said: "I created thee a spouse, and let not one among ye covet his
neighbor's wife." [237]

MOSES CHOSEN AS INTERMEDIATOR

After Israel had heard the Ten Commandments, they supposed that
God would on this occasion reveal to them all the rest of the
Torah. But the awful vision on Mount Sinai, where they heard the
visible and saw the audible - the privilege was granted them that
even the slave women among them saw more than the greatest
prophet of later times - this vision has so exhausted them that they
would surely have perished, had they heard another word from
God. They therefore went to Moses and implored him to be the
intermediator between them and God. God found their wish right,
so that He not only employed Moses as His intermediator, but
determined in all future times to send prophets to Israel as
messengers of His words. Turning to Moses, God said: "All that
they have spoken is good. If it were possible, I would even now
dismiss the Angel of Death, but death against humanity has already
been decreed by Me, hence it must remain. [238] Go, say unto
them: 'Return to your tents,' but stay thou with Me." In these words
God indicated to Israel that they might again enter upon conjugal
relations, from which they has abstained throughout three days,
while Moses should forever have to deny himself all earthly
indulgences. [239]

Moses in his great wisdom now knew how, in a few words, to
calm the great excitement of the myriads of men, saying to them:
"God gave you the Torah and wrought marvels for you, in order,
through this and through the observances of the laws which He