Shabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach

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Hebrew

מִזֶּה: וּבַמֶּה | יִוָּדַע אֵפוֹא כִּי־
מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אֲנִי וְעַמֶּךָ
הֲלוֹא בְּלֶכְתְּךָ עִמָּנוּ וְנִפְלֵינוּ
אֲנִי וְעַמְּךָ מִכָּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר
עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה:

Sephardi

mizeh: Uvameh | yivada eifo ki-
matzati chen b'einecha ani v'amecha
halo b'lechtecha imanu v'nifleinu
ani v'amecha mikol-ha'am asher
al-p'nei ha'adamah:

English

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.

Levi

Hebrew

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

Sephardi

Vayomer Adonai el-Moshe
gam et-hadavar hazeh asher
dibarta e'eseh ki-matzata chen
b'einai va'eda'acha b'shem: Vayomer
har'eni na et-kevodecha: Vayomer
ani a'avir kol-tuvi al-
panecha vekarati b'shem Adonai
lefanecha vechanoti et-asher achon
verichamti et-asher arachem:

English

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.

Yisrael

Hebrew

וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא תוּכַל לִרְאֹת
אֶת־פָּנַי כִּי לֹא־יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם
וָחָי: וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה 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

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 vesakoti chapi
alecha ad-avri: Vehasiroti
et-kapi vera'ita et-achorai
ufanai lo yera'u:

English

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.

Fourth Reading

Hebrew

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה 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

Sephardi

Vayomer Adonai el-Moshe
pesol-lecha shenei-luchot avanim
karishonim v'chatavti al-
haluchot et-hadevarim asher
hayu al-haluchot harishonim
asher shibarta: Veheyeh nachon
laboker v'alita vaboker el-har
Sinai v'nitzavta li sham al-rosh
hahar: V'ish lo-ya'aleh imach

English

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,

Hebrew

וְגַם־אִישׁ אַל־יֵרָא בְּכָל־הָהָר
גַּם־הַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר אַל־יִרְעוּ
אֶל־מוּל הָהָר הַהוּא:

Sephardi

V'gam-ish al-yera b'chol-hahar
gam-hatzon v'habakar al-yir'u
el-mul hahar hahu:

English

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.

Fifth Reading

Hebrew

וַיִּפְסֹל שְׁנֵי־לֻחֹת
אֲבָנִים כָּרִאשֹׁנִים וַיַּשְׁכֵּם
מֹשֶׁה בַבֹּקֶר וַיַּעַל אֶל־הַר
סִינַי כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה אֹתוֹ
וַיִּקַּח בְּיָדוֹ שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת אֲבָנִים:
וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה בֶּעָנָן וַיִּתְיַצֵּב
עִמּוֹ שָׁם וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם יְהוָה:
וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוָה | עַל־פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא
יְהוָה | יְהוָה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן
אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב־חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת:
נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן
וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה
פֹּקֵד | עֲוֹן אָבוֹת עַל־בָּנִים
וְעַל־בְּנֵי בָנִים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁים
וְעַל־רִבֵּעִים: וַיְמַהֵר מֹשֶׁה
וַיִּקֹּד אַרְצָה וַיִּשְׁתָּחוּ: וַיֹּאמֶר
אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ
אֲדֹנָי יֵלֶךְ־נָא אֲדֹנָי בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ כִּי
עַם־קְשֵׁה־עֹרֶף הוּא וְסָלַחְתָּ
לַעֲוֺנֵנוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵנוּ וּנְחַלְתָּנוּ:
וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי כֹּרֵת בְּרִית
נֶגֶד כָּל־עַמְּךָ אֶעֱשֶׂה נִפְלָאֹת
אֲשֶׁר לֹא־נִבְרְאוּ בְכָל־הָאָרֶץ
וּבְכָל־הַגּוֹיִם וְרָאָה כָל־הָעָם
אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה בְקִרְבּוֹ אֶת־
מַעֲשֵׂה יְהוָה כִּי־נוֹרָא הוּא
אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה עִמָּךְ:

Sephardi

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 b'shem 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 yenakeh
poked | avon avot al-banim
v'al-benei vanim al-shileshim
v'al-ribe'im: Vayemaher Moshe
vayikod artzah vayishtachu: Vayomer
im-na matzati chen b'einecha
Adonai yeilech-na Adonai b'kirbenu ki
am-kesheh-oref hu v'salachta
la'avoneinu ul'chatateinu un'chaltanu:
Vayomer hineh anochi koret berit
neged kol-amecha e'eseh nifla'ot
asher lo-nivre'u b'chol-ha'aretz
uvechol-hagoyim v'ra'ah chol-ha'am
asher-atah b'kirbo et-
ma'aseh Adonai ki-nora hu
asher ani oseh imach:

English

So 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 completely cleanses us from our sins when we repent, but He does not cleanse us if we don't repent. He remembers the intentional sins of parents and, if they continue in their parents' ways, punishes their children and children's children to the third and fourth generations for their sins as well. As Moses saw the Divine Presence was about to leave, he hurried, bowed his head toward the ground, prostrated himself, and said: If I have now found favor in Your eyes, my Lord, then please may the Divine Presence of my Lord go in our midst as we journey, since You have forgiven us. And if because they are a stiff necked people they will sin before You again, may You forgive our intentional and unintentional sins, and secure us as Your everlasting nation and portion. God agreed and said: Behold I will enter a covenant to this: In the presence of all your people, I will make distinctions such as have never been created upon all the earth and among all the nations—the Divine Presence will dwell only among the Jewish Nation. All the people in whose midst you dwell shall see the work of the Lord—for it is awesome—that which I will now be doing for you.