Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 3:6/אבן עזרא על שמות ג׳:ו׳
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