The pasuk says, “...thus say to the House of Yaakov and tell the Children of Israel.” (Shemos 19:3) Rashi comments “in this language and in this sequence.”Hashem tells Moshe to give over His message precisely as he is being told it. Similarly, two pesukim later, Rashi comments on the expression “...These are the words that you shall speak to the Children of Israel” (Shemos 19:5): “Neither more nor less.”
We would think that there would be no need to tell Moshe Rabbeinu. “Say it this way – neither more nor less, this is exactly how you need to say it!” Is it not obvious that Moshe Rabbeinu should and will transmit Hashem’s ‘script’ to Bnei Yisrael exactly as Hashem tells him? What is Rashi saying here?
Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky addresses this issue in his sefer. The principle he sets forth is basically an idea found in the Droshas haRan. There is a very famous teaching of Rav Nissim ben Reuven of Girona (1320-1380). Why is it that Moshe Rabbeinu, the leader of Klal Yisrael, had a speech impediment? We would think that the person who took the Jews out of Mitzrayim, gave them the Torah, and led them for forty years in the wilderness should be articulate. At least we would assume he should be a good speaker!
The Droshas haRan writes that Hashem wanted Moshe to have a speech impediment because He wanted that the people should accept him and listen to him, not because of his ‘golden tongue’ or because of his oratorical skills. Therefore, he was the leader of the people, not because of his power of speech but because he was Moshe Rabbeinu – the messenger of Hashem.
When the Ribono shel Olam told Moshe “I want you to give Torah to Klal Yisrael,” He emphasized “I do not want a ‘sales job’ over here.” There are people who are born salesmen. Someone walks into a car dealership wanting a stripped-down Corolla and walks out with a Lexus that has every single feature. Why? Because a slick salesman sold him a bill of goods. It is the same when you go buy a refrigerator. You want a basic model refrigerator. You wind up buying a model with an ice-maker that takes your blood pressure and does everything for you! Slick salesmen!
The Ribono shel Olam is emphasizing to Moshe: I do not want any sales jobs over here. I want them to accept the Torah as it is. “This is it.” Therefore, “nothing more and nothing less.”
Rav Yaakov uses this idea to answer a question that troubles all the meforshim. Moshe Rabbeinu made one slip-up in his life. He hit the rock rather than speaking to it (according to Rashi’s interpretation of the aveira (sin) of Mei Merivah).
Essentially, Moshe Rabbeinu was fired for that! Because of that one slip-up, Moshe was unable to be the one to continue to lead Bnei Yisroel into Eretz Yisroel! Rav Yaakov explains why. It was vital that the Torah be transmitted exactly as given by Hashem. Once there is any addition or subtraction or modification to the word of Hashem, people can start speculating – “well, maybe other parts of it are not from Hashem either! Maybe this is Moshe’s own editorial comment.” To bring home this crucial idea that precisely the entire Torah is from Hashem, the one time that Moshe did do something not EXACTLY as commanded, he lost his job.
This Torah is the Word of G-d. It is not the word of Moshe Rabbeinu and not the word of anyone else. It is the Dvar Hashem.
