Saadia's Tafsir on Devarim 5 (Parashat Vaetchanan)

Devarim 5:1

וַיִּקְרָא מֹשֶׁה אֶל-כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-הַחֻקִּים וְאֶת-הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי דֹּבֵר בְּאָזְנֵיכֶם הַיּוֹם וּלְמַדְתֶּם אֹתָם וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם לַעֲשֹׂתָם

. . . . .

Then Moses summoned all of Israel, and said to them: 'Hear the statutes and the ordinances which I command you today — then learn them, and keep them, and act by them.

Devarim 5:2

יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ כָּרַת עִמָּנוּ בְּרִית--בְּחֹרֵב

. .

God our Lord made a covenant with us, a covenant at Horeb.

Devarim 5:3

לֹא אֶת-אֲבֹתֵינוּ כָּרַת יְהוָה אֶת-הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת כִּי אִתָּנוּ אֲנַחְנוּ אֵלֶּה פֹה הַיּוֹם כֻּלָּנוּ חַיִּים

. . .

And it was not with our fathers alone that God made that covenant — but with us also; and we are here, all of us, alive today.

Devarim 5:4

פָּנִים בְּפָנִים דִּבֶּר יְהוָה עִמָּכֶם בָּהָר--מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ

.

And that was: directly by word of mouth God spoke to you, on the mountain, from within the fire.

Devarim 5:5

אָנֹכִי עֹמֵד בֵּין-יְהוָה וּבֵינֵיכֶם בָּעֵת הַהִוא לְהַגִּיד לָכֶם אֶת-דְּבַר יְהוָה כִּי יְרֵאתֶם מִפְּנֵי הָאֵשׁ וְלֹא-עֲלִיתֶם בָּהָר לֵאמֹר

. . .

And I was standing between the light of God and between you at that time, to inform you of the word of God — for you feared the fire, and did not ascend the mountain — and He said to you:

Devarim 5:6

אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים

. .

'I am God your Lord, who brought you out from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Devarim 5:7

לֹא-יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל-פָּנָי

.

You shall have no other object of worship apart from Me.

Devarim 5:8

לֹא-תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֶסֶל כָּל-תְּמוּנָה אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וַאֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת--וַאֲשֶׁר בַּמַּיִם מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ

. . . .

And you shall not make for yourself a graven image nor a likeness of anything that is in the sky above, or that is in the earth below, or that is in the water which is beneath the earth.

Devarim 5:9

לֹא-תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לָהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם כִּי אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵל קַנָּא--פֹּקֵד עֲו‍ֹן אָבוֹת עַל-בָּנִים וְעַל-שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל-רִבֵּעִים לְשֹׂנְאָי

. . . .

You shall not bow down to them nor worship them — for I am God your Lord, the powerful, the punishing, who calls to account the sins of the fathers together with the children, and the third and fourth generations, for those who hate Me;

Devarim 5:10

וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לַאֲלָפִים--לְאֹהֲבַי וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מצותו (מִצְו‍ֹתָי)

and who rewards with goodness thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Devarim 5:11

לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת-שֵׁם-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא כִּי לֹא יְנַקֶּה יְהוָה אֵת אֲשֶׁר-יִשָּׂא אֶת-שְׁמוֹ לַשָּׁוְא

. .

You shall not swear by the name of God your Lord falsely — for God will not acquit one who swears by His name falsely.

Devarim 5:12

שָׁמוֹר אֶת-יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ

. .

Keep the Sabbath day and sanctify it, as God your Lord has commanded you.

Devarim 5:13

שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל-מְלַאכְתֶּךָ

.

Six days you shall labor and do all your craft.

Devarim 5:14

וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי--שַׁבָּת לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָל-מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ-וּבִתֶּךָ וְעַבְדְּךָ-וַאֲמָתֶךָ וְשׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרְךָ וְכָל-בְּהֶמְתֶּךָ וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ--לְמַעַן יָנוּחַ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ כָּמוֹךָ

. . . . . . . .

But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God your Lord; you shall do no craft whatsoever — you, and your son and your daughter, and your male slave and your female slave, and your ox and your donkey and the rest of your beasts, and your guest who is in your dwelling — so that your male slave and your female slave may rest like yourself.

Devarim 5:15

וְזָכַרְתָּ כִּי עֶבֶד הָיִיתָ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַיֹּצִאֲךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִשָּׁם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה עַל-כֵּן צִוְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת-יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת

. . . .

And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and God your Lord brought you out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm; and for that reason He commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

Devarim 5:16

כַּבֵּד אֶת-אָבִיךָ וְאֶת-אִמֶּךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ--לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכֻן יָמֶיךָ וּלְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ

. . . . .

Honor your father and your mother, as God your Lord has commanded you — so that your term of life may be long, and that it may go well for you, in the land which God your Lord is giving you.

Devarim 5:17

לֹא תִרְצָח וְלֹא תִנְאָף וְלֹא תִגְנֹב וְלֹא-תַעֲנֶה בְרֵעֲךָ עֵד שָׁוְא

. . .

You shall not kill a person. And you shall not commit adultery. And you shall not steal. And you shall not bear false witness against your fellow.

Devarim 5:18

וְלֹא תַחְמֹד אֵשֶׁת רֵעֶךָ וְלֹא תִתְאַוֶּה בֵּית רֵעֶךָ שָׂדֵהוּ וְעַבְדּוֹ וַאֲמָתוֹ שׁוֹרוֹ וַחֲמֹרוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לְרֵעֶךָ

. . . .

And you shall not desire the wife of your fellow; and you shall not covet his dwelling, his estate, his male slave and his female slave, his ox and his donkey, and all that is his.

Devarim 5:19

אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֶל-כָּל-קְהַלְכֶם בָּהָר מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ הֶעָנָן וְהָעֲרָפֶל--קוֹל גָּדוֹל וְלֹא יָסָף וַיִּכְתְּבֵם עַל-שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים וַיִּתְּנֵם אֵלָי

. . . . .

These words God spoke to all your people on the mountain, from within the fire and the cloud and the mist, with a great voice — not to be repeated — and He wrote them upon two tablets of crystal, and delivered them to me.

Devarim 5:20

וַיְהִי כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶם אֶת-הַקּוֹל מִתּוֹךְ הַחֹשֶׁךְ וְהָהָר בֹּעֵר בָּאֵשׁ וַתִּקְרְבוּן אֵלַי כָּל-רָאשֵׁי שִׁבְטֵיכֶם וְזִקְנֵיכֶם

. . .

And when you heard the voice from within the darkness of the cloud, and the mountain was ablaze with fire, the heads of your tribes and your elders came forward to me,

Devarim 5:21

וַתֹּאמְרוּ הֵן הֶרְאָנוּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֶת-כְּבֹדוֹ וְאֶת-גָּדְלוֹ וְאֶת-קֹלוֹ שָׁמַעְנוּ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה רָאִינוּ כִּי-יְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאָדָם וָחָי

. . . .

and you said: 'Behold, God our Lord has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we heard His voice from within the fire; and we have known today that it is possible that God speak to a human being and that he live.

Devarim 5:22

וְעַתָּה לָמָּה נָמוּת כִּי תֹאכְלֵנוּ הָאֵשׁ הַגְּדֹלָה הַזֹּאת אִם-יֹסְפִים אֲנַחְנוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶת-קוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ עוֹד--וָמָתְנוּ

. . .

And now — lest we perish, and lest this great fire consume us — for if we were to hear the word of God our Lord again directly, we would die.'

Devarim 5:23

כִּי מִי כָל-בָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע קוֹל אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים מְדַבֵּר מִתּוֹךְ-הָאֵשׁ כָּמֹנוּ--וַיֶּחִי

. .

For what mortal being has heard the voice of the living God addressing him from within the fire as we did, and yet lived?

Devarim 5:24

קְרַב אַתָּה וּשְׁמָע אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאַתְּ תְּדַבֵּר אֵלֵינוּ אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֵלֶיךָ--וְשָׁמַעְנוּ וְעָשִׂינוּ

. . .

'Go forward yourself and hear all that God our Lord will say; and you speak to us all of it, and we shall hear it and act by it.'

Devarim 5:25

וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוָה אֶת-קוֹל דִּבְרֵיכֶם בְּדַבֶּרְכֶם אֵלָי וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלַי שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת-קוֹל דִּבְרֵי הָעָם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר דִּבְּרוּ אֵלֶיךָ--הֵיטִיבוּ כָּל-אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּרוּ

. . . .

And God heard your words when you spoke to me; and God said to me: 'I have heard the words of these people who spoke to you — they have spoken well in all that they have said.

Devarim 5:26

מִי-יִתֵּן וְהָיָה לְבָבָם זֶה לָהֶם לְיִרְאָה אֹתִי וְלִשְׁמֹר אֶת-כָּל-מִצְו‍ֹתַי--כָּל-הַיָּמִים לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָהֶם וְלִבְנֵיהֶם לְעֹלָם

. . . . .

Would that they remain possessed of this heart — to fear Me and to keep My commandments all the time — so that it may go well for them and for their children forever.'

Devarim 5:27

לֵךְ אֱמֹר לָהֶם שׁוּבוּ לָכֶם לְאָהֳלֵיכֶם

.

'Go, tell them: Return to your tents.'

Devarim 5:28

וְאַתָּה פֹּה עֲמֹד עִמָּדִי וַאֲדַבְּרָה אֵלֶיךָ אֵת כָּל-הַמִּצְוָה וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תְּלַמְּדֵם וְעָשׂוּ בָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לָהֶם לְרִשְׁתָּהּ

. . . .

'But you — stand here before Me, until I speak to you all the commandments, and the statutes and the ordinances, which you shall teach them, that they may do in the land which I am giving them to possess.'

Devarim 5:29

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם לַעֲשׂוֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֶתְכֶם לֹא תָסֻרוּ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל

. .

So keep and do as God your Lord has commanded you — do not turn aside to the right or to the left.