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What were the 10 instances when the Torah reports that God descended?

This question is inspired from reading this statement from the Wikepedia entry on parashat Noach:

Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai taught that the report of Genesis 11:5 that "the Lord came down to see the city and the tower" was one of ten instances when the Torah reports that God descended. Footnote: enumerated by "TH", whoever or whatever "TH" is.

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Interestingly, this idea is brought twice in Beresheet Rabbah, once by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in Beresheet Rabbah 49:6 and once by Rabbi Shimon bar Chalafta in Beresheet Rabbah 38:9.

The complete list of descents is brought in a number of different sources, including Yalkut Shimoni on the Torah 27:2, Avot D'Rabbi Nathan 34 and Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer 14:8.

This is the complete list:

  • Once at the Garden of Eden
  • Once at the Tower of Babylon
  • Once by Sodom
  • Once at the burning bush
  • Once at Sinai
  • Twice at Nikrat Hatzur (cleft of rock)
  • Twice at Ohel Moed (the Tent of Meeting)
  • Once sometime in the future.
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In Bereishis Rabba 38 re: Bereishis 11:5, the comment on the 10 descents is made by Rabbi Shimon bar Chalafta on that pasuk. In Bereishis Rabba 49 re: Bereishis 18:21, a similar comment is made by Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai on the pasuk there. In each of those statements, no detailed list is given, but varied detailed lists are offered elsewhere in other midrashim. Indeed these two pesukim (11:5 and 18:21) are included in all of the detailed lists.

At the beginning of the 14th perek of Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer, an additional pasuk is included that makes all of the lists (Bereishis 3:8 based on correlation with Shir HaShirim 6:2).

A detailed list given in Midrash Lekach Tov (Shemos 3:8) includes the following: Bereishis 3:8, 11:5, 18:21, 46:4; Shemos 3:8, 19:20, 34:5; Bemidbar 11:17, 12:5; Yeshaya 31:4

A different detailed list is given in Avos D'Rabbi Nasan 34:6 and includes the following nine, but doesn't mention a 10th: Bereishis 3:8, 11:5, 18:21; Shemos 3:8, 19:20; Bemidbar 11:25; Yechezkel 44:2; Zecharia 14:4; Tehillim 18:10

Sefer Binyan_Yehoshua on Avos D'Rabbi Nasan 34:6 has an alternate list of 10: Bereishis 3:8, 11:5, 18:21, 46:4; Shemos 3:8, 19:20, 34:5; Bemidbar 11:25, 12:5; Zecharia 14:4

Below is the wording of all of these candidate pesukim:

  • (בראשית ג:ח) וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֞וּ אֶת ק֨וֹל ה֧' אֱלֹהִ֛ים מִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּגָּ֖ן לְר֣וּחַ הַיּ֑וֹם וַיִּתְחַבֵּ֨א הָֽאָדָ֜ם וְאִשְׁתּ֗וֹ מִפְּנֵי֙ ה֣' אֱלֹהִ֔ים בְּת֖וֹךְ עֵ֥ץ הַגָּֽן (which is connected to (שיר השירים ו:ב) דּוֹדִי֙ יָרַ֣ד לְגַנּ֔וֹ לַעֲרֻג֖וֹת הַבֹּ֑שֶׂם לִרְעוֹת֙ בַּגַּנִּ֔ים וְלִלְקֹ֖ט שֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים )
  • (בראשית יא:ה) וַיֵּ֣רֶד ה֔' לִרְאֹ֥ת אֶת הָעִ֖יר וְאֶת הַמִּגְדָּ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנ֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָֽם
  • (בראשית יח:כא) אֵֽרְדָה נָּ֣א וְאֶרְאֶ֔ה הַכְּצַעֲקָתָ֛הּ הַבָּ֥אָה אֵלַ֖י עָשׂ֣וּ כָּלָ֑ה וְאִם לֹ֖א אֵדָֽעָה
  • (בראשית מו:ד) אָנֹכִ֗י אֵרֵ֤ד עִמְּךָ֙ מִצְרַ֔יְמָה וְאָנֹכִ֖י אַֽעַלְךָ֣ גַם עָלֹ֑ה וְיוֹסֵ֕ף יָשִׁ֥ית יָד֖וֹ עַל עֵינֶֽיךָ
  • (שמות ג:ח) וָאֵרֵ֞ד לְהַצִּיל֣וֹ מִיַּ֣ד מִצְרַ֗יִם וּֽלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ֮ מִן הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִוא֒ אֶל אֶ֤רֶץ טוֹבָה֙ וּרְחָבָ֔ה אֶל אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ אֶל מְק֤וֹם הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַ֣חִתִּ֔י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י וְהַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִֽי
  • (שמות יט:כ) וַיֵּ֧רֶד ה֛' עַל הַ֥ר סִינַ֖י אֶל רֹ֣אשׁ הָהָ֑ר וַיִּקְרָ֨א ה֧' לְמֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶל רֹ֥אשׁ הָהָ֖ר וַיַּ֥עַל מֹשֶֽׁה
  • (שמות לד:ה) וַיֵּ֤רֶד ה֙' בֶּֽעָנָ֔ן וַיִּתְיַצֵּ֥ב עִמּ֖וֹ שָׁ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֥א בְשֵׁ֖ם הֽ'
  • (במדבר יא:יז) וְיָרַדְתִּ֗י וְדִבַּרְתִּ֣י עִמְּךָ֮ שָׁם֒ וְאָצַלְתִּ֗י מִן הָר֛וּחַ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָלֶ֖יךָ וְשַׂמְתִּ֣י עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וְנָשְׂא֤וּ אִתְּךָ֙ בְּמַשָּׂ֣א הָעָ֔ם וְלֹא תִשָּׂ֥א אַתָּ֖ה לְבַדֶּֽךָ
  • (במדבר יא:כה) וַיֵּ֨רֶד ה֥' בֶּעָנָן֮ וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלָיו֒ וַיָּ֗אצֶל מִן הָר֙וּחַ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָלָ֔יו וַיִּתֵּ֕ן עַל שִׁבְעִ֥ים אִ֖ישׁ הַזְּקֵנִ֑ים וַיְהִ֗י כְּנ֤וֹחַ עֲלֵיהֶם֙ הָר֔וּחַ וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ וְלֹ֥א יָסָֽפוּ
  • (במדבר יב:ה) וַיֵּ֤רֶד ה֙' בְּעַמּ֣וּד עָנָ֔ן וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד פֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֑הֶל וַיִּקְרָא֙ אַהֲרֹ֣ן וּמִרְיָ֔ם וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם
  • (ישעיהו לא:ד) כִּ֣י כֹ֣ה אָֽמַר ה֣' אֵלַ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶהְגֶּה֩ הָאַרְיֵ֨ה וְהַכְּפִ֜יר עַל טַרְפּ֗וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִקָּרֵ֤א עָלָיו֙ מְלֹ֣א רֹעִ֔ים מִקּוֹלָם֙ לֹ֣א יֵחָ֔ת וּמֵהֲמוֹנָ֖ם לֹ֣א יַעֲנֶ֑ה כֵּ֗ן יֵרֵד֙ ה֣' צְבָא֔וֹת לִצְבֹּ֥א עַל הַר צִיּ֖וֹן וְעַל גִּבְעָתָֽהּ
  • (יחזקאל מד:ב) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלַ֜י ה֗' הַשַּׁ֣עַר הַזֶּה֩ סָג֨וּר יִֽהְיֶ֜ה לֹ֣א יִפָּתֵ֗חַ וְאִישׁ֙ לֹא יָ֣בֹא ב֔וֹ כִּ֛י ה֥' אֱלֹהֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בָּ֣א ב֑וֹ וְהָיָ֖ה סָגֽוּר
  • (תהלים יח:י) וַיֵּ֣ט שָׁ֭מַיִם וַיֵּרַ֑ד וַ֝עֲרָפֶ֗ל תַּ֣חַת רַגְלָֽיו

Additionally I have identified the following other reasonable candidates that were not mentioned in any of the lists above:

  • (שמות יט:יא) וְהָי֥וּ נְכֹנִ֖ים לַיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י כִּ֣י בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֗י יֵרֵ֧ד ה֛' לְעֵינֵ֥י כׇל הָעָ֖ם עַל הַ֥ר סִינָֽי
  • (שמות יט:יח) וְהַ֤ר סִינַי֙ עָשַׁ֣ן כֻּלּ֔וֹ מִ֠פְּנֵ֠י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרַ֥ד עָלָ֛יו ה֖' בָּאֵ֑שׁ וַיַּ֤עַל עֲשָׁנוֹ֙ כְּעֶ֣שֶׁן הַכִּבְשָׁ֔ן וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד כׇּל הָהָ֖ר מְאֹֽד
  • (שמואל ב כב:י) וַיֵּ֥ט שָׁמַ֖יִם וַיֵּרַ֑ד וַעֲרָפֶ֖ל תַּ֥חַת רַגְלָֽיו
  • (יחזקאל לא:טו) כֹּֽה אָמַ֞ר אֲדֹנָ֣י ה֗' בְּי֨וֹם רִדְתּ֤וֹ שְׁא֙וֹלָה֙ הֶאֱבַ֜לְתִּי כִּסֵּ֤תִי עָלָיו֙ אֶת תְּה֔וֹם וָֽאֶמְנַע֙ נַהֲרוֹתֶ֔יהָ וַיִּכָּלְא֖וּ מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים וָאַקְדִּ֤ר עָלָיו֙ לְבָנ֔וֹן וְכׇל עֲצֵ֥י הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה עָלָ֥יו עֻלְפֶּֽה
  • (שיר השירים ו:יא) אֶל גִּנַּ֤ת אֱגוֹז֙ יָרַ֔דְתִּי לִרְא֖וֹת בְּאִבֵּ֣י הַנָּ֑חַל לִרְאוֹת֙ הֲפָֽרְחָ֣ה הַגֶּ֔פֶן הֵנֵ֖צוּ הָרִמֹּנִֽים
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  • Your additional examples of Shemos 19:11 and 18 (and likely ShS 6:11) refer to the same "yeridah" of Maamad Har Sinai as 19:20, which is on the list. Are we looking for the number of persuqim, or the number of "yeridos"?
    – Micha Berger
    Commented Nov 6, 2022 at 13:37
  • And if we mean descended to earthin particular, we explained why youur other finds didn't make official lists.
    – Micha Berger
    Commented Nov 6, 2022 at 13:39
  • Your suggested verses from Shemot seem irrelevant. The lists name the descent at Sinai as a whole. The tannaim appear to not have needed to quote every single instance the root יר"ד appears in the story so long as the gist is understood.
    – Harel13
    Commented Nov 6, 2022 at 15:00
  • Micha Berger and Harel13 you are both correct in your observations. I listed the extras as food for thought. In the three lists above (Lekach Tov, Avos DR"N, Binyan Yehoshua) one must consider what criteria were used to generate the lists. Was it the raw mention of a wording of ירד in conjunction with H'? Was it limited to an instance of the yerida (where one would combine multiple pesukim with the same descent of G-d into the same listing)? Can it include an instance w/o even a midrashic link to the word ירד, but there is still some form of similarity (especially re: Yechezkel 44:2)?
    – EraserX
    Commented Nov 6, 2022 at 16:18
  • Also one has to think withing the same yerida instance (eg. Har Sinai), why is Shemos 19:20 selected instead of 19:18?
    – EraserX
    Commented Nov 6, 2022 at 16:25

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