Midrash sobre Exodo 3:12

Why was the Torah not given as soon as the Israelites departed from Egypt? He did not do so because He had said to Moses: After you bring the people out of Egypt, serve God on this mountain (Exod. 3:12). R. Judah the son of Shalum said: This may be compared to a king’s son who has just arisen from a sickbed. His father says: “We will wait three months so that he may recuperate completely from his illness before we take him to the teacher’s home to study the law.” Similarly, when the Israelites departed from Egypt there were among them men who had been injured in their labors, and so the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I will delay giving them the Torah until they are healed.

Another interpretation (of Exod. 19:1:) ON THE NEW MOON (bahodesh), <THE THIRD ONE >. Ba hodesh (understood as two words) < means > THE NEW MOON HAS COME.³⁵PRK 12:18. R. Abbin said: When the Holy One appeared to Moses on Sinai, he said to him (in Exod. 3:12): WHEN YOU HAVE BROUGHT {THIS} [THE] PEOPLE OUT OF EGYPT, YOU SHALL SERVE <GOD ON THIS MOUNTAIN>. Now Moses was eagerly waiting and saying: When is this designated time coming? However, when [the designated time] did arrive, the Holy One said, THE NEW MOON HAS COME, <namely the one> that you have been eagerly awaiting. It does not say (in Exod. 19:1): "In the third moon," even as it says (in I Kings 6:37): THE MOON OF ZIV, (in vs. 38:) THE MOON OF BUL, <or> (as in 8:2) THE MOON OF ETHANIM. Rather it says (here in Exod. 19:1): ON THE [THIRD] NEW MOON (rt.: HDSh).³⁶PRK 12:19; cf. Matthew 22:1–14 // Luke 14:15–24. R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite said: The Holy One said to them: I am making a renewal (rt.: HDSh) of things and renewing (rt.: HDSh) you. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had a son. When he reached his maturity, his father wanted to have him marry; but he did not have a new argentaria³⁷The word may be Latin (argentaria) or Greek (argentarion) and denotes a chest of silver or silver table service, but in this context the word seems to denote table appointments generally. {i.e., court}. The king said: This is not the honor due my son, to have him marry {in an old court} [it should read: with an old argentaria]; yet if I wait until I provide him with a new one, I shall delay my son's happiness. What did the king do? He brought smiths and artisans to polish vessels of copper. He brought skilled workers to carve designs on vessels of wood. [<Thus> the king was able to have his son marry with an old argentaria which appeared to be new (rt.: HDSh).] So too, when Israel went forth out of Egypt, the blind, the deaf, and the lame were among them. The Holy One said: [The Torah, all of it, is complete, as stated (in Ps. 19:8 [7]): THE TORAH OF THE LORD IS PERFECT.] Shall I give it to this generation when there are deformities among them? Shall I wait until their children arise? Shall I delay the joy of Torah? What did the Holy One do? He healed them. Then he gave them the Torah. But where is it shown [that he healed them]? Whoever was blind saw, as stated (in Exod. 20:15 [18]): NOW ALL THE PEOPLE SAW THE THUNDERINGS…. Whoever was deaf was made to hear, as stated (in Exod. 24:7): ALL THAT THE LORD HAS SPOKEN WE WILL CARRY OUT AND OBEY (literally: HEAR). Whoever was lame was made whole, as stated (in Exod. 19:17): AND THEY STOOD AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAIN. Ergo: I will establish (rt.: HDSh) a renewal of things (rt.: HDSh) for you.

And Jacob became very frightened and distressed (Genesis 32,8). Rabbi Pinchos says in the name of Rabbi Re'uven that there were two people that Hashem promised them and nevetheless they were afraid. The chosen of the patriarchs and the chosen of the prophets. The chosen of the patriarchs is Jacob as it states (Psalms 135,4) "For Jacob, Y-H chose for Him" and and Hashem said to him (Genesis 28,15) "And behold I am with you" and at the end, he became frightened as it says "And Jacob became frightened". The chosen of the prophets is Moshe as it says (Psalms 106,23) "Were it not for Moshe His chosen one" and Hashem said to him "For I will be with you" and in the end he became frightened as it says (Numbers 21:34) "And Hashem said to Moshe, don't fear him" Hashem would only say "Don't fear him" to someone who has become afraid. Rabbi Brechiah and Rabbi Chelbo recited in the name of Rabbi Shmuel Bar Nachman who recited in the name of Rabbi Nassan "The Jewish people were worthy of being destroyed in the days of Haman, were it not that they relied on the knowledge of the parents' elder. They said "If Yaacov our patriarch, who was promised security by Hashem and Hashem told hi "And behold I will be with you" and HE became frigthened. How much moreso US. It is this that the prophet accuses Israel of and says to them (Isaiah 51,13) "And you forgot Hashem your maker the one who spread the heavens and founded earth." He said to those people what he would say to you (Jeremiah 31,36) "So said Hashem: If the heavens from above will be measured" if you see that the heavens quake and that the earth quakes, from the inclination of the heavens and earth you wouldn't learn anything other than (Isaiah 51,13) "And you are afraid all your days"