Shabbat Chol Hamoed Sukkot

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Shabbat Chol Hamoed Sukkot

The following reading is a conversation between God and Moses regarding His Divine Presence continuing to be with the Jewish Nation as they journey to the Land of Israel, and Moses’ request to see God’s glory. It also contains some of the mitzvot that God commanded the Jewish Nation to keep after entering the Land of Israel, as well as some of the mitzvot related to the festivals.

Hebrew

כהן וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־יְיָ
רְאֵה אַתָּה אֹמֵר אֵלַי הַעַל
אֶת־הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאַתָּה לֹא
הוֹדַעְתַּנִי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־תִּשְׁלַח
עִמִּי וְאַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ יְדַעְתִּיךָ
בְשֵׁם וְגַם־מָצָאתָ חֵן בְּעֵינָי׃
וְעַתָּה אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן
בְּעֵינֶיךָ הוֹדִיעֵנִי נָא אֶת
דְּרָכֶךָ וְאֵדָעֲךָ לְמַעַן אֶמְצָא־
חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה כִּי עַמְּךָ
הַגּוֹי הַזֶּה׃ וַיֹּאמַר פָּנַי יֵלֵכוּ
וַהֲנִחֹתִי לָךְ׃ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אִם־
אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הֹלְכִים אַל־תַּעֲלֵנוּ
מִזֶּה׃ וּבַמֶּה ׀ יִוָּדַע אֵפוֹא כִּי־
מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲנִי וְעַמֶּךָ
הֲלוֹא בְּלֶכְתְּךָ עִמָּנוּ וְנִפְלִינוּ
אֲנִי וְעַמְּךָ מִכָּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר
עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה׃

Sephardi

Kohen Vayomer Moshe el-Adonai
re'eh atah omer elai, ha'al
et-ha'am hazeh, ve'atah lo
hoda'tani et asher-tishlach
imi; ve'atah amarta, yeda'ticha
veshem, vegam-matzata chen be'enai:
Ve'atah im-na matzati chen
b'einecha, hodi'eni na et-
derachecha ve'eda'acha, lema'an emtza-
chen b'einecha; ur'eh ki amecha
hagoy hazeh: Vayomer, Panai yeilechu,
vahanichoti lach: Vayomer elav, im-
ein panecha holchim, al-ta'alenu
mizeh: Uvameh | yivada efo ki-
matzati chen b'einecha, ani ve'amecha?
Halo belechtecha imanu, veniflinu,
ani ve'amecha, mikol-ha'am asher
al-p'nei ha'adamah:

English

Kohen After the sin of the Golden Calf, God told Moses that He will remove His Divine Presence from among the Jewish Nation because of their sin. Instead, He will send an angel to lead them as they journey to the Land of Israel. Then, Moses said to God: Look, You say to me, “Bring this people up to the Land of Israel,” but You did not inform me whom You will send with me. Therefore, I ask that You reconsider and return Your Divine Presence to us, as before. Furthermore, You said, “You, Moses, are special, for I have made you known as one of importance; I have given you a reputable name, and you have also found favor in My eyes.” And now, if it is true that I have found favor in Your eyes, please make Your ways known to me—the reward that You give to those who find favor in Your eyes—so that I may know You and so that I may know how great is the reward for those who find favor in Your eyes, and see to it that this nation will always remain Your chosen people. God said to Moses: My Presence will go with the nation and lead them—I will not send an angel—and I will allow you to rest from this worry. Moses said to God: Indeed we need Your presence to lead us, for if Your Presence does not go with us, please do not bring us up from here to the Land of Israel. For how else then will it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your eyes? It can only be by Your leading us! Additionally, I request that Your people and I should be distinguished from all other nations on the face of the earth, by having Your Presence dwell only upon us and not upon any other nation.

Hebrew

לוי וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה גַּם
אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ
אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּי־מָצָאתָ חֵן בְּעֵינַי
וָאֵדָעֲךָ בְּשֵׁם׃ וַיֹּאמַר הַרְאֵנִי
נָא אֶת־כְּבֹדֶךָ׃ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי
אַעֲבִיר כָּל־טוּבִי עַל־פָּנֶיךָ
וְקָרָאתִי בְשֵׁם יְיָ לְפָנֶיךָ
וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר אָחֹן וְרִחַמְתִּי
אֶת־אֲשֶׁר אֲרַחֵם׃

Sephardi

Levi Vayomer Adonai el-Moshe, gam
et-hadavar hazeh asher dibarta,
e'eseh, ki-matzata chen be'enai,
va'eda'acha b'shem: Vayomer, Har'eni
na et-kevodecha: Vayomer, Ani
a'avir kol-tuvi al-panecha,
vekarati veshem Adonai lefanecha;
vechanoti et-asher achon, verichamti
et-asher arachem:

English

Levi The Lord said to Moses: I will also do as you asked, regarding the matter of which you just spoke—I will rest My Divine Presence with the Jewish Nation. For this is the reward for your having found favor in My eyes, and I will make you known from among all other people by giving you a reputable name. Moses saw that it was a favorable time before God, and he said: God, grant me one more request, please show me the inner essence of Your glory. God said: I will do as you asked, I will let all My goodness, including My attribute of mercy, pass before you, and I will call out the name of the Lord before you, so you will teach My people how to arouse My mercy in prayer. However, I will still only show favor when I wish to show favor, and I will have mercy only when I wish to have mercy.

Hebrew

ישראל וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא תוּכַל לִרְאֹת
אֶת־פָּנָי כִּי לֹא־יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם
וָחָי׃ וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ הִנֵּה מָקוֹם
אִתִּי וְנִצַּבְתָּ עַל־הַצּוּר׃ וְהָיָה
בַּעֲבֹר כְּבֹדִי וְשַׂמְתִּיךָ בְּנִקְרַת
הַצּוּר וְשַׂכֹּתִי כַפִּי עָלֶיךָ עַד־
עָבְרִי׃ וַהֲסִרֹתִי אֶת־כַּפִּי וְרָאִיתָ
אֶת־אֲחֹרָי וּפָנַי לֹא יֵרָאוּ׃

Sephardi

Yisrael Vayomer, Lo tuchal lir'ot
et-panai, ki lo-yir'ani ha'adam
vachai: Vayomer Adonai, Hineh makom
iti, venitzavta al-hatzur: Vehayah
ba'avor kevodi, vesamticha benikrat
hatzur, vesakkoti chapi alecha, ad-
ovri: Vahasiroti et-kapi, vera'ita
et-achorai; ufanai lo yera'u:

English

Yisrael God continued and said: Although I will pass all of My goodness before you, You will not be able to see My face—the mysterious ways of My inner essence—for no man can see My inner essence and continue to live. Then God said to Moses: Behold, I have designated a place from where you will be able to see Me; you will stand on the rock located on the mountain at which I revealed Myself to you—Mount Sinai. And it will be that when My glory will pass before you, I will place you into a crack of the rock and I will cover you with My palm to shield you from any harm that may befall you due to this great revelation until I have passed. Then I will remove My hand, and you will be able to see My back—the lower levels of My presence. However, My face—My inner and mysterious levels—will not be seen.

Hebrew

רביעי וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה
פְּסָל־לְךָ שְׁנֵי־לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים
כָּרִאשֹׁנִים וְכָתַבְתִּי עַל־
הַלֻּחֹת אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר
הָיוּ עַל־הַלֻּחֹת הָרִאשֹׁנִים
אֲשֶׁר שִׁבַּרְתָּ׃ וֶהְיֵה נָכוֹן
לַבֹּקֶר וְעָלִיתָ בַבֹּקֶר אֶל־הַר
סִינַי וְנִצַּבְתָּ לִי שָׁם עַל־רֹאשׁ
הָהָר׃ וְאִישׁ לֹא־יַעֲלֶה עִמָּךְ
וְגַם־אִישׁ אַל־יֵרָא בְּכָל־הָהָר
גַּם־הַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר אַל־יִרְעוּ
אֶל־מוּל הָהָר הַהוּא׃

Sephardi

Revi'i Vayomer Adonai el-Moshe,
Pesol-lecha shenei-luchot avanim
karishonim; vechatavti al-
haluchot et-hadevarim asher
hayu al-haluchot harishonim,
asher shibarta: Veheye nachon
laboker, v'alita vaboker el-har
Sinai, venitzavta li sham al-rosh
hahar: V'ish lo-ya'ale imach,
vegam-ish al-yera bechol-hahar;
gam-hatzon vehabakar al-yir'u
el-mul hahar hahu:

English

Fourth Reading Now that the Lord forgave the Jewish Nation, He said to Moses: Carve for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will inscribe upon the Tablets the words of the Ten Commandments that were on the first Tablets, which you broke. Be prepared for the great revelation you will experience in the morning, and in the morning you shall ascend Mount Sinai and stand before Me there at the top of the mountain. When you ascended the mountain to receive the first Tablets, others were allowed to ascend with you part of the way to increase the fanfare. This time, however, they will be given in private. No one, not even Aaron, your brother, shall ascend the mountain with you, nor shall anyone be seen anywhere on the mountain. The sheep and the cattle shall not even graze facing that mountain.

Hebrew

חמישי וַיִּפְסֹל שְׁנֵי־לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים
כָּרִאשֹׁנִים וַיַּשְׁכֵּם מֹשֶׁה בַבֹּקֶר
וַיַּעַל אֶל־הַר סִינַי כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה
יְיָ אֹתוֹ וַיִּקַּח בְּיָדוֹ שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת
אֲבָנִים׃ וַיֵּרֶד יְיָ בֶּעָנָן וַיִּתְיַצֵּב
עִמּוֹ שָׁם וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם יְיָ׃
וַיַּעֲבֹר יְיָ ׀ עַל־פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא
יְיָ ׀ יְיָ אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן
אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב־חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת׃
נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן
וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה
פֹּקֵד ׀ עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל־בָּנִים

Sephardi

Chamishi Vayifsol shenei-luchot avanim
karishonim, vayashkem Moshe vaboker,
vaya'al el-har Sinai ka'asher tzivah
Adonai oto, vayikach b'yado sh'nei luchot
avanim: Vayered Adonai be'anan, vayityatzev
imo sham, vayikra veshem Adonai:
Vaya'avor Adonai | al-panav vayikra,
Adonai | Adonai, El rachum v'chanun,
erech apayim v'rav-chesed ve'emet:
Notzer chesed la'alafim, nosei avon
vafesha v'chata'ah, v'nakeh lo yenake,
poked | avon avot al-banim

English

Fifth Reading Moses carved two stone Tablets like the first ones. The next day, Moses arose early in the morning and ascended Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, and he took two stone Tablets in his hand. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there at the top of the mountain, and Moses called out with the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before Moses and He called out: The Lord is merciful and helps prevent people from sinning. The Lord is merciful and helps people who have sinned to repent. God is merciful and gracious to all of His creations, even if they do not deserve it. God is slow to anger, giving people a chance to repent. God shows much kindness even to those who do not have merits, and is true to His word—to reward those who perform His will. God guards and preserves His kindness for two thousand generations—He remembers the merits of our ancestors, and He is kind to us because of them. God forgives intentional sins. God forgives rebellious sins. God forgives unintentional sins. God