Chapter 20 - Text Notes
201 As to those places where {Hebrew Ref} does
not seem to refer to G-d as judge, e.g. {Hebrew Ref}
(Bereishis 1, 1), {Hebrew Ref} (Ibid. 8, 15), {Hebrew Ref} (above 3, 4), etc., see
Mizrachi here and above, 7, 2. (S.C.)
202 E.g. the mitzvah of {Hebrew Ref} where only a four-cornered garment requires the fringes
called {Hebrew Ref} , but one is not obligated to obtain a
four-cornered garment.
203 Mechilta.
204 There are various
suggestions as to the intent of Rashi's question and answer: 1. If
G-d uttered all the commandments at once, then why are they recorded as
separated verses? Answer. This was because subsequently each one was
separately explained (D.Z.). 2. If one utterance included all the
commandments, then why are the first two commandments in the first
person ("I am Ad-noy, your G-d. You must not have any other
gods before My presence"), whereas in the later commandments
G-d speaks of Himself in the third person ("Do not take the Name of
Ad-noy, your G-d, in vain). Answer: After G-d simultaneously
spoke all Ten Commandments, He, Himself, explicitly and individually
repeated the first two; consequently they are in the first person. The
last eight were said by Moshe, who thus refers to G-d in the
third-person. See also Sifsei Chachomim, Gur Aryeh, Be'er Yitzchok,
Minchas Yehudah, etc.
205 Mechilta.
206 Usually {Hebrew Ref} means to transmit to others,
e.g., {Hebrew Ref} ---"G-d spoke to Moshe
to tell [the B'nei Yisrael]." Here, however, everyone heard the first
two commandments directly from G-d. Then what does {Hebrew Ref}
indicate? (D.T.)
207 {Hebrew Ref} thus means "so that
they reply."
208 Mechilta.
209 Why does G-d not attribute
His G-dliness to His creating the universe? (M., G.A., see Ibn Ezra)
210 Above, 15, 3.
211 As another indication of G-d's
varying roles.
212 Below, 24, 10.
213 Where they worked
with bricks.
214 Ibid.
215 Which are bright and joyful.
216 Thus G-d appears in various roles according to the particular
circumstance.
217 I.e., that there are, Heaven forbid, different
powers that control the universe.
218 Mechilta.
219 As to
why G-d had to stress that He was only One.
220 Below, v. 15.
221 Sh. Rab. 5, 9.
222 As well as
{Hebrew Ref} ---"You (as a single
individual) shall have no other gods."
223 I.e., to defend the
B'nei Yisrael from punishment for having committed the sin of the
Golden calf.
224 Below, 32, 11.
225 Since You stated it in
the singular {Hebrew Ref} . However, it is necessary to
explain how this could serve as a defense since the B'nei Yisrael well
knew that these prohibitions were directed at them. See Mizrachi and
Gur Aryeh.
226 Sh. Rab. 43, 5.
227 "House of Slaves" can
mean: 1. The house belonging to slaves, 2. the house in which you
were slaves.
228 I.e., that they were taken out of the house that
belonged to the Egyptians who were themselves slaves to Pharaoh.
229
Sh. Rab. ibid.
230 1. Why does it not instead say: " {Hebrew Ref} ---"Do not worship"? (Mechilta)
231 Mechilta.
232 Thus {Hebrew Ref} means:
"gods who are strangers."
233 Ibid.
234 Since G-d
identifies Himself as: {Hebrew Ref}
---"I am Ad-noy, your G-d, Who brought you out of the land of
Egypt" (v. 1), one might possibly conclude that only those who
actually left Egypt had to worship only G-d. (S.C.)
235 Ibid.
236 E.g., the sun, moon, stars.
237 It is obviously wrong to attribute jealousy---a common
human frailty---to G-d. Rashi, therefore, explains it in a
different sense. (D.T.)
238 Ibid.
239 Elsewhere the Torah
tells us: {Hebrew Ref} (paraphrased from
Devarim 24, 16)---"sons will not die for the sins of their
fathers." Here the Torah indicates otherwise! (S.C.)
240 I.e.,
when they follow in the footsteps of their fathers.
241 Sanhedrin
27b.
242 The text in our verse reads {Hebrew Ref} ,
whereas {Hebrew Ref} is from below, 34, 7. Some suggest
that {Hebrew Ref} here is a typographical error and should
instead read {Hebrew Ref} . (M.Y.)
243 Tosefta Sotah
3, 4.
244 This text is found in later versions of Rashi which,
according to some, had phrases added by others. The earlier version
follows afterwards.
245 There are generally two types of
prohibited oaths: 1. {Hebrew Ref} ---one lies under
oath, e.g., he falsely swears that he owes nothing to the claimant,
whereby the oath is used to convince others of his veracity. 2. {Hebrew Ref} ---one takes an oath concerning something that is
either obviously true or obviously false, e.g., he swears that this man
is a man. Though he swears to the truth he transgresses for it is an
obvious fact and the oath is moot.
246 Shavuos 21a.
247 This
oath, though {Hebrew Ref} ---"false," is, nevertheless, a
{Hebrew Ref} for the falsehood is blatantly obvious and
therefore the oath is considered {Hebrew Ref} ---"in
vain."
248 Shavuos 29a Mechilta.
249 In the Ten
Commandments of Devarim 5, 12 this commandment begins with {Hebrew Ref} ---"observe," instead of {Hebrew Ref} . {Hebrew Ref} is a {Hebrew Ref} ---a positive mitzvah,
whereas {Hebrew Ref} is a {Hebrew Ref} ---a
prohibitive mitzvah, i.e., refrain from doing something.
250
Though contradictory, one being an {Hebrew Ref} , the other a {Hebrew Ref} .
251 Below 31, 14.
252 Bamidbar 28, 9. This
latter verse seemingly contradicting the former verse since sacrificing
animals entails the doing of {Hebrew Ref} ---"work" on
Shabbos.
253 A mixture of wool and linen.
254 A four-cornered garment requires {Hebrew Ref} ---
"fringes." Scripturally speaking, this is so even where the garment
is made of linen and the {Hebrew Ref} of wool, seemingly
contradicting the prohibition of shatnez.
255 Vayikra 18,
16.
256 Devarim 25, 5. This latter mitzvah, called {Hebrew Ref} , applies when a husband dies and leaves a childless wife and a
brother; his brother is commanded to marry the widow. This, too, seems
a contradiction to the prohibition against marrying your brother's
wife.
257 Tehillim 62, 12.
258 {Hebrew Ref} ---
"remember" is the usual vocalization for the imperative form.
259
Yeshaiyahu 22, 13.
260 II Shmuel 3, 16.
261 Beitzah 16a.
262 Can a person actually complete all his work in six
days?! (Mechilta)
263 {Hebrew Ref} is thus translated:
"and you shall have done".
264 Mechilta.
265 Why is it
necessary to enumerate "your son and your daughter"? Are they not
commanded in their own right?! (Mechilta)
266 By the command {Hebrew Ref} ---"You
must not do any manner of work."
267 And he does so because he
has received some indication from his father to do so. Where the minor
does it completely on his own there is no biblical requirement to stop
him (S.C. from M., see later from N.Y.). See Mishnah Berurah 343, 4;
Sha'ar Hatziyun 334, 54; Bi'ur Halacha 266 {Hebrew Ref} .
268 Shabbos 121a.
269 And not just {Hebrew Ref} ---
"He paused," as is written at the Creation, Bereishis 2, 2.
270 Mechilta.
271 Though the total manna was the same for
it fell on Friday for Shabbos, nevertheless the blessing consisted of
the fact that, unlike other days, when that which was left at the end
of the day rotted, Friday's manna stayed fresh for Shabbos; and, on the
contrary, became even better. (Rashi above, 16, 22; Rashi Bereishis 2,
3)
272 Ibid.
273 Vayikra 20, 10.
274 Yechezkel 16, 32.
275 Vayikra 19, 11.
276 One of the thirteen methods of
expounding laws in the Torah recorded in the Baraisa of R. Yishmael, at
the beginning of the Sifra (Toras Kohanim).
277 See Rashi above, 19, 11.
278 Above, 19, 8.
279
Below, 24, 7.
280 Mechilta.
281 Rashi disputes the opinion
of others (Ibn Ezra) that {Hebrew Ref} here is meant
euphemistically.
282 Mechilta d'Rashbi; Rashi Shabbos 88b.
283
This could possibly refer to: 1. the thunder and lightening (above,
19, 16), 2. the trumpet sound later in this verse, 3. the Ten
Commandments. Which is it?
284 Twelve mil for each of the Ten
Commandments (Shabbos 88b).
285 Ibid.
286 Unlike Onkelos, who translates {Hebrew Ref} "to test;" Rashi disagrees because Moshe says to the B'nei
Yisrael: "Do not be afraid {Hebrew Ref} ." If
they were being tested they would have much to fear. Also the
Torah does not go on to identify this test. (L.S.R.)
287 Yeshaiyahu
62, 10.
288 Ibid. 49, 22.
289 Ibid. 30, 17. The banner is
raised high so that those from afar might see it and rally around it.
The B'nei Yisrael, too, are meant to serve as a banner to whom the
nations can look and emulate. (Rashi Yeshaiyahu 30, 17).
290 Each barrier more formidable than the prior one. (Rashi
Devarim 4, 11).
291 Devarim 4, 11.
292 Above, 19, 9.
293
See Rashi above, 19, 3.
294 Mechilta.
295 Ibid.
296
Above, 19, 20, which seems to indicate that G-d spoke from Mount Sinai
and not from heaven!
297 Devarim 4, 36.
298 Of the apparent contradiction
between the two first verses cited above.
299 Mechilta.
300
I.e., the various levels of ministering angels: malachim, ofanim,
cherubim.
301 Has the previous statement not already
prohibited the making of gods? To what then does "gods of silver"
refer? Also, what is the meaning of {Hebrew Ref} ---"with
me?"
302 Ibid.
303 Mechilta.
304 This seemingly
repeats the {Hebrew Ref} ---"Do not make" at
the beginning of the verse!
305 The Beis Hamikdosh.
306 Ibid.
307 But both
altars in the mishkon were not made of earth---the outer
altar in the courtyard of the mishkon was made of wood plated
with copper and the inner altar was made of wood plated with gold.
308 The altar in the courtyard of the mishkon had no bottom or
covering. It was filled with earth. Accordingly it can properly be
called {Hebrew Ref} ---"an earthen altar."
309
Ibid.
310 Whenever G-d says {Hebrew Ref} ---"for Me,"
He obviously does not mean it in the sense that He has a need for it,
for G-d lacks nothing.
311 I.e., it may not first be made for a
mundane purpose and then used as an altar.
312 Ibid.
313 {Hebrew Ref} literally means: "upon it."
314 Bamidbar 2, 20.
315 Devarim 12, 27.
316 Mechilta.
317 I.e., the Name Yod-heh-vav-heh which is to be pronounced
A-d-on-oy.
318 Mechilta; Sotah 38a; Sifrei Bamidbar 6, 23.
319
Usually {Hebrew Ref} ---"if" is optional, i.e., it is up to
the person whether or not to do it. Here this is not the case.
320
Devarim 27, 6.
321 Below, 22, 24.
322 Devarim 15, 8.
323 Vayikra
2, 14. The Minchah offered on the sixteenth of Nissan after which the
new harvest ( {Hebrew Ref} ) is no longer prohibited.
324
Mechilta.
325 Ibid.
326 Since it is used for korbonos
which atone for man's sins, which shorten life.
327 Mechilta; Midos 3, 4.
328 Mechilta.
329 Thereby
exposing parts of the body that are usually covered.
330 Below,
28, 42. These pants would thus prevent the exposure of nakedness.
331 Ibid.
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