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Ritual Reenactment in Selichot: Becoming Moshe כ’ אלול התש״פ | Rabbanit Leah Sarna | Drisha Institute for Jewish Education

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Ritual Reenactment in Selichot: Becoming Moshe כ’ אלול התש״פ | Rabbanit Leah Sarna | Drisha Institute for Jewish Education בס"ד Ritual Reenactment in Selichot: Becoming Moshe כ’ אלול התש ״פ | Rabbanit Leah Sarna | Drisha Institute for Jewish Education שמות פרק לג - לד (Shemot 33-34 (JPS .1 א ַוְיַדֵּב ר ה' אֶ ל- ֹמֶשה, לְֵּך עֲלֵּ ה ִמֶזה-- ַאָּתה וְהָּעָּם, Then the LORD said to Moses, “Set out from here, you and the people that you .1 ֲאֶשר ֶהֱעִלָּית ֵּמֶאֶרץ ִמְצָּרִים: אֶ ל- ָּהָּאֶרץ, ֲאֶש ר ,have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham ִנְשַבְעִתי ְלַאְבָּרָּה ם ְלִיְצָּחק ּוְלַיֲעֹקב לֵּ אמֹר, ְלַזְרֲעָך, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring will I give it’—2 I will send an angel ֶאְתֶנָּנה. ב ְוָּשַלְחִתי ְלָּפֶניָך, ַמְלָּאְך….ִכי לֹא ֶאֱעֶל ה ,before you... But I will not go in your midst, since you are a stiffnecked people lest I destroy you on the way.” 4 When the people heard this harsh word, they ְבִקְרְבָך, ִכי ַע ם- ְקֵּשה- ֹעֶר ף ַאָּתה--פֶ ן- ֲאֶכְלָך, went into mourning, and none put on his finery. ַבָּדֶרְך. ד ַוִיְשַמע הָּעָּם, אֶ ת - ַהָּדָּבר ָּהָּרע הַ זֶה -- 5 The LORD said to Moses, “Say to the Israelite people, ‘You are a stiffnecked ַוִיְתַאָּבלּו; ְולֹ א ָּשתּו ִאיש ֶעְדיֹו, ָּעָּליו ה וַיֹאמֶ ר ה people. If I were to go in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. Now, ' . - אֶ ל- ֹמֶשה, אֱמֹר אֶ ל- ְבֵּני - ִיְשָּרֵּאל ַאֶתם עַם - ְקֵּשה - ...”’.then, leave off your finery, and I will consider what to do to you ֹעֶרף -- ֶרַגע אֶחָּ ד אֶ עֱלֶ ה ְבִקְרְבָך, ְוִכִלִיתיָך; ְוַעָּתה, הֵֹּורד ֶעְדְיָך ֵּמָּעֶליָך, ְוֵּאְדָּעה, מָּ ה ֶאֱעֶשה- ָּלְך… . Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Lead this people forward,’ but 12 יב וַיֹאמֶ ר ֹמֶשה אֶ ל-ה', ְ ראֵּ ה ַאָּתה אֹמֵּ ר אֵּלַ י ַהַע ל You have not made known to me whom You will send with me. Further, You have אֶ ת-הָּעָּם הַ זֶה, ְוַאָּתה לֹא הֹוַדְעַתִני, אֵּ ת ֲאֶשר - said, ‘I have singled you out by name, and you have, indeed, gained My favor.’ 13 ִתְשַלח ִעִמי; ְוַאָּתה ָּאַמְרָּת ְיַדְעִתיָך ְבֵּשם, וְגַם - Now, if I have truly gained Your favor, pray let me know Your ways, that I may know You and continue in Your favor. Consider, too, that this nation is Your ָּמָּצָּאת ֵּחן ְבֵּעיָּני. יג ְוַעָּתה ִאם-נָּא ָּמָּצִאתי ֵּח ן people.” 14 And He said, “I will go in the lead and will lighten your burden.” 15 And ְבֵּעיֶניָך, הִֹודֵּעִני נָּא אֶ ת-ְדָּרֶכָך, ְוֵּאָּד ֲעָך, ְלַמַע ן he said to Him, “Unless You go in the lead, do not make us leave this place. 16 For ֶאְמָּצא-חֵּ ן ְבֵּעיֶניָך; ְּורֵּאה, כִ י ַעְמָך ַהּגֹוי הַ זֶה. יד how shall it be known that Your people have gained Your favor unless You go with וַיֹאמַ ר פָּ נַי ֵּיֵּלכּו, ַוֲהִנֹחִתי לָּ ְך. טו וַיֹאמֶ ר אֵּלָּ יו us, so that we may be distinguished, Your people and I, from every people on the : , : ִאם-אֵּ ין ָּפֶניָך ֹהְלִכים, אַ ל- ַתֲעֵּלנּו ִמֶזה. טז ַּובֶמה face of the earth?” 17 And the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that ִיָּּוַדע אֵּ פֹוא, כִ י- ָּמָּצִאתי חֵּ ן ְבֵּע ינֶיָך אֲנִי ְוַעֶמ ָך--הֲ לֹוא, you have asked; for you have truly gained My favor and I have singled you out by ְבֶלְכְתָך ִעָּמנּו; ְוִנְפִלינּו, ֲאִני ְוַעְמָך, ִמָּכל-הָּעָּם, ֲאֶש ר ”.name עַ ל- ְפֵּני ָּהֲאָּדָּמה. יז ַויֹאֶמ ר ה' אֶ ל- ֹמֶשה, ּגַם ֶא ת - ַהָּדָּבר הַ זֶה ֲאֶשר ִדַבְרָּת ֶאֱעֶשה: כִ י- ָּמָּצָּאת ֵּח ן He said, “Oh, let me behold Your Presence!” 19 And He answered, “I will make 18 ְבֵּעיַני, ָּוֵּאָּדֲעָךְ בֵּש ם. ,all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim before you the name LORD and the grace that I grant and the compassion that I show. 20 But,” He said, “you יח ַויֹאַמ ר: ַהְרֵּאִני נָּא, ֶא ת- ְכֹבֶדָך. יט וַיֹאמֶ ר, ֲאִנ י cannot see My face, for man may not see Me and live.” 21 And the LORD said, ַאֲעִביר כָּל- ִטּובי עַל- ָּפֶניָך, ְוָּקָּראִתי ְבֵּש ם ה', ְלָּפֶניָך; “See, there is a place near Me. Station yourself on the rock 22 and, as My Presence ְוַחֹנִתי אֶ ת- ֲאֶשר אָּחֹן, ְוִרַחְמִתי אֶ ת- ֲאֶשר ֲאַרֵּחם. כ passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and shield you with My hand until I וַיֹאמֶ ר לֹא תּוכַל ִלְרֹאת אֶ ת פָּ נָּי כִ י לֹא ִיְרַאִנ י have passed by. 23 Then I will take My hand away and you will see My back; but - : - , ָּהָּאָּדם, וָּחָּ י. כא וַיֹאמֶ ר ה', ִהֵּנה מָּ קֹום ִאִתי; ְוִנַצְבָּת, ”.My face must not be seen עַ ל-הַ צּור. כב וְהָּ יָּה בַעֲבֹר ְכֹבִדי, ְוַשְמִתיָך ְבִנְקַר ת הַ צּור; ְוַשֹכִתי ַכִפ י עָּלֶ יָך, עַד- ָּעְבִרי. כ ג ַוֲהִסֹרִתי, אֶ ת- ַכִפי, ְוָּרִאָּית, ֶאת- ֲאֹחָּרי; ּופָּנַי, לֹא ֵּיָּראּו . The LORD said to Moses: “Carve two tablets of stone like the first, and I will 1 א. ויאמר ה' אל-משה, פסל -לך שני-לחת אב נים inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you כראשנים; וכתבתי, על-הלחת, את-הדברים, shattered. 2 Be ready by morning, and in the morning come up to Mount Sinai and present yourself there to Me, on the top of the mountain. 3 No one else shall אשר היו על-הלחת הראש נים אשר שברת. ב. come up with you, and no one else shall be seen anywhere on the mountain; והיה נכון, לב קר; ועלית בבקר אל-הר סיני, ו נצבת neither shall the flocks and the herds graze at the foot of this mountain.” 4 So לי שם על-ראש ההר. ג. ואיש לא -יעלה עמך, Moses carved two tablets of stone, like the first, and early in the morning he went וגם איש אל ירא בכל ההר גם הצאן והבקר אל up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, taking the two stone - - ; - - - 1 בס"ד ירעו, אל-מול ההר ההוא. ד. ויפסל שני - לחת ,tablets with him. 5 The LORD came down in a cloud; He stood with him there אבנים כראשנים, וישכם משה בבקר ויעל אל- הר and proclaimed the name LORD. 6 The LORD passed before him and סיני, כאשר צוה ה', אתו; ויקח בידו, שני לחת proclaimed: “The LORD! the LORD! a God compassionate and gracious, slow to אבנים. ה. וירד ה' בענן, ויתיצב עמו שם; ויק רא anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness, 7 extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; yet He does בשם, ה'. ו. ויעבר ה' ע ל-פניו, ויקרא, ה' ה', א - ל not remit all punishment, but visits the iniquity of parents upon children and רחום וחנו ן--ארך אפים, ו רב -חסד ואמת. ז. נצר children’s children, upon the third and fourth generations.” 8 Moses hastened to חסד לאלפים נשא עון ופשע וחטאה ונקה לא bow low to the ground in homage, 9 and said, “If I have gained Your favor, O , ; , ינקה--פקד עון אבות על-בנים וע ל-בני בנים, על - .Lord, pray, let the Lord go in our midst, even though this is a stiffnecked people שלשים ועל-רבעים. ח. וימהר, משה; ויקד ארצה, Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your own!” 10 He said: I hereby וישתחו. ט. ויאמר אם-נא מצאתי חן בעיניך, make a covenant. Before all your people I will work such wonders as have not אדני, ילך-נא א -דני, בקרבנו: כי עם-קשה - ערף been wrought on all the earth or in any nation; and all the people who are with הוא, ו סלחת לעוננו ולחטאתנ ו ונחלתנו. י. ויאמר, .you shall see how awesome are the LORD’s deeds which I will perform for you הנה אנכי כרת ברית, נגד כ ל-עמך אעשה נפלאת, אשר לא-נבראו בכל-הארץ ובכל-הגוים; וראה כל-העם א שר-אתה בקרבו את-מעשה ה', כי- נורא הוא, אשר אנ י, עשה עמ ך. פרשנות המקר א 1a. Commentary רש"י שמות לד:ה -ויקרא בשם ה'. ְמַתְרְּגִמיַנן ּוְקָּר א ,Rashi (Trans. Metsudah) (1040-1105, Troyes) Shemot 34:5 - AND HE CALLED BY NAME ִבְשָּמא ַדה ': O LORD — We render this in the Targum by, “and he (Moses) called on the name of the Lord”. --------- רשב"ם שמות לד:ה - ויתיצב עמו - עם משה הנצב -------- שם, כדכתיב: ונצבת על הצור . Rashbam (Trans. Munk) (1085-1158, Troyes) Shemot 34:5 - HE STOOD WITH HIM THERE, together with Moses who was positioned there, as is written (33,21) “you ויקרא בשם ה' - הקב"ה קרא כשהיה עובר בש ם will position yourself near the rock.” כמו שהולך ומפרש. שכן כתוב למעלה: וקראת י AND HE CALLED BY NAME, O LORD- God called out as He was passing, as will בשם ה' לפניך . be explained presently. This had been predicted already in verse 19 of the last chapter, “and I will proclaim before you the name LORD” במדבר יד:יא- כ Bamidbar 14:11-20 .2 ַֹּ֤ויֹאֶמר ֙ה ֶאל־ֹמ ֶֶׁ֔שה ַע ָָּ֥ד־אָּנה יְנַאֲצ ֻ֖נִי ָּה ָָּ֣עם ַה ֶֶּ֑זה ְוַע ד־ And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me, and how long ָּ֙אָּנ֙ה לֹא־ַיֲא ִָ֣מינּו ִֶׁ֔בי ְבֹכ֙ל ָָּֽהֹאֶׁ֔תֹות ֲא ֶָ֥ שר ָּע ִֻ֖שִית י will they have no faith in Me despite all the signs that I have performed in their ְבִקְרָֽבֹו ׃ ?midst יב ַא ֶָ֥כנּו ַב ֶֻ֖דֶבר ְואִֹורֶֶּ֑שנּו ְו ֶָֽאֱעֶש֙ה ָֹֽאְתֶָׁ֔ך ְלגֹוי־ָּּגָ֥דֹו ל 12I will strike them with pestilence and disown them, and I will make of you a וְעָּצֻ֖ ּום ִמ ֶָֽמנּו׃ ”!nation far more numerous than they יג ַָ֥ויֹאֶמר ֹמ ֶֻ֖שה אֶ ל־ה ְוָּשְמָ֣עּו ִמְצ ֶַׁ֔רִים ִָֽכי־ֶהֱע ִִ֧לָּית 13But Moses said to the LORD, “When the Egyptians, from whose midst You ְבֹכֲחָָ֛ךֶ את־ָּה ָָּ֥עם ַה ֶֻ֖זה ִמִקְרָֽבֹו ׃ brought up this people in Your might, hear the news, יד ְוָּאְמ֗רּוֶאל־יֹוֵּש֮ב ָּה ָָּ֣אֶרץ ַהזֹא֒ת ָָּֽ שְמעּ֙ו ִָֽכַי־אָָּ֣תה ה 14they will tell it to the inhabitants of that land.
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