וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה פְּסָל־לְךָ֛ שְׁנֵֽי־לֻחֹ֥ת אֲבָנִ֖ים כָּרִאשֹׁנִ֑ים וְכָתַבְתִּי֙ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֔ת אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָי֛וּ עַל־הַלֻּחֹ֥ת הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ׃

The Lord said to Moses: Carve for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, similar in form to the first tablets. And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you shattered. Whereas the first tablets were made by God (32:16), Moses is commanded to fashion the second tablets, upon which God will write His commandments.

וֶהְיֵ֥ה נָכ֖וֹן לַבֹּ֑קֶר וְעָלִ֤יתָ בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ אֶל־הַ֣ר סִינַ֔י וְנִצַּבְתָּ֥ לִ֛י שָׁ֖ם עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ הָהָֽר׃

Be prepared for the morning; you shall ascend in the morning to Mount Sinai, and you shall stand there ready for Me on top of the mountain.

וְאִישׁ֙ לֹֽא־יַעֲלֶ֣ה עִמָּ֔ךְ וְגַם־אִ֥ישׁ אַל־יֵרָ֖א בְּכָל־הָהָ֑ר גַּם־הַצֹּ֤אן וְהַבָּקָר֙ אַל־יִרְע֔וּ אֶל־מ֖וּל הָהָ֥ר הַהֽוּא׃

No man shall ascend with you, and no man shall be seen on the entire mountain; the flocks and the cattle shall not graze before that mountain. Just as at the time of the giving of the Torah, Moses ascends Mount Sinai alone.

וַיִּפְסֹ֡ל שְׁנֵֽי־לֻחֹ֨ת אֲבָנִ֜ים כָּרִאשֹׁנִ֗ים וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם מֹשֶׁ֤ה בַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ וַיַּ֙עַל֙ אֶל־הַ֣ר סִינַ֔י כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֹת֑וֹ וַיִּקַּ֣ח בְּיָד֔וֹ שְׁנֵ֖י לֻחֹ֥ת אֲבָנִֽים׃

He, Moses, carved two tablets of stone like the form of the first tablets; Moses arose early in the morning and ascended to the top of Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone that he had prepared.

וַיֵּ֤רֶד יְהוָה֙ בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן וַיִּתְיַצֵּ֥ב עִמּ֖וֹ שָׁ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֥א בְשֵׁ֖ם יְהוָֽה׃

The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and He called with the name of the Lord, thereby teaching Moses how to call Him.

וַיַּעֲבֹ֨ר יְהוָ֥ה ׀ עַל־פָּנָיו֮ וַיִּקְרָא֒ יְהוָ֣ה ׀ יְהוָ֔ה אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת ׀

The Lord passed before him, and a small measure of the Divine Presence was thereby revealed to Moses, in fulfillment of his request to see God’s glory (33:18). And God called: The Lord, the Lord, God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in kindness and truth.

נֹצֵ֥ר חֶ֙סֶד֙ לָאֲלָפִ֔ים נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֛ן וָפֶ֖שַׁע וְחַטָּאָ֑ה וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה פֹּקֵ֣ד ׀ עֲוֺ֣ן אָב֗וֹת עַל־בָּנִים֙ וְעַל־בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים׃

He maintains kindness to the thousands of generations, bearing iniquity and transgression and sin. This phrase literally means: He bears the burden of sins. And He will not exonerate. Although one can achieve atonement, he is not entirely cleansed of his sin. Reckoning the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children’s children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation. God is exceedingly merciful, and does not eternally punish one’s descendants for their forefathers’ sins, but only until the fourth generation. Furthermore, if the children do not evoke the memory of their father’s sin by following in their footsteps, they are not punished for those sins at all.

וַיְמַהֵ֖ר מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּקֹּ֥ד אַ֖רְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ׃

As soon as he heard God’s declaration, Moses hastened and bowed to the ground and prostrated himself, in awe of the divine revelation and the accompanying proclamation .

וַיֹּ֡אמֶר אִם־נָא֩ מָצָ֨אתִי חֵ֤ן בְּעֵינֶ֙יךָ֙ אֲדֹנָ֔י יֵֽלֶךְ־נָ֥א אֲדֹנָ֖י בְּקִרְבֵּ֑נוּ כִּ֤י עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹ֙רֶף֙ ה֔וּא וְסָלַחְתָּ֛ לַעֲוֺנֵ֥נוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵ֖נוּ וּנְחַלְתָּֽנוּ׃

He, Moses, said: If now I have found favor in Your eyes, my Lord, may my Lord please go in our midst. Once Moses has heard the divine attributes of mercy, he no longer fears that the people might be punished solely in accordance with the strict attribute of justice. He therefore reiterates his request that God Himself go with the people. Interestingly, Moses employs the same reason in his request that God used to explain why He would not go with the people: As it is a stiff-necked people, and it is therefore possible that they would sin again. Nevertheless, You are merciful and gracious, and You forgive iniquity and transgression, and therefore may You forgive our iniquity and our sin and be our inheritance. A stubborn nation can survive the judgment of the merciful and gracious God, but not that of an angel, who can rule only in accordance with the attribute of justice.

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִי֮ כֹּרֵ֣ת בְּרִית֒ נֶ֤גֶד כָּֽל־עַמְּךָ֙ אֶעֱשֶׂ֣ה נִפְלָאֹ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹֽא־נִבְרְא֥וּ בְכָל־הָאָ֖רֶץ וּבְכָל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וְרָאָ֣ה כָל־הָ֠עָם אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֨ה בְקִרְבּ֜וֹ אֶת־מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה יְהוָה֙ כִּֽי־נוֹרָ֣א ה֔וּא אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י עֹשֶׂ֥ה עִמָּֽךְ׃

He, God, said to Moses: Behold, I am establishing a covenant. In the future, when you conquer the land of Canaan, before your entire people I will perform wonders that have not been created in the entire earth and in all the nations; the entire people, with you in their midst, will see the work of the Lord, that it is awesome what I am doing with you.

שְׁמָ֨ר־לְךָ֔ אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י מְצַוְּךָ֣ הַיּ֑וֹם הִנְנִ֧י גֹרֵ֣שׁ מִפָּנֶ֗יךָ אֶת־הָאֱמֹרִי֙ וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י וְהַחִתִּי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י וְהַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃

The people will soon continue their journey to the land of Canaan. God therefore reiterates His commands with regard to the nations that currently dwell in Canaan: Mark for yourself that which I am commanding you today; behold, for My part I promise you that I am expelling from before you the Emorites, the Canaanites, the Hitites, the Perizites, the Hivites, and the Yevusites.

הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֗ פֶּן־תִּכְרֹ֤ת בְּרִית֙ לְיוֹשֵׁ֣ב הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֖ה בָּ֣א עָלֶ֑יהָ פֶּן־יִהְיֶ֥ה לְמוֹקֵ֖שׁ בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃

And you in turn, beware, lest you establish a covenant with the inhabitant of the land into which you are entering, lest he be a snare in your midst. The inhabitants of Canaan are apt to corrupt your behavior.

כִּ֤י אֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָם֙ תִּתֹּצ֔וּן וְאֶת־מַצֵּבֹתָ֖ם תְּשַׁבֵּר֑וּן וְאֶת־אֲשֵׁרָ֖יו תִּכְרֹתֽוּן׃

Rather, you shall smash their altars, and shatter their monuments, and chop down their sacred trees, those used as part of idolatrous rites. You must completely destroy all objects of idol worship, including their accessories and symbolic artifacts.

כִּ֛י לֹ֥א תִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה לְאֵ֣ל אַחֵ֑ר כִּ֤י יְהוָה֙ קַנָּ֣א שְׁמ֔וֹ אֵ֥ל קַנָּ֖א הֽוּא׃

For you shall not prostrate yourself to another god, as the Lord, His name is Zealous, He is a zealous God. God is not tolerant toward faith in idols, even if they are worshipped in conjunction with Him. God’s jealousy is not envy; rather, it is the jealousy of love that stems from an exclusive relationship, which leaves no room for a third party.

פֶּן־תִּכְרֹ֥ת בְּרִ֖ית לְיוֹשֵׁ֣ב הָאָ֑רֶץ וְזָנ֣וּ ׀ אַחֲרֵ֣י אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֗ם וְזָבְחוּ֙ לֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם וְקָרָ֣א לְךָ֔ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ מִזִּבְחֽוֹ׃

Pay heed, lest you establish a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they, those inhabitants, continue to stray after their gods and slaughter to their gods. And if you maintain neighborly relations with them, they will call you to participate in their religious festivities, and you will be likely to accept their invitation and eat from their slaughter.

וְלָקַחְתָּ֥ מִבְּנֹתָ֖יו לְבָנֶ֑יךָ וְזָנ֣וּ בְנֹתָ֗יו אַחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ן וְהִזְנוּ֙ אֶת־בָּנֶ֔יךָ אַחֲרֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽן׃

Your relationship with the inhabitants will subsequently become closer, beyond mutual visits, as you will take from their daughters for your sons. And even if you rule over the inhabitants, if you intermarry with them, their daughters will stray after their gods, and they will cause your sons to stray after their gods.

אֱלֹהֵ֥י מַסֵּכָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ׃

The Torah briefly reiterates several commandments that were already stated, some of them related to the exodus from Egypt. They are repeated here in the context of the renewal of the covenant. You shall not make for yourself gods of cast figures.

אֶת־חַ֣ג הַמַּצּוֹת֮ תִּשְׁמֹר֒ שִׁבְעַ֨ת יָמִ֜ים תֹּאכַ֤ל מַצּוֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתִ֔ךָ לְמוֹעֵ֖ד חֹ֣דֶשׁ הָאָבִ֑יב כִּ֚י בְּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽאָבִ֔יב יָצָ֖אתָ מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃

You shall observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread, Passover. On this festival, for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you (12:15–20; 13:3, 7; 23:15), at the appointed time of the month of ripening, the month of Nisan, as in the month of ripening you emerged from Egypt. Not only must the date itself be preserved, but equally important is that it occur in the spring.

כָּל־פֶּ֥טֶר רֶ֖חֶם לִ֑י וְכָֽל־מִקְנְךָ֙ תִּזָּכָ֔ר פֶּ֖טֶר שׁ֥וֹר וָשֶֽׂה׃

Every first issue of the womb, the firstborn animal, is Mine; from all your livestock you shall take the males, when they are the first issue of a bull and a sheep. You shall sacrifice the firstborn male animals as offerings, as you were commanded at the time of the exodus from Egypt (13:2, 12).

וּפֶ֤טֶר חֲמוֹר֙ תִּפְדֶּ֣ה בְשֶׂ֔ה וְאִם־לֹ֥א תִפְדֶּ֖ה וַעֲרַפְתּ֑וֹ כֹּ֣ל בְּכ֤וֹר בָּנֶ֙יךָ֙ תִּפְדֶּ֔ה וְלֹֽא־יֵרָא֥וּ פָנַ֖י רֵיקָֽם׃

The first issue of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, as stated earlier (13:13); and if you do not redeem it, you shall behead it. Furthermore, every firstborn of your sons you shall redeem, as stated earlier as well (13:2, 15). And they, people who ascend to the Temple, shall not appear there before Me empty-handed.

שֵׁ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ תַּעֲבֹ֔ד וּבַיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י תִּשְׁבֹּ֑ת בֶּחָרִ֥ישׁ וּבַקָּצִ֖יר תִּשְׁבֹּֽת׃

Six days you shall perform labor, and on the seventh day you shall rest; from plowing and from harvest you shall rest. One may not perform even tasks that are essential for one’s livelihood.

וְחַ֤ג שָׁבֻעֹת֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה לְךָ֔ בִּכּוּרֵ֖י קְצִ֣יר חִטִּ֑ים וְחַג֙ הָֽאָסִ֔יף תְּקוּפַ֖ת הַשָּׁנָֽה׃

You shall hold the Festival of Weeks, Shavuot, fifty days after the start of Passover, with the ripening of the first fruits of the wheat harvest. And lastly, you shall observe the Festival of the Ingathering of the Crops, Sukkot, at the turn of the year, when the new year commences, in the autumn.

שָׁלֹ֥שׁ פְּעָמִ֖ים בַּשָּׁנָ֑ה יֵרָאֶה֙ כָּל־זְכ֣וּרְךָ֔ אֶת־פְּנֵ֛י הָֽאָדֹ֥ן ׀ יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Three times in the year, on Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot, all your males shall appear, like soldiers in a roll call, before the Master, the Lord, God of Israel.

כִּֽי־אוֹרִ֤ישׁ גּוֹיִם֙ מִפָּנֶ֔יךָ וְהִרְחַבְתִּ֖י אֶת־גְּבוּלֶ֑ךָ וְלֹא־יַחְמֹ֥ד אִישׁ֙ אֶֽת־אַרְצְךָ֔ בַּעֲלֹֽתְךָ֗ לֵרָאוֹת֙ אֶת־פְּנֵי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ שָׁלֹ֥שׁ פְּעָמִ֖ים בַּשָּׁנָֽה׃

The Torah reassures the Jewish people about a potential worry with regard to the duty to ascend to Jerusalem on the pilgrimage festivals: For I will expel nations before you, and I will expand your borders, and consequently, although you will all leave your homes to ascend for the pilgrimage, no man will covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.

לֹֽא־תִשְׁחַ֥ט עַל־חָמֵ֖ץ דַּם־זִבְחִ֑י וְלֹא־יָלִ֣ין לַבֹּ֔קֶר זֶ֖בַח חַ֥ג הַפָּֽסַח׃

You shall not slaughter with leavened bread the blood of My offering. This applies specifically to the paschal lamb, and prohibits one from owning any leavened bread at the time one’s paschal lamb is slaughtered. And the feast of the Paschal Festival, the meat of the paschal lamb, shall not lie until the morning. It must be eaten on the first night of Passover, and anything that remains the next day is burned (12:10).

רֵאשִׁ֗ית בִּכּוּרֵי֙ אַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔ תָּבִ֕יא בֵּ֖ית יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ׃ (פ)

You shall bring the choicest of the first fruits of your land to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk. Both of these commandments were stated previously in the exact same formulation (23:19).

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.