מסיני בא. ויאמר הגאון ז״ל כי הר סיני ושעיר ופארן קרובים וזה הכתוב הוא על מעמד הר סיני ואמר סיני כי מסיני כמו בסיני וכן משעיר: CAME FROM SINAI. The Gaon,3Rabbi Saadiah Gaon. of blessed memory, says that Mount Sinai, Seir, and Paran are close to each other.4See Sefer Ha-Emunot Ve-Ha-De’ot 3:8. “These (Sinai, Seir, Paran) are three names for Mount Sinai.” The Gaon claims that the different names refer to different sides of the mountain. This verse speaks of the revelation at Sinai. Scripture reads mi-sinai (from Sinai), for mi-sinai has the same meaning as be-sinai (on Sinai).5That is, to Sinai. Thus the meaning of Adonai mi-sinai ba (the Lord came from Sinai) is, God came to Sinai. The same applies to the term mise’ir (from Seir).6It means to Seir. Saadiah Gaon is reacting to an interpretation offered by Jewish heretics or apostates. The apostates interpreted our verse as follows: God first revealed himself to Israel at Sinai. He then revealed himself to the Christians (Seir). He then revealed himself to the Arabs (Paran). This heretical interpretation is based on a midrash which identifies Seir with Christianity and Paran with the Arabs. See Sefer Ha-Emunot Ve-Ha-De’ot 3:8. Also see Mark Cohen, Under Crescent and Cross, p. 156, Princeton University Press, 1994.
מרבבות קדש. הם המלאכים והטעם על השכינה שירדה: FROM THE MYRIADS HOLY. The reference is to the angels. Scripture speaks of the Divine presence, which descended.7On Mount Sinai.
אש דת למו. התורה שנתנה באש וברק ואמר כי טעם ה' מסיני בא דרך תפלה כאומר אתה שבאת בסיני והנחלת תורה יחי ראובן וזה רחוק כי היה ראוי להיות החיה ואל תמית. וחסרי אמונ' אמרו כי טעם משעיר על דת אדום. ופארן על דת ישמעאל ואלה תועים הלא ראו כי לא החל בתחלה כי אם לברך ישראל לבדם וכן כתוב אשר ברך משה איש האלהים את בני ישראל ואמר וזרח משעיר למו שפירושו להם כמו ואין למו מכשול. והנכון בעיני שהפרשה היא ברכה כלל לכל ישראל ואח״כ פרט לכל שבט ושבט ואחר כן כללם במקום אין כאל ישורון. והנה מצאנו שאמרה דבורה ה' בצאתך משעיר בצעדך משדה אדום והנה אין שדה אדום הר כאשר אמר הגאון כי שלשה הרים הם סמוכים או לנכח ובס' תהלות אלהים בצאתך לפני עמך בצעדך בישימון סלה ואחריו כתוב ארץ רעשה ובצעד השכינה בישימון לא היה יום מתן תורה. כי אחר מדבר פארן באו בישימון ואמר חבקוק אלוה מתימן יבוא שהוא מבני אדום תימן אומר כטעם משדה אדום. והנה הכל במלחמות ידבר והעד יקום אלהים יפוצו אויביו וכאשר יושיע השם את עבדיו ידמה הכתוב רדת עזר מהשם והארץ תמוג וההרי' ימסו והשמים ירעשו והעד בשירו' דוד ותגעש ותרעש הארץ. וטעם זה סיני פירשתיו במקומו. וכן הוא הפירוש השם בא והטעם הכבוד שנכנס בישראל ותחלת הכנסו מסיני וזרח משעיר והטעם כל השנים שהיו ישראל במדבר לא הראה השם גבורה בעמים עד בא ישראל אל שדה אדום וכן כתוב בהררם שעיר עד איל פארן והנה הם קרובים שעיר ופארן והטעם מפורש כי ממקום שעיר כאשר באו לשעיר אז זרח הכבוד לישראל והופיע מהר פארן והטעם כפול כי פה הראה יפעתו: A FIERY LAW UNTO THEM. The Torah, which was given through fire and lightning.8Ex. 20:15. He9The Gaon. says that the Lord came…is a prayer. It means, You who came to Sinai and bequeathed the Torah,10To Israel. Let Reuben live (v. 6). However, this interpretation is far-fetched, for Scripture should read, keep Reuben alive and do not put him to death.11Verse 6 reads yechi re’uven ve-al yamut, the import of which is, may Reuben live, and not die. If Saadiah Gaon’s interpretation was correct the verse would read hachayeh et re’uven ve-al tamito (keep Reuben alive and do not put him to death). In other words, Scripture would have employed the imperative hachayeh (keep him alive) rather than the third person yechi (let him live). It similarly would have employed the second person tamito (you will put him to death) in place of the third person yamut (he will die). Those who lack faith say that from Seir refers to the religion of the Edomites,12Christianity. and Paran refers to the faith of the Ishmaelites.13See note 6. However, these err. Do they not see that Moses commenced at first to bless Israel alone. Scripture thus reads, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel (v. 1). Scripture goes on to say ve-zarach mi-se’ir lamo, the meaning of which is, And rose from Seir unto them.14Israel. Compare, lamo (for them) in And there is no stumbling for them (Ps. 119:165).15In other words, lamo means unto them. It appears to me that this chapter is a general blessing to all of Israel.16Verses 2-5. Moses then goes on to address each tribe and tribe individually.17Verses 6-25. Then Moses includes them all in the verse which reads, There is none unto God, O Jeshurun (v. 26). Look,18I.E. goes on to explain our verse. we find that Deborah said, Lord, when Thou didst go forth out of Seir, When Thou didst march out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled (Jud. 5:4). Clearly the field of Edom is not a mountain as the Gaon says,19For a field is not a mountain. The field of Edom (sede edom) is parallel to Seir. If sede edom does not refer to a mountain neither does Seir. for the Gaon maintains that Sinai, Seir, and Paran are three mountains close to each other or facing each other. Also, the Book of Psalms states, O God, when Thou wentest forth before thy people, When Thou didst march through the wilderness (yeshimon); Selah (Ps. 68:8). Scripture then states, The earth trembled (Ps. 68:9).20We thus see that Jud. 5:4, which speaks of the earth trembling, does not refer to the revelation at Sinai for Ps. 68:8 indicates that the earth trembled in the yeshimon not at Sinai. I.E. comments thus because someone might still insist on identifying the field of Edom with Mount Sinai. It should be noted that I.E. insists that the clause “the earth trembled” in Jud. 5:4 and the similar clause in Ps. 68:9 refer to the same event. See I.E. on Ps. 68:8. Now the Divine presence did not march through the wilderness (yeshimon) on the day that the Torah was given, for Israel came to the wilderness (yeshimon) after they had passed through the wilderness (midbar) of Paran.21We thus see that Seir is to be identified with Sinai. Furthermore, Habakkuk says, God cometh from Teman (Hab. 3:3). Teman was one of the sons of Edom, for we read, Teman, Omar (Gen. 36:11).22Are the sons of Eliphaz the son of Esau (Edom). From Teman means the same as from the field of Edom. Look, all the verses23The verse quoted from Judges, Psalms, and Habbakuk. speak of war. Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered (Ps. 68:2) is proof of this. Scripture describes God’s saving of His servants in terms of help coming down from heaven, the earth melting, the mountains dissolving, and the heavens quaking. Then the earth did shake and quake (Ps. 18:8) in David’s song is proof of this. I have explained the meaning of even yon Sinai (Ps. 68:9) in its place.24See I.E. on Ps. 68:8. The meaning of Ps. 68:9 is that the earth trembled as Mount Sinai (zeh sinai) did. In other words, the phrase zeh sinai does not imply that what comes before (the earth trembled…) refers to the revelation at Sinai. The following is the explanation of our verse. The Lord came refers to the glory that entered into Israel. It first entered Israel at Sinai. And rose from Seir means that God did not show His might among the nations all the years that Israel was in the wilderness until Israel came to the field of Edom. Scripture similarly states, in their mount Seir, unto El-paran (Gen. 14:6). Seir and Paran are thus close to each other. The meaning of And rose from Se’ir is thus explained, for mi-seir means from the place of Seir; that is, when Israel came to Seir, God’s glory rose to Israel. He shined forth from mount Paran repeats the idea expressed by and rose from Seir. It means that God here25In Paran and Seir. showed His shining.
ואתה מרבבות קדש. על דעתי שהוא דבק עם מימינו והטעם שבא אש מרבבות קדש מימין השם לסבב ישראל כטעם סוסי אש ורכב אש סביבות אלישע: AND HE CAME FROM THE MYRIADS HOLY. I believe that this is connected to At His right hand. It means that fire came from the myriads holy at God’s right hand to surround Israel. It26The statement that fire came from God’s hand to surround Israel. is similar to the horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha (II Kings 6:17).
וטעם דת. שעומדת תמיד: [FIERY LAW.] The meaning of law27Hebrew, dat. I.E. renders esh dat (a fiery law) as a constant fire. is something constant.28I.E. interprets our verse as follows: a constant fire comes to them at His right hand.