Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah
Sforno on Exodus 3:18/ספורנו על שמות ג׳:י״ח
אוְשָׁמְעוּ לְקֹלֶךָ. בְּכָל אֲשֶׁר תְּצַוֵּם:
1ושמעו לקולך, in all that you will command them.
באֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִים. אֱלֹהֵי הַמַּחֲזִיקִים בְּדֵעוֹת עֵבֶר.
2אלוקי העבריים, the G’d of those who follow the teachings of Ever. (grandson of Shem)
גנִקְרָה עָלֵינוּ. בְּעֵת שֶׁלֹּא הָיִינוּ מִתְכַּוְּנִים לִנְבוּאָה, וְלֹא מְבַקְשִׁים דָּבָר מִלְּפָנָיו, רַק לְהַפְקַת רְצוֹנוֹ צִוָּה שֶׁנִּזְבַּח.
3נקרה עלינו, at a time when we had not expected any divine prophecy, and had not asked anything of Him. He commanded us to bring offerings to satisfy His own will, not ours. [the author justifies the use of the root קרה which describes things which happen without one knowing the cause for these happenings. Ed.]