(טז) וּמִשָּׁ֖ם בְּאֵ֑רָה הִ֣וא הַבְּאֵ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יהוה לְמֹשֶׁ֔ה אֱסֹף֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם מָֽיִם׃ {ס} (יז) אָ֚ז יָשִׁ֣יר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את עֲלִ֥י בְאֵ֖ר עֱנוּ־לָֽהּ׃ (יח) בְּאֵ֞ר חֲפָר֣וּהָ שָׂרִ֗ים כָּר֙וּהָ֙ נְדִיבֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם בִּמְחֹקֵ֖ק בְּמִשְׁעֲנֹתָ֑ם וּמִמִּדְבָּ֖ר מַתָּנָֽה׃ (יט) וּמִמַּתָּנָ֖ה נַחֲלִיאֵ֑ל וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵ֖ל בָּמֽוֹת׃ (כ) וּמִבָּמ֗וֹת הַגַּיְא֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ בִּשְׂדֵ֣ה מוֹאָ֔ב רֹ֖אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֑ה וְנִשְׁקָ֖פָה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַיְשִׁימֹֽן׃ {פ}
(16) And from there to Beer, which is the well where יהוה said to Moses, “Assemble the people that I may give them water.” (17) Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well—sing to it— (18) The well which the chieftains dug, Which the nobles of the people started With maces, with their own staffs. And from Midbar to Mattanah, (19) and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, (20) and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the country of Moab, at the peak of Pisgah, overlooking the wasteland.
וַיְדַבֵּר יהוה אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי (במדבר א, א), לָמָּה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, מִכָּאן שָׁנוּ חֲכָמִים בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים נִתְּנָה הַתּוֹרָה, בָּאֵשׁ, וּבַמַּיִם, וּבַמִּדְבָּר...לָמָּה נִתְּנָה בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הַלָּלוּ, אֶלָּא מָה אֵלּוּ חִנָּם לְכָל בָּאֵי הָעוֹלָם כָּךְ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה חִנָּם הֵם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נה, א): הוֹי כָּל צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם, דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיְדַבֵּר יהוה אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, אֶלָּא כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ כַּמִּדְבָּר, הֶפְקֵר, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִקְנוֹת אֶת הַחָכְמָה וְהַתּוֹרָה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: בְּמִדְבַּר סִינָי.
“The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai” – why in the wilderness of Sinai? From here the Sages taught that the Torah was given with three elements: With fire, with water, and with wilderness...Why was it given with these three elements? It is, that just as these are free for all mankind, so, matters of Torah are free, as it is stated: “Ho, everyone who is thirsty go to water” (Isaiah 55:1). Another matter: “The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai” – it is, that anyone who does not render himself like a wilderness, accessible to all, is unable to acquire wisdom and the Torah. That is why it is stated: “In the wilderness of Sinai.”
(במדבר כא, יח): וּמִמִּדְבָּר מַתָּנָה. שֶׁנִּתְּנָה לָהֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר לְשַׁמְּשָׁן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לָמָּה נִתְּנָה בַּמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁאִלּוּ נִתְּנָה לָהֶם בָּאָרֶץ, הָיָה הַשֵּׁבֶט שֶׁנִּתְּנָהּ בִּתְחוּמוֹ אוֹמֵר אֲנִי קֹדֵם בָּהּ, לְכָךְ נִתְּנָה בַּמִּדְבָּר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַכֹּל שָׁוִין בָּהּ. וְעוֹד לָמָּה נִתְּנָה בַּמִּדְבָּר, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמִּדְבָּר לֹא נִזְרָע וְלֹא נֶעֱבָד, כָּךְ הַמְקַבֵּל עֹל תּוֹרָה פּוֹרְקִין מִמֶּנּוּ עֹל דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמִּדְבָּר אֵין מַעֲלֶה אַרְנוֹן, כָּךְ בְּנֵי תּוֹרָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, בַּמִּדְבָּר, מִי מְקַיֵּם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, מִי שֶׁמֵּשִׂים עַצְמוֹ כְּמִדְבָּר וּמַפְלִיג עַצְמוֹ מִן הַכֹּל.
“And from the wilderness to Matana” – it was given to them in the wilderness to serve them. Another matter: Why was it given in the wilderness? It is because had it been given to them in the Land [of Israel], the tribe within whose boundary it was would say: I take precedence in its regard. That is why it was given in the wilderness, so that they would all be equal in its regard. Moreover, why was it given in the wilderness? Just as the wilderness is not sown and not cultivated, so, one who accepts the yoke of Torah, they unload the yoke of earning a livelihood from him. Just as the wilderness is exempt from tax, so, masters of Torah are free men in this world. Another matter: In the wilderness – who sustains the Torah? It is one who conducts himself like a wilderness and withdraws himself from everything.
(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,
"וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר". נִתְּנָה תוֹרָה דֵּימוֹס פַּרְהֶסְיָא בִּמְקוֹם הֶפְקֵר, שֶׁאִלּוּ נִתְּנָה תוֹרָה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים לָהֶן לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם: אֵין לָכֶם חֵלֶק בָּהּ! לְפִיכָךְ נִתְּנָה בַמִּדְבָּר, דֵּימוֹס פַּרְהֶסְיָא בִּמְקוֹם הֶפְקֵר, וְכָל הָרוֹצֶה לְקַבֵּל, יָבֹא וִיקַבֵּל!
"and they encamped in the desert": The Torah was given openly, in a public place. For if it were given in Eretz Yisrael, they could say to the nations of the world: You have no portion in it. But it was given openly, in a public place, and all who want to take it may come and take it.