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Ramban on Exodus 24:1/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ד:א׳

אוְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר וְגוֹ' פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ קֹדֶם עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת בְּאַרְבָּעָה בְּסִיוָן נֶאֶמְרָה לוֹ, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות כ"ד:א'). וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה עֲלֵה אֵלַי הָהָרָה וֶהְיֵה שָׁם (שמות כ"ד:י"ב), לְאַחַר מַתַּן תּוֹרָה נֶאֱמַר לוֹ כֵּן גַּם אֵלּוּ דְּבָרָיו זַ"ל. וְאֵין הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת בָּאוֹת כְּסִדְרָן וְלֹא כְּמַשְׁמָעָן כְּלָל. וְעוֹד כְּתִיב (שמות כ"ד:ג') "וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וַיְסַפֵּר לָעָם אֵת כָּל דִּבְרֵי ה' וְאֵת כָּל הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים", שֶׁהֵם הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה הַכְּתוּבִים לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁאָמַר בָּהֶם (שמות כ"א:א') "וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם", כִּי אֵינֶנּוּ נָכוֹן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עַל הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בְּנֵי נֹחַ וְשֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ לָהֶם בְּמָרָה שֶׁכְּבָר שָׁמְעוּ וְיָדְעוּ אוֹתָם. וְלֹא יֵאָמֵר "וַיְסַפֵּר" אֶלָּא בַּחֲדָשׁוֹת אֲשֶׁר יַגִּיד (בראשית כד סו):
וּכְבָר הֵיטִיב לִרְאוֹת ר"א שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ הָעִנְיָן כְּסִדְרוֹ, וְאָמַר כִּי עַד הֵנָּה (מלעיל כ כב עד כג לג) סִפֵּר הַבְּרִית. וְהִנֵּה הַפָּרָשִׁיּוֹת כֻּלָּן בָּאוֹת כַּהֹגֶן, כִּי אַחַר מַתַּן תּוֹרָה מִיָּד בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם אָמַר הַשֵּׁם אֶל מֹשֶׁה "כֹּה תֹאמַר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם כִּי מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם דִּבַּרְתִּי עִמָּכֶם" (שמות כ':כ"ד), וְהִתְחִיל לַחֲזֹר וּלְהַזְהִיר עַל ע"ז "לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן אִתִּי" (שם כ כג), וְצִוָּה אוֹתוֹ "וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם", וְכָל הַמִּצְוֹת הַבָּאוֹת אַחֲרֵי כֵן, וְהִשְׁלִים בְּאַזְהָרַת הָע"ז שֶׁיִּמְצְאוּ בָּאָרֶץ וּבְעוֹבְדֶיהָ (לעיל כג לב לג) וְאָמַר לוֹ אַחֲרֵי צַוּוֹתְךָ זֶה לָהֶם, "עֲלֵה אֶל ה' אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן". וְהִזְכִּירָה הַפָּרָשָׁה כִּי מֹשֶׁה עָשָׂה כְּמִצְוַת ה', וּבָא אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיְסַפֵּר לָעָם אֵת כָּל דִּבְרֵי ה', (שמות כ"ד:ג') כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אוֹתוֹ "כֹּה תֹאמַר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" וְגוֹ' (שמות כ':י"ט), וְאֵת כָּל הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ "וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם" (שמות כ"א:א'), וְקִבְּלוּ הַכֹּל בְּשִׂמְחָה וְאָמְרוּ "כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה". וְהַטַּעַם, כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר לְךָ הַשֵּׁם נַעֲשֶׂה, כִּי מַאֲמִינִים אֲנַחְנוּ בִּדְבָרֶיךָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁסִּפֵּר בְּמִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה (דברים ה כד) "וְאַתְּ תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְנוּ וְעָשִׂינוּ". וְאָז כְּתָבָם מֹשֶׁה (שמות כ"ד:ד'):
וְהִנֵּה מֹשֶׁה כָּתַב בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא בַּסֵּפֶר כָּל מַה שֶׁנִּצְטַוָּה, חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים וְתוֹרוֹת, וְהִשְׁכִּים בַּבֹּקֶר מִמָּחֳרַת הַיּוֹם הַהוּא לִכְרֹת לָהֶם בְּרִית עַל הַכֹּל, וּבָנָה הַמִּזְבֵּחַ (שמות כ"ד:ד'), וְזָבַח הַזְּבָחִים (שמות כ"ד:ה'), וְנָתַן חֲצִי הַדָּם עַל מִזְבַּח ה' וַחֲצִי הַדָּם שָׂם בָּאַגָּנוֹת (שמות כ"ד:ו'), וְלָקַח הַסֵּפֶר שֶׁכָּתַב מֵאֶמֶשׁ וּקְרָאוֹ בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם, וְקִבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם עוֹד לָבֹא בִּבְרִית עִמּוֹ, וְאָמְרוּ (שמות כ"ד:ז') כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע אֵלֶיךָ, מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר תְּצַוֶּה מֵאִתּוֹ ית' וְאָז זָרַק עֲלֵיהֶם חֲצִי הַדָּם (שמות כ"ד:ח'), כִּי זֹאת אוֹת הַבְּרִית לָבֹא הַשְּׁנַיִם בַּחֲלָקִים שָׁוִים: וְאַחֲרֵי שֶׁהִשְׁלִים מַעֲשָׂיו עִמָּהֶם הֻצְרַךְ לְמַלֹּאת דְּבַר ה' שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ ה' עֲלֵה אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן וְגוֹ', וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר (שמות כ"ד:ט') "וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא" וְגוֹ'. וְעָשָׂה עוֹד מַה שֶׁצֻּוָּה (שמות כ"ד:ב') וְנִגַּשׁ לְבַדּוֹ אֶל ה', וְהוּא שֶׁאָמַר (שמות כ"ד:י"ח) "וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה בְּתוֹךְ הֶעָנָן" וְגוֹמֵר. וְהִנֵּה מַעֲשֵׂה הַבְּרִית בְּיוֹם הַמָּחֳרָת לְמַתַּן תּוֹרָה, וּבוֹ הָיְתָה הָעֲלִיָּה שֶׁעָלָה מֹשֶׁה אֶל הָהָר (שמות כ"ד:י"ג), וּמִמֶּנָּה נִתְעַכֵּב שָׁם אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם. וְהוּא שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ הַכָּתוּב (שמות כ"ד:ט"ז) "וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי" וְגוֹ', וְנֶאֱמַר (שמות כ"ד:י"ח) "וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה בְּתוֹךְ הֶעָנָן". וְכָל זֶה מְתֻקָּן וּמְבֹאָר:
וְרָאִיתִי בַּמְּכִילְתָּא (לעיל יט י) שֶׁנֶּחְלְקוּ בַּדָּבָר, יֵשׁ שֶׁאָמְרוּ שֶׁהָיָה קֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה בַּחֲמִישִׁי, וְאָמַר לָהֶם הֲרֵי אַתֶּם קְשׁוּרִים תְּפוּסִים וַעֲנוּבִים מָחָר בֹּאוּ וְקַבְּלוּ עֲלֵיכֶם אֶת כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת, וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּר' יְהוּדָה אָמַר בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם נַעֲשׂוּ כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים, כְּלוֹמַר בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם לְאַחַר מַתַּן תּוֹרָה נַעֲשׂוּ הַמַּעֲשִׂים שֶׁל סִפּוּר הָעָם וּכְתִיבַת סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית, הַכֹּל כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ. וְלָזֶה שׁוֹמְעִין שֶׁאָמַר כַּהֲלָכָה:

1AND UNTO MOSES HE SAID: ‘COME UP UNTO THE ETERNAL etc.’ “This section was told to Moses before the giving of the Ten Commandments, on the fourth day of Sivan.” This is Rashi’s language. “And the Eternal said unto Moses: ‘Come up to Me into the mountain, and be there’⁴⁶⁵ — this was said to Moses after the Giving of the Torah.” These too are Rashi’s words. But if so, the sections of the Torah are not in chronological order, nor even in their ordinary sense! Moreover, it is written here, And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Eternal, and all the ordinances,⁴⁶⁶ which are these ordinances written above, concerning which He said, And these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.⁴⁶⁷ For it is not correct to interpret the expression: and all the ordinances,⁴⁶⁶ to mean [as Rashi wrote], the ordinances which “the sons of Noah”⁴⁶⁸ were commanded, or the laws which were given to the Israelites in Marah⁴⁶⁹ which they had already heard and knew, and besides, the word vayesapeir (and he told)⁴⁶⁶ always indicates new things which one tells!But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra has already grasped this subject correctly, in explaining the verses to be in their proper order, when he commented:⁴⁷⁰ “Up to here is the Book of the Covenant.” On the basis of this statement it can be seen that all the sections of the Torah are in methodical arrangement. For after the Giving of the Torah immediately on the same day G-d said to Moses, Thus shall you tell the children of Israel: Ye yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven,⁴⁷¹ and He began to warn them again against idolatry, by saying, Ye shall not make with Me etc.,⁴⁷², Verse 20. and He continued to command him, Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them,⁴⁶⁷ and all the commandments following that, and finally He finished with the admonition against the worship of idols which they find in the Land, and against making a covenant with their worshippers. He then said to Moses, “After you have commanded them this, come up unto the Eternal, thou and Aaron.” The section mentions that Moses did according to the command of G-d, and came to the camp and told the people all the words of the Eternal⁴⁶⁶ as He had commanded him, Thus shall you tell the children of Israel: Ye yourselves have seen etc.;⁴⁷¹ and all the ordinances,⁴⁶⁶ as He had commanded him, Now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them.⁴⁶⁷ The people received everything with joy and said, All that the Eternal hath spoken will we do,⁴⁷³ the Revelation and Ramban is now discussing the events after the Revelation, we must perforce understand his use of that verse, in a stylistic manner, namely, that the people joyfully accepted upon themselves the duty of observing all of G-d’s commandments. meaning that all these things which G-d has told you we will do, for we believe in your words; just as he narrated in the Book of Deuteronomy [that the people said to him], and thou shalt speak unto us all that the Eternal our G-d may speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it,⁴⁷⁴ and then Moses wrote them down. Thus on that day he wrote down in a book all that he had been commanded — the statutes, the ordinances, and the laws — and he rose up early in the morning⁴⁷⁵ of the following day to make a covenant with them concerning all this. He built the altar and offered the sacrifices,⁴⁷⁵ and put half of the blood upon the altar of G-d, and half of it he put in basins⁴⁷⁶ [in order to sprinkle upon the people],⁴⁷⁷ and he took the book which he had written the day before and read it in their hearing,⁴⁷⁸ and they accepted upon themselves to make the covenant with Him, saying. All that the Eternal hath spoken will we do, and hearken⁴⁷⁸ to you and to whatever you will command in His Name. Then he sprinkled upon them half of the blood [which he had put in the basins], for this is the sign of a covenant, when two things⁴⁷⁹ come in equal parts. Now after he finished what he did with them, he had to fulfill the word of G-d which He told him, Come up… thou and Aaron, etc. and it is with reference to this that it is said, Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu etc.⁴⁸⁰ He completed that which he had been commanded,⁴⁸¹ (Verse 2). by coming near alone unto the Eternal. It is with reference to this that it is said, And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud etc.⁴⁸² Thus the act of the covenant took place on the day after the Giving of the Torah, and on that day was the ascent, when Moses went up into the mountain and he stayed from then on for forty days. It is with reference to this that Scripture explains, and on the seventh day He called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud,⁴⁸³, Verse 16. [i.e., the seventh day of the month Sivan, which was the day after the Giving of the Torah], and it is said, And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud.⁴⁸² All this is correctly and clearly explained.Now I have seen in the Mechilta⁴⁸⁴ That the Rabbis differed on this matter. Some say⁴⁸⁵ that the making of the covenant took place before the Giving of the Torah — on the fifth day of Sivan — and Moses said to them: “Now you are bound, held and tied; tomorrow come and accept upon yourselves all the commandments.” But Rabbi Yosei the son of Rabbi Yehudah says: “All these acts were done on one and the same day,” that is to say all these acts were performed on the same day, namely the day after the Torah was given — all that Moses told the people and the writing of the Book of the Covenant — all as we have explained. And to this one [i.e., Rabbi Yosei the son of Rabbi Yehudah] we listen, since he has spoken according to the accepted opinion.⁴⁸⁶

בוְטַעַם וְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהָיוּ עַד כָּאן הַמִּצְוֹת וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמַר עַתָּה שֶׁהָיָה זֶה הַמַּאֲמָר אֶל מֹשֶׁה שֶׁהִיא מִצְוָה שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂנָּה הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ, כִּי צִוָּה אוֹתוֹ אַחַר שֶׁתָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם הַמִּצְוֹת וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וְתִכְרֹת עִמָּהֶם הַבְּרִית עֲלֵה אַתָּה אֵלַי, וּלְכָךְ עָשָׂה הַמִּצְוָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה בַּשִּׁשִּׁי, וְהִשְׁכִּים בַּשְּׁבִיעִי בַּבֹּקֶר וְכָרַת עֲלֵיהֶם הַבְּרִית, וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן עָלָה אֶל הָהָר הוּא וְהַנִּקְרָאִים, עַל הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר נִצְטַוּוּ:

2And unto Moses He said. The reason for this kind of expression [when it should have said, as elsewhere, And the Eternal spoke unto Moses], is that up till now the commandments and the ordinances were addressed to the children of Israel, therefore Scripture said here that this particular commandment was given to Moses, that he alone should do it; thus He commanded him: “After you have set before them the commandments and the ordinances, and have made with them the covenant, come up to Me.” This was why Moses fulfilled the first command [i.e., of telling the people the section beginning with Ye yourselves have seen — above 20:19 — up to for they will be a snare unto thee — 23:33], on the sixth day of Sivan, [following the Revelation which took place on that morning], and on the seventh he rose up early in the morning and made with them the covenant, and after that he went up into the mountain, he and those that were asked to come,⁴⁸⁷ as they were commanded.⁴⁸⁸

גוְטַעַם עֲלֵה אֶל ה' דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט יַזְכִּיר שֵׁם בִּמְקוֹם הַכִּנּוּי, כְּמוֹ "נְשֵׁי לֶמֶךְ" (בראשית ד כג), "וְאֶת יִפְתָּח וְאֶת שְׁמוּאֵל" (שמואל א י"ב:י"א), וְכֵן "וְהָאֵר פָּנֶיךָ עַל מִקְדָּשְׁךָ הַשָּׁמֵם לְמַעַן ה'" (דניאל ט יז). אֲבָל בַּתַּלְמוּד (סנהדרין לח:) שָׁאֲלוּ עֲלֵה אֵלַי מִבְּעֵי לֵהּ, וְלָכֵן אָמְרוּ זֶה מְטַטְרוֹן שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ כְּשֵׁם רַבּוֹ, כְּלוֹמַר וְאֶל מֹשֶׁה אָמַר הַשֵּׁם הַנִּזְכָּר בִּתְחִלַּת הָעִנְיָן, "וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה" (שמות כ':כ"ב), עֲלֵה אֶל מְטַטְרוֹן שֶׁנִּקְרָא בִּשְׁמִי ה'. וְהַטַּעַם, עֲלֵה אֶל מְקוֹם הַכָּבוֹד אֲשֶׁר שָׁם הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגָּדוֹל, וְהַכַּוָּנָה כִּי מֹשֶׁה יָבֹא בְּתוֹךְ הֶעָנָן אֲשֶׁר שָׁם כְּבוֹד ה' וְלֹא יָבֹא אֶל הַשֵּׁם הַמְיֻחָד, כִּי לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי (שמות ל"ג:כ'): וְאֵין כַּוָּנַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ כְּלָל כְּמָה שֶׁכָּתַב רַשִׁ"י לְמַעְלָה (כג כא), גַּם בְּמַסֶּכֶת סַנְהֶדְרִין (שם) הָפַךְ הָרַב הָעִנְיָן, וּכְבָר הִזְכַּרְתִּי (לעיל יב יב, כג כא) כַּוָּנָתָם בַּשֵּׁם הַזֶּה, וְכָל דִּבְרֵיהֶם אֱמֶת, אֶלָּא שֶׁדִּבְּרוּ בַּהַגָּדָה הַהִיא כְּמַסְתִּיר פָּנִים, כִּי רַב אִידִי לֹא גִּלָּה לַמִּין הַהוּא הַשּׁוֹאֵל עִנְיַן מְטַטְרוֹן הַגָּדוֹל וְסוֹדוֹ חָלִילָה, אֲבָל הִזְכִּיר לוֹ כִּי עַל הַמַּלְאָךְ מוֹרֵה דֶּרֶךְ בָּעוֹלָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן הַכָּתוּב הַזֶּה מְדַבֵּר, וּלְפִיכָךְ אָמַר לוֹ דַּאֲפִילּוּ בְּפַרְוַקְנָא לָא קַבֵּלְנֵהּ, דִּכְתִיב (שמות ל"ג:ט"ו) "אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הֹלְכִים", שֶׁאָנוּ לֹא קִבַּלְנוּ שָׁלִיחַ בִּלְתִּי הַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד, וּכְבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי (רמב"ן על שמות כ':ג') סוֹד הַפָּנִים וְכָל הָעִנְיָן בְּבֵאוּר לַמַּשְׂכִּילִים בּוֹ בְּמַתַּן הַתּוֹרָה:

3Come up to the Eternal. In line with the simple meaning of Scripture, the reason for this expression [when it should have said: “Come up unto Me”], is because it is the Scriptural style to mention the proper name instead of the pronoun, such as: And Lemech said… Ye wives of Lemech;⁴⁸⁹ and the Eternal sent Jerubaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel.⁴⁹⁰ A similar case is the verse, and cause Thy face to shine upon Thy Sanctuary that is desolate, for the Eternal’s sake.⁴⁹¹ In the Talmud,⁴⁹² however, we find that they⁴⁹³ [a Jewish infidel], to Rav Idie for sectarian purposes. The answer here quoted was given by Rav Idie. asked, “It should have said, ‘come up to Me,’” and therefore they said, “this refers to Mattatron, whose name is even as the Name of his Master.”⁴⁹⁴ That is to say, “And unto Moses He — the Divine Name mentioned at the beginning of this subject, namely, And the Eternal said unto Moses⁴⁹⁵ — said, come up to Mattatron, for My Name is in him.” The meaning is thus: “Come up to the place of the Glory where the great angel is,” and the intention was that Moses should come into the midst of the cloud⁴⁸² where the Glory of G-d was, but he should not come right up to the Proper Divine Name, for man shall not see Me, and live.⁴⁹⁶ The intention of our Rabbis is thus not at all as Rashi had written above.⁴⁹⁷ (33:2) has reference to Mattatron. That is not correct, for Moses did not consent that the angel mentioned there should go with them (Abusaula). See also Ramban above 23:20 for a full discussion. In Tractate Sanhedrin also the Rabbi [Rashi] turned the subject around.⁴⁹⁸.” Ramban’s opinion, as explained above, is that the Eternal said, “Come up to Mattatron.” Now I have already mentioned⁴⁹⁹ 12:12. the Rabbis’ intention concerning this name [Mattatron], and all their words are true. In that homily, however, [related in Tractate Sanhedrin, concerning the infidel’s question to Rav Idie],⁴⁹³ [a Jewish infidel], to Rav Idie for sectarian purposes. The answer here quoted was given by Rav Idie. the Sages spoke in an abstract manner, since Rav Idie did not want, Heaven forbid, to reveal to that infidel who asked him the question, the matter of the great Mattatron and its secret! Instead, he mentioned to him that the verse speaks of the angel who is “the guide of the road” of the world below; and hence he told him, that “even as a guide we refused to accept him, for it is written [that Moses said], If ‘panecha’ — [literally: ‘Thy face’ or ‘Thy presence’] go not up, carry us not up hence,”⁵⁰⁰ for we accepted no messenger, only the Revered G-d. I have already explained⁵⁰¹ clearly the secret of panim (face) and the whole subject to those learned in the secret lore of the Cabala, in the section of the Giving of the Torah.