Shavuot, the holiday in which we celebrate the giving of the Torah, was originally a harvest holiday. As one of the three Pilgrimage Festivals people would gather at the Temple in Jerusalem with their agricultural offerings.
After the Temple was destroyed and the Israelites could no longer bring the first fruits of their harvest as offerings, Talmudic rabbis reframed the holiday. The Rabbis linked Shavuot to the biblical story of Revelation. Moses ascended the mountain to meet God, who gave him the Ten Commandments, which were written on two tablets to be delivered to the Israelites.
Today, we are going to examine the mindset of the Israelites as they readied themselves for revelation to better understand community and the support we provide each other in times of meaning as well as hardship.
(א) בַּחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י לְצֵ֥את בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה בָּ֖אוּ מִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי׃ (ב) וַיִּסְע֣וּ מֵרְפִידִ֗ים וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ מִדְבַּ֣ר סִינַ֔י וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַיִּֽחַן־שָׁ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נֶ֥גֶד הָהָֽר:
(1) On the third new moon after the Israelites had gone forth from the land of Egypt, on that very day, they entered the wilderness of Sinai. (2) Having journeyed from Rephidim, they entered the wilderness of Sinai and encamped in the wilderness. Israel encamped there in front of the mountain.
- The Hebrew grammar is confusing in verse 2 - It should read that Israel "encamped" in the plural... they encamped. But instead it reads as if it is in the singular. Why do you think the rabbis would spend time unpacking this grammatical misstep? What are the implications for conjugating the verb that applies to Israel in the "singular" verse the "plural"?
- We also see a fact repeated in verse 2 - something the rabbis love to tease out because there are no "additional" or "unnecessary facts in the Torah. Why might this repetition be important?
ויחן שם ישראל. כאיש אחד בלב אחד, אבל שאר כל החניות בתרעומות ובמחלוקת (מכילתא שם):
AND THERE ISRAEL ENCAMPED as one man and with one mind — but all their other encampments were made in a murmuring spirit and in a spirit of dissension (Mekhilta)
Rashi believes the Singular is meant to let us know that his "encampment" was different than all the others that happened before and that are yet to come. What message is sending to the reader?
וענין ג' הוא בחינת ייעוד חכמים בהתחברות בלב שלם ותמים לא שיהיו בד בבד שעליהם אמר הכתוב (ידמיה נ) חרב אל הבדים (בדכות ס''ג.), אלא יתועדו יחד ויחדדו זה לזה ויסבירו פנים זה לזה, וכנגד זה אמר ויחן שם ישראל לשון יחיד שנעשו כולן יחד כאיש אחד, והן עתה הם ראוים לקבלת התורה:
(the third thing is) the teaching of the wise coming together with each other, and connecting with a full and whole friendship (heart). Not to be separated from each other, as for that the Talmud teaches us based on the words of Jeremiah, that it's like a sword on those who are [studying] alone. But, we need to come together, grow from each other [from the differences], and treat each other nicely. That is why the Torah uses a singular word, because all the Israelites became like one person - and now they were ready to receive to Torah.
(free translation by Abby Stein)
How has our community come together in full and whole friendship? in what ways are we more at one than we were before? How have we failed each other in this moment? What more can we do? As we ready ourselves for whatever comes next, why will our solidarity matter?
ויסעו מרפידים, “they journeyed on from Refidim, etc.” according to Rashi, these words mean that the people moved forward spiritually, i.e. that they had repented their conduct once they moved on. All the time they were at Refidim they had not yet repented. [The reader is referred to chapter 18,79 where upon questioning whether the Lord was in their midst, and the subsequent attack by Amalek when they encamped at Refidim as Hjs way of showing them what would happen if He were not in their midst. Ed.]
This commentary helps us understand they the repetition was necessary - entering the desert is different than journeying from ... the journey is meant to denote experience and wisdom. When we "re-enter" the world, albeit slowly, we will have "journeyed" from the stay at home order. What have you learned about yourself in the journey that will ready you for re-entry?