CHAPTER 31<\/p>\n
APPOINTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION PERSONNEL (vv. 1\u201311)<\/p>\n
The final instruction to Moses that directly relates to the work of the Tabernacle concerns the appointment of a supervisory master craftsman named Bezalel, a Judahite, and his associate Oholiab, a Danite. Presumably, Moses, Bezalel, and Oholiab are to recruit the subordinate workers, here described as those \u201cwho are skillful.\u201d In 38:21 special mention is made of Levites who work under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron.<\/p>\n
2. singled out by name Commissioned for the task.1<\/p>\n
Bezalel The name means \u201cin the shadow [that is, protection] of God.\u201d2<\/p>\n
Uri Probably a short form of Uriel or Uriah, meaning \u201cGod\/Yah is my light.\u201d3<\/p>\n
Hur Six different persons bear this name in the Bible. Its origin is obscure, and it is uncertain if the one mentioned here is the same Hur who is frequently associated with Aaron.4 See Comment to 17:10.<\/p>\n
3. a divine spirit See Comment to 28:3.<\/p>\n
6. Oholiab The name may mean either \u201cthe tent of the father\u201d or \u201cthe father is my tent\u201d (that is, my protection). It may contain a word play since it is the person with this name who is to construct the Tent of Meeting (v. 7).5<\/p>\n
granted skill to all who are skillful Citing Daniel 2:21, Rabbi Johanan states: \u201cThe Holy One Blessed Be He imparts wisdom only to one who already possesses it.\u201d6<\/p>\n
7\u201311. These verses summarize the components of the Tabernacle, its furnishings, and appurtenances in an order that differs slightly from that of the foregoing instructions.<\/p>\n
7. the Ark for the Pact The Ark that is intended to house the two tablets that symbolize the pact between God and Israel. See Comment to 25:22.7<\/p>\n
8. the pure lampstand See Comment to 25:31.<\/p>\n
10. the service vestments Hebrew bigdei serad. Serad is an obscure term for which there is no satisfactory Hebrew etymology.8 Rashi, Rashbam, and Ibn Ezra connect it with Aramaic s-r-d, meaning \u201cto plait\u201d and so understand the phrase to mean \u201cplaited cloths.\u201d They connect it with the coverings spread over the Tabernacle and its furnishings during the wilderness journeyings, as prescribed in Numbers 4:7\u201314. In Yoma 72b the term serad is associated with the priestly vestments. The Targums and the Peshitta, as well as the Septuagint and the Vulgate, all take it to mean \u201cservice vestments.\u201d This rendering is supported both by the explanatory phrase \u201cfor officiating in the sanctuary\u201d and by the appositional \u201csacral vestments,\u201d which follows all other usages of the term.9<\/p>\n
THE OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH (vv. 12\u201317)<\/p>\n
The concluding\u2014and, appropriately, the seventh\u2014literary unit within the pericope of the instructions for the Tabernacle is devoted to the observance of the law of the Sabbath. Correspondingly, the resumption of the Tabernacle narrative in chapter 35 commences with the Sabbath law. This structural pattern is intended to make an emphatic statement about the hierarchy of values that informs the Torah: The Tabernacle enshrines the concept of the holiness of space; the Sabbath embodies the concept of the holiness of time. The latter takes precedence over the former, and the work of the Tabernacle must yield each week to the Sabbath rest.
\nQuite deliberately the present unit features Creation as the rationale for the Sabbath (v. 17), as is found in the Decalogue (20:8\u201311), rather than the Exodus, as in the version in Deuteronomy (5:12\u201315). It is in the Creation narrative of Genesis that the first occurrence of the idea of the holy is encountered, and it relates to time\u2014the Sabbath. This is in striking contrast to the Babylonian cosmology, which culminates in the erection of a temple to Marduk, thereby asserting the antithetical primacy of the holiness of space. See Comments to 3:5 and 20:8\u201311.<\/p>\n
13. Nevertheless Hebrew \u02beakh has restrictive force.10 Even though building the Tabernacle is a divine command, it does not supersede the observance of the Sabbath.<\/p>\n
My sabbaths This phrase is defined in verses 15 and 17. The Sabbath, that is, the sanctity of the seventh day of the week, is an integral part of the cosmic order ordained by God.<\/p>\n
a sign The idea of the Sabbath as a sign is reiterated in verse 17.11 Its observance is a declaration of faith, an affirmation that Israel is a holy nation not inherently but by an act of divine will; that the relationship between God and Israel is regulated by a covenant; and that the universe is wholly the purposeful product of divine intelligence, the work of a transcendent Being outside of nature and sovereign over space and time.<\/p>\n
15. a sabbath of complete rest See Comment to 16:23.12<\/p>\n
16. The obligation to observe the Sabbath is eternally encumbent upon those who participate in the covenant with God.<\/p>\n
17. and was refreshed Hebrew va-yinnafash is derived from the noun nefesh, a multivalent term that can refer to a person\u2019s life essence, vitality, psychic energy, or essential character.13 The verbal form used here conveys the notion of a fresh infusion of spiritual and physical vigor, the reinvigoration of the totality of one\u2019s being. Of course, as applied to God, it is an anthropomorphism, the ascription to the Deity of human characteristics. But such language has a didactic purpose: to impress upon the Israelite an awareness of the transcendent value of Sabbath observance. Thus, the same verb is used in 23:12 to describe the invigorating consequences of the Sabbath rest: \u201cthat your bondman and the stranger may be refreshed [ve-yinnafesh].\u201d<\/p>\n
A CODA (v. 18)<\/p>\n
This concluding verse, recording the receipt of the tablets of stone, picks up where the last narrative left off\u2014Moses\u2019 ascent of Mount Sinai to receive those tokens of the covenant (24:12\u201318). It also serves as the transition to the next episode, which involves the smashing of those very tablets.<\/p>\n
stone tablets Bekhor Shor notes that stone, as an enduring substance, is emblematic of the eternity of the content.<\/p>\n
inscribed with the finger of God On this figurative language, see Comment to 32:16.14<\/p>\n
The Violation of the Covenant: The Golden Calf (32:1\u201333:23)<\/p>\n
The account of the Tabernacle is interrupted by the story of the making and worship of a golden calf. This episode separates the detailed set of instructions from the report of their implementation. The literary arrangement conveys the impression that the apostasy of the people\u2014that is, their alienation from God\u2014interfered with the building of the intended sanctuary that was to be the \u201cTent of Meeting\u201d between God and Israel. The work could begin only after their reconciliation through the mediation of Moses.<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 32*<\/p>\n
THE MAKING OF A GOLDEN CALF (vv. 1\u20136)<\/p>\n
1. This verse is intelligible only in reference to 24:18, which told of Moses\u2019 ascent of the cloud-enveloped mountain and of his seclusion there for forty days and nights. Because Moses has until now fulfilled the role of exclusive mediator between God and Israel\u2014at the urgent request of the people, as told in 20:15\u2013181\u2014his protracted absence generates deep anxiety, a mood exacerbated by the awareness of the impending departure from Sinai.<\/p>\n
gathered against Hebrew nikhal \u02bfal always carries a menacing nuance.2<\/p>\n
make us a god Something that is emblematic of immanent divinity. Rashbam suggests that they had in mind some instrument for determining the divine will as a replacement for Moses, the absent human medium of divine revelation.3<\/p>\n
that man Moses A disrespectful manner of speaking.4<\/p>\n
who brought us from And has now abandoned us.<\/p>\n
3. gold rings These may have been among the items the Israelites received from neighbors when they left Egypt, as related in 11:2\u20133 and 12:35\u201336. From the story in Genesis 35:4, where earrings are coupled with \u201calien gods\u201d and are ritually buried with them, it is clear that they were not mere adornments but also had some cultic significance. This conclusion is reinforced by the narrative about Gideon in Judges 8:24\u201327. He too specifically requested gold earrings and manufactured from them an ephod, after which \u201call Israel went astray\u201d and which \u201cbecame a snare to Gideon and his household.\u201d<\/p>\n
4. cast in a mold The meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain. The verb va-yatsar can denote \u201che fashioned\u201d5 or \u201che tied up\u201d;6 the noun \u1e25eret can signify \u201ca stylus\u201d or \u201can engraving tool.\u201d7 The phrase may therefore mean that Aaron fashioned the gold with a tool. This, however, would be inconsistent with the description of the image as being \u201cmolten,\u201d8 and one does not use an engraving tool on gold. It is possible that \u1e25eret is a variant form of \u1e25arit, \u201ca bag\u201d,9 which appears with the same verb as here in a similar context in 2 Kings 5:23: \u201cHe wrapped [va-yetsar] the two talents of silver in two bags [\u1e25aritim].\u201d In Exodus, then, Aaron tied up the gold earrings in a bag.10 It is noteworthy that when Gideon made his image, he \u201cspread out a cloth, and everyone threw onto it the earring.\u201d11 Finally, the Hebrew phrase may well have originated in the technical vocabulary of ancient metallurgy and then become a metaphor simply expressing the imparting of shape to metal, regardless of the technique employed.12<\/p>\n
molten Most likely a wooden model was overlaid with gold.13<\/p>\n
calf Hebrew \u02bfegel is a young ox or bull. Thus, Psalm 106:19\u201320, in reference to this episode, alternates \u02bfegel with shor, \u201cox.\u201d Throughout the Near East the bull was a symbol of lordship, leadership, strength, vital energy, and fertility. As such, it was either deified and worshiped or employed in representation of divinity. Often the bull or some other animal served as the pedestal on which the god stood, elevated above human level.14 The particular animal might be suggestive of the attributes ascribed to the god who was mounted upon it. Aaron seems to have followed contemporary artistic convention. The young bull would have been the pedestal upon which the invisible God of Israel was popularly believed to be standing. His presence would be left to human imagination.
\nThis last interpretation is supported by the people\u2019s association of the manufactured image with the God who operates in history, not with some deity possessing mythological associations. It is strengthened by Aaron\u2019s proclamation (v. 5) that the following day would be \u201ca festival of the LORD [YHVH].\u201d In other words, the people, in demanding \u201ca god\u201d because of Moses\u2019 disappearance, wanted an appropriate visible object that would recall the Divine Presence in their midst. It should be noted that in verse 8 the focus of the indictment is on the making of a molten calf, not on worshiping \u201cother gods.\u201d<\/p>\n
they exclaimed The ringleaders of the people, not Aaron.<\/p>\n
This is your god Rashbam and other medieval Jewish commentators have pointed out that the people \u201ccould not have been so stupid\u201d as to believe that this freshly manufactured image was itself a deity responsible for the Exodus from Egypt. Rather, they felt that the object was a potent symbol that acquired a numinous quality, and that they could invoke the Deity through it.
\nIt is to be noted that the demonstrative pronoun (\u02beelleh) and the verb governed by \u02beelohim, \u201cGod,\u201d are in the plural form, and that a plural verb is also used in verses 1 and 23. Plural forms with \u02beelohim are found in a monotheistic context several times in the Bible,15 and there is as yet no satisfactory explanation for this anomaly. In the present chapter the plural usage may be a scribal device to emphasize the unacceptable nature of the object. Aaron made only one image, and, significantly, Nehemiah 9:18, in recalling this episode, has the cry of the people in the singular, \u201cThis [zeh] is your God who brought you out [he\u02bfelkha] of Egypt.\u201d<\/p>\n
6. Aaron plays no further role. The rabble has taken over and has plunged into pagan orgiastic rites. Five verbs of action are employed to describe popular behavior. See Comment to verses 19\u201320.<\/p>\n
to dance This appears to be the meaning of tsa\u1e25ek in Judges 16:25. Verse 19 below explicitly refers to dancing. However, the same verb in Genesis 26:8 and 39:14, 17 connotes sexual activity.<\/p>\n
GOD\u2019S ANGER AND MOSES\u2019 INTERCESSION (vv. 7\u201314)<\/p>\n
7\u20138. When the boisterous revelry has reached its height, God informs Moses of what is happening in the camp below.<\/p>\n
7. your people A strong intimation of their alienation from God16 in contrast to \u201cMy people,\u201d repeatedly employed hitherto in divine speech.17<\/p>\n
have acted basely The calf, even if only intended as the pedestal of the invisible God of Israel, was very much an image of a living entity. It would inevitably divert human attention to itself and away from the invisible One that it was meant to invoke. The popular mind would regard the image-pedestal as an object endowed with divinity. By putting God back into nature, the people violated and nullified the fundamental distinctive idea of the religion of Israel.<\/p>\n
8. to turn aside from the way Significantly, the text does not say \u201cfrom Me\u201d; they have adopted pagan modes of worship, but in worship of the God of Israel.18<\/p>\n
9. I see Divine \u201cseeing\u201d as opposed to Aaron\u2019s \u201cseeing\u201d in verse 5.<\/p>\n
this \u2026 people God sardonically turns on the people their disrespectful reference to Moses (v. 1).<\/p>\n
stiffnecked A frequent image of willful obstinacy, derived from the farmer\u2019s experience with work animals.<\/p>\n
10. let Me be This phrase both intimates and anticipates intercession for Israel on the part of Moses.19 As such, it is a tacit comment on Moses\u2019 extraordinary character. At the same time it implies that such intercession can be effective. Thus, it is also a statement about the nature of God: He is responsive to human entreaty. Intercession before God on behalf of man is an indispensable aspect of the prophetic role. In fact, the first scriptural usage of the term navi\u02be, \u201cprophet,\u201d appears in such a context. In Genesis 20:7 Abimelech is told, \u201cSince he [Abraham] is a prophet, he will intercede for you.\u201d Moses frequently acts as intercessor,20 as do Samuel,21 Amos,22 and especially Jeremiah.23<\/p>\n
A great nation The phrase evokes the divine promises to the patriarch.24 This is seized on at once by Moses.<\/p>\n
11\u201314. These verses together with 34:1\u201310 comprise the Torah reading at the afternoon (minhah) service on fast days other than Yom Kippur. Ibn Ezra takes note of an inconsistency. The present section concludes with a declaration of divine forbearance (v. 14); nevertheless, verses 30\u201334 record Moses\u2019 entreaty of God and verse 30 expresses his hope that, \u201cperhaps I may win forgiveness for your sin.\u201d To this complication may be added the fact that the parallel account to Deuteronomy 9:15\u201321 has Moses descending the mountain immediately after being apprised of the situation below and making intercession only after breaking the tablets.
\nMany modern scholars explain the anomalies as resulting from the amalgamation of varying traditions. Ibn Ezra concludes that verses 11\u201314 are out of chronological sequence and belong after verse 31. They have been placed here because they are Moses\u2019 response to God\u2019s intimation (v. 10) that intercession would be effective. Understanding the text differently, Ramban believes that verses 11\u201314 are in the correct place and that Moses made two separate intercessions. The first (vv. 11\u201314) was intended to gain rescission of the threat to destroy Israel, whereas the second (vv. 30\u201334) was to obtain forgiveness after the pulverization of the golden calf and the punishment of the transgressors. Ramban notes that in the version in Deuteronomy, events are telescoped because the story appears in a different context and is narrated for a different purpose.
\nMoses\u2019 petition rests on the following considerations: Israel is God\u2019s chosen people; God manifested His power in delivering Israel from Egypt; the destruction of Israel would diminish God\u2019s honor in the eyes of the Egyptians; further, God made promises to the patriarchs.<\/p>\n
11. Moses\u2019 love of Israel is such that he nobly and selflessly rejects God\u2019s offer to make his own descendants the sole heirs to the promises made to the patriarchs. This same characteristic is once again displayed in verse 32.
\nThe language of Moses\u2019 prayer echoes that of God\u2019s censure. God stated (v. 10), \u201cMy anger may blaze forth,\u201d and Moses prays, \u201cLet not Your anger, O LORD, blaze forth,\u201d \u201cTurn from Your blazing anger.\u201d God spoke of \u201cyour people, whom you brought out\u201d (v. 7), and Moses counters with \u201cYour people, whom You delivered.\u201d<\/p>\n
12. The thrust of the events in Egypt was that the Egyptians might \u201cknow\u201d the Lord,25 that is, recognize His incomparability. The theological impact of the events of the Exodus would now be undone. This sensitivity concerning God\u2019s reputation is a recurrent motif in the Bible.26<\/p>\n
13. Remember See Comment to 2:24.<\/p>\n
14. the LORD renounced Moses\u2019 intercession succeeded in averting the threatened punishment. As the psalmist has it, \u201cHe would have destroyed them had not Moses, His chosen one, confronted Him in the breach to avert His destructive wrath.\u201d27<\/p>\n
MOSES SMASHES THE TABLETS AND DESTROYS THE CALF (vv. 15\u201320)<\/p>\n
15\u201316. The description of the tablets is not germane to the present context; it more appropriately belongs in 31:18. Ramban suggests that it functions here to point up the strikingly audacious nature of Moses\u2019 action in smashing the precious objects.<\/p>\n
15. bearing the two tablets Their size is not recorded here, but their maximum dimensions are determined by the size of the Ark in which they were to repose. This was given in 25:10 as being 2.5 cubits in length and 1.5 cubits in width and height (approximately 3.75 ft. \u00d7 2.25 ft. = 1.12 m. \u00d7 0.67 m). A rabbinic tradition recorded in Bava Batra 14a has the size of the tablets as I cubit by 1.5 cubits. At any rate, they could certainly have been carried without difficulty.<\/p>\n
tablets of the Pact See Comment to 31:18.<\/p>\n
inscribed The description here and in the next verse is obscure, but it is clearly intended to express its singular nature.<\/p>\n
16. God\u2019s work \u2026 God\u2019s writing This verse amplifies the statement in 24:12. Rashi observes that these descriptions may be taken either literally or figuratively. If the latter, they convey the idea that the Torah is God\u2019s preoccupation. Maimonidcs28 rejects the literal interpretation that a physical action on the part of God occurred. He cites Mishnah Avot 5:6, which places the inscribed tablets of stone among the extraordinary phenomena that were created just before the onset of the Sabbath at Creation. He explains this verse to imply that the tablets came into being at Creation by divine will as part of the cosmic order. He notes that references to God\u2019s \u201cwork\u201d and God\u2019s \u201cfinger\u201d appear also in Psalm 8:4 in reference to the creation of the heavens, which were brought into existence by divine will (Ps. 33:6). Put a different way, our text expresses the fundamental biblical teaching that the Ten Commandments are divine imperatives that are as much constitutive of the cosmic order as are the laws of nature.<\/p>\n
incised Hebrew \u1e25arut is unique in the Bible.29 Mishnah Avot 6:2 utilizes it for word play on \u1e25erut, \u201cfreedom\u201d: \u201cNo person is free except the one who labors in the Torah\u201d; that is, the spiritual and moral discipline instilled by the Torah is the essence of true freedom because it liberates human beings from servitude to animal appetites and depraved instincts.<\/p>\n
17. Joshua He was stationed partway up the mountain awaiting Moses\u2019 return, as told in 24:13; thus, he could hear the rising din but could not view the scene.<\/p>\n
18. But he answered Moses has already been informed (32:7\u20138).<\/p>\n
song Hebrew \u02bfannot is an intensive (Piel) form of the preceding \u02bfanot. It may designate a specific type of cultic singing.30<\/p>\n
19\u201320. As he approaches the camp and personally witnesses the scene, Moses realizes the full extent of the degradation and recognizes the enormity of the people\u2019s sin.<\/p>\n
enraged The same Hebrew term is used of God\u2019s reaction in verse 10.<\/p>\n
he hurled the tablets This was not an impetuous act; rather, it quite deliberately signified the abrogation of the covenant. In Akkadian legal terminology to \u201cbreak the tablet\u201d (tuppam \u1e2bep\u00fb) means to invalidate or repudiate a document or agreement. Moses is no longer the intercessor but the decisive, energetic leader. His actions are recorded in a series of ten verbs, delivered in quick succession (vv. 19\u201321).<\/p>\n
at the foot of the mountain Where the people were assembled.31<\/p>\n
20. The same series of destructive acts is found in Ugaritic literature.32 It conveys a picture of the total annihilation of the obnoxious object.33 This parallel suggests that our narrative has been crafted in conformity with conventional literary patterns. For this reason, it is hypercritical to question the burning and pulverizing of the golden calf on the grounds that the metal is neither combustible nor friable.34<\/p>\n
the water Unidentified here, the water is characterized in the duplicate account of Deuteronomy 9:21 as \u201cthe brook that comes down from the mountain.\u201d This implies a single source of water for the entire camp, the idea being, apparently, that no individual could escape drinking the mixture.<\/p>\n
made the Israelites drink it In Avodah Zarah 44a this move is seen as a trial by ordeal modeled upon that administered to the sotah, or suspected adulteress, whose treatment is described in Numbers 5:12\u201331.35 She was forced to drink the bitter water mingled with dust taken from the floor of the sanctuary. Supporting this interpretation is a phrase in the next verse and also the frequent use of the unfaithful wife motif in biblical literature as a metaphor for Israel\u2019s infidelity to the covenant with God.36 The purpose of the ordeal was to identify the transgressors.<\/p>\n
AARON\u2019S APOLOGIA (vv. 21\u201324)<\/p>\n
Moses now breaks his silence. His questioning of Aaron is really a harsh rebuke.<\/p>\n
21. this people See Comment to verse 9.<\/p>\n
great sin This is a legal term found in documents from Ugarit and in Egyptian marriage contracts, always referring to adultery. This same usage appears in Abimelech\u2019s reproof of Abraham in Genesis 20:9, which is couched in language almost identical to that used here. A reflex of it shows itself in Joseph\u2019s rebuff of Potiphar\u2019s wife in Genesis 39:9. There are four other biblical occurrences of \u201cthe great sin,\u201d all in reference to idolatry.37<\/p>\n
22\u201324. Aaron excuses himself by vilifying the people. He repeats their words but abbreviates his own response to their demand and glosses over his own involvement in the fashioning of the calf image.<\/p>\n
24. out came this calf As though it fabricated itself!38 Moses does not respond. In recounting the episode in Deuteronomy 9:12\u201322, he ignores Aaron\u2019s excuse as though unworthy of consideration, and he clearly states that \u201cthe LORD was angry enough with Aaron to have destroyed him.\u201d Only by Moses\u2019 intercession was he saved.<\/p>\n
SELECTION OF THE LEVITES (vv. 25\u201329)<\/p>\n
The destruction of the golden calf seems to have triggered a riot among its worshipers. The Levites are called in to suppress it and to punish the guilty ones.<\/p>\n
25. out of control The consonants of the Hebrew verb p-r-\u02bf are the same as those used in connection with the sotah, the alleged adulteress, in Numbers 5:18\u2014which provides another point of association between the two themes.39<\/p>\n
Aaron \u2026 out of control An unequivocal rejection of Aaron\u2019s lame excuse and a condemnation of his action.<\/p>\n
menace The unique Hebrew shimtsah has usually been understood as \u201can object of derision\u201d or of \u201cmalignant joy.\u201d In Job 4:12 and 26:14 the masculine form shemets means \u201ca whisper\u201d; it offers no clue to the meaning here.<\/p>\n
26. Whoever is for the LORD The question implies that regardless of the intention of the worshipers at the calf, the use of an image is irreconcilable with true monotheism.<\/p>\n
all the Levites Moses\u2019 own tribe. They remained faithful to the covenant and loyally maintained the purity of Israel\u2019s worship. This note, as verse 29 and Deuteronomy 10:8 imply, is intended to provide a background for the election of the tribe of Levi to be in charge of the Tabernacle40 and to be surrogates for the first-born.41 It is quite likely that the first-born played a leading role in the worship of the golden calf and for that reason were displaced as cultic officiants.<\/p>\n
27. Thus says the LORD See Comment to 4:22. This solemn formula is employed here to signify that the assignment to the Levites is extraordinary, that is, beyond the purview of any human authority to impose. It cannot be taken as a precedent for the disposition of future cases. The presumption is, as explained above, that the water ordeal exposed the guilty ones. See Comment to verse 35<\/p>\n
slay brother They must be absolutely impartial and evenhanded in carrying out their grim task. It is likely that Moses\u2019 farewell blessing of Levi in Deuteronomy 33:9 refers to this episode: \u201cWho said of his father and mother,\/\u2018I consider them not.\u2019\/His brothers he disregarded,\/Ignored his own children.\/Your precepts alone they observed,\/And kept Your covenant.\u201d<\/p>\n
29. dedicate yourselves On this idiom, see Comment to 28:41.<\/p>\n
MOSES\u2019 SECOND INTERCESSION (vv. 30\u201334)<\/p>\n
Having secured annulment of the decree to destroy Israel by his first intercession, Moses now attempts to gain complete forgiveness for the people.<\/p>\n
30. The next day After the carnage.<\/p>\n
go up To the summit of Sinai.<\/p>\n
31\u201332. As would be expected, the prayer blends confession with a plea for pardon; but another element is introduced. Moses nobly ties his personal destiny to his people\u2019s fate. There can hardly be a more impressive example of selfless \u201clove of Israel\u201d (in Hebrew \u02beahavat yisra\u02beel).<\/p>\n
31. Alas Hebrew \u02beanna\u02be often introduces an entreaty.42<\/p>\n
32. [well and good] This phrase is to be supplied by the context\u2014a literary device known as aposiopesis.43<\/p>\n
erase me from the record This request seems to reflect a well-rooted and widespread Near Eastern popular belief in the existence of heavenly \u201cbooks.\u201d The Hebrew Bible differentiates three types. There is the book of life, mentioned in Psalm 69:28, in which God is thought to inscribe the names of all living.44 This notion undoubtedly drew its inspiration from the civil census lists that were kept by municipal or state authorities.45 Then there is the book of divine decrees,46 in which the destinies of men and women and of peoples are recorded. Lastly, there is the book of remembrance in Malachi 3:16 in which the deeds of human beings, both good and evil, are written up.47 This last must have its origin in ancient court procedure. It is hard to decide whether or not the notion of heavenly books was taken literally in ancient Israel. Maimonides48 unambiguously emphasizes the figurative, nonliteral nature of the biblical phraseology. The perennial Jewish greeting on the High Holy Days\u2014\u201cMay you be inscribed \u2026\u201d\u2014echoes the ancient idea.
\nIn the present instance, Moses\u2019 request is framed in the figurative language of the book of life, so that he is really asking to die if Israel is not forgiven.49<\/p>\n
33\u201334. God responds to Moses\u2019 entreaty: There must be individual accountability (see Comment to 20:5). But the people also bears collective responsibility. Divine promises of national territory to the people of Israel are immutable, but total absolution for the sin of the golden calf cannot be given. Israel receives a suspended sentence; the people is on probation.<\/p>\n
34. my angel See Comment to 23:20\u201323.<\/p>\n
35. This verse more appropriately belongs after verse 20, where it would indicate that the water-ordeal caused the guilty ones to be stricken\u2014as the similar procedure was designed to do in the case of the suspected adulteress. The calf worshipers would thus have been readily identifiable to the Levites.<\/p>\n
for what they did This difficult sentence seems to mean that Aaron and the people shared the blame equally; they, for demanding a visible \u201cgod\u201d; he, for yielding to them.<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 33<\/p>\n
There was a tragic irony in the episode of the golden calf. The people wanted to provide themselves with a reassuring symbol of God\u2019s continued presence in their midst; yet that very symbol became the instrument of their alienation from God. Although Moses\u2019 intercession saves the people from annihilation, Israel has not yet secured full pardon and reconciliation with God.
\nThe unifying theme of this chapter is Moses\u2019 concern for the continued presence of God in the midst of His people, as symbolized by the mobile sanctuary.<\/p>\n
WITHDRAWAL OF THE DIVINE PRESENCE (vv. 1\u20136)<\/p>\n
The chapter opens with a reiteration of the command to lead the people to Canaan, but it is clearly implied that the punitive decree of 32:10 was canceled because of the oaths to the patriarchs (32:13), not because of the people\u2019s merit.<\/p>\n
1. set out Hebrew lekh \u02bfaleh, literally \u201cgo, ascend,\u201d in contrast to 32:7, lekh red, \u201cgo, descend,\u201d signifies that a reversal of fate has taken place.1<\/p>\n
you Moses\u2019 request in 32:32 is emphatically denied.<\/p>\n
the people It is no longer \u201cyour people\u201d as God said to Moses in 32:7. The shift connotes some mitigation of the impact of Israel\u2019s alienation from God.<\/p>\n
2. an angel The promise of 23:20\u201333 and 32:34 is repeated, but the emissary is not here designated \u201cMy\u201d angel.2 The change is ominous.<\/p>\n
Canaanites \u2026 On the list, see Comment to 3:8.<\/p>\n
3. a land \u2026 For this standard description, see Comment to 3:8.<\/p>\n
I will not go This statement contradicts the promise of verses 2 and 32:34. Even assuming that the \u201cangel\u201d is to be understood as an entity apart from God, God has nevertheless just pledged to drive out the native peoples. Accordingly, God\u2019s absence from the midst of Israel should be understood, with Ibn Ezra, to mean the cancellation of the order to construct the Tabernacle.3<\/p>\n
lest I destroy you Paradoxically, God\u2019s withdrawal of His presence is a mercifully preventive measure; it is intended to avert what would inevitably be the very destructive consequences of another episode such as that of the golden calf.<\/p>\n
4. This decision has a shattering effect, for it was the want of a mediating representation of God\u2019s immanence that generated the demand for a material image in the first place.<\/p>\n
5. leave off Hebrew imperative hored can only mean \u201cremove!\u201d But the people have already done this. Hence, it is best to invert the order of verses 4\u20135 and to take verse 4 as the response to the divine command.<\/p>\n
6. from Mount Horeb on From that time on, throughout the wilderness wanderings. It is a sign of remorse by the people over their transgression. On Horeb, see Comment to 3:1.<\/p>\n
MOSES\u2019 EXCEPTIONAL STATUS (vv. 7\u201311)<\/p>\n
This section continues the theme of the presence of God and connects directly with verse 3. Because God withholds His indwelling in the camp of Israel, Moses employs an extraordinary stratagem. He pitches \u201cthe Tent\u201d outside the camp. This is not the Tabernacle\u2014which is not yet constructed\u2014but a private tent where he might commune with God. There is no priesthood, cult, or ritual of any sort. The Tent was also accessible to the individual Israelite worshiper.
\nThis highlighting of the special status of Moses serves as preparation for the succeeding episodes.<\/p>\n
7. would take The verbal forms denote customary and repetitive action, not a one-time occurrence.<\/p>\n
the Tent The definite article seems to indicate a well-known specific Tent, although one not hitherto mentioned. It was apparently the locus of Moses\u2019 previous dialogues with God.<\/p>\n
pitch it Hebrew natah lo is literally \u201cpitch it for himself\u201d\u2014for his personal use.<\/p>\n
outside the camp, at some distance The description draws attention to the alienation of Israel from God. The camp has become spiritually polluted by the impurity produced by the golden calf affair.<\/p>\n
Tent of Meeting See Comment to 27:21. A temporary substitute for the Tabernacle is thus designated.<\/p>\n
8. This symbol of alienation was reflective of a heightened mood of contrition and an enhanced respect for Moses.<\/p>\n
9. at the entrance As distinct from the Tabernacle, in which the Divine Presence is said to rest continuously,4 and in which God converses with Moses from within the Holy of Holies in its interior,5 here the locus of communication is at the entrance; God\u2019s self-manifestation is intermittent.<\/p>\n
10. The sight of the pillar of cloud inspired reverential awe; the people responded with a gesture of homage.<\/p>\n
11. face to face The same expression is used in Deuteronomy 34:10, whereas in Numbers 12:6\u20138 it is said that God communicated with Moses \u201cmouth to mouth.\u201d This figurative language is intended to convey the preeminence and uniqueness of Moses as a prophetic figure who experiences a special mode of revelation. The experience is personal and direct, not mediated through visions or dreams, and the message is always plain and straightforward, free of cryptic utterances.<\/p>\n
Joshua He remained inside the tent and did not share in Moses\u2019 revelatory experience.<\/p>\n
DIALOGUE WITH GOD (vv. 12\u201323)<\/p>\n
This section illustrates how Moses and God engage in intimate discourse, as verse 11 stated.<\/p>\n
12. Moses now reverts to the subject matter of 32:34 and 33:1\u20133\u2014the order to proceed to the promised land without the Tabernacle, the token of God\u2019s immediate presence in the camp of Israel. He complains that the aforementioned \u201cangel\u201d is unidentified. Is it to be human or celestial? Is God\u2019s name to \u201cbe in him,\u201d as is promised in 23:21, or not?6 If Moses enjoys a special intimacy with God, he should be made fully aware of God\u2019s intentions in this regard.7<\/p>\n
I have singled you out by name Literally, \u201cI know you by name.\u201d This Hebrew idiom, with God as the subject, is applied to no one else in the Bible. It connotes a close, exclusive, and unique association with God. On the Hebrew stem y-d-\u02bf, see Comment to 1:8.<\/p>\n
you have, indeed, gained My favor The only other biblical personality who enjoys this unequivocal approval is Noah.8<\/p>\n
13. let me know Your ways From God\u2019s response to this request, as given in 34:6\u20137, it is clear that Moses here asks to comprehend God\u2019s essential personality, the attributes that guide His actions in His dealings with humankind, the norms by which He operates in His governance of the world.9 This understanding of what is meant by \u201cthe ways of God\u201d is corroborated by Psalm 103:7\u20138, the earliest extant commentary on this text: \u201cHe made known His ways to Moses,\/His deeds to the children of Israel,\/The LORD is compassionate and gracious,\/slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.\u201d Moses\u2019 request, like the assertion of Abraham before him\u2014\u201cShall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?\u201d10\u2014rests on the postulate that God is not capricious but acts according to norms that human beings can try to understand.<\/p>\n
this nation Moses stresses that it is the present people of Israel and none other that is God\u2019s people, and he wants to extend God\u2019s favor to embrace Israel as well as himself.<\/p>\n
14. God does not yet relate to Moses\u2019 last point but addresses only his personal concerns.<\/p>\n
lighten your burden Literally, \u201cI will give you rest,\u201d a phrase overwhelmingly found in a context of giving relief from national enemies, especially in relation to the occupation of the land.11<\/p>\n
15\u201316. Moses, sensitive to God\u2019s omission of any mention of Israel, reacts immediately by stressing the people\u2019s interests, thereby affirming once again that he sees his own reputation inextricably bound up with the fate of his people. Note his repetition of \u201cus\u201d and \u201cYour people.\u201d<\/p>\n
16. we may be distinguished Israel\u2019s singularity lies in its unique relationship with God.12<\/p>\n
17. also \u2026 this thing The reference is unclear but seems to be a promise to be present once again in the camp of Israel, that is, to grant permission for the erection of the Tabernacle.<\/p>\n
18. \u201cOh, let me behold Your Presence!\u201d Hebrew kavod is one of the seminal terms of biblical theology. In the Comment to 16:7 it was explained that it often signifies God\u2019s self-manifestation, some outward, visible sign of His essential presence. At Sinai, the Presence (kavod) of the Lord appeared as a consuming fire on top of the mountain (24:17). Numerous texts use the verb r-\u02be-h, \u201cto see,\u201d in conjunction with the kavod.13 What, then, does Moses request? Maimonides,14 followed by Radak, understands the phrase figuratively: Moses asks for an intellectual perception of God\u2019s essential reality, not simply for what is observable through the senses. Ramban, by contrast, interprets the words literally: Moses actually requests a glimpse of the Divine Presence. In favor of this understanding is the fact that the kavod is generally something visible and usually refers to the supernatural effulgence that registers the intensity of God\u2019s immanence. It may be pointed out that every other instance of a visible kavod in the Torah is characterized by three features: (1) It is a mass experience; (2) the kavod is distant from the observers; and (3) God initiates the manifestation and freely chooses the time and place. Here Moses pleads for an exclusively individual experience, one that is close at hand and that occurs in response to his personal request there and then.<\/p>\n
19. all My goodness The benevolent attributes that God manifests in His dealings with His creatures. These are detailed in 34:6\u20137. The theme of divine goodness is frequently featured in the Bible.15 In classical rabbinic literature tov, \u201cthe Good One,\u201d and tuvo shel \u02bfolam, \u201cthe Goodness of the World,\u201d are epithets of God.16 In Bava Metsia 83a the injunction of Proverbs 2:20 to \u201cfollow the way of the good\u201d is interpreted by Rav to mean that one must act with generosity, beyond the requirements of the strict letter of the law. In Mishnah Avot 3:15(19) Rabbi Akiba asserts that \u201cthe world is judged by goodness,\u201d that is, by divine grace.
\nIn ancient Near Eastern treaties and in several biblical texts,17 the term tov bears the technical, legal meaning of covenantal friendship, that is, amity established by the conclusion of a pact. In light of this, it is possible that the present verse also contains an intimation of the renewal of the covenant between God and Israel.<\/p>\n
proclaim \u2026 the name LORD The Tetragrammaton: YHVH. As noted in the Comment to 3:13, a name is understood to connote one\u2019s character and nature, the totality of personality. Hence, this clause parallels the preceding one and reaffirms God\u2019s intention of voluntarily disclosing to Moses His defining characteristics. This is fulfilled in 34:5. Nowhere else in the Bible does this familiar formula appear with God as the subject of the action.<\/p>\n
and the grace Literally, \u201cI will grant the grace that I will grant and show the compassion that I will show.\u201d18 The exercise of God\u2019s attributes is an act of pure volition on His part. In the religion of Israel there is no magical practice that is automatically effective in influencing divine behavior.<\/p>\n
20. Moses\u2019 second plea is only partially granted. By virtue of their humanity, human beings (ha-\u02beadam), including Moses, cannot directly and closely observe God\u2019s kavod. See Comment to 3:6.<\/p>\n
21. on the rock At the top of the mountain (34:2).<\/p>\n
22. My Presence passes by Rashbam notes that His action is a feature of covenant-making, as in Genesis 15:17 and Jeremiah 34:18, 19, so that the ensuing epiphany, or manifestation of God, would actually be a ceremony that signals the renewal of the covenant. This suggestion is in line with the use of tov in verse 19.<\/p>\n
My hand A poetic term for a screen, most likely a cloud.19<\/p>\n
23. My back This daring anthropomorphism is conditioned by the contrasting repeated use of panim, \u201cface, presence.\u201d20 Here the term means the traces of His presence, the afterglow of His supernatural effulgence.<\/p>\n
must not be seen No human being can ever penetrate the ultimate mystery of God\u2019s Being. Only a glimpse of the divine reality is possible, even for Moses.<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 34<\/p>\n
Renewal of the Covenant (vv. 1\u201335)<\/p>\n
PREPARATORY MEASURES (vv. 1\u20133)<\/p>\n
Having been assured of a private manifestation of the Divine Presence, Moses is instructed to prepare for the experience, which actually constitutes the reinstatement of the covenant. This is underscored by several points of contact between this narrative and the account of the original theophany at Sinai: The shattered tablets, which once testified to the reality of the covenant, are to be replaced; the original text incised upon them is to be reproduced; Moses is told to \u201cbe ready\u201d by morning just as the people had been ordered to \u201cbe ready\u201d for the occasion (19:11, 15); access to the mountain is severely restricted in both experiences (34:3; 19:12\u201313); the Lord again \u201ccomes down\u201d upon Sinai (34:5; 19:9, 18, 20); and the event evokes such fear that the people back away (34:30; 20:15\u201318).<\/p>\n
1. carve The first set is said to have been given to Moses by God.1<\/p>\n
the words Identified in verse 28 as the Decalogue. Ibn Ezra suggests that the second set of tablets contained the Deuteronomic version.2<\/p>\n
3. No one else This time Aaron is excluded\u2014a silent reminder of his role in the breach of the covenant.3<\/p>\n
GOD\u2019S SELF-DISCLOSURE (vv. 4\u20139)<\/p>\n
5. stood \u2026 proclaimed The subject of the two verbs may be either Moses,4 as verses 2 and 33:21 indicate, or God,5 as the first clause and 33:19 would suggest. Or perhaps the first verb is governed by Moses and the second by God.<\/p>\n
6\u20137. These verses constitute the divine response to Moses\u2019 two requests\u2014that he \u201cknow\u201d God\u2019s ways (33:13) and that he \u201cbehold\u201d His presence (33:18). God\u2019s mysterious passing before Moses answers to the second; the recital of the divine attributes, to the first. Significantly, the description of the theophany lacks a visual element. God\u2019s self-disclosure is confined to an oral proclamation of His moral qualities. These are the essence of His character and to \u201cknow\u201d them is to achieve a higher conception of Deity.
\nIn Jewish tradition these verses are called the Thirteen Attributes of God (Heb. shelosh \u02bfesreh middot).6 They play a prominent role in the Jewish liturgy, where they are recited aloud in the synagogue on festivals and other holy days (except Sabbaths) when the Ark is opened for the taking out of the Torah scroll in readiness for the appropriate Torah reading. They are also chanted aloud during the Torah readings on fast days and in the Seli\u1e25ot\u2014the penitential prayers recited on those occasions as well as during the High Holy Day period. This practice is based on Rabbi Johanan\u2019s comment in Rosh Ha-Shanah 17b that God\u2019s recital of His moral qualities was intended to set the pattern for Israel\u2019s future petitions to God. There is evidence that the liturgical use of these verses preceded Second Temple times and had a long history in Israel, for they are frequently quoted in one form or another in the Bible.7 Such persistent and widespread popularity could only have derived from the forms of institutional worship.
\nIt should be stressed that the incorporation of the Thirteen Attributes into the liturgy is not to be interpreted as an automatically effective means of attaining forgiveness of sin. Rather, the idea is to inculcate the human imitation of God\u2019s moral qualities: compassion, graciousness, forbearance, kindness, fealty, and forgivingness.8<\/p>\n
6. the LORD! the LORD! The Hebrew text also allows the first YHVH to be taken as the subject of the antecedent verb \u201cproclaimed\u201d; it was so understood by Saadia and Maimonides.9 Ibn Ezra counters that the repetition of the name in summons or invocation is not uncommon.10<\/p>\n
compassionate and gracious As opposed to the order in the Decalogue (20:5\u20136), emphasis and priority here are given to God\u2019s magnanimous qualities rather than to His judgmental actions.<\/p>\n
kindness and faithfulness Hebrew \u1e25esed ve-\u02beemet appears frequently as a word pair11 to express a single concept. Each of the components has a wide range of meaning. \u1e24esed involves acts of beneficence, mutuality, and often also obligations that flow from a legal relationship. See Comment to 15:13. \u02beEmet, usually translated \u201ctruth,\u201d encompasses reliability, durability, and faithfulness. The combination of terms expresses God\u2019s absolute and eternal dependability in dispensing His benefactions.<\/p>\n
7. extending kindness See Comment to 20:6. The phrase may express either God\u2019s continuous and unchanging \u1e25esed12 or the idea that the merit for the \u1e25esed that people perform endures beyond their own generation.<\/p>\n
thousandth generation Hebrew \u02bealafim, as in 20:6.<\/p>\n
He does not remit Divine forbearance does not mean that sinners can expect wholly to escape the consequences of their misdeeds.13 Yoma 86a interprets the sentence to mean: \u201cHe remits punishment for the penitent, but not for the impenitent.\u201d For this reason, the liturgical recitation of the thirteen Attributes closes with \u201cacquitting\u201d (the penitent) and omits the negative element.<\/p>\n
9. Moses emphasizes God\u2019s merciful qualities in asking that the punishment in 33:3 be rescinded.14<\/p>\n
even though Make allowance for human frailty.15<\/p>\n
INAUTHENTIC AND AUTHENTIC WORSHIP (vv. 10\u201326)<\/p>\n
This section concentrates on two fundamental issues that flow directly from the apostasy: inauthentic modes of worship (vv. 10\u201317) and the legitimate festivals and ritual obligations to God (vv. 18\u201326).<\/p>\n
Apostasy (vv. 10\u201317)<\/p>\n
Mindful of the people\u2019s sin, the renewed covenant contains stricter admonitions than those given before (23:23, 24) regarding the incursions of foreign cults into the religion of Israel. Pacts with the indigenous peoples of Canaan are prohibited because of their deleterious consequences\u2014religious corruption, intermarriage, and the resultant undermining of national religious integrity. If Israel is to be \u201cdistinguished \u2026 from every people on the face of the earth\u201d (33:16), then it must make itself distinctive by unswerving and exclusive loyalty to its covenantal relationship with God.<\/p>\n
10. wonders Rashi and Rashbam note that Hebrew nifla\u02beot echoes Moses\u2019 niflinu, \u201cthat we may be distinguished,\u201d of 33:16. Bekhor Shor and Ibn Ezra specifically apply the term to the wonder of Moses\u2019 radiant face mentioned in verse 29, but it may also relate to the extraordinary events that lie ahead in the course of the wilderness wanderings and the wars of conquest.<\/p>\n
13. sacred posts Hebrew \u02beasherim (sing. \u02beasherah) are pagan cultic objects often mentioned in the Bible. They derive their name from the goddess known in Babylon as Ashrat, consort of the god Amurru. She bears the titles \u201cbride of the king of heaven\u201d and \u201cmistress of sexual vigor and rejoicing.\u201d In Ugarit she appears as Athirat, consort of Il, who was head of its pantheon, and she is termed \u201cthe progenitrix of the gods,\u201d \u201cmother of the gods,\u201d and \u201cLady Athirat of the Sea.\u201d She was a fertility goddess, and in 2 Kings 23:7 she is associated with sacred prostitution. That text testifies to the assimilation to Canaanite culture on the part of a segment of the Israelite population\u2014a reality demonstrated by an inscription from Kuntillet \u02beAjrud in northwestern Sinai that mentions \u201cYHVH and his asherah.\u201d
\nThe \u02beasherim mentioned in the Bible must have been man-made wooden objects, most likely poles of some kind, that served as the cultic symbols of the goddess. The verbs used for the destruction of these abhorrent objects are frequently those of \u201ccutting down,\u201d \u201clopping off,\u201d and \u201cplucking up.\u201d16 It is clear that the adoption of foreign cults involved not only religious but also moral corruption.<\/p>\n
14. any other god This Hebrew phrase in the singular\u2014\u02beel \u02bea\u1e25er\u2014is unique. Hence, Hebrew \u02bea\u1e25er has an enlarged resh (resh rabbati) to avoid confusion with the graphically similar dalet, which would yield \u02bee\u1e25ad, \u201cone.\u201d The reverse phenomenon is evident in Deuteronomy 6:4.<\/p>\n
Impassioned See Comment to 20:5. The emphasis on this punitive aspect of the divine personality is prompted by the apostasy of the golden calf.<\/p>\n
16. lust after The Hebrew stem z-n-h, literally \u201cto engage in prostitution,\u201d is often used figuratively to express infidelity to the covenant with God. Its use here may allude to the sexual immorality often associated with pagan cults, and particularly with the popular excesses in connection with the golden calf, as mentioned in 32:6. The story about the apostasy at Baal-peor, as recounted in Numbers 25:1\u20139, illustrates the pertinence of the admonitions listed in these verses.<\/p>\n
17. molten gods The warnings against idolatry in all its forms conclude with this prohibition because the golden calf is frequently so categorized.17<\/p>\n
Festivals and Related Religious Obligations (vv. 18\u201326)<\/p>\n
The topics in this section are associated with those of the preceding because the narrative about the golden calf recounts that a \u201cfestival of the LORD\u201d was proclaimed and burnt offerings and sacrifices were brought (32:5\u20136).18 Similarly, when Jeroboam set up golden calves at Dan and Bethel, he too invented a special festival (1 Kings 12:28\u201333). Hence the need to recapitulate the list of the legitimate festivals of Israel. These have previously been set forth in 23:12\u201319.<\/p>\n
18. Feast of Unleavened Bread See Comment to 23:15. The list begins with this feast rather than with the Sabbath because the golden calf had been identified with the God of the Exodus and because the religious new year occurs in the spring. See Comment to 12:2.<\/p>\n
19\u201320. The law of the first-born follows since it too, in 13:2, 11\u201315, is grounded in the Exodus. The text presupposes familiarity with that passage. In Deuteronomy 16:1\u201317, the list of festivals follows the law of the firstlings.<\/p>\n
19. drop a male Hebrew tizzakhar, a grammatical form of the stem z-kh-r, is not found elsewhere. Also, it is feminine, whereas its subject, mikneh, \u201clivestock,\u201d is elsewhere always masculine. The Targums render the phrase \u201call the males of cattle you shall sanctify.\u201d<\/p>\n
20. See Comments to 13:13 and 22:29.<\/p>\n
None shall appear See Comment to 23:15. As Rashi notes, this is a separate injunction, unconnected to the law of the first-born. It properly belongs after verse 23.<\/p>\n
21. The inclusion of the law of the Sabbath here, after the passover and the first-born, presupposes that the institution of the Sabbath is based on the Exodus, as in Deuteronomy 5:15, and not on Creation, as in Exodus 20:9.<\/p>\n
work The soil.<\/p>\n
even at plowing time and harvest time The busiest times of the agricultural year19 must give way to the overriding imperative to observe sacred time. This sacrifice becomes a true test of faith.<\/p>\n
22. Feast of Weeks See Comment to 23:16.<\/p>\n
23. See Comment to 23:17. The present formulation, an expansion of the parallel text, is even further elaborated in Deuteronomy 16:16.<\/p>\n
24. Another test of faith. This injunction presupposes the future existence of some central or, at least, regional sanctuary that, for many, will be far from home. It obviously cannot refer to a local shrine. The absence of males on the festivals might tempt an external enemy to time his aggression accordingly. Therefore the people are assured of divine protection on such occasions.<\/p>\n
enlarge your territory Compare Exodus 23:31 and Deuteronomy 12:20.<\/p>\n
covet See Comment to 20:14<\/p>\n
when you go up The central shrine is assumed to be situated on an elevation.<\/p>\n
three times a year See Comment to 23:17.<\/p>\n
25. the sacrifice of the Feast of Passover See Comment to 12:11.<\/p>\n
26. See Comment to 23:19.<\/p>\n
EPILOGUE: MOSES REACHES THE PINNACLE OF EMINENCE (vv. 27\u201335)<\/p>\n
The narrative now reverts to the role and status of Moses, thereby forming a literary framework with the opening verse of the entire section (32:1). The episode of apostasy began with a disparaging popular reference to him and closes with an account of his glorification. The key verb y-d-\u02bf, \u201cknow,\u201d is employed at both the beginning and the end (32:1; 34:29).<\/p>\n
27\u201328. Apparently, Moses is instructed to write down the commandments contained in the foregoing, verses 11\u201326, just as, following the original covenant, he wrote down \u201call the commands of the LORD\u201d (24:4).<\/p>\n
27. in accordance with Hebrew \u02bfal pi, literally \u201cby the mouth of,\u201d is taken by the rabbis to mean \u201corally\u201d and to refer to the oral Torah that accompanied the written Torah.20 Hence, this oral law is known in Hebrew as the torah she-be-\u02bfal peh. It functions to illuminate obscurities, to harmonize contradictions, and, in general, to make possible the practical application of the laws of the written Torah in the everyday life of the people. It has served to make Jewish law responsive to the needs created by changing social, economic, and cultural conditions.<\/p>\n
with you and with Israel This unexpected order signals the transition to the final episode, which concentrates on the exaltation of Moses. It reflects his role as the dominant figure in dealing with the apostasy and in successfully interceding with God on Israel\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n
28. The first half of this verse is the scriptural way of describing Moses\u2019 withdrawal into solitude at the onset of his mystical\/spiritual experience on the mountain. In the presence of the ultimate Source of holiness and in communication with Him, Moses realizes a transformation of his self. He achieves a state that is beyond the ordinary range of human experience. In this extrasensuous world he transcends the constraints of time and is released from the demands of his physical being.
\nThis same phenomenon is included in the retrospective summary of the first theophany on Sinai found in Deuteronomy 9:9, 18, although it is omitted in the primary narrative in Exodus 24:18. Its emphasis here must be taken as another indication that the thrust of this epilogue is to elevate the status of Moses. It serves as the background for the culminating and extraordinary experience recounted in the following verses.<\/p>\n
forty A symbolic number in the Bible, often associated with the purging of sin and with purification.21<\/p>\n
wrote down In light of verse 1 and Deuteronomy 10:2, 4, it is clear that the subject of the verb is understood to be God.<\/p>\n
the Ten Commandments Hebrew \u02bfaseret ha-devarim, is also the title given in Deuteronomy 4:13 and 10:4. See introduction to chapter 20.<\/p>\n
The Radiance of Moses\u2019 Face22 (vv. 29\u201335)<\/p>\n
Having succeeded in his mission as an intercessor, Moses descends the mountain carrying the two inscribed tablets that testify to the reality of the renewed covenant between God and Israel. According to rabbinic tradition, this occurred on the tenth day of the seventh month (Tishrei); for this reason that date was decreed to be the annual Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).23
\nThe awe-inspiring radiance emitted by Moses\u2019 face may be understood as the afterglow of the refulgent splendor of the Divine Presence. It functions to reaffirm and legitimate the prophet\u2019s role as the peerless intimate of God, the sole and singular mediator between God and His people; it also testifies to the restoration of divine favor to Israel. As such, the narrative forms a fitting conclusion to the entire episode of the golden calf. It further serves as an appropriate transition to the last segment of the Book of Exodus\u2014the account of the construction of the mobile Tabernacle that is to symbolize the presence of God in the camp of Israel.<\/p>\n
29. tablets of the Pact See Comment to 25:16.<\/p>\n
was radiant A unique phenomenon conveyed by a unique Hebrew verb, karan. The traditional meaning given here is favored by the context and by Habakkuk 3:4 in which karnayim, \u201crays of light,\u201d appears in parallelism with \u201ca brilliant light.\u201d This reference relates to God, and numerous biblical passages bear witness to a widespread, poetic notion of God being enveloped in light.24 Moses\u2019 radiance is a reflection of the divine radiance.
\nSimilar imagery was in use in ancient Mesopotamia, where an encompassing, awe-inspiring luminosity known as melammu was taken to be a characteristic attribute of divinity.25 This supernatural radiance was thought to be shared by royalty and was a sign of the king\u2019s legitimacy. The present narrative about Moses shows that this notion was not considered to be incompatible with Israelite monotheism, although it appears in the Bible only in connection with Moses.
\nThe peculiar threefold use of karan rather than the regular verb \u02be-w-r is probably a pointed allusion to the golden calf, for keren is the usual word for a horn. It subtly emphasizes that the true mediator between God and Israel was not the fabricated, lifeless image of the horned animal, as the people thought, but the living Moses.
\nThe association of karan with keren gave rise to the mistaken notion that Moses grew horns\u2014even though the text speaks not of his head but of \u201cthe skin of his face.\u201d The rendering of karan by cornuta in the Vulgate translation, based on the commentaries of Jerome (ca. 347\u2013ca. 419), helped foster the error, and a horned Moses later became a familiar figure in art from the eleventh century on.26 The most famous such portrayal is, of course, Michelangelo\u2019s at San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome.<\/p>\n
31\u201335. In the immediate presence of God Moses\u2019 radiance is, as it were, recharged. When he mediates the divine word to the people, his radiance authenticates the Source of the message. On neither occasion is a veil27 appropriate. In his capacity as a private individual, however, Moses veils his face.
\nThe verbal forms used to describe these activities imply repetition of the actions, indicating that from the time that Moses returned to the camp from Mount Sinai until his death his face remained radiant.<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 35<\/p>\n
The Construction of the Tabernacle (35:1\u201340:38)<\/p>\n
THE CONVENING OF THE PEOPLE (35:1\u201319)<\/p>\n
Va-Yakhel<\/p>\n
The renewal of the covenant between God and Israel, as symbolized by the second set of stone tablets, allows the construction of the Tabernacle to proceed. Moses convokes the people to make a public announcement to this effect. Just as the divine instructions about the Tabernacle concluded with the law of the Sabbath rest, so the narrative about its construction commences on the same theme\u2014to the same purpose. See Comment to 31:12\u201317.<\/p>\n
1. According to the Sages, this convocation occurred on the morrow of the Day of Atonement, when Moses descended Mount Sinai bearing the tablets, having obtained divine pardon for Israel.1<\/p>\n
the whole Israelite community The construction of the Tabernacle is to be an enterprise of all Israelites.<\/p>\n
2\u20133. The injunction is practically a verbatim repetition of 31:15, with an addition. The manner in which the prohibition against kindling fire on the Sabbath is worded led the rabbis of the Talmud to understand that fire may not be kindled on the Sabbath itself; however, fire lit before the Sabbath and not refueled on the Sabbath is permitted. The Jewish sectarians known as Karaites rejected this interpretation and spent the day in darkness, although some later adherents did accept the rabbinic practice. It was probably to demonstrate opposition to the early Karaite view that the kindling of lights on the eve of Sabbath gradually became obligatory. To this end, the geonim, the post-Talmudic heads of the Babylonian academies, instituted the recital of a blessing over them.2<\/p>\n
throughout your settlements Abravanel suggests that the intent of this clause is to apply the prohibition comprehensively\u2014wherever Jews reside.<\/p>\n
A Call for Contributions (vv. 4\u201319)<\/p>\n
4\u20139. Moses issues a call for donations of materials in accordance with 25:1\u20139. He specifies the various materials and explains how they are to be used. The actual goal of constructing the Tabernacle is not explicitly stated, as in 25:8; it is assumed that the audience is already aware of the project.<\/p>\n
12. the curtain for the screen The workmanship and function of the curtain, which partitions off the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place, is described in 26:31\u201333.3 In Numbers 4:5 it is explained that at the breaking of camp during the trek through the wilderness, Aaron and his sons would enter the Tabernacle, remove the screening curtain, and cover the Ark with it.<\/p>\n
15. the entrance screen The curtain that partitions off the Holy Place (the outer sanctum) from the outer court, as described in 26:36\u201337.<\/p>\n
17. the screen for the gate of the court The curtain on the east side, at the entrance from the outer perimeter, as described in 27:9\u201319, especially verse 16.<\/p>\n
The People\u2019s Response (vv. 20\u201329)<\/p>\n
The people\u2014men and women alike\u2014respond to Moses\u2019 call with unstinting generosity, freely contributing their most precious possessions as well as their skilled services.<\/p>\n
27. The chieftains of the tribes contributed the precious stones on which the names of the tribes are to be incised, in accordance with the instructions of 28:9\u201312, 21, 29.<\/p>\n
The Master Craftsmen (35:30\u201336:1)<\/p>\n
The people are informed of God\u2019s designation of Bezalel and Oholiab as the chief artisans and supervisors of the entire project, as recorded in 31:1\u201311. Berakhot 55a remarks that this public announcement by Moses is to teach that one must not appoint a communal leader without first consulting the people.<\/p>\n
34. and to give directions They are endowed with the ability to instruct others, which is a divinely bestowed gift. Ibn Ezra notes that \u201cthere are many scholars who are incapable of teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 36<\/p>\n
The Overabundance of Donations (vv. 2\u20137)<\/p>\n
The popular outpouring of donations produced materials far in excess of what was needed, and the people had to be exhorted to contribute no further. See Comment to 12:36.<\/p>\n
THE WORK OF CONSTRUCTION (36:8\u201338:20)<\/p>\n
There now follows a lengthy and detailed account of the work. This is really a repetition of the instructions already given, but here the verbs are phrased as completed action, and the various items are listed in a different order.
\nThe organizing principle in the original set of instructions was ideological; here practical considerations are paramount. Whereas the earlier instructions moved from the furnishings to the structure of the Tabernacle, here the sequence is reversed. By presenting the building of the Ark first, the former injunctions highlight the symbol of the covenant as the focal point of the entire enterprise and place it at the apex of a hierarchy of values. From Bezalel\u2019s pragmatic perspective, however, priority must be given to the construction of the edifice that is to house the furniture.
\nIn Berakhot 55a, Bezalel is said to question Moses\u2019 instruction as follows:<\/p>\n
Moses our teacher, it is universal practice that one first builds a house and then brings in the furnishings; but you say, \u201cMake me an Ark, furnishings, and a tabernacle.\u201d Where shall I put the furnishings I am to make? Can it be that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to you, \u201cMake a tabernacle, an Ark, and furnishings.\u201d? Moses replied, \u201cPerhaps you were in the shadow of God [Heb. be-tsel-el, a play on Bezalel] and you knew!\u201d<\/p>\n
Another characteristic of the narrative is the oft-repeated affirmation that everything was executed in precise fulfillment of the divine instructions to Moses.1<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 37<\/p>\n
The Manufacture of the Furniture and Accessories (37:1\u201338:20)<\/p>\n
The order of narration reflects descending gradations of holiness: the Ark, which is to be located in the Holy of Holies, comes first, to be followed by the three items that belong in the Holy Place\u2014the table, the menorah, and the altar of incense. The anointing oil and aromatic incense are next because both are needed in the Holy Place. Last are the altar of burnt offering and the laver, both of which are placed in the outer court.<\/p>\n
The Ark (vv. 1\u20139)<\/p>\n
1. Bezalel made the ark This section corresponds to 25:10\u201321. It is to be noted that there the instruction reads, \u201cThey shall make an ark,\u201d Ramban suggests that Bezalel personally made the Ark, given its paramount importance, but only directed and supervised the manufacture of the other objects. Moses\u2019 statement in Deuteronomy 10:3, \u201cI made an ark,\u201d is to be understood in the same way as the phrase \u201cthe House which King Solomon built\u201d in referring to the Temple.1<\/p>\n
The Table (vv. 10\u201316)<\/p>\n
This section corresponds to 25:23\u201330.<\/p>\n
The Menorah (vv. 17\u201324)<\/p>\n
This section corresponds to 25:31\u201340.<\/p>\n
The Altar of Incense (vv. 25\u201328)<\/p>\n
This section corresponds to 30:1\u201310.<\/p>\n
The Anointing Oil and Incense (v. 29)<\/p>\n
This verse summarizes 30:22\u201333, 34\u201338.<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 38<\/p>\n
The Altar of Burnt Offering (vv. 1\u20137)<\/p>\n
This section corresponds to 27:1\u20138.<\/p>\n
The Laver (v. 8)<\/p>\n
This section summarizes 30:17\u201321 and provides additional information about the material of which the laver was made and the source of the donation.<\/p>\n
8. the mirrors In ancient times mirrors were mainly of the kind held in the hand. They were highly polished disks of molten metal, copper or bronze, and were fitted with handles made of metal, wood, faience, or ivory. Egypt was the manufacturing center of this article of toilet for the entire Near East. One of the letters found at Tell el-Amarna, in Egypt, mentions a dispatch of mirrors from Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten, ca. 1364\u20131347 B.C.E.) to Burnaburiash, the Kassite king of Babylon.1 Due to the high cost of metal in Egypt, metal objects were not discarded but were eventually melted down and reused, as here.2<\/p>\n
the women who performed tasks Hebrew ha-tsove\u02beot. Nothing is known about this class, which is otherwise mentioned only in 1 Samuel 2:22.3 The Hebrew idiom tsavo\u02be tsava\u02be is also used of the Levites and means \u201cqualified to serve in the work force,\u201d4 so that it is likely that these women performed menial work. None of the evidence supports the notion that they exercised any ritual or cultic function.5 The idea here is that even these women at the bottom of the occupational and social scale displayed unselfish generosity and sacrificial devotion in donating their valuable bronze mirrors.<\/p>\n
the entrance of the Tent of Meeting At this stage, however, the Tent had not yet been erected. Hence, Ramban refers to Moses\u2019 private tent situated outside the camp, described in 33:7.6 More likely, the designation is a retrojection from the later role of these women in performing the lowly tasks in the Tabernacle.<\/p>\n
The Enclosure (vv. 9\u201320)<\/p>\n
This section corresponds to 27:9\u201319. It marks the completion of the report of the construction of the edifice, its furniture, and appurtenances.<\/p>\n
A TALLY OF THE METALS (vv. 21\u201331)<\/p>\n
Pekudei<\/p>\n
Moses now orders an inventory of the metals. This is to be undertaken by the Levites7 under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron. The tally is prefaced by a restatement of the roles of the two master craftsmen.
\nThe inventory described here is in accord with Egyptian practice. Egyptian art depicting scenes of metalworking regularly features the master weigher weighing the metals on balances and the scribes recording the results in their ledgers before issuing the materials to the artisans.8<\/p>\n
21. records Rather, \u201cinventory, tally.\u201d9<\/p>\n
Tabernacle of the Pact This rare designation10 once again emphasizes the emblem of the covenant with God as the focal point of the entire Tabernacle.11<\/p>\n
Ithamar His birth was recorded in Exodus 6:23,12 and his nomination to be installed as a priest, in 28:1.13 Throughout the wilderness wanderings he directed the work of the Levitical clans in connection with the Tabernacle.14 David is said to have appointed the house of Ithamar as one of the twenty-four priestly courses in charge of the cult. The clan was still in existence in the exilic and early postexilic periods.15<\/p>\n
23. These qualifications of Oholiab repeat 35:35 and include some additional material as well.<\/p>\n
24\u201330. The metals are listed in descending order of value.<\/p>\n
24. talents Hebrew kikkar is the largest unit of weight mentioned in the Bible. It was equivalent to 3,000 shekels, as is made clear by the data given in verses 25\u201326. The same term (pronounced kakkarum), having the same equivalence in shekels, is known from Ugarit. In Mesopotamia the talent equaled 3,600 shekels. By one estimate, the kikkar would have weighed 34.27 kilograms (75.6 lbs.). The name seems to derive from the rounded shape of the weight.16 On the shekel, see Comment to 30:13.<\/p>\n
26. a half-shekel Hebrew beka\u02bf as a weight is mentioned elsewhere only in Genesis 24:22. The stem means \u201cto split,\u201d17 here, in half. Several weights have been found inscribed in paleo-Hebrew script with beka\u02bf or its abbreviation, b. Their average weight is .210 ounces (6.019 gr.).<\/p>\n
a bend The reference is to the census prescribed in 30:11\u201316.<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 39<\/p>\n
THE MAKING OF THE PRIESTLY VESTMENTS (vv. 1\u201331)<\/p>\n
This section corresponds to chapter 28. It contains some additional information and affirms\u2014seven times in all\u2014that each item was made exactly in accordance with the divine instructions.1<\/p>\n
1. The omission of the fine linen from the list is especially puzzling since it is included in verses 2, 3, and 5.<\/p>\n
3. The process described here is typically Egyptian. The highly malleable gold was hammered over a stone into a thin sheet from which very narrow strips were cut to make fine gold wire. Gold thread was created by cutting the sheet in spiral form.<\/p>\n
COMPLETION AND INSPECTION (vv. 32\u201343)<\/p>\n
The Tabernacle in all its several parts and with all its appurtenances is completed and brought to Moses for inspection. The text does not record how long the work took nor the dates involved. According to a rabbinic tradition, it was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is Kislev.2 In the time of the Maccabees, the dedication of the new altar in the Temple took place on the same date, commencing the festival of Hanukkah.<\/p>\n
32. the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting A combination of the two distinct terms for the sanctuary.3 Together they express its dual function as the symbol of the indwelling of the Divine Presence in the camp of Israel and as the site of communication between God and Moses.4<\/p>\n
42. the Israelites The entire project is presented from first to last as an enterprise of all the Israelites; compare verse 32.<\/p>\n
43. This finale is patterned after the Creation narrative of Genesis, in which the completion of the work evoked divine approbation followed by a blessing.5 A rabbinic tradition formulates Moses\u2019 blessing as follows: \u201cMay the divine spirit rest upon the work of your hands.\u201d6<\/p>\n
CHAPTER 40<\/p>\n
ERECTING THE TABERNACLE (vv. 1\u20138)<\/p>\n
Moses receives divine instructions to set up the Tabernacle and put each item in its assigned place. He personally is charged with this task because the entire enterprise is said to be based on a celestial image or prototype that had been shown to him on Mount Sinai. Hence, he alone possesses a mental picture of the completed whole.1 Once again, priority is given to the Ark of the Pact. The order of emplacement of the furnishings is from the interior outward, from the most sacred to the less so.
\nThe Tabernacle is to be erected just two weeks short of the first anniversary of the Exodus from Egypt, and exactly nine months since arriving at Sinai.2 This is New Year\u2019s day, a date which forges another link with the Creation narrative. See the introduction to chapter 25.<\/p>\n
3. the curtain See Comment to 26:31\u201333.<\/p>\n
4. lay out its due setting The twelve loaves of the bread of display set out in two rows. See Comment to 25:30.<\/p>\n
ANOINTING THE TABERNACLE AND FURNISHINGS (vv. 9\u201311)<\/p>\n
During the next stage every item is anointed with the sacred aromatic anointing oil. See Comment to 30:22\u201329.<\/p>\n
INSTALLING THE PRIESTS (vv. 12\u201315)<\/p>\n
See Comment to 29:1\u20139.<\/p>\n
FULFILLING THE INSTRUCTIONS (vv. 16\u201333)<\/p>\n
16. This Moses did This affirmation applies to all the foregoing instructions. The details are spelled out, item by item, as though to emphasize the point.<\/p>\n
29. he offered up According to Rashi, the subject is Moses; but according to Rashbam, it is Aaron and his sons.<\/p>\n
THE APPEARANCE OF THE DIVINE PRESENCE (vv. 34\u201338)<\/p>\n
34. cloud \u2026 Presence The function of the Tabernacle was to create a portable Sinai, a means by which a continued avenue of communication with God could be maintained. As the people move away from the mount of revelation, they need a visible, tangible symbol of God\u2019s ever-abiding Presence in their midst. It is not surprising, then, that the same phenomenon as occurred at Sinai, related in 24:15\u201317, now repeats itself. It will recur at the dedication of Solomon\u2019s Temple, as is narrated in 1 Kings 8:10\u201311. The cloud is the manifest token of the immediacy of the Divine Presence. (See Comment to 13:21\u201322.) The Hebrew term kavod for God\u2019s Presence, also rendered \u201cmajesty,\u201d actually expresses His intangible immanence. See Comments to 16:7 and 33:18.<\/p>\n
35. A similar comment is made in connection with the dedication of Solomon\u2019s Temple.3 It is unclear whether entry is literally hindered, or is impermissible, or that he simply dared not enter.<\/p>\n
36\u201338. Henceforth, Israel\u2019s wanderings through the wilderness en route to the promised land are determined by the movements of the luminous cloud. This process is repeated in Numbers 9:15\u201323, and an example is given in 10:11\u201328.<\/p>\n
The Book of Exodus, which opened with a tale of misery and oppression, closes on an auspicious note. Israel is assured that, day and night, the Divine Spirit hovers over it, guiding and controlling its destiny.<\/p>\n
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