Mishpatim: Chapter 28

"Behold I send an angel before you"

Synopsis

This section talks again about the spirit clinging to Hashem. Moses realized that the angel of "Behold I send an angel before you" would constitute a separation from Yisrael, and he wished the presence of Hashem to be with him. Rabbi Aba says that one should not mix a lower matter with a higher one; the outside should not nurse from an inner level, as the inner represents holiness and the outer represents uncleanness. Rabbi Shimon clarifies the matter by saying that the angel was meant only to guard Yisrael, and it did not mean there would be a separation from Hashem, although other commentators on Torah have disagreed on this point. Rabbi Shimon concludes that Moses did not want an angel, as it is written, "And he said, If now I have found favor in Your sight, Adonai, let my Lord, I pray You, go among us."

Angels Moses

555. We learned, as long as the Holy One, blessed be He, goes with Yisrael, a spirit, so to speak, clings to a spirit. About this is written, "But you that did cleave to Hashem" (Devarim 4:4), with all types of clinging, with no parting one from another. When it was said, "Behold I send an angel before you" (Shemot 33:2), Moses realized this would constitute a separation FROM YISRAEL so he said, "If Your presence go not with me, carry us not up from here" (Shemot 33:15).

555. תָּנָא, כָּל זִמְנָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָזִיל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּבְיָכוֹל אִתְדָּבַּק רוּחָא בְּרוּחָא, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ,' וּבְכָל אִינּוּן גַּוְונֵי דְּבֵיקוּתָא, וְלָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁא דָּא מִן דָּא. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְּמַר הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ, יָדַע מֹשֶׁה דִּפְרִישׁוּתָא הוּא. אָמַר אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הוֹלְכִים אַל תַּעֲלֵנוּ מִזֶּה.

Congregation Death Death and the Afterlife First Fruits Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Klipot (Shells – Negativity) Milk Shells (Klipot)

556. Rabbi Aba said, what is written before this verse, "The first of the first fruits of your land you shall bring to the house of Hashem your Elohim. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk" (Shemot 34:26). HE ASKS, What is it trying to imply with these words? HE ANSWERS, Do not mix a lower matter with an upper, the outside should not nurse from an inner. What is the difference between them? The outer, MEANING THE KID, represents the aspect of uncleanliness, while the inner, MEANING ITS MOTHER, represents holiness. Who is his mother? It is the Congregation of Yisrael, MALCHUT called 'mother,' FOR THE EXTENSION OF MALCHUT REACHES UNTIL THE KLIPOT IN THE SECRET OF "HER FEET GO DOWN TO DEATH" (MISHLEI 5:5). "...Its mother's milk..." MEANS that those who are not supposed to, must not suckle from that side.

556. רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר, מַה כְּתִיב לְעֵילָּא מִן דָּא, רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ תָּבִיא בֵּית יְיָ' אֱלֹֹהֶיךָ לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ. מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי. אֶלָּא דְּלָא לְעָרְבָא מִלָּה תַּתָּאָה בְּעִלָּאָה, דְּלָא יָנְקָא סִטְרָא דִּלְבַר, מִסִּטְרָא פְּנִימָאָה. מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי. דָּא דִּלְבַר, מִסִּטְרָא דִּמְסַאֲבָא. וְדָא דִּלְגוֹ, בְּסִטְרָא קַדִּישָׁא. מַאן אִמּוֹ. דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִתְקְרֵי אֵם. בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ, דְּלָא יָנִיק מֵהַאי סִטְרָא, מַאן דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ.

Angels First Fruits Moses Precepts Torah

557. Here is written, "Behold I send my angel before you," SO THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL WHO ARE THE INNERMOST AND ARE CLINGING WITH HASHEM, ARE GIVEN OVER TO THE ANGEL, REPRESENTING THE OUTER ASPECT. Moses said, I received a promise from You, that You would never part from us, FOR AS A RESULT OF THE PRECEPT OF THE FIRST FRUITS THE OUTER WORLD SHOULD NOT INTERMINGLE WITH THE INNER AS EXPLAINED. Surely, "If Your presence go not with me, carry us not up from here. For in what shall it be known..." ONE MUST NOT INSIST THAT THE LATTER VERSE IS QUOTED FROM KI TISA, AS THERE IS NO CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER IN THE TORAH.

557. וְהָכָא כְּתִיב, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, הָא קַבִּילְנָא בִּטְחוֹנָא מִינָךְ, דְּלָא תִּתְפְּרַשׁ מִינָן, וַדַּאי אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הוֹלְכִים אַל תַּעֲלֵנוּ מִזֶּה. וּבַמֶּה יִוָּדַע אֵיפוֹא וְגוֹ.'

Angels Fear Love Moses

558. Rabbi Elazar said, This statement the Holy One, blessed be He, uttered out of love for Yisrael and to find favor with them. It is similar to the case of a king who wanted to go with his son and not forsake him. The son came but feared to ask the king to go with him. The king spoke up to say, general so and so will go along to protect you, later he said, be careful of him as he is not a perfect man. The son said, If so, either I stay here or you go with me but I will not part from you. So the Holy One, blessed be He, first said, "I send an angel before you, to keep you in the way." Later He said, be careful of him... At that moment, Moses said, "If Your presence go not with me..."

558. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, מִלָּה דָּא לָא קָאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶלָּא בִּרְחִימוּתָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּלְאִתְפַּיְּיסָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ. לְמַלְכָּא דַּהֲוָה בָּעֵי לְמֵיזַל עִם בְּרֵיהּ. וְלָא בָּעֵי לְשָׁבְקָא לֵיהּ. אָתָא בְּרֵיהּ, וּמִסְתָּפֵי לְמִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְמַלְכָּא דְּיֵיזִיל בַּהֲדֵיהּ. אַקְדִּים מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר, הָא לִגְיוֹן פְּלָן יֵזִיל בַּהֲדָךְ, לְמִנְטַר לָךְ בְּאָרְחָא. לְבָתַר אָמַר אִסְתָּמַּר לָךְ מִנֵּיהּ, דְּהָא לָא גְּבָר שְׁלִים הוּא. אָמַר בְּרֵיהּ, אִי הָכִי, אוֹ אֲנָא אוֹתִיב הָכָא, אוֹ אַתְּ תֵּזִּיל עִמִּי, וְלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִינָךְ. כָּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּקַדְמֵיתָא אָמַר, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָךְ לְפָנֶיךָ לִשְׁמָרְךָ בַּדָּרֶךְ. וּלְבָתַר אָמַר הִשָּׁמֶר מִפָּנָיו וְגוֹ,' בֵּיהּ שַׁעֲתָא אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הוֹלְכִים וְגוֹ.'

Angels Moses Point

559. Rabbi Shimon arrived, found him, RABBI ELAZAR, SPEAKING THIS STATEMENT. He said, Elazar, my son, what you are saying is fine. But come and behold, in this place when the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Behold I send an angel..." Moses said nothing, or he replied. Why? At this point there was no separation from Him, AS THE ANGEL WAS SENT ONLY TO GUARD THEM, and this matter was established with the friends. HOWEVER THINGS WERE DIFFERENT REGARDING THE VERSE "AND I WILL SEND AN ANGEL BEFORE YOU: AND I WILL DRIVE OUT...FOR I WILL NOT GO UP IN YOUR MIDST..." (SHEMOT 33:2). Others understand these passages in an opposite fashion; HERE THE VERSE INDICATES SEPARATION WHEREAS THERE, THERE IS NO SEPARATION. The early commentators did not see it this way. When you look into the matter, everything turns out to be fine, each based their community using one interpretation.

559. אָתָא ר"ש, אַשְׁכַּח לְהוּ בְּהַאי. אָמַר, אֶלְעָזָר בְּרִי שַׁפִּיר קָאָמַרְתְּ. אֲבָל ת"ח, בַּאֲתַר דָּא לָא אָמַר מֹשֶׁה מִדִי, וְלָא אָתִיב מִלָּה לָקֳבְלֵיה. מַאי טַעֲמָא. מִשּׁוּם דְּהָכָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח פְּרִישׁוּתָא מִנֵּיהּ. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה דָּא, לְגַבֵּי חַבְרַיָּיא. וְאִית דְּמַתְנֵי אִיפְּכָא וְלָא הָכִי פֵּירְשׁוּהָ קַדְמָאֵי. וְכַד יִסְתַּכְּלוּן מִלֵּי כֹּלָּא שַׁפִּיר, וְכֹלָּא בְּחַד מִלָּה אַמְרֵי טַעֲמַיְיהוּ.

Angels Moses

560. When did Moses respond? This happened when He said, "And I will send an angel before you" AFTER WHICH IT IS WRITTEN, "FOR I WILL NOT GO UP IN YOUR MIDST." But here it is written, "Behold I send an angel" and the verse does not elaborate WITH THE WORDS "FOR I WILL NOT GO UP IN YOUR MIDST." Hence it says here "But if you shall indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak" (Shemot 23:22), "all that I speak" exactly, so it is written next to it, "then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries" (Ibid.). All is dependent upon Him BLESSED BE HE. THERE IS NO SEPARATION HERE SO MOSES DID NOT ANSWER BACK.

560. אֵימָתַי אָתִיב מֹשֶׁה. בְּזִמְנָא דְּאָמַר, וְשָׁלַחְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ מַלְאָךְ. וּכְתִיב כִּי יֵלֵךְ מַלְאָכִי לְפָנֶיךָ, סָתַם וְלָא פָּרִישׁ מִלָּה. וְע"ד כְּתִיב, הָכָא, כִּי אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע בְּקוֹלוֹ וְעָשִׂיתָ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר. אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר דַּוְקָא וּכְתִיב וְאָיַבְתִּי אֶת אוֹיְבֶיךָ וְצַרְתִּי אֶת צוֹרֲרֶיךָ, וְכֹלָּא בֵּיהּ תַּלְיָא.

Adonai Angels Moses Prayer

561. Rabbi Yehuda said, If you question that in both VERSES we are talking about an actual angel WITH SEPARATION STILL Moses did not reply as he had no strong position SINCE WE SEE THAT EVEN WITH REGARD TO THE VERSE IN THE PORTION OF TISA, "AND I WILL SEND AN ANGEL BEFORE YOU," MOSES DID NOT IMMEDIATELY REACT. When did he answer? When the verse writes, "If Your presence go not with me, carry us not up from here," AS A REACTION TO THE VERSE, "MY PRESENCE SHALL GO WITH YOU, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST" (SHEMOT 33:14). THERE HE COULD REACT. Rabbi Shimon said, In summary, Moses did not want an angel, as it is written, "And he said, If now I have found favor in Your sight, Adonai, let my lord, I pray You, go among us" (Shemot 34:9).

561. ר' יְהוּדָה אָמַר, אִי תֵּימָא דְּתַרְוַויְיהוּ מַלְאָךְ מַמָּשׁ, מֹשֶׁה לָא אָתִיב עָלַיְיהוּ, דְּלָא חָמָא דּוּכְתָּא. אֵימָתַי אָתִיב. בְּזִמְנָא דִּכְתִּיב אִם אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הוֹלְכִים וְגוֹ.' אָמַר ר' שִׁמְעוֹן, כְּלָל דְּכֹלָּא, מֹשֶׁה לָא בָּעָא מַלְאָכָא. דְּהָא כְּתִיב וַיֹּאמֶר אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲדֹנָי יֵלֵךְ נָא אֲדֹנִי בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ.

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