Illustration credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
וַיִּסְע֣וּ מֵרְפִידִ֗ים וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ מִדְבַּ֣ר סִינַ֔י וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַיִּֽחַן־שָׁ֥ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נֶ֥גֶד הָהָֽר׃
They traveled from Refidim, and they came to the wilderness of Sinai and they camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there opposite the mountain.
The beginning of this pasuk uses plural language: וַיִּסְעוּ (va-yis’u, they traveled), וַיָּבֹאוּ (va-yavo’u, they came), וַיַּחֲנוּ (va-yahanu, they camped). This makes sense, since the pasuk is describing the entire nation of Israel doing all those things.
However, the end of the pasuk switches to singular language: וַיִּחַן (va-yihan, he/it camped). Why does the Torah use this word when describing how the Israelites camped next to הַר סִינַי (Har Sinai, Mount Sinai)?
כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר וַיִּסְעוּ וַיַּחֲנוּ,
נֹסְעִים בְּמַחֲלֹקֶת וְחוֹנִים בְּמַחֲלֹקֶת.
אֲבָל כָּאן הִשְׁווּ כֻּלָּם לֵב אֶחָד,
לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר."
Any time that it says “they” traveled or “they” camped, it describes how they traveled or camped while not united. But here (at Har Sinai), the people were united with a single heart. Therefore it says “Israel camped opposite the mountain” (using singular language).
- What was it about Har Sinai that helped Benei Yisrael to unite together?
- Why is being united an important part of the story of receiving the Torah?
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