ספר שמות

Exodus 19,21. “Hashem said to Moses: ‘descend and ‎warn the people lest they break through towards G’d, etc.’” ‎Exodus 19,23: “Moses said to G’d: ‘the people cannot ascend ‎the mountain, etc.” 19,24: G’d said to ‎[The reader will no doubt have noted when reflecting on ‎this dialogue between G’d and Moses that for Moses to –so to ‎speak- countermand G’d’s instruction to him- sounds mind-‎boggling. Ed.]‎‎Rashi’s commentary on verse 24, based on the ‎‎Mechilta, focuses on the word ‎‏ מזרזין‎, the urgency of ‎repeating warnings in order for these warnings not to be ‎ignored.‎It appears to me that Moses had full faith in G’d’s words,-not ‎as it would appear at first glance- and seeing that he did, he ‎immediately carried out G’d’s instructions and descended. At the ‎same time, Moses took it for granted that just as it would not ‎occur to him to question G’d’s instructions, so it would not occur ‎to any member of the Jewish people to do so either. G’d corrected ‎him by explaining that not only must a warning be issued prior ‎to a prohibition, but it must be repeated at the time when there ‎is evidence that the prohibition is about to be ignored. Moses was ‎too humble to believe that seeing that he had merited to converse ‎with G’d on a “mouth to mouth” bases repeatedly, that this had ‎been possible only because his level of faith in G’d was high above ‎that of the average Israelite. Whereas the average Israelite did ‎have great moments of religious inspiration from time to time, ‎Moses was on that level on a 24/7 basis. Hence he was able to say ‎to G’d: “seeing that You have warned us once we cannot possibly ‎entertain the thought of ascending the mountain.” (verse 23) ‎When Gd repeated the instructions to Moses to descend forthwith ‎and to warn the people again this was a great compliment to ‎Moses, not an expression of G’d’s displeasure for Moses not ‎having carried out instructions.‎ ‎