1)

What is "ha'Devarim ha'Eileh" referring to?

1.

Oznayim la'Torah #1 (citing the Chachamim): It refers to all of the Aseres ha'Dibros, which Yisrael heard directly from Hashem - and it was only afterwards that they said to Moshe "Daber Atah imanu ve'Nishma'ah ... " Yisro Sh'mos, 20:16.

2.

Oznayim la'Torah #2 (citing R. Yehoshua ben Levi): It refers the first two Dibros, 1 following which they asked to hear the remaining Dibros from Moshe. 2


1

Which were said in the second person, as opposed to the remainning eight Dibros, which were said in the third person.

2

See Oznayim la'Torah, who elaborates, and who supports the first opinion.

2)

What are the connotations of "mi'Toch ha'Eish, he'Anan ve'ha'Choshech"?

1.

Ramban: It means from within the fire which was surrounded by darkness and the thick cloud.

3)

What is the meaning of "ve'Lo Yasaf"?

1.

Rashi #1 (citing Targum Onkelos): It means that the Voice (did not get louder, because it) did not cease. 1

2.

Rashi #2: It means that Hashem will never appear again with the same pomp and ceremony as He did on Har Sinai. 2

3.

Ramban #1 (according to Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan): It means that Hashem's Voice did not stop (or recede) - that it retained the same volume 3 from the beginning of the Aseres ha'Dibros until the end. 4

4.

Ramban #2 (according to Kabalah): They heard all these things (with reference to the last eight Dibros) with a Great Voice (which they could not comprehend) 5 , and Hashem did not continue to let the congregation hear with the One Voice (the first two Dibros, which they did comprehend).

5.

Rashbam: There was never again a great voice such as this.

6.

Yerushslmi Megilah: It means that it (the Torah) will never cease - Even though Nevi'im and Kesuvim will be negated, 6 the five Books of the Torah will last forever.

7.

Oznayim la'Torah (citing Sh'mos Rabah): It means that the immense Power of Hashem's Voice 7 dispelled the echo 8 that is normally heard following a loud voice in a location of mountains or forests, when no other sounds can be heard. 9


1

Rashi: Because, as opposed to a human-being, who cannot say all that he wants to say in one breath, and who therefore, needs to breath again before continuing, Hashem is able to say everything in one breath; consequently, He does not need to breath a second time in order to continue and His Voice retains its initial volume. See also Torah Temimah, note 13.

2

Oznayim la'Torah: Implying that 'The Torah will never be changed and that there will be no other Torah given by Hashem'.

3

Ramban: And when the Torah writes in Yisro that "the Kol got louder and louder" (refer to Sh'mos 9:19:1:1), it is with reference to the tone of the Shofar, and not to the Voice of Hashem.

4

Ramban: As in Yirmiyah, 48:33 and in Tehilim, 104:29. See also Bamidbar, 11:25.

5

Refer to 5:5:1:3*.

6

See Torah Temimah, note 14.

7

See Tehilim, 29:4-9.

8

Dismissing the likelihood of anyone claiming that there were two gods (Chas ve'Shalom) - one announcing 'Anochi' and the other announcing 'Anochi'. Moreover, one (one often hears only the end of the echo, in which case the people would have heard 'Lo Tirtzach ... Tirtzach'; 'Lo Tin'af ... Tin'af'. See Oznayim la'Torah DH 've'Lo Yasaf' #2.

9

When Hashem said the Aseres ha'Dibros, the entire world was silent. See Oznayim la'Torah DH 'Kol Gadol ve'Lo Yasaf ' #2.

QUESTIONS ON RASHI

4)

Rashi writes that Hashem never appeared again with the same ceremony. But the Gemara states in Sanhedrin 17a that "ve'Lo Yasafu" (in Beha'aloschas Bamidbar, 11:25) means that they ceased to prophecy, and challenges this from the current Pasuk?

1.

Riva citing R. Elyakim: It challenged 'what is the source that [except for Eldad and Meidad, the others] totally ceased?' Here, the voice continued, just not with the same ceremony! And it answers That, since "ve'Lo Yasafu" is written only about the others, it means that they totally ceased.

Sefer: Perek: Pasuk:

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