וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה כְּתָב־לְךָ֖ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֞י עַל־פִּ֣י ׀ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה כָּרַ֧תִּי אִתְּךָ֛ בְּרִ֖ית וְאֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

The Lord said to Moses: Write for yourself these matters, this short Book of the Covenant , as according to these matters I established a covenant with you and with Israel. The commandments stated in the previous section will form the foundation of the national life of the Jewish people, and this is the basis of the covenant between us.

וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֣ם עִם־יְהוָ֗ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔ל וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֣א שָׁתָ֑ה וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֗ת אֵ֚ת דִּבְרֵ֣י הַבְּרִ֔ית עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת הַדְּבָרִֽים׃

He, Moses, was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights, in addition to the previous forty days; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. He, God, wrote upon the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Precepts.

וַיְהִ֗י בְּרֶ֤דֶת מֹשֶׁה֙ מֵהַ֣ר סִינַ֔י וּשְׁנֵ֨י לֻחֹ֤ת הָֽעֵדֻת֙ בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּרִדְתּ֖וֹ מִן־הָהָ֑ר וּמֹשֶׁ֣ה לֹֽא־יָדַ֗ע כִּ֥י קָרַ֛ן ע֥וֹר פָּנָ֖יו בְּדַבְּר֥וֹ אִתּֽוֹ׃

It was upon Moses’ descent from Testimonyinai; the two Tablets of the Testimony were in the hand of Moses upon his descent from the mountain, and Moses did not know that the skin of his face was radiant upon His speaking with him, as a result of God speaking to him face-to-face.

וַיַּ֨רְא אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְכָל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה קָרַ֖ן ע֣וֹר פָּנָ֑יו וַיִּֽירְא֖וּ מִגֶּ֥שֶׁת אֵלָֽיו׃

Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses from afar, and behold, the skin of his face was radiant; and they feared approaching him, due to his shining countenance, as he appeared to them like an angelic being who emits light.

וַיִּקְרָ֤א אֲלֵהֶם֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיָּשֻׁ֧בוּ אֵלָ֛יו אַהֲרֹ֥ן וְכָל־הַנְּשִׂאִ֖ים בָּעֵדָ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֲלֵהֶֽם׃

Moses therefore called to them, and only then Aaron and all the princes in the congregation, i.e., the princes of the tribes, returned to him; and Moses spoke to them the words of the covenant.

וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֥ן נִגְּשׁ֖וּ כָּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיְצַוֵּ֕ם אֵת֩ כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אִתּ֖וֹ בְּהַ֥ר סִינָֽי׃

Thereafter, at a later stage, once the people saw that Moses spoke with the princes of the congregation and they remained unharmed, or alternatively, after they had undergone a type of purification ritual, all the children of Israel approached Moses. And he commanded them everything that the Lord spoke with him on Mount Sinai.

וַיְכַ֣ל מֹשֶׁ֔ה מִדַּבֵּ֖ר אִתָּ֑ם וַיִּתֵּ֥ן עַל־פָּנָ֖יו מַסְוֶֽה׃

Moses concluded speaking with them and put a mask on his face. Moses did not deem it appropriate to engage in other activities while his face shone. He may have considered his shining countenance as a valuable gift from God that should be displayed only at special times, i.e., when he was teaching Torah to the people.

וּבְבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֜ה לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אִתּ֔וֹ יָסִ֥יר אֶת־הַמַּסְוֶ֖ה עַד־צֵאת֑וֹ וְיָצָ֗א וְדִבֶּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְצֻוֶּֽה׃

Upon the coming of Moses before the Lord to speak with Him, he would remove the mask until his emergence, so that there would be no obstruction between him and the Divine Presence. He would emerge and would not immediately replace the mask. Rather, he would first speak to the children of Israel that which he would be commanded.

וְרָא֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה כִּ֣י קָרַ֔ן ע֖וֹר פְּנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה וְהֵשִׁ֨יב מֹשֶׁ֤ה אֶת־הַמַּסְוֶה֙ עַל־פָּנָ֔יו עַד־בֹּא֖וֹ לְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתּֽוֹ׃ (ס)

When Moses exited the Tent of Meeting the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, and they noticed that the skin of Moses’ face was radiant. Moses did not cover his face while transmitting the words of God to the people, so that the divine light upon his countenance would accompany the Torah that he taught the Jewish people. And yet at other times Moses replaced the mask on his face, until his entering to speak with Him, as it was unfitting that his shining, awe-inspiring countenance be seen without proper cause.