Parshas Ki Sisa
1. On the verse1 "וימהר משה ויקד ארצה וישתחו" ("And Moshe hastened, and bowed his head toward the earth, and prostrated himself"), Rashi quotes the words "And Moshe hastened" and explains: "When Moshe saw the Shechinah passing and heard the voice of the calling, he immediately prostrated himself."
Seemingly, one could say that with his explanation Rashi comes to answer (something like) the question of the Gemara2: "מה ראה משה" ("What did Moshe see")3 that caused him to prostrate himself? And he answers that he prostrated himself because he saw the Shechinah passing and heard the voice of the calling.
But in truth it is impossible to say this, because:
a) According to the plain meaning of Scripture, there is no question to begin with as to why he prostrated himself4. For earlier, on the verse "ויקד העם וישתחוו" ("And the people bowed their heads and prostrated themselves")5, Rashi explains: "Over the tidings of the redemption etc." This means that one must give thanks over good tidings6, and in the manner of bowing and prostration. If so, in our case too, when Moshe heard the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, there must have been thanksgiving to the Holy One, blessed be He, over them (over all of them)7. And from this, on the other hand:
b) What is Rashi's source for the novel idea that he prostrated himself (also) because he "saw the Shechinah passing and heard the voice of the calling"? Perhaps he prostrated himself only over the good tidings that he heard! And if there is some compelling reason that he did not prostrate himself over the good tidings, that itself is difficult: why did Moshe not prostrate himself as thanksgiving over the good tidings?
c) Rashi should have quoted from the verse the words "And bowed his head toward the earth and prostrated himself"8 (and not "And Moshe hastened"), for according to the above supposition, it is on these words that his question rests (why did he prostrate himself).
d) Why does Rashi emphasize "immediately he prostrated himself"9?
Accordingly, we must say that Rashi comes to answer a question that arises from the words "And Moshe hastened," namely: Why did Moshe hasten to prostrate himself10?
To this he answers: since he "saw the Shechinah passing," meaning that it was about to pass by11, "and heard the voice of the calling," meaning that he had already heard the entire calling, he therefore prostrated himself immediately, with haste, so as not to delay prostrating himself and giving thanks to the Holy One, blessed be He.
However, this explanation too requires clarification:
a) To begin with, it is obvious why Moshe hastened (even if it was only over the good tidings), for certainly all his deeds in the service of G‑d were done with great alacrity12, similar to what is said of Avraham13: "And he hastened… he ran… and he hastened… and he rose early…". This is especially so regarding Moshe, after he had been punished with the penalty of death for having been remiss14.
b) The order is that the voice was heard and afterward [the Shechinah was] passing [OCR unclear]; if so, he should have said the reverse: "When he heard the voice of the calling and (afterward) saw the Shechinah passing."
c) How can it be said that Moshe saw the Shechinah [passing] etc., when the Holy One, blessed be He, had told him earlier: "לא תוכל לראות את פני… והיה בעבור כבודי… ושכותי כפי עליך עד עברי… וראית את אחורי ופני לא יראו" ("You cannot see My face… and it shall be, when My glory passes by… I will cover you with My hand until I have passed by… and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen")15? This shows that Moshe saw the Shechinah only after it had passed, and only its back (and even that was only "the knot of the tefillin"16), and not while the Shechinah was passing before him!
d) He should have said "and heard the calling." What does the word "voice (of the calling)"17 add?
e) Rashi writes "immediately he prostrated himself," but before "he prostrated himself" there was bowing of the head, "and bowed his head toward the earth." If so, he should have said "immediately he bowed his head toward the earth and prostrated himself," or "immediately he bowed his head."
2. The explanation of all this:
It cannot be said that Rashi's question is why Moshe hastened, for, as explained above, it is understood that Moshe did all his matters with alacrity, and certainly this prostration to G‑d was also done with speed and alacrity. Rather, Rashi's difficulty is the opposite: why does the Torah need to state explicitly here that he prostrated himself quickly over the good tidings? This is self-understood18.
Therefore Rashi explains that the prostration spoken of here was not after the entire speech, as thanksgiving over the good tidings, as is seemingly implied by the plain sense of the verses. Rather, he hastened and prostrated himself before the speech: right away "when Moshe saw the Shechinah passing," as the Shechinah began to pass, "and heard the voice of the calling," as soon as he heard the voice of the Holy One, blessed be He, even before he heard the calling itself, "immediately he prostrated himself."
Rashi prefaces "when he saw the Shechinah passing etc." because this explains why specifically here Moshe hastened to prostrate himself in advance, even though we do not find that Moshe prostrated himself before the other statements. For this calling and voice was unique of its kind: "the Shechinah passing," the fulfillment of his request "הראני נא את כבודך" ("Show me, I pray You, Your glory")19. And it is obvious that when one sees the king, one must prostrate oneself before him immediately, at the very beginning of seeing his face20.
[As for prostrating in thanksgiving over the good tidings, which would have to come after the good tidings, the verse does not speak of this, for it is self-understood that Moshe gave thanks over good tidings21. Therefore, in many verses whose content is good tidings that he was told, it is not stated explicitly that he prostrated himself.]
3. According to the above, that the meaning of "(saw) the Shechinah passing" is when it began to pass, we can explain how it is possible to say that "(Moshe) saw the Shechinah etc.":
The verse is precise in saying "והיה בעבור כבודי" ("And it shall be, when My glory passes by") (and as Rashi explains: "When I pass before you"22). This means that at the time it is passing, there is no permission (ability) to see, whereas at the beginning of the Shechinah's coming it is possible to see. This does not contradict the statement of the Holy One, blessed be He, "You cannot see My face," for seeing the Shechinah passing (and nothing more) is not seeing the face of the Holy One, blessed be He.
And "you shall see My back" is also more than this, as is evident from the plain sense of the verses, that "you shall see My back" was something new, and the fulfillment of his request, after the completion of the calling of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy etc.,
whereas this was a general seeing: "When Moshe saw the Shechinah passing," at the first glance. Immediately when he saw that the Shechinah was coming, he immediately prostrated himself.
Based on this we can add that (although the main intent of the verse in "And Moshe hastened" is to tell us that Moshe prostrated himself before the speech of the Holy One, blessed be He,) included in this is also haste in its literal sense (that he prostrated himself with great speed), and haste of a kind that, without the verse, we would not have known about (even though Moshe did all his matters with alacrity, as mentioned above):
It is understood that the manner and level of prostration before a king when one sees him "as he is"23 is not comparable to the self-nullification when one sees him disguised and concealed in another form24, or when one does not see him but knows that he is present. Therefore, immediately when Moshe saw the Shechinah "as it is," he hastened, before the passing was completed, to prostrate himself, at the most exalted level (in addition to his usual alacrity).
4. Based on this we can explain why Rashi says "immediately he prostrated himself" and not "immediately he bowed his head (toward the earth and prostrated himself)":
On the verse25 "ויקדו וישתחוו" ("And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves"), Rashi explains: "Kidah is bending the head; hishtachavayah is stretching oneself out on the ground," that is, "spreading out the hands and feet"26. This is unlike the rendering of the Targum, "and they knelt," according to which kidah means kneeling on one's knees. Accordingly, although bending the head (kidah) is possible without prostration, prostration is impossible without first bending the head (though it is possible without kneeling on the knees).
From this it is understood that where both are stated (and in our Parsha, "and he bowed his head," "and he prostrated himself"), the intent is not to inform us of the kidah as the beginning of the prostration (for what would that teach us? It is impossible any other way). Rather, it is a matter in its own right: giving honor by bowing the head. They were not content with this, but afterward added honor and prostrated themselves, spreading out their hands and feet.
By omitting the matter of kidah, Rashi emphasizes that Moshe hastened so much that it was as if the kidah did not exist (as an entity of its own), but rather "immediately he prostrated himself"27.
This is Rashi's intent in adding "immediately (he prostrated himself)," even though it is obvious that "and he hastened" means "immediately," and he could have said "When he saw… the calling, he prostrated himself"28: because he wishes to emphasize that immediately he prostrated himself (as if without "and he bowed his head toward the earth").
5. The "wine of Torah" in Rashi's commentary here:
Based on the above we can understand why Rashi writes in this verse specifically "Shechinah" and not another Name:
It is explained in Tanya29 that the Shechinah is so called "because it dwells and clothes itself within all worlds." In our case, Moshe wished to prostrate himself when he saw the Shechinah before it had passed; therefore the Name is mentioned that indicates that it dwells within all worlds: "the Shechinah."
(From the sichos of Shabbos Parshas Ki Sisa, 5729)
Notes
1) Our Parsha, 34:8.
2) Sanhedrin 111a.
3) In Rashi there: "Which attribute of the Thirteen (Attributes) did he see, and prostrate himself?" But this is not Rashi's question here (for he does not explain which attribute, but rather "when he saw the Shechinah etc."). The intent in the text is that Rashi's question here is (similar to the Gemara's question): what matter did he see.
4) Accordingly (that according to the plain meaning of Scripture one cannot ask why he prostrated himself), it is understood why Rashi does not explain as our Sages say in the Gemara: "He saw 'slow to anger' etc.; he saw 'truth'" (in addition to the fact that according to the plain meaning there is a difficulty: why specifically over (one of) these two attributes did he prostrate himself?). In the Chiddushei Aggados of the Maharsha there, he writes: "Certainly he already knew His attributes, but now he was aroused more by one of the Thirteen Attributes." But the plain meaning of Scripture implies that only now did the Holy One, blessed be He, teach him the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. Also: if he knew His attributes beforehand, why was he aroused now over one particular attribute? Nor can it be said that Moshe knew His attributes through the miracles etc. that the Holy One, blessed be He, performed through him (and now the Holy One, blessed be He, taught him "the order of requesting mercy"), but that one of the two above attributes he did not yet know, and therefore he was aroused by it (and they dispute which it is). For simply, the opposite is more logical: these two attributes were known from long before. From "ויאמר אליו אני ה'" ("And He said to him, I am the L‑rd"), "faithful to pay good reward to those who walk before Me etc., faithful to exact punishment" (Va'eira 6:2, in Rashi), he saw the attribute of "truth" of the Holy One, blessed be He. And from "ודור רביעי ישובו הנה כי לא שלם עון האמורי עד הנה" ("And the fourth generation shall return here, for the iniquity of the Emori will not be complete until then") (Lech Lecha 15:16; and see Rashi there), he knew the attribute of "slow to anger" of the Holy One, blessed be He (and all the more so he knew that the Holy One, blessed be He, forgives and pardons completely, for over several things that the Children of Israel did, the Holy One, blessed be He, forgave them).
5) Bo 12:27.
6) See Rabbeinu Bachya here: "According to the plain meaning, this prostration was thanksgiving for the attribute of grace and mercy that He made known to him." And see Rabboseinu Ba'alei HaTosafos here. And elsewhere.
7) And although Moshe already knew beforehand that the Holy One, blessed be He, would teach him the order of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy etc. (Rashi 33:19) (and what He added, that "He assured him that they would not return empty-handed" (Rashi there), was after this prostration), it can be said that knowing that the Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future announce good tidings to him is not comparable to actually receiving the tidings.
8) Or at least "and bowed his head toward the earth," as in Rashi on Bo (12:27).
9) From the last two questions it is understood that one cannot say that Rashi comes to explain which are the "tidings" that were actually fulfilled (as in note 7 above) over which he prostrated himself, namely: "when he saw the Shechinah passing," corresponding to "אני אעביר כל טובי על פניך" ("I will make all My goodness pass before you") (33:19), and "heard the voice of the calling," corresponding to "וקראתי בשם ה' לפניך" ("and I will proclaim the Name of the L‑rd before you") (ibid.).
10) As several commentators ask. It is understood that according to the plain meaning of Scripture one cannot say as in the explanation brought in Ibn Ezra, Rabboseinu Ba'alei HaTosafos, Peirush Tosafos on the Torah (Hadar Zekeinim), and Rabbeinu Bachya (and so explains Chizkuni in his first explanation), that Moshe hastened "when He mentioned 'the fourth [generation],' so that He would not say 'fiftieth' etc."; and [this is] with the question of Ibn Ezra himself: "for the mind cannot tolerate that he would interrupt the words of G‑d while He was still speaking" (and see there what else he asks, and see the commentary of the Chasam Sofer on the Torah)*. Accordingly it is understood that one also cannot say as written in Torah Temimah (in explaining the Gemara's question "What did Moshe see") that from the fact that Moshe hastened it is implied that he could not wait until the end of the words, but hastened to prostrate himself in the middle of the speech; hence it was something by which he was exceedingly moved and could not restrain himself from prostrating himself (and they dispute in the Gemara which attribute it was), so that according to this it is compelled that he prostrated himself over one of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. For (in addition to what was said above (note 4), that the plain meaning carries no implication at all that he was moved by a particular attribute) it is difficult to say that he interrupted and prostrated himself in the middle of the speech, as mentioned above. According to this one can also understand simply what is stated (Shemos 3:6): "And He said, I am…", "And the L‑rd said…" [OCR unclear], even though "And He said… remove [your shoes]…" had already preceded it: for only after the statement was finished was it possible to (interrupt and) fulfill "remove your shoes," "and Moshe hid etc."
*) One should not ask from the bowings in the middle of the Shemoneh Esreh prayer (Berachos 34a, end) and the like (even though in Shemoneh Esreh one must be "like a servant before his master" etc., "before the King" (Shabbos 10a; Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, end of section 95)), because: a) It is understood that there are many levels in this. b) In Shemoneh Esreh one interrupts in the middle of one's own (the person's) speech to the Holy One, blessed be He, whereas in our case Moshe would be interrupting the speech of the Holy One, blessed be He, to him. c) Bowing in Shemoneh Esreh is not in the category of thanksgiving but in the category of submission, as is evident from the law (Berachos ibid., 34b): "A Kohen Gadol at the end of each and every blessing, and the king etc.," the reason for which is that "the greater one is, the more one must submit and humble oneself."
11) See Chizkuni (in the second explanation): "Because he saw etc. passing and going away from before him etc." (except that he explains that he wished to pray etc.).
12) See Sforno here: "The speed of the prostration indicates the greatness of the matter to which the one prostrating submits."
13) Vayeira 18:6-7; ibid. 22:3 (and in Rashi).
14) Rashi, Shemos 4:24.
15) Our Parsha, 33:20, 22, 23.
16) Rashi ibid., 23.
17) In the Rashi manuscripts the word "voice" does not appear, but in the first and second printed editions, and in most printed editions, this word is found.
18) And although at times the Torah repeats something already known, nevertheless, where a distinction can be made, we make a distinction, similar to what Rashi explains (Mishpatim 23:19, and in our Parsha 34:26): "In three places it is written in the Torah: one for the prohibition of eating and one etc.", even though in several places he explains [a repetition as coming] to make one liable for two prohibitions (Tzav 6:6; and see Rashi in our Parsha 34:23; Shemini 11:44; Emor 23:31). And where a reason for the repetition can be explained, we explain it, similar to Rashi (Mishpatim 23:9): "In many places [the Torah] warned etc., because etc."
19) Our Parsha, 33:18. And although He told him (ibid., 20), "You cannot see My face etc.", "the Shechinah passing" is also included in seeing the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, as Rashi explains (ibid., 19): "The time has come for you to see of My glory what I will permit you to see etc."
20) One should not ask: if so, why is "And Moshe hastened etc." written after "And He proclaimed etc." and not in its [proper] place? Because then it would have been necessary to interrupt between "And the L‑rd passed before him and proclaimed" (the hearing of the voice) and what comes afterward, and to write in the middle "and Moshe bowed his head toward the earth and prostrated himself." And although we find that the Torah interrupted in the middle of a matter (see Rashi at the beginning of Vayeitzei; Va'eira 6:29), that is only when before the interruption there is a matter that is a complete narrative, which is not so in our case.
21) Or it can be said that since he had already prostrated himself over the voice, he did not need to prostrate himself again when the voice was spelled out as the calling of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, even though it is not entirely comparable (see note 7 above). Or it can be said, simply: since he prostrated himself with outstretched hands and feet at the beginning of hearing the voice, it is understood that he did not rise from the prostration until after the entire event was over.
22) This is the precision in Rashi's explanation: "בעבור כבודי" implies after it has passed, but this contradicts the verse, which says that at the time the Shechinah passes, "and I will cover," he shall not see (but afterward, "and I will remove etc."). Therefore Rashi explains "when I pass before you," that is, at the time it passes.
23) Accordingly it is understood why we do not find that Moshe prostrated himself when "ויחזו את האלקים" ("and they beheld G‑d"), even though they gazed upon Him (Mishpatim 24:11, and in Rashi), nor when He appeared to them as a mighty warrior and as an elder (Rashi, Yisro 20:2).
24) See Tanya, ch. 42, in the gloss: "One who sees etc. [people] prostrating themselves before one man, fear and dread fall upon him." It does not say that he himself prostrates himself (the reason being that he sees him as "another man").
25) Mikeitz 43:28. And see Ibn Ezra here and in Mikeitz there; Berachos 34b (and elsewhere).
26) See Rashi, Mikeitz 42:6.
27) Especially according to Rashi's explanation that kidah is bending the head: in any case its existence (when it comes together with prostration) is not so noticeable, unlike according to the Targum, that it is kneeling on the knees.
28) As in the first and second printed editions, unlike the Rashi manuscripts and most printed editions.
29) Ch. 41 (57b).
Key Lesson
When Moshe saw the Shechinah "as it is," he did not wait even to complete the preliminary bow, but hastened at once into full prostration. The more truly a person perceives G‑dliness, the more immediate and complete is his self-nullification. And since the Shechinah dwells and clothes itself within all worlds, each of us can recognize G‑d's presence in our surroundings and respond with eager, wholehearted devotion.