What did Moshe mean when he told the people that Hashem has come "l'Va'avur Nasos Eschem"?
Rashi (citing the Mechilta): He meant that Hashem came to raise Yisrael's esteem in the eyes of the nations 1 by virtue of the fact that He spoke to them directly. 2
Ramban #1: What he meant was that by appearing to Yisrael directly, and revealing the Shechinah to them, He got them accustomed 3 to Emunah, injecting it into their hearts, to cleave to Him forever.
Ramban #2 (citing Moreh Nevuchim): The revelation was to prepare Yisrael for future tests - inasmuch as, should a false prophet come to negate what they had heard, having seen the Emes with their own eyes, they will be able to overrule his claims.
Ramban #3: He meant literally, that Hashem was coming to test them, 4 as to whether they would now keep all His Mitzvos, having driven all doubts out of their minds - to see whether they really loved Him and wanted Him and His Mitzvos. 5
Rashbam: He meant that Hashem appeared to them directly in order to rebuke them.
Seforno: He meant that Hashem appeared to Yisrael Panim El Panim 6 with His celestial retinue, in order to accustom them to prophecy.
Moshav Zekenim: He means that Hashem was testing them with ten voices, each one stronger than the previous one - and they stood firm through all of them, even though their spirit departed with each one.
Rashi: As in Yeshayah 62:10 and Yeshayah 49:22 .
A privilege that no other nation has ever merited.
Ramban: As in Shmuel I 17:39.
Ramban: As in Shmuel I 17:39 (that Pasuk can be understood in two ways).
Ramban: Since a master will test his servant's loyalty in one of two ways; sometimes he will test him by placing upon him a heavy workload - testing him by the way he undertakes to handle it; and sometimes He is particularly nice to him, to see whether he acknowledges what he did for him by working harder and showing him more respect, as was the case here (compare to note 20:17:1:1** above; see Ramban).
Seforno: As He did with Eliyahu ha'Navi. See Melachim I 19:13 .
What did Moshe mean when he added, ".. and so that fear of Him shall be upon your faces, that you not sin"? How would Hashem's revelation result in Yir'as Shamayim?
Rashi and Ramban #1: When Yisrael saw Hashem in His Awesomeness, they knew that there was none other besides Him and they would fear Him (and refrain from sinning).
Ramban #2: The fear of the fire that they were seeing would prevent them from sinning.
Nedarim 20a: This refers to a sense of bashfulness (Bushah), which leads to Yir'as Hashem and fear of sin. (Through this, they merited 1 prophets - Moshav Zekenim.) 2 For Maharal, see below (20:17:4 and on).
Seforno: It refers to the fear that gripped Yisrael after seeing the visions that they saw on Har Sinai. Seeing the Shechinah would plant the fear of Hashem in their hearts and prevent them sinning. 3
Mesilas Yesharim (Perek 24): The primary fear is that a person is always trembling. Even when he does not see a pitfall, his heart is worried lest a pitfall is in front of him and he would not be careful of it. Through such fear, one does not come to sin, and if he does, it is like an Oneis.
Moshav Zekenim citing R. Yehudah ha'Chasid: What was the merit? They said, "if we continue to hear Hashem's voice, we will die" (Devarim 5:22)! The merit was, they did not impose on Hashem to speak softly, rather, they trusted Moshe.
Moshav Zekenim (citing R. Yehudah ha'Chasid): Although there were prophets who prophesied not on account of this merit (Shem, Ever, the Avos, Bil'am and Iyov)! Through this, they merited famous prophets who prophesied even about other nations - Yirmeyah, Yeshayah and Yechezkel. Even though Bil'am prophesied about the Keini, Ashur and Mo'av, this was by himself. Hashem sent prophets only from Yisrael.
Seforno: As R. Yehoshua said to the Emperor of Rome (Chulin 59b-60a), 'If you say that you cannot look at the sun, which is merely one of Hashem's creations, how much more so can you not look at the Shechinah itself!'
What defining characteristic of Yisrael do we derive from this Pasuk?
Yevamos 79a: 'This nation has three characteristics; they are compassionate, bashful (reserved) and kindhearted. Bashful - as the Torah writes "u'Va'avur Tih'yeh Yir'aso Al Peneichem." (See above, 20:17:2:3 ).
Nedarim 20a: R' Meir says, whoever does not possess (a touch of) bashfulness, we know that his ancestors were not at Har Sinai! 1
Moshe provides two reasons for Hashem's having spoken directly at Matan Torah; a. "In order to raise you up" ("l'Nasos Eschem" - see Rashi); b. "In order that fear of Him be upon your faces, that you not sin." Why two reasons?
Maharal (Derush Al ha'Torah p. 34 1 ): The events at Har Sinai brought us both to love of Hashem, and fear of Hashem. a. "l'Nasos" - to uplift Yisrael. Hashem descended towards Yisrael with thunder, lightning and cloud, and correspondingly Yisrael was uplifted towards Him. This formed a connection; this is Ahavah. b. The thunder and lightning instilled Yir'ah in their hearts. 2
For more about the roles of the thunder, lightning, heavy cloud, and the sound of the Shofar that accompanied Matan Torah, see 19:16:2.1 .
These two traits were prerequisite to Matan Torah. See Sifrei - Without Ahavah one considers the Mitzvos to be a burden, and without Yir'ah one's Chochmah cannot last.
The Gemara (Nedarim 20a) expounds, "'... in order that fear of Him be upon your faces' - this is Bushah (a sense of shame)." Why interpret this way? How is Bushah an expression of fear, according to Maharal?
Maharal #1 (Chidushei Agados Vol. 2, p. 3, to Nedarim 20a): The Pasuk specifies the face as the location of the Yir'ah. This must mean Bushah, which brings to fear of Hashem. 1
Maharal #2 (Nesivos Olam, Nesiv ha'Bushah Ch. 1, p. 199): [The opposite trait,] brazenness, is apparent on the face; one who is brazen has no self-restraint, and will act brazenly even before the greatest among men. (Whereas one who possesses Bushah has enough Yir'ah to hold himself back from doing so.)
Maharal writes that it is Bushah that leads to Yir'ah (and compare to Maharal in Nesiv ha'Bushah in the following answers). But the context of the Pasuk seems to imply the reverse - that the events at Har Sinai were purposely awe-inspiring, so as to bring fear of Hashem, which results in the trait of Bushah? See below, 20:17:6:2 - The elements that caused fear at that time (the thunder, lightning, etc.) would not [directly] affect future generations. However, the fear that was inspired then is what made it possible for Hashem to reveal Himself personally, "Anochi Hashem... Asher Hotzeisicha," and thus for Yisrael to accept Hashem's yoke for all generations. As we will explain (20:17:5:1 and note 3), a brazen-faced individual will not accept any yoke or authority. It was the fear-inspiring aspect of Har Sinai that facilitated our accepting the yoke of Hashem and His Torah. That then is the definition of Bushah - accepting the yoke of authority of someone greater than you. The event of Har Sinai is what caused this - our acceptance of our place, and of our responsibility - which took hold due to the Bushah ingrained in us.
The Gemara (Nedarim 20a) continues, "' ... So that you not sin' - this teaches that Bushah leads to fear of sin ... Anyone who becomes ashamed will not easily sin." What is the benefit of ashamedness, and the detriment of brazen-facedness? How does shame ensure that one will not sin?
Maharal #1 (Nesivos Olam, Nesiv ha'Bushah Ch. 1, p. 199): One who is brazen has no self-restraint, and will act brazenly even when in the presence of the greatest among men. His very Tzurah (as expressed in his face) veers away from the correct and upright, and he can be called a Rasha. 1 Why does Bushah lead to Yir'ah? Unlike a brazen person, who acts that way even before others, and cannot accept Yir'ah, a person with a sense of shame will not stand up against someone who he ought not stand up against - and all the more so that he will accept fear of Hashem! 2 He will not be quick to sin, because sin is a departure from what is right. He knows that the Mitzvos are Hashem's decree upon Man, and his sense of shame means that [the presence of] another has an effect upon him; he will not stand up against him. 3
Maharal #2 (Chidushei Agados Vol. 2, p. 3, to Nedarim 20a): One who can feel shame is far from being brazen. A brazen person can be called a Rasha - someone who has left the straight path. One who feels shame is just the opposite - he feels difficulty in straying from what is straight and just; and thus he does not sin. 4
Yet this does not apply to performance of Mitzvos! Mishnah Avos (5:20) first teaches, "Be bold like a leopard... to do the will of your Father in Heaven," and only then states the axiom, "One who is brazenfaced - to Gehinom; but shamefacedness - to Gan Eden." As Maharal explains (Derech Chayim p. 268) - We should not think that it is merely permissible to be brazen in the performance of Mitzvos, when necessary, but that it would be preferable to avoid it whenever possible. On the contrary! One must be bold like a leopard against those who mock him, and be brazen-faced against them - even if he could have performed the Mitzvah away from their presence!
Maharal seems to imply that Bushah does not actively bring to Yir'ah. Rather it is brazenness that prevents Yir'ah, whereas a sense of shame allows a person's natural Yir'ah to take effect. (EK) Maharal (loc. cit. p. 200) - This Yir'ah is the trait of Yitzchak.
I.e., one who is brazen has no boundaries. [It is not that brazenness is evil in its own right, rather such a person rejects boundaries and authority, and thus there is nothing to distance him from sinning.] As opposed to a person who does feel shame, who is affected by another's presence, a brazen person does not accept authority or anyone who could set boundaries upon him. Hence, Bushah distances a person from sin, i.e. breaking down boundaries. (Take note that the Gemara does not state 'he will not sin,' but rather "he will not be quick to sin"; there is a roadblock to impede him.) Maharal (ibid. p. 201) expands upon the trait of brazen-facedness and its detriment; see below (20:17:7 and notes). Maharal (ibid. Nesiv ha'Teshuvah, beg. Ch. 5, p. 160) - Chazal teach, "If one who transgresses, and [then] feels shame, they forgive him for all of his sins" (Berachos 12b). His shame indicates that he distances and removes himself from the sin completely - as opposed to one who is brazen, who entrenches his sin until it cannot be removed. (In his brazenness and Chutzpah, he refuses to accept any responsibility; he tightly holds on to his ways.) Furthermore, he who feels shame has the trait of simplicity; as the Mishnah cited above teaches that he will merit Gan Eden. (See Maharal Derech Chayim loc. cit.; see Shemos 12:15:154:4* .)
Any character trait has extremes; a person is charged with following the middle path, without veering to extremes (see Rambam Hilchos Dei'os 1:4). One who feels shame, who has boundaries, strives to follow this middle path -- as opposed to the brazen one who casts off his obligations, and follows the inclination of his heart with no boundaries; such a person will veer to extremes.
The Gemara (Nedarim 20a) teaches, "'... in order that fear of Him be upon your faces' - this is Bushah ... And whoever has no sense of shame, it is evident that his ancestors did not stand by Har Sinai!" Why is Bushah a certain result of the events of Har Sinai?
Maharal #1 (Chidushei Agados Vol. 2, p. 3, to Nedarim 20a): At Sinai we accepted Hashem's Divinity. To have a G-d means to accept that one is a mere effect, dependent upon a Cause, and thus he has a sense of shame. 1 But a person who is brazen cannot tolerate being the effect of others; this shows that his ancestors never accepted Hashem's Sovereignty at Har Sinai.
Maharal #2 (Nesivos Olam, Nesiv ha'Bushah Ch. 1, p. 199): At Har Sinai, Hashem became Sovereign over Yisrael to make decrees upon them. 2 That is why Hashem personally revealed Himself at Har Sinai - so that they should fear Him. This fear would not be limited in time to that event alone! We see that it was through this revelation that Hashem took Yisrael as His nation - "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" i.e. your G-d in particular, Hashem would be King and Yisrael His nation, to be completely subservient (Alul) to Him - such that the Yir'ah would be eternal. Hence, one who has no Bushah has no Yir'ah, and his ancestors did not stand by Har Sinai. 3
In Maharal's terminology - the Alul of an Ilah - the effect controlled by a Cause. As explained in the preceding questions, one who is brazen cannot accept the authority of another.
See above, 20:2:1:1 , 20:2:1:6, 20:2:2.1:3* , and 20:3:1:2 .
Maharal implies that the events and revelation at Har Sinai per se, had their effect on that time only; there was no guarantee that it would last for all generations. But the commands Hashem issued at that time were surely for all generations. Maharal states that brazen-facedness is at odds not only with the past event, but even with the very command of "Anochi Hashem ... Asher Hotzeisicha."
Whereas the Gemara in Nedarim (20a) teaches, "... whoever has no sense of shame, it is evident that his ancestors did not stand by Har Sinai," the Gemara in Beitzah (25b) states that Torah was given to Yisrael "because they are the most strong-headed (Azim) of nations!" How can these sources be resolved?
Maharal (Nesivos Olam, Nesiv ha'Bushah Ch. 1, p. 200): One who feels shame shows density of Chomer, whereas when Yisrael display brazenness it is because their Nefesh is not imprinted onto Chomer. 1 Yisrael have a sense of shame, in the sense that of being affected by someone greater than oneself. This is a different character trait entirely - they themselves are strong-willed, yet they are willing to be influenced by another. (To illustrate, fire acts with great power, yet it accepts the influence of water that negates its own effect.) 2
"Chomer" and "Tzurah" is common terminology in Maharal. Chomer alone is shapeless and un-actualized; Tzurah is what takes hold of the Chomer and brings it from potential to actual. For example, the iron in a knife is its Chomer, its raw material, and the sharp-edged shape it takes is the Tzurah that actualizes it and allows it to function. As explained above, one with a sense of Bushah is not brazen, but rather is prepared to accept from others. Improper Bushah is when a person remains merely materialistic Chomer, devoid of any intrinsic purpose, and that is why he is so easily influenced and changed. A bold person, on the other hand, is not Chomer. See Maharal (Ner Mitzvah p. 12) - Boldness is associated with wisdom. Chomer means being acted upon; individuals of material Chomer are not tough and bold. But Yisrael, to whom the Torah was given, are completely tough and bold. Chidushei Agados (Vol. 3, p. 170, to Sanhedrin 71a) - "One who sleeps in the Beis Midrash, his Torah becomes piecemeal" - because of his physical Guf, he lacks the trait of boldness, and so his Torah lacks inspiration. Also see Netzach Yisrael (Ch. 14 p. 83) - that is why Bnei Yisrael are "a stiff-necked nation; Gevuros Hashem (Ch. 72, p. 328) - The Nefesh acts, and Chomer is acted upon. (EK)
Any character trait has various dimensions and degrees; a person's task is to adopt the middle trait (Rambam Hil. Dei'os 1:4), for example, a person should neither be miserly nor scatter his wealth, rather he should be generous. Maharal seems to imply here that we are not talking about differing dimensions in the same characteristic (Bushah vs. boldness), the differences being in quantity and quality - rather they are fundamentally different. Brazenness in the negative sense, is when one is brazen towards those greater than himself, and refuses to be affected - to be acted upon and influenced. And yet there exists also positive brazenness, and negative ashamedness. One who is ashamed is satisfied and makes do with what he has, and does not dare to strive for more. Regarding this, Yehudah Ben Teima teaches, "Be bold like a leopard... to do the will of your Father in Heaven" (Avos 5:20). Maharal explains (Derech Chayim p. 268) - One who is ashamed is acted upon by others, he will not go into action himself; one must be bold like a leopard in order to act accomplish in service of Hashem. He adds (p. 269) - Man in terms of his Chomer is like an inanimate rock, he does not desire anything. One must be 'bold like a leopard,' and due to that boldness he will aim for everything, he will have desire and yearning to act and accomplish, and be bold in the service of his Creator. Also see Nesiv ha'Bushah (Ch. 2, p. 203) - Azus Panim has two aspects - in the Guf and the Nefesh. The former means refusing to be affected by others, the latter to be brazen towards others.
