Yitro - Exodus 19:1-11: Under the Mountain

Yitro - Exodus 19:1-11: "Under the Mountain" Chapter 19

1. In the third month of the children of Israel's departure from Egypt, on that very day they arrived in the desert of Sinai.		א. בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי לְצֵאת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה בָּאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינָי:
2. They journeyed from Rephidim, and they arrived in the desert of Sinai, and they encamped in the desert, and Israel encamped there opposite the mountain.		ב. וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרְפִידִים וַיָּבֹאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינַי וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיִּחַן שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר:
3. Moses ascended to God, and the Eternal called to him from the mountain, saying, "So shall you say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel,		ג. וּמשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו יְהוָֹה מִן הָהָר לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:
4. You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and [how] I bore you on eagles' wings, and I brought you to Me.		ד. אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי לְמִצְרָיִם וָאֶשָּׂא אֶתְכֶם עַל כַּנְפֵי נְשָׁרִים וָאָבִא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָי:
5. And now, if you obey Me and keep My covenant, you shall be to Me a treasure out of all peoples, for Mine is the entire earth.		ה. וְעַתָּה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת בְּרִיתִי וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל הָעַמִּים כִּי לִי כָּל הָאָרֶץ:
6. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of princes and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel."		ו. וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:

7. Moses came and summoned the elders of Israel and placed before them all these words that the Eternal had commanded him.		ז. וַיָּבֹא משֶׁה וַיִּקְרָא לְזִקְנֵי הָעָם וַיָּשֶׂם לִפְנֵיהֶם אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ יְהוָֹה:
8. And all the people replied in unison and said, "All that the Eternal has spoken we shall do!" and Moses took the words of the people back to the Eternal.		ח. וַיַּעֲנוּ כָל הָעָם יַחְדָּו וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהוָֹה נַעֲשֶׂה וַיָּשֶׁב משֶׁה אֶת דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל יְהוָֹה:
9. And the Eternal said to Moses, "Behold, I am coming to you in the thickness of the cloud, in order that the people hear when I speak to you, and they will also believe in you forever." And Moses relayed the words of the people to the Eternal.		ט. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל משֶׁה הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָּא אֵלֶיךָ בְּעַב הֶעָנָן בַּעֲבוּר יִשְׁמַע הָעָם בְּדַבְּרִי עִמָּךְ וְגַם בְּךָ יַאֲמִינוּ לְעוֹלָם וַיַּגֵּד משֶׁה אֶת דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל יְהוָֹה:
10. And the Eternal said to Moses, "Go to the people and prepare them today and tomorrow, and they shall wash their garments.		י. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָֹה אֶל משֶׁה לֵךְ אֶל הָעָם וְקִדַּשְׁתָּם הַיּוֹם וּמָחָר וְכִבְּסוּ שִׂמְלֹתָם:
11. And they shall be prepared for the third day, for on the third day, the Eternal will descend before the eyes of all the people upon Mount Sinai.		יא. וְהָיוּ נְכֹנִים לַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי כִּי | בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִשִׁי יֵרֵד יְהוָֹה לְעֵינֵי כָל הָעָם עַל הַר סִינָי:

Guide Questions

1. On verse 4, Rashi makes a comment on the phrase "on eagles' wings." According to the midrash Rashi cites, what is different about how an eagle carries its young, and what does this symbolize about God and the people Israel? Compare this comment to the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber's teaching, which says the eagle lifts up its shy young in order to teach them to fly. How does this add to Rashi's comment and the symbolism of the midrash?

2. According to Rashi, why does it say in verse 2 that the Israelites "encamped" וַיַּחֲנוּ (in the plural) in the desert and then Israel "encamped" וַיִּחַן (singular) opposite the mountain? What is the meaning of moving from the plural to the singular verb? What might this teach us today?

3. According to the Stone Edition Chumash (p. 403), what is the meaning of being "a holy nation"? Do you agree? Why or why not?

4. According to Etz Hayyim (p. 436) on the phrase in verse 1, "on that very day," what happens when we read or accept Torah today? Do you think this is true? Why or why not?

5. According to Etz Hayyim (p. 437), what does the Torah mean that "Indeed all the earth is Mine, but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation"? What do you think it means that Jews have traditionally considered themselves the Chosen People? Do you agree or disagree?

6. In The Commentators' Bible - The JPS Miqra'ot Gedolot - Exodus (p. 146), on the phrase "Moses went up to God," what do Nahmanides, Ibn Ezra, and Abarbanel (in the Additional Comments section on the bottom) say this phrase means? What do you think it means?

7. In Rebbe Nachman's Torah Exodus (bottom of p. 147 to 148), what word is equal in numerical value to "Sinai" and what does it mean? Also, how large was Sinai? What characteristic does this teach us to have? Do you agree? Why or why not?