On the 1st of Sivan, 2448, the Children of Israel arrived at Mount Sinai in the Sinai Desert and camped at the foot of the mountain – “as one man, with one heart” – in preparation for the receiving of the Torah from G-d.
“In the third month of the children of Israel’s departure from Egypt, on this day they arrived in the desert of Sinai. They journeyed from Rephidim and came to the Sinai desert, and camped in the desert; and Israel camped there, before the mountain”. (Shemot, 19:1)
In his commentary on these verses, Rashi notes that the Torah uses the word “vayichan” (“and he camped”) rather than “vayachanu” (“and they camped”). However, it speaks of the entire Jewish people. So why not say it in plural? Rashi explains: “They camped as a single man, with a single heart, unlike all other encampments, which were accompanied by dissent and dispute.”
This was the essential preparation to the giving of the Torah. Why?
From the Rebbe’s explanations:
– The preparation for the giving of the Torah was the unification of the Jewish people in the Sinai desert. This is alluded to in the verse “vayichan sham Yisrael” – “and Israel camped there”. The phrasing indicates that the Jews indeed became united as if they were a single person. The way to attain this level of unity and ahavas Yisrael is through self-nullification – bittul.
On the other hand, we see that the Torah is also connected with the person feeling his own existence. In particular, a person must learn Torah with a full measure of understanding, with all the power of his intellect.
The same two extremes are found in the reading of Parshat Bamidbar. On the one hand, a midbar (desert) is a barren land, not a part of any culture or civilization. It represents the nullification of existence, the nullification of ownership. On the other hand, the Bamidbar Torah reading contains the counting of the Jewish people, which stresses the importance and unique role of each individual…
The ultimate revelation is when both these advantages are present. This is the idea of the Kabalistic expression “dirah be-tachtonim” – “dwelling place in the lower worlds”. The word “dirah” indicates a revelation of the essence of G‑d, whereas the word “tachtonim” emphasizes the lower worlds. Having both together indicates that this highest revelation has the ability to penetrate the lower worlds.
This also explains why the Torah was given in a desert rather than in a place owned by Jews. A place of communal ownership corresponds to the level of Torah which is within the grasp of the Jewish people. The Torah was given in a desert in order to allude to the higher dimension of Torah which is completely beyond human grasp – the dimension which is united with G‑d. This will be accomplished completely in the days of Mashiach, when (G‑d said):
“A new Torah will come out from Me” (Isaiah 51:4).
The word “iti” (“from Me”) refers to the Torah as it is completely united with G‑d. This level will nevertheless “come out” to reach the level of each individual.
Based on the Rebbe’s talk on Shabbat “Behar-Bechukotai”, 27th Day of Iyar, 5751 (1991).
