Commentaire sur L’Exode 19:2

ויסעו מרפידים AND THEY JOURNEYED FROM REPHIDIM — What does Scripture teach us by again expressly stating from where they set forth on the journey, for is it not already written (Exodus 17:1) that they had encamped at Rephidim and it is therefore evident that they set forth from there?! But Scripture repeats it in order to make a comparison with the character of their journey from Rephidim to that of their arrival in the wilderness of Sinai! How was it in the case of their arrival in the wilderness of Sinai? They were in a state of penitence (as shown by the unanimity with which they encamped before the mountain: cf. Rashi on the end of this verse)! Thus, too, their setting forth from Rephidim was in a state of repentance for the sin they had committed there (see Exodus 17:2) (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 19:2:1).

(1) They traveled from Rephidim and they came to the Sinai wilderness, and they camped in the wilderness. And Israel camped there opposite the mountain. Look at how many repetitions are written here. What would be missing in the [meaning of the] text if it would have just said, "They traveled from Rephidim and they encamped in the Sinai wilderness opposite the mountain"? Any why does it first say "they camped" [in plural] and then afterward "he camped" [in singular]? First it says, "in the Sinai wilderness," and then it just says, "in the wilderness." And first it refers to the mountain using the name Sinai, and after it just calls it a mountain. And it seems that all of this is proving to us that Bnei Yisrael are not worthy of receiving the Torah until there is peace among them. "The owners of collections that are all stemming from one shepherd." (Ecclesiastes 12:11 - see pshat and parshanut there) All of the paths of Torah are paths of peace. And the result of separation of hearts, where one forbids something and another permits it, is that the Torah becomes 2 Torahs. That is why the [previous] pasuk specifies that that it was in the third month on this day that they came to the Sinai wilderness. It is teaching that this month [of Sivan], which has the astrological sign of twins, is instructing us about attachment and love, that together [the Jews] should be perfect[ly connected] to each other like twins. And then there will be great peace among those who love Torah. And there is also a hint to this in the fact that there are 2 luchot which are like twins to each other, with 5 commandments [on one] parallel to 5 [on the other].

ויסעו מרפידים ויבאו מדבר סיני. The departure from Refidim was for the express purpose of getting to the desert of Sinai where the mountain of G’d (Chorev) was located. The people knew that once they would arrive there they would worship the Lord there (Exodus 3,12).