Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah
Sforno on Exodus 33:3/ספורנו על שמות ל״ג:ג׳
אאֶל אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ. עוֹלֶה מִזֶּה שֶׁהוּא מָקוֹם חָרֵב, וּצְרִיכִים אַתֶּם לְהִתְפַּרְנֵס בּוֹ עַל יְדֵי נֵס שֶׁאֵינְכֶם רְאוּיִים לוֹ, וְלֵךְ אֶל אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לְהִתְפַּרְנֵס שָׁם שֶׁלֹּא עַל יְדֵי נֵס:
1אל ארץ זבת חלב ודבש, the wording suggests that the place where G’d made this promise is dry and that it requires miracles by G’d to gain an adequate livelihood from that earth. At this point in time the Israelites had not qualified for G’d to perform such miracles for them. G’d promises that they would proceed to a land where they would not have to depend on constant miracles in order to gain their livelihood. [The author may have mentioned this as we know that around Mount Sinai at the time there was plenty of grazing land, suggesting that it might have been a fit location to settle. Ed.]
בכִּי לֹא אֶעֱלֶה בְּקִרְבְּךָ. לְפִיכָךְ אֲנִי אוֹמֵר "עֲלֵה מִזֶּה אַתָּה וְהָעָם", וְלֹא תַמְתִּינוּ לַחֲנוֹת וְלִנְסוֹעַ עַל פִּי ה', כִּי לֹא אֶעֱלֶה בְּקִרְבְּךָ.
2כי לא אעלה בקרבך, this is why I am telling you to move on from here, you and the people (verse 1). Do not wait to break and make camp at G’d’s signal, i.e the moving of the cloud. G’d explains that His not moving with the people would be for their protection,
גפֶּן אֲכֶלְךָ בַּדָּרֶךְ. כִּי בִּהְיוֹתִי שׁוֹכֵן בְּתוֹכְכֶם יִהְיֶה עֹנֶשׁ עֲוֹנוֹתֵיכֶם יוֹתֵר גָּדוֹל.
3פן אכלך בדרך, lest I would be forced to kill you while you are on the way. G’d implies that if He were to be present personally when the people sinned, their punishment would be commensurably greater for having rebelled against the presence of G’d also.