Shemot 33

1. And Hashem said unto Moshe, Depart, and go from here, thou and HaAm which thou hast brought up out of Eretz Mitzrayim, unto HaAretz which I swore unto Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya’akov, saying, Unto thy zera will I give it;

2. And I will send a Malach before thee; and I will drive out the Kena’ani, the Emori, the Chitti, the Perizzi, the Chivi, and the Yevusi;

3. Unto an Eretz zavat cholov and devash; for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art an Am Kesheh Oref (stiffnecked, obstinate people); lest I consume thee in HaDerech.

4. And when HaAm heard these evil tidings, they mourned; and no ish did put on him his ornamental attire.

5. For Hashem had said unto Moshe, Say unto the Bnei Yisroel, Ye are an Am Kesheh Oref; I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee; therefore now put off thy ornamental attire from thee, that I may decide what to do unto thee.

6. And the Bnei Yisroel stripped themselves of their ornamental attire by Mt. Chorev.

7. And Moshe would take the Ohel, and pitch it outside the machaneh, afar off from the machaneh, and called it the Ohel Mo’ed. And it came to pass, that every one which sought Hashem went out unto the Ohel Mo’ed, which was outside the machaneh.

8. And it came to pass, when Moshe went out unto the Ohel, that kol HaAm rose up, and stood every man at his petach ohel, and watched after Moshe, until he was gone into the Ohel.

9. And it came to pass, as Moshe entered into the Ohel, the Ammud of the Anan descended, and stood at the petach Ohel, and Hashem would speak with Moshe.

10. And kol HaAm saw the Ammud of the Anan stand at the petach Ohel; and kol HaAm rose up and worshiped, every man in his petach ohel.

11. And Hashem spoke unto Moshe face to face, as an ish speaketh unto his re’a. And he returned into the machaneh; but his mesharet Yehoshua ben Nun, a na’ar, departed not out of the Ohel.

12. And Moshe said unto Hashem, See, Thou sayest unto me, Bring this people onward; and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said, I know thee by shem, and thou hast also found chen (grace, unmerited favor) in My sight.

13. Therefore, now, if I have found chen in Thy sight, show me now Thy Derech, that I may have da’as of Thee, that I may find chen in Thy sight; and consider that this nation is Thy people.

14. And He said, My Presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

15. And he said unto Him, If Thy Presence go not with me, bring us not up from here [Sinai].

16. For how then shall it be known that I and Thy people have found chen in Thy sight? Is it not in that Thou goest with us? So shall we be made distinct as separate, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of ha’adamah.

17. And Hashem said unto Moshe, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found chen in My sight, and I know thee by shem.

18. And he said, show me now Thy kavod.

19. And He said, I will make kol tuvi (all My goodness) pass in front of thee, and I will call out with the Shem of Hashem before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show rachamim on whom I will show rachamim.

20. And He said, Thou canst not see My face; for there shall no adam see Me, and live.

21. And Hashem said, Hinei, there is a place near Me, and thou shalt stand upon the tzur;

22. And it shall come to pass, while My kavod passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the tzur, and will cover thee with My yad until I pass by;

23. And I will take away Mine yad, and thou shalt see My back; but My face shall not be seen.