Комментарий к Шмот 19:1

ביום הזה THE SAME (lit., this) DAY — on the day of the New Moon. (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 19:1:3; Shabbat 86b). It ought not to write ביום הזה, but ביום ההוא, “on that day”; what, then, is the force of the words “on this day”? Since they refer to the day when the Israelites came to Sinai to receive the Torah they imply that the commands of the Torah should be to you each day as something new (not antiquated and something of which you have become tired), as though He had only given them to you for the first time on the day in question (Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 273; cf. Berakhot 63b).

IN THE THIRD MONTH. Scripture should have said, “And they journeyed from Rephidim and they encamped in the wilderness of Sinai, in the third month after their going forth from the land of Egypt,” just as it said above concerning the wilderness of Sin.¹³¹Above, 17:1: And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin… and encamped in Rephidim. But [Scripture’s manner of expression here is] due to the fact that their coming into the wilderness of Sinai was an occasion for joy and a festival to them, and that since they left Egypt they had been yearning for it. They knew that they would receive the Torah there, for Moses had told them what was said to him, Ye shall serve G-d upon the mountain.¹³²Above, 3:12. And to Pharaoh also he said, Let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey, into the wilderness and sacrifice unto the Eternal our G-d.¹³³Ibid., 5:3. For this reason, Scripture begins the section with the statement that in the third month… the same day that the month began,¹³⁴Mechilta on the verse here, and mentioned in Rashi. they came there [as they had eagerly anticipated]. Following this opening, Scripture reverts [to the usual style] as in the other journeys: And they journeyed from Rephidim.¹³⁵Verse 2.
Now here too Scripture should have said “and they journeyed from Rephidim and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai.” Instead it writes, and they came to the wilderness of Sinai. This is because Scripture’s intent is to state that as soon as they came to the wilderness of Sinai and saw the mountain in front of them, they encamped in the wilderness and did not wait until they would enter a spot better for encampment. Instead, they camped in the wilderness or in Horeb,¹³⁶Deuteronomy 4:10. which was a waste land before the mountain. This is the purport of the verse; and they encamped in the wilderness, and there Israel encamped before the mount.¹³⁵Verse 2.
It is possible that they separated from their midst all the mixed multitude that was among them,¹³⁷Numbers 11:4. See also above, 12:38. and the children of Israel alone camped before the mountain while the mixed multitude was behind them. For the Torah was given to Israel, as He said, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel,¹³⁸Verse 3. and this is the meaning of the expression, and there Israel encamped.¹³⁵Verse 2. It may be that [the name “Israel”] is mentioned as a mark of honor at the time of their acceptance of the Torah.
Now Rashi wrote: “And they journeyed from Rephidim. What need was there for Scripture to state again expressly from where they set forth on the journey? Is it not already stated that they were encamped in Rephidim¹³¹Above, 17:1: And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin… and encamped in Rephidim. and it is thus evident that they journeyed from there? It [i.e., the intent of the verse] is to declare that their departure from Rephidim was like their encampment¹³⁹“Encampment.” In our Rashi: “coming.” in the wilderness of Sinai. Just as their encampment¹³⁹“Encampment.” In our Rashi: “coming.” [in the wilderness of Sinai] was with repentance,¹⁴⁰The repentance is indicated by the word vayichan, which is in the singular, thus indicating that Israel encamped before the mountain as one man and with one mind, “while all other encampments were with murmerings and with dissension” (Rashi, quoting Mechilta). so also was their departure [from Rephidim] with repentance.”¹⁴¹See above, 17:7, for their sin in Rephidim. The present analogy between their coming into the wilderness of Sinai, which was surely in a spirit of repentance, as explained above, and their departure from Rephidim, thus teaches us that their departure was also with repentance. Thus Rashi’s language. But I have not understood this. It says in connection with all journeys: and they pitched [camp] in Elim;¹⁴²See Numbers 33:9. And they took their journey from Elim… and they came unto the wilderness of Sin;¹⁴³Above, 16:1. And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin… and encamped in Rephidim;¹⁴⁴Ibid., 17:1. and so the entire section of Mas’ei¹⁴⁵Numbers 33:1-49. is written [with the name of the place whence they set forth on the journey repeated after it had already been mentioned that they had encamped there]. The intent of the repetition by Scripture is that there were no other encampments between them.
In the Mechilta, we find the following text¹⁴⁶Mechilta on the verse here. [on the same theme that Rashi mentioned, but presented in such a form that the above difficulties are eliminated]: “And they departed from Rephidim and came to the desert of Sinai.¹³⁵Verse 2. Has it not already been stated in the section of the Torah dealing with all stages of the journey [from Egypt to the Jordan]: And they journeyed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai?¹⁴⁷Numbers 33:15. And what need is there for Scripture to state here, and they came to the desert of Sinai? It [i.e., the intent of the verse] is to declare that their departure from Rephidim [was like their encampment in the wilderness of Sinai], etc.” The purport of this text of the Mechilta is to explain why, on account of certain new details mentioned there,¹⁴⁸Ibid., Verses 9 and 14. Scripture repeated in the section of Eileh Mas’ei¹⁴⁵Numbers 33:1-49. all stages of the journey from Elim and Rephidim mentioned here, although this journey [from Rephidim to the wilderness of Sinai] is mentioned in identical language both here and there. It was for this reason that [the Mechilta] was compelled to interpret that [the Scriptural restatement] was on account of the above analogy: [Just as their encampment at Sinai was with repentance, so also etc.].

ביום הזה, on the first day of the month.

בחדש השלישי לצאת בני ישראל, In the third month after the Exodus of the children of Israel, etc. Considering G'd's love for Israel and His urgent desire to give them their fiancee (the Torah), it is difficult to understand why G'd waited until the third month after the Exodus. One of the signs of fondness for one's counterpart is that one does not allow obstacles to stand in the way of one's joining the beloved. We have instances in the Torah when G'd even accelerated the union of lover and beloved such as when Eliezer traversed the distance from the Holy Land (Hebron) to Aram Naharayim in a single day (G'd having telescoped the earth under his feet) only in order to bring about the union of Isaac and Rebeccah even more speedily than was possible without this miracle (compare Sanhedrin 95). In view of this, we could have expected G'd to at least do the same for the Israelites and ensure their arrival at Mount Sinai immediately after they had crossed the Sea of Reeds.

בחודש השלישי, “in the third month;” actually we would have expected the chapter to begin with the words: “they journeyed from Refidim and came to the desert of Sinai, where they encamped on the first day of the third month after having departed from the land of Egypt.” The reason why the syntax of the Torah was changed in this instance is the fact that arrival at the desert of Sinai, where the Torah was to be given, was a joyous occasion for the people. The manner of reporting this arrival reflects that it was something the people had been looking forward to.

בחודש השלישי, “in the third month.” This was the month of Sivan. The words ביום הזה mean that it was the first day of the month. This is the day normally called חדש, such as in Samuel I 20,24 ויהי החדש וישב המלך אל הלחם לאכול, “It was on חדש and the King sat down to eat.” Another example of the word חדש referring to New Moon is found in the same chapter of the Book of Samuel three verses later: We read ויהי ממחרת החדש השני ויפקד מקום דוד, “It was on the second day of the New Moon celebration that David’s seat remained empty.” The verse teaches you amongst other things that they observed two days of New Moon. This is what King Saul referred to when he inquired speaking to his son Yonathan: “why did the son of Yishai not appear either yesterday or today for the meal?” Our sages in Shabbat 86 also state that the words ביום הזה mean that the Israelites arrived in the desert of Sinai on the first day of the month. They base this on the use of the word הזה in our verse here and the expression החדש הזה לכם in Exodus 12,2.

The first day of the month. . . [Rashi knows this] because here it is written, ביום הזה , and there (12:2) it is written החודש הזה . There it means the first day of the month, so here too it means the first day of the month.

Questions: (1) Why does it say "they came to the Desert of Sinai" and then "they set forth from Rephidim and came to the Desert of Sinai?" (2) Why does it say "they encamped" and then "Israel encamped?" (3) First he called, then he went up [and yet the verse reverses the order]? (4) Why does the verse repeat "thus you shall say" and "thus you shall declare," and finishes "these are the words that you shall speak?" (5) Why does it repeat "And Moses brought back the words of the people," "And Moses reported the words of the people?"

Kap. 19. V. 1 u. 2. ביום הזה, an demselben Tage, an welchem sie in die Wüste Sinai gekommen waren, hatten sie sofort dort ihr Lager aufgeschlagen und sich als Israel dem Berge gegenüber gelagert. Wenn sie bisher eine neue Region der Wüste betraten, so haben wir immer gesehen, wie sie die Beschaffenheit der Örtlichkeit einer Kritik unterzogen, ob sie sich zum Lagerplatz eigne. Der Sinai war aber doch das Ziel ihrer Wanderung; von hier aus, war ihnen gesagt, war ihre Rettung ausgegangen, hier, wussten sie, sollten sie in den Dienst Gottes eintreten, und so sehr waren sie doch Söhne des Abrahamhauses, so sehr waren sie doch "Jisrael", und so viel hatte doch bereits alles Erlebte auf sie gewirkt, daß diesem Ziele gegenüber, im Anblick des Berges Sinai, alle andere Rücksicht bei ihnen schwand und sie sich als "Jisrael" dem Berge gegenüber lagerten. Mit diesem dem Berge gegenüber Lagern stellten sie sich Gott zu Befehl, seiner fernern Anordnungen gewärtig. Es dürfte aber diese Tatsache überhaupt wohl die Annahme rechtfertigen, die bisherigen Ausbrüche ihres Kleinmuts und ihrer Unzufriedenheit hätten mehr in einem Zweifel an Mosche und Aarons Sendung, als in einem wirklichen Schwanken in dem Vertrauen auf Gott ihren Grund gehabt, also, dass sich das Gotteswort durch Jirmija wohl begreifen lässt: "Gehe und rufe in Jerusalems Ohren, so hat Gott gesprochen, ich gedenke dir die Hingebung deiner Jugend, die Liebe deiner Bräutlichkeit, wie du mir nachwandertest in die Wüste hinein, in ein nicht gesäetes Land' (Jirmija 2, 2).

בחדש, “on the first of the (third month);” the word חדש is used here as in Samuel I 20,18: מחר חדש, “tomorrow is new moon.”

ביום הזה, “on this day, etc.” The day referred to was the first of the month. Ibn Ezra suggests that possibly the distance between Mount Sinai and Refidim was greater than the distance covered in all their combined journeys up to that time, so that there was a need to report precisely when the people arrived at this otherwise unremarkable spot.

באו מדבר סיני, “they arrived in the desert Sinai.” This is another word for חורב of which we heard in Exodus 3,1 that Moses came to the mountain of G’d, to Chorev. Concerning this mountain G’d had told Moses at the time: “when I make you take the people out of Egypt you will serve G’d at this mountain.” (Exodus 3,12).

Why is ביום הזה written. . . [Question: Since ביום הזה is needed to teach that it is the first of the month, how can it also teach that words of Torah should be as new to you (as though they were given today)? The answer is:] In the Mechilta it says, “‘On that very day they came to the desert of Sinai.’ This was on the first of the month. Thus it is written, ‘In the third month.’” It seems the Mechilta means as follows: the intent of the verse is not to conceal, but to explain. Yet it says בחדש השלישי . . . ביום הזה , not stating which day it was. Perforce, it means the first of the month. This is because the first of the month is called חודש , as in (Shmuel I, 20:18): “Tomorrow is the חודש (first of the month),” and as in (Melachim II, 4:23): “It is neither the חודש (first of the month) nor Shabbos.” So when it says בחודש השלישי , [we understand that it was the first of the month]. Accordingly, Rashi asks: Why did it not say ביום ההוא ? Even without the gezeirah shavah [between ביום הזה and החודש הזה , see previous entry,] we still would learn from בחודש השלישי that it was the first of the month. Perforce, it says ביום הזה to teach that words of Torah should be as new to you (as though they were given today). This answers Re”m’s questions. (Nachalas Yaakov)

G'd therefore felt called upon to explain that the fact that מתן תורה was delayed somewhat was not to be interpreted as a lack of ardour of the bride for the groom but was due to the groom not being properly prepared before that date. Having spent so many years in a country full of all kinds of abominations, the Israelites had absorbed much of the spiritual pollution prevailing in Egypt and they required 49 days during which they progressively cleansed themselves of these pollutants and readied themselves for their bride. According to the Zohar third volume page 97 the seven weeks that we count between Passover and Shavuot are to be viewed as seven times the 7 day purification rite that a זבה, a woman suffering from a vaginal discharge, has to undergo before she is ritually pure. When the Torah speaks of לצאת בני ישראל ממצרים, this is not to be understood as a date as much as a cause. Seeing the point of departure of the Israelites was Egypt (and not some other place), it required a certain number of days before the groom could ready himself spiritually for union with a bride such as the Torah. As soon as the Israelites were close to regaining their spiritual purity, i.e. on the first of the third month, they immediately arrived at their destination at Mount Sinai. The Torah describes arrival in the desert of Sinai and arrival opposite the Mountain as occurring practically simultaneously. We find confirmation of this in Shabbat 87 where the Talmud states: "on the day they travelled they arrived." Reviewing all these events I have asked myself that if our perception is correct, why did G'd not telescope the earth underneath the Israelites and bring them to Mount Sinai immediately? They could then have awaited the proper moment for מתן תורה at the end of seven weeks while encamped at Mount Sinai

השלישי, it is called thus because it was when the Israelites were enslaved, נשבו, when they were liberated, נשתחחרו, and when they converted to Judaism, נתגגיירו. The latter word is the reflexive mode of גר, alien, stranger. Our sages in the Talmud Ketuvot 37 taught us: different categories of female converts, including those who were prisoners and have been released and converted have to wait three months before they can marry a Jew, to eliminate the suspicion than a child born to them was sired by a gentile before they had converted.

However, I have concluded that G'd demonstrated His love for the people by the manner in which He did things. Had He allowed the Israelites to encamp at Mount Sinai immediately and had then made them wait for seven weeks before giving them the Torah, this would not have reflected His love for the people. You do not make the lover wait an inordinate amount of time in the presence of his beloved. G'd therefore chose to reduce the number of days the Israelites were encamped at Mount Sinai prior to the revelation to a minimum. As long a a groom is not aware that the time for the wedding is at hand he does not consider the absence of his bride as painful. Once the time is at hand and the bride is missing he does get upset. The Israelites' sojourn in the desert prior to their arrival in the desert of Sinai has to be viewed in that vein.

ביום הזה, ”on this day;” the day referred to is the day they broke camp in Refidim. It was the first day of Sivan which occurred on a Monday, according to the opinion of the majority of the scholars. There was unanimity among the scholars that the day of the revelation was Sabbath. (Shabbat 86) According to the majority of the Rabbis who hold that that the revelation occurred on the sixth day of the month of Sivan, the first day of that month had to have been on a Monday. This is based on the month of Iyar during that year having had 30 days. If you were to argue that if this is so then 50 days as opposed to 49 days, i.e. seven weeks, had elapsed since the Exodus, the answer is that the commandment regarding when the omer is to be offered was not given to the people (or obviously could not apply) until they had taken possession of the land and planted a crop.when the omer

ביום הזה באו מדבר סיני, “on this day they arrived at the desert of Sinai.” Rabbi Levi in Pessikta de Rav KahaneMandelbaum edition page 205), relates a parable [to explain that the Torah describing this detail conveyed a lesson worth taking to heart, Ed.] A king had a son who had recovered from a serious illness. He was told by a pedagogue that the son should go an elementary school forthwith. The father protested by saying to the pedagogue that his son was still too frail to go to school and be subjected to a strict regimen. He agreed to send him to school after a recovery period of three months. He intended to pamper him during these three so that he would recuperate faster.