הַיּוֹם שְׁנֵי יָמִים לָעֹֽמֶר.
Today is the second day of the omer.
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding" (1942)
בַּחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י לְצֵ֥את בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה בָּ֖אוּ מִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי׃
On the third new moon after the Israelites had gone forth from the land of Egypt, on this very day, they entered the wilderness of Sinai.
בחדש השלישי.למה בחדש השלישי, ולא בחדש השני, ולא בחדש השביעי, ולא בחדש אחר, אמרו רבותינו אמר ר' אושעיא שנה לי ר' חייא הגדול גיורת שבויה ומשוחררת לא ינשאו ולא יארסו עד שלשה חדשים, כך ישראל נקראו גרים, שנאמר כי גרים הייתם בארץ מצרים (ויקרא יט לד), שבוים שנאמר והיו שובים לשוביהם (ישעיה יד ב), משוחררים שנאמר אני יי אלקיכם אשר הוצאתי אתכם מארץ מצרים מהיות להם עבדים וגו' (ויקרא כו יג), אמר הקב"ה אמתין להם שלשה חדשים, ואחר כך אתן להם את התורה.
ON THE THIRD NEW MOON. Why ON THE THIRD NEW MOON, and not on the second new moon, or the seventh new moon, or on another new moon? Our masters have said: R' Oshaya said: R' Hiyya the elder taught me: In the case of a female convert, a female captive, or an emancipated female slave: she may not be married, or even be engaged to be married, until three months have passed. So, too, it was with Israel. They were called converts (gerim), as stated [Lev. 19:34]: FOR YOU WERE STRANGERS (gerim) IN THE LAND OF EGYPT. And they were called "captives," as stated [Isa. 14:2]: THEY SHALL TAKE THEIR CAPTORS CAPTIVE. And they were called "emancipated slaves," as stated [Lev. 26:13]: I AM YOUR ETERNAL GOD WHO BROUGHT YOU OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT TO BE THEIR SLAVES NO MORE…. The Holy One said: I will wait for them for three months, and after that I will give them the Torah.
ביום הזה. שֶׁיִּהְיוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה חֲדָשִׁים עָלֶיךָ כְּאִלּוּ הַיּוֹם נְתָנָם (ברכות ס"ג):
ON THIS VERY DAY. These words teach us that every day, you should see the Torah as something brand-new, as though God had just given them to you for the first time "on this very day."
Rashi's holy words seem to hint at something deeper here: that in truth, what was revealed then is continually revealed each day of each year, throughout eternity. It is similar to what happens on Passover: just as our ancestors left Egypt at that time, so do Jews leave Egypt every year. Likewise, in this season: since our ancestors drew near to Mt. Sinai at this time, it is revealed to us that we, too, can come closer to the Holy One of Blessing in order to receive the Torah and draw near to Mt. Sinai.
Midrash Avodat Yisrael
בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי. לָמָּה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי? אֶלָּא כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ הֶפְקֵר כַּמִּדְבָּר, אֵינוֹ יָכֹל לִקְנוֹת אֶת הַתּוֹרָה.
THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI. Why in "the wilderness of Sinai"? Whoever does not make himself as ownerless as the desert cannot acquire the Torah.
That generation made themselves like a wilderness which is empty and bare; that is, they saw themselves as a wilderness, as if they had not yet even begun to worship God.
Midrash Avodat Yisrael