1)

What are the connotations of "Panim be'Fanim Diber Hashem ... "?

1.

Rashi: Yisrael should not say that Moshe tricked them with the Aseres ha'Dibros, in the way that an agent tricks a purchaser into buying the article he is trying to sell on behalf of the seller, since they heard them directly from Hashem. 1

2.

R. Bachye #1: It means that Hashem spoke to Yisrael Face to face and not via a medium. 2

3.

R. Bachye #2 (citing Sh?mos Rabah): Hashem appeared to Yisrael with many different faces - to one He appeared standing, to another, sitting; sometimes - at the Yam-Suf - as a young warrior, and sometimes - on Har Sinai -as a Zaken sitting in Yeshivah. 3

4.

Seforno: To remind them that at Har Sinai, Hashem did not reveal Himself to them via a dream or a vision, 4 but Face to face. 5

1

See also Ba'al ha'Turim.

2

As the Torah specifically states in Sh?mos 33:11.

3

See R. Bachye.

4 4

In the way that He does with most of the Nevi'im.

5

In the way that He appeared to Moshe Rabeinu. See Ve'zos ha'Berachah, 34:10.

2)

Why does the Torah mention the fact that Hashem spoke to Yisrael Face to face here and not by Matan Torahi?

1.

Oznayim la'Torah: Because it also contains a hint of a rebuke - in that, at Har Sinai, Yisrael saw Hashem Face to faace, whereass now, after the sin of the Golden Calf, they were not even able to look at the face of Moshe. 1

1

See Oznayim la'Torah, citing Rashi in Ki Sisa, 34:30,

Sefer: Perek: Pasuk:

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