Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Exodus 24:3/רמב"ן על שמות כ״ד:ג׳

אוַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וַיְסַפֵּר לָעָם הָיָה מֹשֶׁה בְּעֵת הַדִּבּוּר הַנִּזְכָּר כֻּלּוֹ (מכ' יט. עד כד א.) בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר נִגַּשׁ בּוֹ אֶל הָעֲרָפֶל אֲשֶׁר שָׁם הָאֱלֹהִים (שמות כ':ט"ו). וְעַתָּה בָּא אֶל מָקוֹם רָחוֹק מִשָּׁם שֶׁהָיוּ בּוֹ הָעָם בִּשְׁעַת מַתַּן תּוֹרָה, וְסִפֵּר לָהֶם כָּל מַה שֶׁנִּצְטַוָּה, וְשָׁמְעוּ בְּקוֹלוֹ, וְלֹא אָמַר בְּכָאן "וַיֵּרֶד", כִּי כֻלָּם בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר הָיוּ, לֹא בְּרֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁשָּׁם כְּבוֹד הַשֵּׁם, אֶלָּא שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה הָיָה קָרוֹב אֶל מְקוֹם הָעֲרָפֶל, וְהֵם עָמְדוּ מֵרָחוֹק בִּשְׁעַת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי (רמב"ן על שמות י"ט:י"ט). וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִפְרַד מֹשֶׁה מִמְּקוֹמוֹ וְהֵחֵל לָבֹא אֶל הָעָם קָרְבוּ אֵלָיו כָּל רָאשֵׁי שִׁבְטֵיהֶם וְזִקְנֵיהֶם אֶל מְקוֹם מַעֲמַד הַכֹּהֲנִים הַנִּגָּשִׁים אֶל ה', וְאָמְרוּ לוֹ וְעַתָּה לָמָּה נָמוּת כִּי תֹאכְלֵנוּ הָאֵשׁ הַגְּדֹלָה הַזֹּאת (דברים ה כב), קְרַב אַתָּה וּשֲׁמָע וְגוֹ' (שם ה כד), כִּי הָיוּ סְבוּרִים שֶׁיְּדַבֵּר לָהֶם הַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר לָהֶם עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, וּמֹשֶׁה בָּא עִמָּהֶם אֶל מְקוֹם הָעָם וְסִפֵּר לְכֻלָּם אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי ה', וְהֵם אָמְרוּ נַעֲשֶׂה כָּל דִּבְרֵי ה' אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אוֹתָנוּ בַּעֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת וְנִשְׁמַע לְקוֹלְךָ לְכָל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָ אוֹ תְּצַוֶּה בִּשְׁמוֹ יִתְעַלֶּה:
וְכַאֲשֶׁר חָזַר מֹשֶׁה אַחֲרֵי כֵן וְעָלָה אֶל קְצֵה הָהָר עִם הַזְּקֵנִים (שמות כ"ד:ט') כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים (שמות כ"ד:א'), אָז אָמַר לוֹ הַשֵּׁם פַּעַם אַחֶרֶת "עֲלֵה אֵלַי הָהָרָה וֶהְיֵה שָׁם" (שמות כ"ד:י"ב) וּבָעֵת הַזֹּאת הוֹדִיעוֹ "שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת קוֹל דִּבְרֵי הָעָם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר דִּבְּרוּ אֵלֶיךָ הֵטִיבוּ אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּרוּ" (דברים ה כה), וְצִוָּהוּ "לֵךְ אֱמֹר לָהֶם שׁוּבוּ לָכֶם לְאָהֳלֵיכֶם וְאַתָּה פֹּה עֲמֹד עִמָּדִי וַאֲדַבְּרָה אֵלֶיךָ אֵת כָּל הַמִּצְוָה וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תְּלַמְּדֵם" (שם ה כז-כח). זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר בְּכָאן (שמות כ"ד:י"ב) "וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת לֻחֹת הָאֶבֶן וְהַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה", כִּי לְךָ לְבַדְּךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת אֲשֶׁר תְּלַמְּדֵם וְעָשׂוּ אוֹתָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר נָדְרוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת:

1AND MOSES CAME AND TOLD THE PEOPLE ALL THE WORDS OF THE ETERNAL. At the time that this whole commandment mentioned here was given, Moses was at the place where he drew near unto the thick darkness where G-d was,⁵⁰⁸ and now he came to that “far off” place where the people had been at the time of the Revelation,⁵⁰⁸ and told them all that he had been commanded [i.e., beginning with Ye yourselves have seen — above 20:19 — up to the end of all the commandments and ordinances, 23:33], and they listened to his voice. Scripture does not say here: “and he came down from the mountain,” for they were all then at the lower part of the mountain,⁵⁰⁹, 19:17. and not at the top where the Glory of G-d was; [the difference] was only that Moses was near the place of the thick darkness, whilst the people stood from afar at the time of the giving of the commandments, as I have explained.⁵¹⁰, 19:19, and 20:15. When Moses left his place and began coming towards the people, all the heads of their tribes and their elders came up to the place where the priests that come near to the Eternal⁵¹¹, 19:22. stood, and said to him, Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us;⁵¹² Go thou near, and hear etc.,⁵¹³, Verse 24. for they thought that the Revered G-d Himself would tell them all the commandments of the Torah just as He had told them the Ten Commandments. Then Moses came together with the heads of the tribes and the elders to the place where the people were standing and told all of them all the words of G-d, and they said, “We will do all that He has commanded us in the Ten Commandments, and we will hearken⁵¹⁴ to your voice in everything that you have commanded, or will command in His Name, exalted be He.” When Moses went back afterwards to the edge of the mountain with the elders, as G-d had commanded him,⁵⁰⁶ then G-d said to him again, Come up to Me into the mountain, and be there.⁵¹⁵ It was at that time that He informed him, I have heard the voice of the words of the people, which they have spoken unto thee; they have well said all that they have spoken,⁵¹⁶ and He commanded him: Go say to them: Return ye to your tents. But as for thee, stand thou here by Me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which thou shalt teach them.⁵¹⁷, Verses 27-28. It is with reference to this that He said here, And I will give thee the Tablets of stone, and the law and the commandment,⁵¹⁸ meaning, that to you alone I will give the law and the commandments which you will teach them, and they will keep them as they have undertaken to do.