שמות רבה כ״טShemot Rabbah 29

Parashah 29 of 52 in Shemot Rabbah — 9 sections

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Section 1א׳

אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (דברים ד, לג): הֲשָׁמַע עָם קוֹל אֱלֹהִים, הַמִּינִין שָׁאֲלוּ אֶת רַבִּי שִׂמְלָאי אָמְרוּ לוֹ אֱלֹהוֹת הַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בָּעוֹלָם, אָמַר לָהֶם, לָמָּה, אָמְרוּ לוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְּתִיב: הֲשָׁמַע עָם קוֹל אֱלֹהִים, אָמַר לָהֶם, שֶׁמָּא כָּתוּב מְדַבְּרִים, אֶלָּא (דברים לד, ג): מְדַבֵּר. אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו, רַבִּי, לָאֵלּוּ דָּחִיתָ בְּקָנֶה רָצוּץ, לָנוּ מָה אַתָּה מֵשִׁיב, חָזַר רַבִּי לֵוִי וּפֵרְשָׁהּ, אָמַר לָהֶם: הֲשָׁמַע עָם קוֹל אֱלֹהִים, כֵּיצַד, אִלּוּ הָיָה כָּתוּב קוֹל ה' בְּכֹחוֹ, לֹא הָיָה הָעוֹלָם יָכוֹל לַעֲמֹד, אֶלָּא (תהלים כט, ד): קוֹל ה' בַּכֹּחַ, בַּכֹּחַ שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, הַבַּחוּרִים לְפִי כֹּחָן וְהַזְּקֵנִים לְפִי כֹּחָן וְהַקְּטַנִּים לְפִי כֹּחָן. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, לֹא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁשְּׁמַעְתֶּם קוֹלוֹת הַרְבֵּה תִּהְיוּ סְבוּרִין שֶׁמָּא אֱלֹהוֹת הַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בַּשָּׁמַיִם, אֶלָּא תִּהְיוּ יוֹדְעִים שֶׁאֲנִי הוּא ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ה, ו): אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ.

“I am the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). “I am the Lord your God” – that is what is written: “Has a people heard the voice of God [speaking [medaber] from the midst of the fire, as you heard, and lived?]” (Deuteronomy 4:33). The heretics asked Rabbi Simlai, they said to him: ‘Are there many gods in the world?’ He said to them: ‘Why?’ They said to him: ‘As, it is written: “Has a people heard the voice of God [Elohim]?”’ He said to them: ‘Does it say medaberim? Rather, it says medaber.’ His disciples said to him: ‘Rabbi, you rebuffed them with a smashed reed; what do you respond to us?’ Rabbi Levi then interpreted it, he said to them: ‘“Has a people heard the voice of God” – how so? Had it been written: “The voice of the Lord is with His might,” the world would have been unable to survive. Rather, “the voice of the Lord is with might” (Psalms 29:4) – with the might of each and every individual, the lads in accordance with their might, the elders in accordance with their might, and children according to their might. The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: Do not believe that because you heard many voices, perhaps there are many gods in the heavens, but rather, know that I am the Lord your God, as it is stated: “I am the Lord your God”’ (Deuteronomy 5:6).

Section 2ב׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב (דברים ה, ד): פָּנִים בְּפָנִים דִּבֶּר ה' עִמָּכֶם, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבְדִּימֵי דְּמִן חֵיפָה, עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם אֶלֶף יָרְדוּ עִם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְסִינַי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים סח, יח): רֶכֶב אֱלֹהִים רִבֹּתַיִם אַלְפֵי שִׁנְאָן, הַנָּאִים וְהַמְשֻׁבָּחִים, יָכוֹל אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיוּ רַבִּים דְּחוּקִים הָיוּ, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר שִׁנְאָן, שַׁאֲנָן וְהַשְׁקֵט. (תהלים סח, יח): אֲדֹנָי בָּם, אֵין כְּתִיב בְּיוּ"ד, אֶלָּא בְּאָלֶ"ף דָּלֶ"ת, אֲדוֹנוֹ שֶׁל כָּל הָעוֹלָם בָּהֶם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אֲדֹנָי בָּם, אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי שֶׁהָיָה טַבְלָא שֶׁל שֵׁם הַמְפֹרָשׁ כָּתוּב עַל לִבָּם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אֲדֹנָי בָּם, רַבָּנָן אָמְרִין שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל אֱלֹהִים הָיָה מְעֹרָב עִם כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, מִיכָאֵל וְגַבְרִיאֵל. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁרְאִיתֶם פָּנִים הַרְבֵּה תִּהְיוּ סְבוּרִין שֶׁמָּא אֱלֹהוֹת הַרְבֵּה בַּשָּׁמַיִם, דְּעוּ שֶׁאֲנִי הוּא ה' אֶחָד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ.

Another matter: “I am the Lord your God” – that is what is written: “Face to face the Lord spoke with you” (Deuteronomy 5:4). Rabbi Avdimi of Haifa said: Twenty-two thousand [angels] descended with the Holy One blessed be He to Sinai, as it is stated: “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands of angels [shinan]” (Psalms 68:18). They were fine and praiseworthy. Is it, perhaps, that because they were many they were crowded? The verse states: Shinan, they were tranquil [shaanan] and serene. “My Lord is in their midst” (Psalms 68:18) – it is not written with yod, but rather with alef dalet; the Lord of the entire world was in their midst. Alternatively, “my Lord is in their midst” – Rabbi Levi said: There was a tablet with the ineffable name inscribed over their hearts. Another matter: “My Lord is in their midst” (Psalms 68:18) – the Rabbis say: The name of God was intermingled with the name of each and every one [of the angels, e.g.], Mikhael and Gavriel. The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Do not think that because you saw many faces perhaps there are many gods in the heavens. Know that I am the one Lord, as it is stated: “I am the Lord your God.”’

Section 3ג׳

אָמַר רַבִּי טוֹבִיָּה בֶּן רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, שֶׁעַל מְנָת כֵּן הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שֶׁתְּקַבֵּל אֱלָהוּתִי עָלֶיךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, מָשָׁל לְבַת מְלָכִים שֶׁנִּשְׁבֵּית בְּיַד הַלִּסְטִים וּבָא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהִצִּילָהּ, לְאַחַר יָמִים בִּקֵּשׁ לִשָֹּׂא אוֹתָהּ לְאִשָּׁה, אָמְרָה לוֹ מַה אַתָּה נוֹתֵן לִי, אָמַר לָהּ אִם אֵין לִיךְ עָלַי אֶלָּא שֶׁפְּדִיתִיךָ מִיַּד הַלִּסְטִים, דַּי.

Rabbi Toviya ben Rabbi Yitzḥak said: “I am the Lord your God”; for that reason I took you out of the land of Egypt, so that you will accept My divinity upon yourselves. Alternatively, “I am the Lord your God” – this is analogous to a princess who was taken captive by robbers, and the king came and rescued her. Some time later, he sought to take her as a wife. She said to him: ‘What will you give me?’ He said to her: ‘If all you receive from me is that I redeemed you from the robbers, it is sufficient.’

Section 4ד׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, רַבִּי אַחָא בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא פָּתַח בּוֹ (תהלים נ, ז): שִׁמְעָה עַמִּי וַאֲדַבֵּרָה [כמו שכתוב בעשרת הדברות, עד]: אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי, אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אֱלוֹהַּ אֲנִי עַל כָּל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם, אֲבָל לֹא יִחַדְתִּי שְׁמִי אֶלָּא עֲלֵיכֶם, אֵינִי נִקְרָא אֱלֹהֵי עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, אֶלָּא אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי, שְׁנֵי דְבָרִים שָׁאֲלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִלִּפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁיִּרְאוּ כְבוֹדוֹ וְיִשְׁמְעוּ קוֹלוֹ, וְהָיוּ רוֹאִין אֶת כְּבוֹדוֹ וְשׁוֹמְעִין אֶת קוֹלוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ה, כא); וַתֹּאמְרוּ הֵן הֶרְאָנוּ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֶת כְּבֹדוֹ וְאֶת גָּדְלוֹ, וּכְתִיב (דברים ה, כא): וְאֶת קֹלוֹ שָׁמַעְנוּ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ, וְלֹא הָיָה בָהֶם כֹּחַ לַעֲמֹד, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּאוּ לְסִינַי וְנִגְלָה לָהֶם, פָּרְחָה נִשְׁמָתָם עַל שֶׁדִּבֵּר עִמָּהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שיר השירים ה, ו): נַפְשִׁי יָצְאָה בְּדַבְּרוֹ. אֲבָל הַתּוֹרָה בִּקְּשָׁה עֲלֵיהֶם רַחֲמִים מִלִּפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, יֵשׁ מֶלֶךְ מַשִֹּׂיא בִתּוֹ וְהוֹרֵג אַנְשֵׁי בֵיתוֹ, כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ שְׂמֵחִים וּבָנֶיךָ מֵתִים, מִיָּד חָזְרָה נִשְׁמָתָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים יט, ח): תּוֹרַת ה' תְּמִימָה מְשִׁיבַת נָפֶשׁ, אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי, וְכִי לֹא הָיָה גָּלוּי לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁאִם הוּא מַרְאֶה כְּבוֹדוֹ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּמַשְׁמִיעָן קוֹלוֹ שֶׁאֵינָן יְכוֹלִין לַעֲמֹד, אֶלָּא צָפָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁהֵן עֲתִידִין לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים, שֶׁלֹא יְהוּ אוֹמְרִין אִלּוּ הֶרְאָנוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדוֹ וְאֶת גָּדְלוֹ וְהִשְׁמִיעָנוּ אֶת קוֹלוֹ, לֹא הָיִינוּ עוֹשִׂים עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: שִׁמְעָה עַמִּי וַאֲדַבֵּרָה.

Another matter: “I am the Lord your God” – Rabbi Aḥa ben Rabbi Ḥanina began with this: “Hear, My people, and I will speak” (Psalms 50:7), : Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘I am the God over all of humanity, but I associated My name only with you. I am not called the God of idolaters, but rather, the God of Israel.’ Rabbi Levi said: Israel requested two matters from before the Holy One blessed be He: That they would see His glory and hear His voice. They were seeing His glory and hearing His voice, as it is stated: “You said: Behold, the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness” (Deuteronomy 5:21), and it is written: “And His voice we heard from the midst of the fire” (Deuteronomy 5:21), and they did not have the strength to withstand it. When they came to Sinai and He revealed Himself to them, their soul departed because He spoke with them, as it is stated: “My soul departed as He spoke” (Song of Songs 5:6). However, the Torah asked for mercy before the Holy One blessed be He on their behalf: ‘Is there a king who marries his daughter and kills the members of his household? The entire world is rejoicing and Your children are dying?’ Immediately, their souls were restored, as it is stated: “The Torah of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul” (Psalms 19:8). Rabbi Levi said: Was it not known before the Omnipresent that if He would show His glory to Israel and let them hear His voice, that they would be unable to withstand it? Rather, the Holy One blessed be He foresaw that they were destined to engage in idol worship. So they would not say: Had He shown us His glory and His greatness and let us hear His voice, we would not have engaged in idol worship, that is why it is stated: “Hear, My people, and I will speak.”

Section 5ה׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם מוֹלֵךְ וְיֵשׁ לוֹ אָב אוֹ אָח, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֲנִי אֵינִי כֵן (ישעיה מד, ו): אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁאֵין לִי אָב, (ישעיה מד, ו): וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן, שֶׁאֵין לִי אָח, (ישעיה מד, ו): וּמִבַּלְעָדַי אֵין אֱלֹהִים, שֶׁאֵין לִי בֵּן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ישעיה מג, יב): אָנֹכִי הִגַּדְתִּי וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּי וְהִשְׁמַעְתִּי וגו', אָנֹכִי הִגַּדְתִּי לְמִצְרַיִם שֶׁבְּרַחְתֶּם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרְדְּפוּ אַחֲרֵיכֶם וְיִטְבְּעוּ בַּיָּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יד, ה): וַיֻּגַּד לְמֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם כִּי בָרַח הָעָם. וְהוֹשַׁעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יד, ל): וַיּוֹשַׁע ה' בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהִשְׁמַעְתִּי לְעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות טו, יד): שָׁמְעוּ עַמִּים יִרְגָּזוּן, וְאֵין בָּכֶם זָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יח, כז): וַיְשַׁלַּח משֶׁה אֶת חֹתְנוֹ, מִיָּד (שמות יט, א): בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי. וְאַתֶּם עֵדַי נְאֻם ה' וַאֲנִי אֵל, אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ.

Another matter: “I am the Lord your God” – Rabbi Abbahu said: This is analogous to a king of flesh and blood who rules but who has a father or a brother. The Holy One blessed be He said: I am not so. “I am first” (Isaiah 44:6), as I have no father; “and I am last” (Isaiah 44:6), as I have no brother; “and besides Me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6), as I have no son. Another matter: “I am the Lord your God” – that is what is written: “I related, I saved, and I announced…” (Isaiah 43:12). “I related” to Egypt that you fled, so they would hear, pursue you, and drown in the sea, as it is stated: “It was told to the king of Egypt that the people had fled” (Exodus 14:5). “I saved” you, as it is stated: “The Lord saved Israel on that day” (Exodus 14:30). “And I announced” to the idolaters, as it is stated: “Peoples heard, they were agitated” (Exodus 15:14). “There was no stranger among you” (Isaiah 43:12) – as it is stated: “Moses sent his father-in-law away” (Exodus 18:27); immediately, “In the third month [from the exodus of the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, on that day they came to the wilderness of Sinai]” (Exodus 19:1). “You are My witnesses, the utterance of the Lord, and I am God” (Isaiah 43:12).

…and 4 more sections in this chapter.

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Shemot Rabbah — Midrash Rabbah, TE edition, via Sefaria

English: The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022 — CC BY