as it is written:

<<“And those whom

<<I have dealt ill with.”

Rabbi Chama son of Rabbi Chanina said:

<<Were it not for

<<three

<<verses

<<these,

<<would have collapsed

<<the legs

<<of

<<the haters of

<<Israel.

One —

<<as it is written:

<<“And those whom

<<I have dealt ill with”;

<<and one —

<<as it is written:

<<“Behold,

<<like clay

<<in the hand of

<<the potter,

<<so

<<are you

<<in My hand,

<<house of

<<Israel”;

<<and one —

<<as it is written:

<<“And I will remove

<<the heart of

<<stone

<<from your flesh,

<<and I will give

<<you

<<a heart of

<<flesh.”

Rav Pappa

<<said:

<<From here:

<<“And My spirit

<<I will put

<<within you,

<<and I will make

<<[it so]

<<that

<<in My statutes

<<you will walk.”

And Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Moshe

<<hurled

<<words

<<toward

<<On High,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And prayed

<<Moshe

<<to

<<Hashem” —

<<do not

<<read

<<“to

<<Hashem,”

<<but

<<“upon

<<Hashem.”

For so

<<the school of

<<Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov

<<read

<<alefs

<<as ayins,

<<and ayins

<<as alefs.

The school of

<<Rabbi Yannai

<<say:

<<From here:

<<“And Di

<<Zahav.”

What is

<<“And Di

<<Zahav”?

<<Say

<<the school of

<<Rabbi Yannai:

<<Thus

<<Moshe said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world,

<<because of

<<the silver

<<and gold

<<that You showered

<<on them,

<<on Israel,

<<until

<<they said

<<“Enough,”

<<it

<<caused

<<that they made

<<the calf.

Say

<<the school of

<<Rabbi Yannai:

<<A lion

<<does not

<<roar

<<from within

<<a basket

<<of

<<straw,

<<but

<<from within

<<a basket

<<of

<<meat.

Rabbi Oshaya said:

<<A parable:

<<to a person

<<that there was

<<to him

<<a cow,

<<lean

<<but large of

<<limbs;

<<he fed it

<<vetch,

<<and it was

<<kicking

<<him.

<<He said

<<to it:

<<Who

<<caused

<<you

<<that you should be

<<kicking

<<me,

<<if not

<<the vetch

<<that I fed you?

Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan:

<<A parable:

<<to a man,

<<a certain one,

<<that there was

<<to him

<<a son.

<<He bathed him

<<and anointed him,

<<and fed him

<<and gave him drink,

<<and hung

<<on him

<<a purse

<<on

<<his neck,

<<and sat him

<<at

<<the entrance

<<of

<<harlots.

<<What

<<can do

<<that son

<<that not

<<he will sin?!

Rav Acha son of Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Sheshes:

<<This is

<<what say

<<people:

<<Full

<<his belly —

<<kinds of

<<evils.

<<As it is stated:

<<“According to their pasture,

<<and they were sated;

<<they were sated,

<<and was lifted

<<their heart;

<<therefore

<<they forgot Me.”

<<Rav Nachman

<<said:

<<From here:

<<“And will be lifted

<<your heart,

<<and you will forget

<<Hashem.”

<<And the Rabbis

<<say:

<<From here:

<<“And he will eat

<<and be sated

<<and grow fat

<<and turn away.”

And if you wish, say:

<<From here:

<<“And grew fat

<<Yeshurun

<<and kicked.”

<<Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonasan:

<<From where

<<that retracted

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<and conceded

<<to him,

<<to Moshe?

<<As it is stated:

<<“And silver

<<I multiplied

<<for them,

<<and gold —

<<they made

<<for Baal.”

“And spoke

<<Hashem

<<to

<<Moshe:

<<Go,

<<descend.”

<<What is

<<“Go,

<<descend”?

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Said to him

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to Moshe:

<<Moshe,

<<descend

<<from your greatness!

<<Did at all

<<I give

<<you

<<greatness

<<except

<<for the sake of

<<Israel?

<<And now

<<Israel

<<have sinned;

<<you,

<<why

<<do I need [you]?

<<Immediately

<<weakened

<<the strength

<<of

<<Moshe,

<<and not

<<was there

<<to him

<<strength

<<to speak.

<<And once

<<He said

<<“Leave off

<<from Me

<<and I will destroy them,”

<<Moshe said:

<<The matter,

<<this one,

<<depends

<<on me!

<<Immediately

<<he stood

<<and strengthened himself

<<in prayer,

<<and requested

<<mercy.

A parable:

<<to a king

<<who was angry

<<at

<<his son,

<<and was

<<striking him

<<a blow

<<great.

<<And was

<<his friend

<<sitting

<<before him,

<<and afraid

<<to say

<<to him

<<a word.

<<Said

<<the king:

<<Were it not for

<<my friend,

<<this one,

<<who sits

<<before me,

<<I would have killed you.

<<He said:

<<The matter,

<<this one,

<<depends

<<on me.

<<Immediately

<<he stood

<<and saved him.

“And now,

<<leave

<<Me be,

<<and let burn

<<My anger

<<against them,

<<and I will consume them,

<<and I will make

<<you

<<into a nation

<<great,

<<etc.”

<<Rabbi Abbahu said:

<<Were it not that

<<the verse

<<is written,

<<it would be impossible

<<to say it.

<<This teaches

<<that took hold

<<Moshe

<<of the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<like a person

<<who

<<grabs

<<his fellow

<<by his garment,

<<and said

<<before Him:

<<Master of the world,

<<not

<<I

<<will let You go

<<until

<<You forgive

<<and pardon

<<them.

“And I will make

<<you

<<into a nation

<<great,

<<etc.”

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Moshe said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world,

<<and if

<<a chair

<<of

<<three

<<legs

<<is not

<<able

<<to stand

<<before You

<<at the time of

<<Your anger,

<<a chair

<<of

<<leg

<<one,

<<how much more so!

And not

<<only that,

<<but

<<that there is

<<in me

<<shame

<<of face

<<before my fathers;

<<now

<<they will say:

<<See

<<the leader

<<that He set up

<<over them!

<<He sought

<<greatness

<<for himself,

<<and not

<<did he seek

<<for them

<<mercy.

“And entreated (vayechal)

<<Moshe

<<the face of

<<Hashem.”

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<This teaches

<<that stood

<<Moshe

<<in prayer

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<until

<<it made him ill.

<<And Rava

<<said:

<<until

<<he annulled

<<for Him

<<His vow.

<<It is written

<<here:

<<“vayechal,”

<<and it is written

<<there:

<<“He shall not

<<profane (yachel)

<<his word,”

<<and said

<<the Master:

<<he

<<cannot

<<annul,

<<but

<<others

<<annul

<<for him.

And Shmuel

<<said:

<<This teaches

<<that he gave over

<<himself

<<to death

<<for them,

<<as it is stated:

<<“And if

<<not,

<<erase me,

<<please,

<<from Your book.”

Rava said in the name of Rav Yitzchak:

<<This teaches

<<that he brought to rest

<<upon them

<<the attribute of

<<mercy.

And the Rabbis

<<say:

<<This teaches

<<that Moshe said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world!

<<A profanity

<<it is

<<for You

<<to do

<<like the thing

<<this.

“And entreated (vayechal)

<<Moshe

<<the face of

<<Hashem.”

<<It is taught:

<<Rabbi Eliezer

<<the Great

<<says:

<<This teaches

<<that stood

<<Moshe

<<in prayer

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<until

<<seized him

<<“achilu.”

<<What is

<<“achilu”?

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<A fire

<<of

<<the bones.

<<What is

<<“a fire

<<of

<<the bones”?

<<Abaye said:

<<A fever

<<of the bones.

“Remember

<<Avraham,

<<Yitzchak,

<<and Israel,

<<Your servants,

<<to whom

<<You swore

<<to them

<<by Yourself.”

<<What is

<<“by Yourself”?

<<Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Moshe said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world,

<<if

<<You had sworn

<<to them

<<by the heavens

<<and by the earth,

<<I would

<<say:

<<just as

<<the heavens

<<and earth

<<will cease,

<<so

<<Your oath

<<will cease.

<<But now

<<that You swore

<<to them

<<by Your Name,

<<the Great,

<<just as

<<Your Name,

<<the Great,

<<lives

<<and endures

<<forever

<<and to the ages of

<<ages,

<<so

<<Your oath

<<endures

<<forever

<<and to the ages of

<<ages.

“And You spoke

<<to them:

<<I will multiply

<<your seed

<<like the stars of

<<the heavens,

<<and all

<<the land,

<<this one,

<<of which

<<I said.”

<<This

<<“of which

<<I said” —

<<“of which

<<You said”

<<it should have said!

Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Up

<<to here

<<are the words of

<<the student;

<<from here

<<onward

<<the words of

<<the Master.

<<And Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani

<<said:

<<These

<<and these

<<are the words of

<<the student,

<<but

<<thus

<<Moshe said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world,

<<the words

<<that You said

<<to me —

<<“Go,

<<say

<<to them,

<<to Israel,”

<<in My name —

<<I went

<<and said [them]

<<to them

<<in Your name.

<<Now

<<what

<<shall I

<<say

<<to them?

“Because of the lack of

<<the ability of

<<Hashem”:

<<“able (yachol)

<<Hashem”

<<it should have said.

Rabbi Elazar said:

<<Moshe said

<<before

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He:

<<Master of the world,

<<now

<<will say

<<the nations of

<<the world:

<<has weakened

<<His strength

<<like a female,

<<and He is not

<<able

<<to save.

<<Said

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to Moshe:

<<But have not

<<already

<<they seen

<<miracles

<<and mighty deeds

<<that I did

<<for them

<<at

<<the sea?

<<He said before Him:

<<Master of the world,

<<still

<<there is

<<for them

<<to say:

<<against a king,

<<one,

<<He is able

<<to stand;

<<against thirty

<<and one

<<kings

<<He is not

<<able

<<to stand.

Rabbi Yochanan said:

<<From where

<<that retracted

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<and conceded

<<to him,

<<to Moshe?

<<As it is stated:

<<“And said

<<Hashem:

<<I have forgiven

<<according to your words.”

<<Taught

<<the school of

<<Rabbi Yishmael:

<<“According to your words” —

<<destined are

<<the nations of

<<the world

<<to say

<<so.

Happy is

<<the student

<<whose teacher

<<concedes

<<to him.

“But indeed,

<<living

<<am I,”

<<Rava said in the name of Rav Yitzchak:

<<This teaches

<<that said

<<to him

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<to Moshe:

<<Moshe,

<<you have given Me life

<<with your words.

Expounded

<<Rabbi Simlai:

<<Always

<<should arrange

<<a person

<<the praise

<<of

<<the Holy One, Blessed be He,

<<and after

<<that

<<pray.

<<From where do we derive it?

<<From Moshe,

<<as it is written:

<<“And I entreated

<<to

<<Hashem

<<at the time,

<<that one.”

<<And it is written:

<<“Hashem

<<God,

<<You

<<have begun

<<to show

<<Your servant

<<Your greatness

<<and Your hand,

<<the strong one;

<<for

<<who

<<is a god

<<in the heavens

<<and on the earth

<<who

<<can do

<<like Your deeds

<<and like Your mighty acts?”

<<And it is written

<<after it:

<<“Let me cross,

<<please,

<<and see

<<the land,

<<the good one,

<<etc.”

A mnemonic:

<<deeds,

<<charity,

<<offering,

<<kohen,

<<fast,

<<lock,

<<iron.