Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai (Har Sinai) is famously where Moses and the Israelites heard the Ten Commandments and received the Torah. Although it was the location of this historic event, the mountain in the middle of the Sinai Desert was sacred only as long as God present.

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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. Having journeyed from Rephidim, they entered the wilderness of Sinai and encamped in the wilderness. Israel encamped there in front of the mountain, and Moses went up to God. יהוה called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me…

Therefore, the children of Israel must not eat the raised tendon: It is known about the secret of ashan - which is, world/year/living being (designated by the first letter of these three words, olam/shanah/nefesh) - that there is a complete stature to each of them from the 248 limbs and the 365 tendons, in the way of their structure. It is as the Raavad wrote in his commentary on Sefer Yetzirah on the verse (Exodus 19:18), "The entire Mount Sinai was all smoke (ashan)" - that the word, ashan, hints to olam/shanah/nefesh…

Me'or Einayim, Vayishlach 1

Then, the cantor stood up and swore that he once learnt Torah from the Baal Shem Tov, and fired burned around them until they were so purified that they heard the Torah from our Master like Israel received it at Mount Sinai, with thunder and lightening and the mighty blasts of the shofar. It was exactly like Mount Sinai! For the sounds [of Mount Sinai] never ceased, being Divine; however, a person needs holiness and purity [to hear them].
Rabbi Elimelech replied, “I have not achieved that, though it comes as no surprise…

Ba'al Shem Tov, Kuntres Meirat Einayim 31:1-2

88. Al Khazari: Should any one hear you relate that God spoke with your assembled multitude, and wrote tables for you, etc., he would be blamed for accusing you of holding the theory of personification You, on the other hand, are free from blame, because this grand and lofty spectacle, seen by thousands, cannot be denied. You are justified in rejecting [the charge of] mere reasoning and speculation.

This holiday is called the Festival of Shavuot (Weeks) based on the oath (shavuah that they swore and remains, from [the experience] at Mount Sinai. And this is by way of a true sacrifice of the self - as they said, the soul of the Israelites departed. It is like they said (Weekday Siddur, Aleinu), "To You every knee will bend, every tongue will swear" - before a man is created, he is made to take an oath. And likewise when he departs from the world, he sees the Divine Presence, as it were, and is negated to Him, may He be blessed - and that is the oath…

Sefat Emet, Numbers, Shavuot 11:6

It happened that Rabbi Shimon of Mitzpah planted his field [with two different kinds] and came before Rabban Gamaliel. They both went up to the Chamber of Hewn Stone and asked [about the law]. Nahum the scribe said: I have a tradition from Rabbi Meyasha, who received it from Abba, who received it from the pairs [of sages], who received it from the prophets, a halakhah of Moses from Sinai, that one who plants his field with two species of wheat, if he makes up of it one threshing-floor, he gives only one peah, but if two threshing-floors, he gives two peahs.

Mishnah Peah 2:6

The Gemara cites additional homiletic interpretations on the topic of the revelation at Sinai. The Torah says, “And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the lowermost part of the mount” (Exodus 19:17). Rabbi Avdimi bar Ḥama bar Ḥasa said: the Jewish people actually stood beneath the mountain, and the verse teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, overturned the mountain above the Jews like a tub, and said to them: If you accept the Torah, excellent, and if not, there will be your burial…

Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for יהוה had come down upon it in fire; the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently. The blare of the horn grew louder and louder. As Moses spoke, God answered him in thunder. יהוה came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and יהוה called Moses to the top of the mountain and Moses went up.

Exodus 19:17-20

Then he took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said, “All that יהוה has spoken we will faithfully do!” Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that יהוה now makes with you concerning all these commands.”

All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blare of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they fell back and stood at a distance. “You speak to us,” they said to Moses, “and we will obey; but let not God speak to us, lest we die.” Moses answered the people, “Be not afraid; for God has come only in order to test you, and in order that the fear of God may be ever with you, so that you do not go astray.” So the people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was…

Exodus 20:15-19

Now Moses, tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, drove the flock into the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

I יהוה am your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage: You shall have no other gods besides Me.

יהוה spoke those words—those and no more—to your whole congregation at the mountain, with a mighty voice out of the fire and the dense clouds. [God] inscribed them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, you came up to me, all your tribal heads and elders, and said, “Our God יהוה has just shown us a majestic Presence, and we have heard God’s voice out of the fire; we have seen this day that humankind may live though addressed by God…

Deuteronomy 5:19-28

I opened the door for my beloved,
But my beloved had turned and gone.
I was faint because of what he said.
I sought, but found him not;
I called, but he did not answer.

Song of Songs 5:6

The Presence of יהוה abode on Mount Sinai, and the cloud hid it for six days. On the seventh day [God] called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. Now the Presence of יהוה appeared in the sight of the Israelites as a consuming fire on the top of the mountain.

Exodus 24:16-17

The day you stood before your God יהוה at Horeb, when יהוה said to me, “Gather the people to Me that I may let them hear My words, in order that they may learn to revere Me as long as they live on earth, and may so teach their children.” You came forward and stood at the foot of the mountain. The mountain was ablaze with flames to the very skies, dark with densest clouds.

Deuteronomy 4:10-11

why so hostile, O jagged mountains,
toward the mountain God desired as His dwelling?
The LORD shall abide there forever.

יהוה said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people not to break through to יהוה to gaze, lest many of them perish. The priests also, who come near יהוה, must stay pure, lest יהוה break out against them.” But Moses said to יהוה, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us saying, ‘Set bounds about the mountain and sanctify it.’” So יהוה said to him, “Go down, and come back together with Aaron; but let not the priests or the people break through to come up to יהוה, lest [God] break out against them.” And Moses went down to the people and spoke to them…

Exodus 19:21-20:1

One of the Sages said to Rav Kahana: Did you hear what is the reason that the mountain was called Mount Sinai? Rav Kahana said to him: It is because it is a mountain upon which miracles [nissim] were performed for the Jewish people. The Sage said to him: If so, it should have been called Mount Nisai, the mountain of miracles. Rather, Rav Kahana said to him: It is a mountain that was a good omen [siman] for the Jewish people. The Sage said to him: If so, it should have been called Har Simanai…

Upon finishing speaking with him on Mount Sinai, [God] gave Moses the two tablets of the Pact, stone tablets inscribed with the finger of God.

Sinai, E. M. Lilien, eine künstlerische Entwickelung um die Jahrhundertwende, 1914.

Sinai, E. M. Lilien, eine künstlerische Entwickelung um die Jahrhundertwende, 1914.

Relatedראו גם

Giving of the Torah

The Ten Commandments

Sheetsדפי מקורות

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