(יד) וַיֹּאמַ֑ר פָּנַ֥י יֵלֵ֖כוּ וַהֲנִחֹ֥תִי לָֽךְ׃ (טו) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑יו אִם־אֵ֤ין פָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ הֹלְכִ֔ים אַֽל־תַּעֲלֵ֖נוּ מִזֶּֽה׃
(14) And [God] said, “I will go in the lead and will lighten your burden.” (15) And he replied, “Unless You go in the lead, do not make us leave this place.
(א) ויאמר פני ילכו. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ – לֹא אֶשְׁלַח עוֹד מַלְאָךְ, אֲנִי בְעַצְמִי אֵלֵךְ, כְּמוֹ וּפָנֶיךָ הוֹלְכִים בַּקְּרָב (שמואל ב י״ז:י״א):
(1) ויאמר פני ילכו AND HE SAID, MY FACE SHALL GO WITH THEE Understand this as the Targum renders it: My Shechinah will go — I will no more send an angel with you, but I Myself will go. פנים here has the sense of “Self” as in (II Samuel 17:11) “and that thou go in the battle in thine own person (פניך)”.
(א) פני ילכו. בנסעכם ללכת אל ארץ ישראל ילכו פני לפניכם, לא בתוככם: (ב) והניחותי לך. אניח לך מכל אויביך מסביב באופן שתביאם לארץ בטח:
(1) פני ילכו, when you are moving toward the Holy Land My presence will walk before you. The emphasis here is on the word “before” instead of G’d saying “among you” [the author is reading this into the text as G’d left the definition of where His presence would be wide open. Ed.] (2) והניחותי לך; will give you rest from your enemies around you, so that you will bring the people into the land in safety.
(א) והנחתי לך אלך עמך לכבוש את הארץ עד שאניח לך מכל אויביך דכתיב והיה בהניח ה׳ לך מכל אויבך מסביב וגו'.
(1) והניחותי לך, “and I will give you rest.” I will go with you until the conquest and give you rest from all your enemies.” Moses had quoted G-d to this effect when discussing the commandment to wipe out Amalek utterly In Deuteronomy 25,19. (Rash’bam)
משמעות ב: כעס
2 ב) הוא שמו של הכעס: "וּפָנֶיהָ לֹא הָיוּ לָהּ עוֹד" (שמואל־א א,יח). במשמעות הזו משתמשים בו רבות במובן של כעס ה' ורוגזו: "פְּנֵי ה' חִלְּקָם" (איכה ד,טז). "פְּנֵי ה' בְּעֹשֵׂי רָע" (תהילים לד,יז), "פָּנַי יֵלֵכוּ וַהֲנִחֹתִי לָךְ"(שמות לג,יד), "וְשַׂמְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת פָּנַי בָּאִישׁ הַהוּא וּבְמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ" (ויקרא כ,ה). וזה נפוץ.
2 ב) הוא שמו של הכעס: "וּפָנֶיהָ לֹא הָיוּ לָהּ עוֹד" (שמואל־א א,יח). במשמעות הזו משתמשים בו רבות במובן של כעס ה' ורוגזו: "פְּנֵי ה' חִלְּקָם" (איכה ד,טז). "פְּנֵי ה' בְּעֹשֵׂי רָע" (תהילים לד,יז), "פָּנַי יֵלֵכוּ וַהֲנִחֹתִי לָךְ"(שמות לג,יד), "וְשַׂמְתִּי אֲנִי אֶת פָּנַי בָּאִישׁ הַהוּא וּבְמִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ" (ויקרא כ,ה). וזה נפוץ.
The next meaning of the word is “anger”; comp. “And her anger (paneha) was gone” (1 Sam. 1:18). Accordingly, the term is frequently used in reference to God in the sense of anger and wrath; comp. “The anger (pene) of the Lord hath divided them” (Lam. 4:16); “The anger (pene) of the Lord is against them that do evil” (Ps. 34:17); “Mine anger (panai) shall go and I will give thee rest” (Exod. 33:14); “Then will I set mine anger” (panai) (Lev. 20:3); there are many other instances.
(א) ויאמר אליו. בְּזוֹ אֲנִי חָפֵץ, כִּי עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָךְ אַל תַּעֲלֵנוּ מִזֶּה:
(1) ויאמר אליו AND HE SAID UNTO HIM — This is what I desired: for if it is to be by an angel rather do not bring us up from here.
- The people had just worshipped the golden calf
- God has already punished them
- Something here is not matching up to what we read before...
(לד) וְעַתָּ֞ה לֵ֣ךְ ׀ נְחֵ֣ה אֶת־הָעָ֗ם אֶ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֙רְתִּי֙ לָ֔ךְ הִנֵּ֥ה מַלְאָכִ֖י יֵלֵ֣ךְ לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וּבְי֣וֹם פׇּקְדִ֔י וּפָקַדְתִּ֥י עֲלֵהֶ֖ם חַטָּאתָֽם׃
(34) Go now, lead the people where I told you. See, My messenger shall go before you. But when I make an accounting, I will bring them to account for their sins.”
(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֙ לֵ֣ךְ עֲלֵ֣ה מִזֶּ֔ה אַתָּ֣ה וְהָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶֽעֱלִ֖יתָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֠שְׁבַּ֠עְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֨ם לְיִצְחָ֤ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹב֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לְזַרְעֲךָ֖ אֶתְּנֶֽנָּה׃ (ב) וְשָׁלַחְתִּ֥י לְפָנֶ֖יךָ מַלְאָ֑ךְ וְגֵֽרַשְׁתִּ֗י אֶת־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י וְהַֽחִתִּי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י הַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃ (ג) אֶל־אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ כִּי֩ לֹ֨א אֶֽעֱלֶ֜ה בְּקִרְבְּךָ֗ כִּ֤י עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֙רֶף֙ אַ֔תָּה פֶּן־אֲכֶלְךָ֖ בַּדָּֽרֶךְ׃ (ד) וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע הָעָ֗ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הָרָ֛ע הַזֶּ֖ה וַיִּתְאַבָּ֑לוּ וְלֹא־שָׁ֛תוּ אִ֥ישׁ עֶדְי֖וֹ עָלָֽיו׃ (ה) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה׳ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֱמֹ֤ר אֶל־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אַתֶּ֣ם עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֔רֶף רֶ֧גַע אֶחָ֛ד אֶֽעֱלֶ֥ה בְקִרְבְּךָ֖ וְכִלִּיתִ֑יךָ וְעַתָּ֗ה הוֹרֵ֤ד עֶדְיְךָ֙ מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ וְאֵדְעָ֖ה מָ֥ה אֶֽעֱשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ׃
(1) Then ה׳ said to Moses, “Set out from here, you and the people that you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring will I give it’— (2) I will send a messenger before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites— (3) a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go in your midst, since you are a stiffnecked people, lest I destroy you on the way.” (4) When the people heard this harsh word, they went into mourning, and none put on finery. (5) ה׳ said to Moses, “Say to the Israelite people, ‘You are a stiffnecked people. If I were to go in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. Now, then, leave off your finery, and I will consider what to do to you.’”
- Is God leading the people to the Promised Land from here or an angel? (or both?)
(ב) הנה מלאכי. וְלֹא אֲנִי:
(2) הנה מלאכי BEHOLD, MINE ANGEL [SHALL GO BEFORE THEE] — My messenger, not Myself.
The Five Books of Moses, by Everett Fox, Exodus, Part V; The Covenant Broken and Restored, After the Purge 2-3
Although blood has been spilled to punish the guilty, Moshe must still expiate Israel’s sin. In this vein, he offers to be erased from God’s “record” if the people are not forgiven. Then commences God’s reply, couched in terms of who will lead the people to the Promised Land. He will not do it himself, as previously (see the glorious image of 13:21–22), but through the agency of a “messenger.” He will fulfill his promise to the Patriarchs, but not himself among his “hard-necked” people. Their “sin” (the word occurs eight times in vv.30–34) has destroyed that possibility.
Although blood has been spilled to punish the guilty, Moshe must still expiate Israel’s sin. In this vein, he offers to be erased from God’s “record” if the people are not forgiven. Then commences God’s reply, couched in terms of who will lead the people to the Promised Land. He will not do it himself, as previously (see the glorious image of 13:21–22), but through the agency of a “messenger.” He will fulfill his promise to the Patriarchs, but not himself among his “hard-necked” people. Their “sin” (the word occurs eight times in vv.30–34) has destroyed that possibility.
(כא) וַֽה׳ הֹלֵךְ֩ לִפְנֵיהֶ֨ם יוֹמָ֜ם בְּעַמּ֤וּד עָנָן֙ לַנְחֹתָ֣ם הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וְלַ֛יְלָה בְּעַמּ֥וּד אֵ֖שׁ לְהָאִ֣יר לָהֶ֑ם לָלֶ֖כֶת יוֹמָ֥ם וָלָֽיְלָה׃ (כב) לֹֽא־יָמִ֞ישׁ עַמּ֤וּד הֶֽעָנָן֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְעַמּ֥וּד הָאֵ֖שׁ לָ֑יְלָה לִפְנֵ֖י הָעָֽם׃ {פ}
(21) ה׳ went before them in a pillar of cloud by day, to guide them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, that they might travel day and night. (22) The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.
- Compare this to 23:23 (which comes before the sin of the golden calf)
(כג) כִּֽי־יֵלֵ֣ךְ מַלְאָכִי֮ לְפָנֶ֒יךָ֒ וֶהֱבִֽיאֲךָ֗ אֶל־הָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ וְהַ֣חִתִּ֔י וְהַפְּרִזִּי֙ וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י הַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִ֑י וְהִכְחַדְתִּֽיו׃
(23) When My messenger goes before you and brings you to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I annihilate them,
Etz Chayim, p. 552
There is a tradition that the sin of the Golden Calf and God's forgiving the people happened on Yom Kippur, the great annual day of forgiveness and reconciliation.
There is a tradition that the sin of the Golden Calf and God's forgiving the people happened on Yom Kippur, the great annual day of forgiveness and reconciliation.
- What's the difference between God being 'among the people' as the Presence leading them to the Promised Land and God's angel going with them? What 'part' of God's Presence will not be with them on the way?
When Moses heard that the Lord would not forgive their sin (Exodus 32:34), he began to say, "Why should we leave the one in whom it is written, 'Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness?' (Micah 7:18). He will bear our iniquities, etc." (Micah 7:19). Moses wanted to take the one in whom it is written that He will not forgive their sin. The Lord said to him, "If your face goes, I will go" (Exodus 33:15). He said to him, "This is what I will do: my face will go, and I will leave you" (Exodus 33:14). "And as long as Moses was alive, he was not permitted to see the angel, until Joshua stood in Jericho and was revealed, as it is said: 'And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him.' (Joshua 5:13) The angel said to him, 'I ask of you not to reject me, just as Moses rejected me and I have been bound for many years. And now I have come to watch over you, as it is said: 'And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come.' (Joshua 5:14)". The angel said to him, "I ask of you not to reject me, just as Moses sculpted me, I have been bound for many years, and now I have come to protect you, as it is said 'And he said, No, but as captain of the army of the LORD I have now come' (Joshua 5:14). And at that hour, the Lord commanded an angel to spare human beings from the nations, so that they may repent, such as Rahab the harlot, and also so that Israel may learn from them how to make war. Therefore, it is said, "Do not kill them, lest my people forget" (Psalms 59:12). Israel should not forget how to wage war and they should also be tested with them.
Aggadat Breisheet
Aggadat Breisheet
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Berakhot 1:32
R. Jochanan in the name of R. Jose said: "Whence do we learn that we must not attempt to appease a man at the moment of his excitement? It is written (Ex. 33, 14.) My presence shall walk before you, and I will give thee rest, i.e., the Holy One, praised be He! said unto Moses. "Wait for me until my excitement shall subside and I shall then give thee rest.' " Is wrath [to be ascribed] to the Holy One — praised be He? Yea! As it is taught; And a God who is angry every day (Ps. 7, 12). And how long does His anger last? For a moment. And how long lasts a moment? One fifty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eighth part of an hour; and this is meant by the word Regga (moment); and no creature is able to determine that exact moment [when the anger arises] except Bilam the wicked,..
R. Jochanan in the name of R. Jose said: "Whence do we learn that we must not attempt to appease a man at the moment of his excitement? It is written (Ex. 33, 14.) My presence shall walk before you, and I will give thee rest, i.e., the Holy One, praised be He! said unto Moses. "Wait for me until my excitement shall subside and I shall then give thee rest.' " Is wrath [to be ascribed] to the Holy One — praised be He? Yea! As it is taught; And a God who is angry every day (Ps. 7, 12). And how long does His anger last? For a moment. And how long lasts a moment? One fifty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eighth part of an hour; and this is meant by the word Regga (moment); and no creature is able to determine that exact moment [when the anger arises] except Bilam the wicked,..