Shabbat 88: While the Torah is Given to the People

The rabbis consider the importance of threes.  Time is needed to prepare for Shabbat.  A Galilean taught to Rav Chisda: Blessed is G-d who gave the three-fold Torah - Torah, Prophets and Writings to the three-fold nation - Priests, Levites, and Israelites, by means of a third-born, Moses, on the third day of the separation of men and women in the third month, Sivan.  This assumes that the Torah was given on the third day of separation rather than the fourth.

We are told that Rabbi Avdimi bar Chama bar Chasa says that the Jewish people stood beneath the mountain and that "(standing at) the lowermost part of the mountain" (Exodus 19:17) means that G0 overturned the mountain above the Jews like a tub, saying to accept the Torah or be buried under this mountain.  This would mean that Jews were coerced into accepting the truth of the Torah.

Reish Lakish discusses what might have been meant my the superfluous "heh" written only regarding creting the evening and the morning, the sixth day (Genesis 1:31).  Could this mean that without accepting Torah we will revert to a state of tohu v'vohu, chaos and disorder?  The Jews said "we will do" and "we will hear", bringing 600,000 ministering angelsto celebrated the Jewish people.  And then the Jews created the golden calf; at that time 120,000 angels of destruction stripped them from their ornaments from Mount Hored onward.

We are told about Rava who sat on his hands while he studied, not noticing that he was bleeding.  A heretic told him that we are an impulsive nation who should be listening before speaking or acting.  If we are capable of fulfilling the commands we should accept them and if not, not.  The rabbis share specific analogies regarding the actions of the Jewish people and the actions of G-d.  Each metaphor suggests that our adherence to Torah law is something beautiful, love-filled, insightful, romantic.  It also suggests that what goes against Torah law is chaotic, smelly, left-handed, etc.

Metaphors abound.  Perhaps, Rabbbi Yhoshua ben Levi points out, every sound that emerged from the mouth of the Holy One had the souls of the Jewish people leave their bodies ("My soul departed wen he spoke (Song of Songs 5:6).  We are introduced to many words that are harsh and denigrating, but the rabbis are ensuring that their positions are logical and easy to understand as possible.