Rashi, on Exod 20:19

“Saying to Moses: Speak thou to us, and we will hear: let not the Lord speak to us, lest we die.”

“כה תאמר THUS THOU SHALT SAY — in this (the Holy) language (Mekhilta). אתם ראיתם YE HAVE SEEN — There is a difference between what a person himself sees and what others relate to him, for what others relate to him sometimes his heart is divided in its opinion so that he does not believe (Mekhilta). כי מן השמים דברתי THAT I HAVE SPOKEN [TO YOU] FROM HEAVEN — But another verse states, (Exodus 19:20) “And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai”, and thus the two verses appear to be contradictory! There now comes a third verse and harmonises them: (Deuteronomy 4:36) “Out of heaven He made thee hear His voice that He might instruct thee; and upon the earth He showed thee His great fire” — His glory was in the heavens but His fire and His power were upon the earth. Another explanation: He bent down the heavens and the heavens of heavens, and spread them out upon the mountain; similarly it states, (Psalms 18:10) “He bowed the heavens and came down” (Mekhilta) .”

Hebrew and Aramaic words are the commentator’s citations of the sacred text; the English translation that follows each is the translator’s.

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.