Шмот 24:16 Мидраш: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Pesikta Rabbati, Seder Olam Rabbah & Shir HaShirim Rabbah

(Fol. 4) We are taught (in a Baraitha): Moses ascended in the cloud, was covered by the cloud, and was sanctified in the cloud, in order that he should receive the Torah for Israel in a state of sanctification, as it is said (Ex. 24, 16) And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai. This occurred on the day after the ten commandments were given, which was the first of the following forty days. This is the opinion of R. Jose, the Galilean. R. Akiba, however, says: And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, occurred on the first day (Ib. b) of the month [Sivan]; The cloud covered the mountain [not Moses]; And He called unto Moses, occurred on the seventh day [of Sivan]: And although Moses and all Israel were standing there, it intends to do honor to Moses [by mentioning specifically his name]." R. Nathan says: "The provisions and precautions [in the] entire verse above were made that he might be cleansed of all the food and drink in his bowels, so that he be pure as the ministering angels." R. Mathiah b. Kheresh, however, says: "The [precautions in the] entire verse [regarding his seclusion] were made for the purpose of impressing him with the feeling that the Torah should be received with awe, fear, shivering, trembling and agitation, as it is said (Ps. 2, 11), Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling." What is meant by Rejoice with trembling? R. Adda b. Mathna said in the name of Rab: "Where there is rejoicing, there should be trembling." In what respect do R. Jose, the Galilean, and R. Achiba differ? They differ exactly as do the Tanaim of the following Baraitha, where we are taught: "On the sixth day of Sivan the Torah was given to Israel"; R. Jose, however, says: "On the seventh." According to him who says that the Torah was given on the sixth day, [it appears that] the Torah was given on the sixth and Moses ascended on the seventh; as it is written (Ex. 24, 16) And he called unto Moses on the seventh day; but according to him who says on the seventh, [it appears that] the Torah was given on the seventh day and Moses ascended on the seventh. R. Jose, the Galilean, agrees with the Tana, who maintains that the Torah was given unto Israel on the sixth of the month; and therefore, he says, The glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, came after the day on which the commandments had been given. The clouds covered Moses six days, and on the seventh he called him from amidst the clouds to receive the entire Torah. But R. Akiba agrees with the opinion of R. Jose, that the Torah was given unto Israel on the seventh day of the month. According to R. Akiba, the tradition is clearly, comprehended that the tablets were broken on the seventeenth day of Tammuz; as there remain twenty-four days of Sivan and sixteen of Tammuz, to make a total of forty days during which Moses remained on the mount. He descended the seventeenth of Tammuz when he broke the tablets. But as to R. Jose, the Galilean, who claims that the six days were spent in seclusion, add to them the forty days which Moses spent on the mount, and it will appear that the tablets were not broken until the twenty-third of Tammuz! R. Jose, the Galilean, would explain that the six days of seclusion were included in the forty days spent by Moses on the mount.

And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be your name (41:18:31). May our Rabbis teach us that Rosh Chodesh, which began to be in Hanukkah, since there are no Musafin prayers in Hanukkah, whoever prays the Musafin prayer, what should be mentioned about Hanukkah? Our Rabbis taught us that Rabbi Simon, in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua, said that Rosh Chodesh, which began to be in Hanukkah, even though there is no Musafin in Hanukkah, but in the Rabach, should be mentioned about Hanukkah in the Musafin prayer. Shabbat, which began to be in Hanukkah, even though there is no Musafin in Hanukkah, but in the Shabbat, should be mentioned about Hanukkah in the Musafin prayer. And where does he mention in the confession: You have found all the miracles that the Holy One, blessed be He, did for Israel and will do for them through the merit of the tribes, even the Temple will be built through the merit of the tribes, as it is said, Jerusalem is built (Psalms 122:3). What did he write after him that there were tribes there (Ibid. 4) and likewise everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created through the merit of the tribes? The Tribes (Genesis) [Genesis] You find twelve months in the year, twelve constellations in the sky, twelve hours of the day and twelve hours of the night, said the Holy One, blessed be He, even the upper and lower ones, I did not create but by the merit of the tribes, for thus it is written, all these my hands have made (Isaiah 66:2). By the merit of all these, the tribes of Israel are twelve (Genesis 49:28) (hence the twelve constellations, twelve hours). Therefore, when Elijah came to bring Israel under the wings of the Shekhinah, he took twelve stones for the number of the tribes and built them an altar from the number of what he completed with the prophet. And Elijah took twelve stones for the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob: [And Elijah took twelve stones] Thus began Rabbi Tanchuma (Yerushalmi) [in Rabbi Abba] And by the prophet the Lord brought Israel up from Egypt (Hosea 12:14) this is Moses, and by the prophet Nishem (Ibid.) this is Elijah. You find two prophets who stood up for Israel from his tribe. Of Levi, Moses was the first and Elijah the last (redeemed) [and both redeemed] Israel by mission. Moses redeemed them from Egypt by mission. And now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh, etc. (Exodus 3:10) and Elijah redeemed them for the future to come by mission. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet, etc. (Malachi 3:23) Moses, who redeemed them from Egypt at first, did not yet return and became enslaved in Egypt. And Elijah, when he redeemed them from the fourth generation of Edom, did not yet return and become enslaved, but [it is] eternal salvation. And the origin of Moses and Elijah is similar to each other in every way. Moses is a prophet. Elijah is a prophet. Moses is called a man of God (Deuteronomy 33:1) and Elijah is called a man of God (1 Kings 17:18) Moses went up and Elijah went up, as it is said, And it came to pass in the ascension, that Elijah (Ibid. 2:21) and Moses killed the Egyptian, and Elijah killed Hiel, and blamed Baal and died (Hosea 13:1) Moses (was confused) [We were deceived] by a woman by the daughter of Jethro, they called him and he ate bread (Exodus 2:20) and Elijah (was confused) [We were deceived] by the woman, "Please bring me a loaf of bread" (1 Kings 17:11) Moses fled from Pharaoh and Elijah fled from Jezebel Moses fled and came to a well and Elijah fled and came to a well as it is written and he arose and went etc. and came to Beersheba (Ibid. 19:3) Moses and the cloud covered him six days (Exodus 24:16) and Elijah went up in a whirlwind and was in the ascension etc. (2 Kings 2:1) Of Moses it was said whether these as many as men should die (Numbers 16:29) and of Elijah the Lord God of Israel lives [before whom I have stood] if there will be [these years] dew and rain except according to my word (1 Kings 17:1) in Moses and the Lord passed over him (Exodus 34:6) And in Elijah, and behold, the Lord passed by (1 Kings 19:11) in Moses, and he heard the voice (Numbers 7:59) and in Elijah, and behold, a voice came to him, etc. (1 Kings 13) Moses gathered Israel to Mount Sinai, and Elijah gathered them to Mount Carmel, Moses in the forest of Obadiah, 7:15, "Put every man his sword on his thigh, etc. (Exodus 32:27) and Elijah in the forest, 7:15, and he seized the prophets of Baal and slaughtered them. Moses was jealous, who is for the Lord to me (I Kings 32:26) and Elijah was jealous, and Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me, please" (1 Kings 18:30) Moses was buried in a cave, and I put you in the cleft of the rock (Exodus 33:22) and Elijah was buried in a cave, and he spent the night there, as it is written, and he came to the cave and spent the night there (1 Kings 19:9) in Moses and he came to the mountain of God (Exodus 3:1) and in Elijah and he came to the mountain of God (Kings 32:1) 8) Moses came to the wilderness and Elijah came to the wilderness and he was walking into the wilderness (Isa. 4:11). Moses spoke with him through an angel and the angel of the Lord appeared to him (Exodus 3:2) and Elijah through an angel and behold, it was an angel (Kings 5:11). Moses stayed forty days and forty nights without eating or drinking, and so Elijah walked in the strength of that eating for forty days. Moses set up the sundial on this day, saying, "I will put away your fear," etc. (Deuteronomy 2:30). And Elijah set up the sundial today, "Today know that you are God in Israel." (1 Kings 18:36). Moses prayed for Israel, "Do not destroy your people and your inheritance." (Deuteronomy 9:26). And Elijah prayed for Israel, "Hear me, O Lord, hear me," and "And you have turned back," etc. (Kings 37). When Moses prayed for Israel, he grasped the right of the fathers, remembering Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Exodus 32:13). And so did Elijah, "The Lord is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel" (Kings 1:11). 36) Moses, the Israelites received from him the love of the place where all the word of the Lord was done and heard (Exodus 24:7) and Elijah received from him the love of the place where it is said, "The Lord is God" (Kings 39). Moses made a tabernacle in the house of the seed, and Elijah made a way (interpretation of a path) in the house of the seed. In one thing we have seen, Moses is greater than Elijah, whom Moses said to, "And you are here, stand by me" (Deuteronomy 5:28) and to Elijah, "What are you doing here, Elijah" (1 Kings 19:9). Moses brought down the fire, and Elijah brought down the fire. When Moses brought down the fire, all Israel stood and watched (it). And all the people saw it and were amazed (Leviticus 9:24) [And Elijah and all the people saw it and fell on their faces] (1 Kings 18:39) Moses built an altar and Elijah built an altar. Moses called the name of the Lord (the altar) [for the altar] and called his name there. The Lord did miracles (Exodus 17:15) and Elijah there the altar of the Lord and placed the stones in the name of the Lord (1 Kings 32). When Moses built the altar, he built it with twelve stones, as it is said: And Elijah took twelve stones [and]: [And Elijah took twelve stones and] Isaiah 65:5 (to Israel) The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool (Isaiah 66:1) At the end of Isaiah's prophecy, this verse was prophesied, and when was it prophesied in the days of Manasseh, because Manasseh had brought the image into the temple, Isaiah began to prophesy to Israel and said to them, "Why do you boast about me in this house that you have built for me? The upper and lower do not hold my glory. And this house that you have built for me, I need what house that you will build for me (there)?" Nebuchadnezzar is coming and destroying it and exposing you. Immediately Manasseh was angry with him and said to them, "Seize him." They ran after him to seize him. He fled from before them. The cherub itself opened and swallowed him up. Rabbi Yitzchak, son of Hanina, son of Papa, said:

On the seventh day after the Ten Commandments Moshe went up on the mountain, as it says "The Presence of the LORD abode on Mount Sinai, and the cloud hid it for six days..." (Shemot 24:16) This was in order for Moshe to purify himself. "On the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud." (ibid.) "Moses went inside the cloud and ascended the mountain; and Moses remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights." (Shemot 24:18) On the 17th of Tammuz he came down and shattered the tablets, "The next day Moses said to the people, “You have been guilty of a great sin. Yet I will now go up to the LORD; perhaps I may win forgiveness for your sin.” Moshe went back up on the 18th of Tammuz and pleaded for mercy on behalf of Israel, as it is written "When I lay prostrate before the LORD those forty days and forty nights, because the LORD was determined to destroy you," (Devarim 9:25) At that moment, the Holy One once again viewed Israel with favor and said to Moshe to carve new tablets and to come up the mountain once again, as it says "Thereupon the LORD said to me, “Carve out two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me on the mountain; and make an ark of wood." (Devarim 10:1) He came down on the 28th of Av and carved the second tablets, as it says "So Moses carved two tablets of stone, like the first, and early in the morning he went up on Mount Sinai..." (Shemot 34:4) He went back up on the 29th of Av and the Torah was repeated to him a second time, as it says "I had stayed on the mountain, as I did the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD heeded me once again: the LORD agreed not to destroy you." (Devarim 10:10) 'As I did the first time,' just as the first was a time of favor, so too the second were a time of favor- we can derive from this that those in the middle were a time of anger. He came down on the 10th of Tishre, which was Yom Kippur, and announced to them that they had found favor before God (Hamakom), as it says "Pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your own!” (Shemot 34:9) Therefore it was established as a fixed day and a remembrance for the generations, as it says "This shall be to you a law for all time: to make atonement for the Israelites for all their sins once a year..." (Vayikra 16:34)