Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Exodus 34:3/רמב"ן על שמות ל״ד:ג׳
אוְאִישׁ לֹא יַעֲלֶה עִמָּךְ שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲלוּ עִמְּךָ כְּלָל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בַּלּוּחוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת (שמות כ"ד:א'):
1AND NO MAN SHALL COME UP WITH THEE. None of the elders of Israel at all should go up with you, as they had done at the first Tablets of the Law.501
בוְגַם אִישׁ אַל יֵרָא בְּכָל הָהָר גַּם בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר מְקוֹם מַעֲמַד יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה (שמות י"ט:י"ז):
2NEITHER LET ANY MAN BE SEEN THROUGHOUT ALL THE MOUNT — even at the foot of the mountain, where Israel had stood at first [during the Revelation].
גגַּם הַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר אַל יִרְעוּ אֶל מוּל הָהָר הַהוּא מִנֶּגֶד, כִּי בָּרִאשׁוֹנוֹת לֹא הֻזְהֲרוּ רַק שֶׁלֹּא תִּגַּע בּוֹ יָד אִם בְּהֵמָה אִם אִישׁ (שמות י"ט:י"ג): וְהִנֵּה עֲדַיִן הָיוּ עוֹמְדִים בָּאַזְהָרָה הַהִיא, כִּי הַכָּבוֹד הָיָה תָּמִיד בָּהָר עַד שֶׁנִּתְּנוּ הַלּוּחוֹת (הראשונות) [הָאַחֲרוֹנוֹת], אֲבָל עַתָּה הֶחְמִיר בִּשְׁעַת מַתַּן הַלּוּחוֹת הָאֵלּוּ יוֹתֵר מִמַּעֲמָד הָרִאשׁוֹן. וְהַטַּעַם בְּכָל זֶה, כִּי בָּרִאשׁוֹנוֹת הָיָה הַמַּעֲמָד בַּעֲבוּר כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְזֶה לְמֹשֶׁה בִּלְבַד בִּזְכוּתוֹ וּבִתְפִלָּתוֹ, וְגָדוֹל יִהְיֶה הַכָּבוֹד הַנִּגְלֶה עַל הָהָר הָאַחֲרוֹן מִן הָרִאשׁוֹן:
3NEITHER LET THE FLOCKS NOR HERDS FEED BEFORE THAT MOUNT — in front of it. For at [the giving of] the first Tablets they had been warned only, no hand shall touch it [i.e., the mountain] … whether it be beast or man,502, 19:13. and now they were still under that admonition, for the Glory was always on the mountain until the last Tablets of the Law were given. However, at the giving of these Tablets He was now more stringent than at the first Revelation [in requiring that none of the elders accompany Moses]. The reason for all this was that at the first Tablets the Revelation was for all Israel, whereas this one was only for Moses, because of his merit and his prayer, and the Glory revealed on the mountain for [the giving of] the last Tablets would be greater than that of the first ones.