עולמים הם, האחד הוא השפל, והוא על מעלות רבות, רק שלש כוללם והאחד המתכות והם שבעה כנגד שבעה המשרתים, ולמעלה מהם הצמחים, והם על מעלות רבות, ומעלה מהם החיים ומעלותם רבות, והאדם לבדו הוא במעלה העליונה בעולם השפל, והשנוי יקרנו כעצמו בגופו, גם בנפשו כנגד מחשבתו גם בעניניו וכל עסקיו, וחכמי לב דמו המינים שהם הכללים שהם שמורין, כי הפרטים אובדים, דמו אותם המינים הכללים העומדים לצל עץ על מים רצים תמיד:
13I will now explain the meaning.331 Know that there are three worlds.332, p. 190. One of them, the lower world,333 consists of objects that are on various levels of importance.334. The word can mean levels, steps or virtues. However, they can be classified in three groups.335 (dead matter), tzome’ach (plants), and chai (living beings). I.E. follows this classification. The first is the metals, which number seven336 and correspond to the seven stars.337 At a higher level come the plants, which have many levels of value. Above them come living things, which have many levels of importance. Man alone is on the highest level in this lower world.338 Change befalls him in his body. Also his soul changes with his thoughts.339 Similarly, change befalls his occupation and his affairs.340 The wise men have compared the genera which is the group that endures although the individuals which make it up perish.341 The wise men have compared the intransient species to the shadow of a tree upon the ever-running water.342 38 reads, “The wise men have compared the genera which are the group that endures [to a shadow] of a tree over running water.” This appears to be the original reading. Our text arose from the incorporation into it of various glosses that were written to explain I.E.’s somewhat vague sentence. His point is that the wise men compared the relationship of the eternal species, with regard to the transient individual, to the shadow that a tree casts upon moving water. The branch which casts the shadow remains, but the shadow keeps on changing because of the movement of the water.
ידוהעולם האמצעי על מעלות רבות, והנה החמשה הכוכבים המשרתים מעלתם גדולים כי הם עומדים בעצמם לא יכלו ולא יחסרו, ולא תשתנה תנועתם ולא תוסיף ולא תגרע, ולא יעלו ולא ירדו רק כפי המערכת יש להם שינוים רבים, כי פעם הוא הכוכב בקו המזלות, ופעם שמאלי ופעם ימיני רב או מעט, ופעם עולה בגלגלו הקטן גם בגלגלו הגדול שהנה מוצקו רחוק ממוצק הארץ, ופעם עולה גלגלו או יורד, ירוץ ופעם תמהמה, ופעם יעמוד, ופעם ישוב אחורנית, וכל זה כנגד ארץ, ופעם יראה ופעם יסתר, ופעם במזרח, ופעם במערב וערכו אל חבורו וגם אל צבא השמים מלמעלה, גם אל הלבנה מלמטה לעולם משתנה עד אין חקר, כי פעם מתחבר לאחד השבעה המבטים, והנה המחברות לבדם במעלה אחת משלש מאות וששים, הם מאה ועשרים ובעבור אלו השינוים ישתנו כל הנבראים בעולם השפל בעצמם ואף כי במקריהם, והם בעצמם ובאורם לא ישתנו, על כן למטה מהם הלבנה, כי כל מקריהם יקרוה ויותר, כי יש להם שני גלגלים שאין מוצקם כמוצק הארץ ועוד כי תנועתה כגלגל הקטן הפך תנועת גלגל הגדול, ועוד כי אין לה אור בעצמה כי אם מהשמש והעד כי בהתחברה עמו עם ראש התלי או זנבו לא תראה השמש אם היה ביום, ואם היתה לנכח השמש בלילה באחד המקומות הנזכרים, יהיה אור הלבנה נעדר:
14The next world is the middle world. It too contains objects that are on various levels of importance. The five ministering stars343 are very important, as they are self-sufficient and do not die or diminish. Neither do their movements change, enlarge, or shrink. They do not ascend or descend. Howbeit, they do change greatly according to the arrangement.344 At times a given star345 is seen in the line of the zodiac; at other times it is seen at a greater or nearer distance to the left,346 or at a greater or nearer distance to the right.347 Sometimes it ascends in its epicycle, at other times in its large sphere,348 for the center of the latter is far from the center of the earth.349 Sometimes its sphere ascends or descends. At other times it runs. Sometimes it tarries. At other times it stands in its place. Sometimes it goes backwards. All of this is vis-à-vis the earth.350, Chap. 12. Sometimes it is seen. At other times it is hidden. Sometimes it is in the east, at other times in the west. Its relation to its companion,351 and also to the hosts of heaven above and to the moon below, is indeterminately forever changing because it352 is sometimes in conjunction with one of the seven fixed stars.353 Now there are one hundred and twenty conjunctions in each one of the three hundred and sixty degrees.354 It is due to these irregular movements that different things happen to man’s body and certainly to his fortune in this lower world. However, these stars themselves do not change. The moon is therefore on a lower level than they, because whatever happens to the stars happens to the moon, and even more. They355 have two spheres, neither of which has the earth as its center. Furthermore, the moon’s movement in its epicycle is opposite that of the great sphere.356) and the all-encompassing sphere (galgal ha-domeh). See note 27 to I.E.’s introduction to Genesis. Additionally, the moon by herself has no light. Her light comes from the sun. This can be seen from the fact that when the moon is in conjunction with the sun357 in the head or tail of the dragon358; Laws of the Sanctification of the New Moon, chap. 16:1, 2, Yale Judaica Series, Vol. XI). during the day, the sun cannot be seen,359 and if it faces the sun in one of the above-noted places at night360 the moon is invisible.361
טווהנה למעלה מהמשרתים הם כוכבי גלגל המזלות, והם קבועים בגלגל אחד לא מתנועעים כמשרתים, ולא ישתנה רחבם, ולא ערך זה לזה, ותנועה אחת להם בלי תוספות ומגרעת ערכם אל הארץ שוה, ושינוי הראותם כפי מקומות הארץ ותנועת השמש, והעולם העליון הוא עולם המלאכים הקדושים שאינם גופות ולא בגופות כנשמת האדם, ומעלותם נשגבו מדעות הנקלות כנגדם, וכל זה העולם כבוד וכולו עומד, ואין תנועה בשינוי בערך רק מעמדו איננו בעצמו רק בשם הנכבד לבדו, ונשמת האדם ממינם, ומקבלת כח עליון כפי מערכת המשרתים, וכל המשרת כנגד הצבא הגדול בעת הבראו ואם תחכם הנשמה תעמוד בסוד המלאכים ותוכל לקבל כח גדול מכח עליון שקבל על ידי אור המלאכים, אז יהיה דבק בשם הנכבד וזהו שנדר יעקב "והיה ד' לי לאלהים" (ברא' כה כא) כי יתבודד כל ימי חייו לדבקה בשם כפי כחו, על כן אמר "הסירו את אלהי הנכר" (שם לה ב) ועד היום לא אמר ככה כי אז יחל לעבוד את השם כפי נדרו, על כן אמר יתרו "עתה ידעתי כי גדול ד' מכל האלהים" (למטה יח יא), וחכם גדול היה, והעד "וישאלו איש לרעהו" (שם שם ז) ועוד "וישתחו" (שם) ואין לו פחד ממנו:
15Now the stars that make up the sphere of the constellations are a level above the “ministers.”362 They are fixed in one sphere and they do not move as the ministers do. Their distances and relationship to each other do not change. They have one motion; it neither increases nor decreases. Their relationship to the earth is always the same. They appear different according to the place on earth where they are seen and the movement of the sun. The highest world is the world of the holy angels who are incorporeal and, unlike the souls of men, do not inhabit bodies. Their importance is far and above the understanding of their insignificant counterparts.363 This entire world is glorious and unchanging. There is no change in its arrangement. This world is not self-sufficient364 but its existence is dependent upon God the glorious. Man’s soul is of this same kind.365 It receives power from above in accordance to the arrangement of the ministers, that is, the arrangement of each “minister” vis-à-vis the great hosts at the time of a person’s birth. If the soul grows wise it will share the secrets of the angels and will be able to receive great power from an upper power that received it from the light of the angels. The person will then cleave to God the glorious. This is precisely what Jacob meant when he vowed, then shall the Lord be my God (Gen. 28:21). Jacob vowed that he would dedicate his entire life to cleave unto God to the fullest of his might. Jacob therefore said, Put away the strange gods that are among you (Gen. 35:2). Jacob did not utter these words till this point, for it was only now that he was going to serve God according to his vow. So too, Jethro, who said, Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods. (Ex. 18:11).366, what he meant was that he was now going to cleave only to God. Jethro was a very wise man.367 Proof of the latter is, And they asked each other of their welfare (Ex. 18:7). Additionally, Scripture states, and bowed down (Ibid.), which implies that Jethro did not stand in awe of Moses.368 in Ex. 18:7. Furthermore, Moses bowed in front of Jethro (Ibid.).
טזובעבור שראה "אדם" כי ימות הוליד בן להיות המין שמור, והנה קיבל כח מעמד על דרך כלל על כן אמרה חוה "קניתי איש את ד'" (ברא' ד א), ובני הנביאים היו מתבודדים, אולי יקבלו כל אחד כפי כחו, והנה בשם הזה יתחדשו בעולם אותות ומופתים, וכאשר נאמר לו זה השם הנכבד בקש אותות ומופתים ע"כ לא תמצאנו בספר קהלת, כי ידבר על המעשים אשר עליהם אין להוסיף ומהם אין לגרוע ואין כל חדש, כי החכמה העליונה:
16When Adam realized that he would die he sired a son so that the human kind would be preserved.369 He received the power to preserve the human genus.370 Hence Eve371 exclaimed, I have gotten a man with the help of God372 (Gen. 4:1). Each one of the sons of the prophets373) mentioned in the prophets. used to isolate himself in the hope of being inspired from on high according to his ability. Now it is via this name374. that new signs and wonders come into this world. When this name was told to Pharaoh375 he asked for signs and wonders.376 sent him, Pharaoh asked for a sign to see if this power could change nature. Therefore this name is not found in the book of Koheleth, as this book speaks of things concerning which nothing can be added nor anything taken away (Eccles. 3:4). It deals with those things concerning which there is nothing new under the sun (Eccles. 1:9). It deals with those things which are based on the wisdom that comes from on high.377 changes natural law. Hence it would be misplaced in Ecclesiastes.
אלך ואספת. טעם אלהי אברהם שכרת ברית אתו לתת לו את ארץ כנען:
1GO, AND GATHER. Scripture reads, the God of Abraham378 because God made a covenant with Abraham to give him the land of Canaan.379
בוהטעם פקד, באה עת פקודתם:
2[I HAVE SURELY REMEMBERED YOU.] The meaning of pakod (remembered) is that the time of their visitation had come.380 means to visit (cf. Ex. 20:5). Hence I.E.’s comment that pakod pakadti (I have surely remembered) means that the time that I should visit you (and keep my promise) has come. See Gen. 21:1 and the use of the word pakad therein.
אואמר. וכבר אמרתי לאבותיכם שאעלה אתכם, וזהו ואחרי כן יצאו ברכוש גדול (ברא' טו יד) וגם אנכי אעלך גם עלה (שם מו ד) או גזרתי עתה להיות זה כמו ותגזר אומר (איוב כב כה):
1AND I HAVE SAID. I have previously said to your fathers that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, the reference being to and afterward shall they come out with great substance (Gen. 15:14), and to and I will also surely bring thee up again (Gen. 46:4). Or its meaning is, I have now decreed381, usually translated as and I have said, here means: and I have decreed. that this382 shall come to pass, as in Thou shalt also decree a thing (Job 22:28).383. What it means is: ve-tigzar ge-zerah. We thus see that the root alef, mem, resh sometimes means to decree. Hence va-omar may be rendered: and I have decreed, rather than, and I have said.
אושמעו. כל שמע אחריו למ"ד או בי"ת, הטעם שישמעו הענין שנושא הקול לא לשמוע הקול, דגשות יו"ד העבריים דרך צחות להראות יו"ד היחוס כי יו"ד העברים בחירק תחת הרי"ש סימן רבים. כמשפט:
1AND THEY SHALL HEARKEN. When the word shama (heard) is followed by a lamed or bet its meaning is not to hear a voice but rather to hear the message which a voice carries. The yod in the word ha-ivriyyim (the Hebrews) has a dagesh for euphonic purposes. It is there to emphasize the yod genitive. The yod in ha-ivrim (the Hebrews) that follows the resh with a chirik beneath it is, in accordance with Hebrew grammar, the sign of the plural.384 is the sign of the plural (ivrim, yeladim, etc.). Chirik yod indicates membership in a group (compare, ivri, yehudi, yisra’eli). Now when the two yods come together the gentilic yod is usually dropped. In our verse not only do we have two yods, but one of them receives a dagesh (thus doubling it). The extra yod and the dagesh are in our word for euphonic purposes, i.e., to emphasize the gentilic yod (Filwarg).
בנקרה עלינו. בה"א גם באל"ף הטעם אחד, כמו נקרא נקריתי (ש"ב א ו) ועוד אפרש טעמו כי הוא "פן יפגענו" (למטה ה ג):
2HATH MET WITH US. Nikrah (hath met) means the same whether spelled with a heh or an alef.385. In Ex. 5:3 it is spelled with an alef. Compare, nikro nikreti386 is spelled with an alef. Nikreti comes from the root kof, resh, heh, for the yod takes the place of the heh in a first person perfect. Compare, nikrah in our verse. (as I happened by chance) (II Sam. 1:6). I will now explain the meaning of nikrah.387 (met) means the same as pagah (fall upon). Its meaning is, lest he fall upon us (Ex. 5:3).388 means fall upon, as in lest he fall upon us (Netter).
אואני. לא יתן. רשות או כמו יניח כמו כי על כן לא נתתיך לנגוע אליה (ברא' כ ו):
1AND I KNOW THAT THE KING OF EGYPT WILL NOT GIVE YOU. Leave.389) you to go. Or the meaning of yitten (give you) is, let, as in Therefore suffered I thee not (netatikha) to touch her (Gen. 20:6).390) you go.
בולא בעבור יד החזקה שיש לו והגאון אמר, ולא ביד חזקה בפעם אחת:
2[EXCEPT BY A MIGHTY HAND.]391 Neither will he let you go because of his mighty hand.392 However, Saadiah explains it to mean: neither will he let you go if he is struck once with a mighty hand.393
אושלחתי את ידי. כנגד ידו:
1AND I WILL PUT FORTH MY HAND. Against his394 hand.395
אונתתי. גם זה היה דבר פלא שמצריים היו מפייסין את ישראל שישאלו מהם, וזה טעם וישאילום, וזה הפך משפט אנשי העולם:
1AND I WILL GIVE. The Egyptians’ appeasing of the Israelites by imploring them to ask for jewels and raiments (which is the meaning of va-yashilum)396 (so that they let them have what they asked) is found in Ex. 12:36. I.E. renders va-yashilum: they implored them to ask. was also a great wonder.397 This is the opposite of the behavior of the world’s inhabitants.398
בודע כי מ"ם ריקם נוסף, והמלה נמצאה על רבים כזאת גם על לשון נקבה "אל תבואי ריקם" (רות ג יז) וכמוהו "חנם" (ברא' כט טו):
2[EMPTY.] The mem of rekam (empty) is superfluous.399. The mem has no meaning and apparently serves no purpose. The word rekam is used in the plural as in our verse.400 (ye shall not go empty). Telekhu is a masculine plural. Hence rekam too must be a masculine plural. I.E.’s point is that the Bible employs the term rekam with the masculine feminine and the plural. See I.E.’s comments on Gen. 31:42 and the notes thereto. It is also used as a feminine in Go not empty401 (go) is a feminine singular. Hence rekam (empty) too must be a feminine singular. Cf. I.E. on Gen. 31:42 and the notes thereto. (Ruth 3:17). The word chinnam is similar.402
אושאלה. הנה במקום אחר "וישאלו" (למטה יב לה) זכרים ונקבה והזכיר הנקבות עתה, כי מנהג הנשים לשאול מאת השכנות יותר מהזכרים כלי תכשיט זהב וכסף לשום על צוארי הבנים והבנות, ונזמים באזנים ובאף, אצעדה ושהרונים ועכסים וזה המנהג היום בארץ ישמעאל לא כן בארץ הערלים, וככה הזכיר מכשפה, כי הנשים בעלות כשפים יותר מהזכרים:
1BUT EVERY WOMEN SHALL ASK. Now elsewhere it is written with regard to both males and females, and let them ask (Ex. 11:2).403? Scripture mentions females here because women are more in the habit of asking their neighbors for jewelry of gold and silver to put on the necks of their sons and daughters. They are likewise in the habit of asking for ear rings, nose rings, bracelets, crescents, and anklets. This is the contemporary custom in Moslem countries. However, the inhabitants of the land of the uncircumcised404 do not act in this manner. Scripture similarly speaks of a sorceress,405. The same applies to a sorcerer. as women are more involved in witchcraft than men.406 67a, Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 7:3, and Rashi and I.E. on Ex. 22:17.
בומגרת ביתה. כי אחוזה היתה להם ויש מתאוננים ואומרים כי אבותינו גנבים היו, ואלה הלא יראו כי מצוה עליונה היתה, ואין טעם לשאול למה, כי השם ברא הכל, והוא נתן עושר למי שירצה ויקחנו מידו ויתננו לאחר, ואין זה רע כי הכל שלו הוא:
2AND OF HER THAT SOJOURNETH IN HER HOUSE. For the Israelites owned land.407Some complain and say that our ancestors were thieves.408 Can’t these murmurers see that this was a command from on high? There is no sense in asking why? God created everything. He gives riches to whom He desires to give it, and when He wishes to, He takes the very same riches away. There is no evil in this, as everything is His.
גונצלתם. כמו ודברתם (במד' כ, ח) כי יתכן להיות משקלה מבנין נפעל, כמו ונגפתם (ויקרא כו יז):
3AND YE SHALL SPOIL. Ve-nitzaltem (and ye shall despoil) is like ve-dibbartem (and speak ye)409 is a pi’el. (Num. 20:8), for it is possible that its form is that of the nifal conjugation.410. However, in this case ve-nitzaltem means and ye shall be despoiled, an impossible rendering, for it was Israel that was doing the despoiling. Hence I.E.’s note that ve-nitzaltem is a pi’el, i.e., active, not passive. Krinsky quotes a reading: It is not possible that its form is that of the nifal. Compare, ve-niggaftem (and ye shall be smitten) (Lev. 26:17).