Friday, February 10, 2012

Yitro: Aliyah 4

The only number in the 4th Aliyah is 3: (Hashlishi) (Shemot 19:1)

We are told that the Jewish people come to wilderness of Sinai after the 3rd month from the exodus of egypt.

3 Is a number which represents "Stability" or "Continuation".  If you do something 3 times, it means you have a chazakah and must continue doing this thing forever.  The World, we are told stands on 3 metaphorical legs. (What those 3 things are, changes with the midrash)

The Jewish people are coming to Sinai, it is the Torah that will give the Jewish people the Strength (Chazak) to continue as a Eternal nation.  That lesson however is an explicit Pasuk in Devarim, so why the need for the numbers here?  The Jewish people came to the "WILDERNESS" of Sinai in the 3rd month, not to Mount Sinai itself.   One does not need to know all the ins and outs of the Torah and to know for certain that the Word of Gd comes forth from Sinai.  All the Jewish people need, is to be in the wilderness, that surrounds Torah.  Close approximation to Jewish identity is enough to keep the Jewish people going as a united people.  Let's not let the small details of what is or is not the Word of Gd interrupt our Jewish Unity.

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