Questions tagged [har-sinai]
Mount Sinai, on which the Torah was given to the Jews
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What was Plan A for the Luchos?
In Devarim we see that the Aron was made for the purpose of storing the Luchos, but those were for the 2nd Luchos (after Moshe broke the first ones). My question is what was Plan A? Meaning when Moshe ...
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Why wasn't the Torah given earlier?
The world existed for over 2000 years before the Torah was given en masse. If the Torah and our fulfilling of it, is the point of creation, why was it given after so long?
If people could please ...
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Why was God's voice terrible to hear?
How fear-inspiring was God's voice on Sinai to the people who would rather have Moses speak to them than to God? Is there an explanation as to why they thought they would die if God spoke directly to ...
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How did Moshe carry the Luchot down Mount Sinai?
I'm trying to understand how Moshe positioned his hands in carrying the Luchot down Mount Sinai (both the first set before he broke them and the second set). Were they under them or grasping the sides?...
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Why is it believed that Angels spoke with Moses at Sinai, when he spoke with God 'face to face'?
Why is it believed that the angels or angel spoke to Moses, as God's mediator, when Exodus 33:11 says Moses saw God face to face and directly spoke with him? Is this communication through the angels ...
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Matan Torah: Coercion or out of love?
There is a Midrashic approach to "and they stood at the foot of the mountain" (Shemos 19:17), namely that G-d literally held the mountain over the heads of B'nei Yisrael, coercing them to ...
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Why did both Nadav and Avihu go up?
This question asks why didn't Elazar and Itamar go up Har Sinai like Nadav and Avihu. I'm wondering why both Nadav and Avihu went up.
There's a disagreement who were the kohanim that went up the ...
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We already had the Torah?
According to the Gemoro in Yuma (28B) the forefathers already observed the Torah in it's entirety (according to the understanding of Ramban and the Shaloh in Toldot Adam, Beit HaBechira 4), ...
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Is there a significance to the number of witnesses at Har Sinai?
It is said there were 2-3 million present at Matan Torah. (Not sure what the consensus on the exact number is.)
Numbers are important in Judaism. 613 mitzvot. Seven days of creation, gematria, ...
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What happened on the first and third stay of Moshe on Har Sinai?
I understand that Moshe ascended Har Sinai 3 times.
The 1st time was on 6th of Sivan
The 2nd time seems to have occurred after the sin of the Golden Calf, starting on 18 Tamuz and he spent 40 days ...
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Where did the Bnei Israel go to the Mikveh in the desert?
Our Sages in Yevamot 46b and Keritot 9a in the Bavli say that the requirements for a proper conversion are bringing a sacrifice, Mila, Kabalat Hatorah and immersing in a Mikvah.
The Gemara in ...
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Until when was Har Sinai on fire?
We learn in Parshat Eikev:
וָאֵ֗פֶן וָֽאֵרֵד֙ מִן־הָהָ֔ר וְהָהָ֖ר בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֑שׁ וּשְׁנֵי֙ לֻחֹ֣ת הַבְּרִ֔ית עַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֥י יָדָֽי׃
I turned and went down the mountain, a mountain ablaze with fire, ...
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Sources that all future souls were at Mount Sinai?
What are the sources for the common understanding that all future souls were at Mount Sinai?
I saw the Chasam Sofer bring the gemarra in Shevuos (39a), but that's talking about parshas Nitzavim.
A ...
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Why do we specifically recall the greenery of Har Sinai on Shavuos?
While there are several reasons why there is a custom to spread greenery in shul, one which is brought by the Mishnah Berurah (494:10) is that Har Sinai was covered with greenery.
Why is it ...
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Why was Shmitta specifically chosen to teach that the intricacies of all mitzvot were given at Har Sinai?
(related to "Ma Inyan Shmitta Eitzel Har Sinai" but not the same)
Parshas B'Har starts off saying Hashem spoke to Moshe on Har Sinai and instructed Moshe about the mitzvah of Shmitta.
Rashi ...
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Who blew the shofar during Matan Torah?
During Matan Torah, the shofar was heard by the entire nation but who blew it? Was it Moshe? Angels? The text does not specify. Is there midrash to address this?
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If Moshe received ALL future Torah at Har Sinai, why didn't he understand R' Akiva's shiur (Menachos 29b)?
(inspired by this question)
The Talmud Yerushalmi Peah 2:4 - (daf 13a) states:
ריב"ל אמר... אפי' מה שתלמיד ותיק עתיד להורות לפני רבו כבר נאמר למשה
בסיני מה טעם (קוהלת א) יש דבר שיאמר אדם ראה זה ...
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603,550 Jews at Sinai and 603,550 Jews Entering Promised Land?
Why in Exodus 38:26 does it say there were 603,550 men over age 20, and then in Numbers 1:46 the exact same number (603,550) is again listed?
Didn’t all the Jews of the generation in Exodus all die ...
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Why is God not mentioned in the opening line of Pirkei Avot?
Why is God not mentioned in the opening line of Pirkei Avot?
Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua; Joshua to the Elders; the Elders to the Prophets; and the Prophets ...
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Did God give Moses on Mount Sinai all future rabbinical decisions?
Which of these two is the correct Jewish teaching:
(1) God gave the Written and Oral Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. On this basis, rabbis past, present and future derive what Jews must do. These ...
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Should we consider messianic Jews to be Erev Rav? [closed]
Many Jews have fallen victim to the deception of the messianic movement (Jews for j-sus, Hebrew xtians, etc.) Are those that perpetrate this deception tantamount to the Erev Rav in the Wilderness over ...
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Why did only Nadav and Avihu and not their brothers go up with the 70 elders?
In Shemos 24:1, God tells Moshe to go up to Him with Aharon, Nadav, Avihu and the 70 elders. They do, and they catch a glimpse of God from afar. It seems strange that of the 4 sons of Aharon, only ...
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Why is the location of Mount Sinai not traditionally known?
Why don’t we know the exact location of Mount Sinai, after all if millions of people were there, surely they would have handed down the tradition of the location just like Kivrey Avos or Har Hamoriyah ...
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Three things being handed over Tablets, Torah and the Mitzvah?
HaShem tells Moshe (Shemot 24:12):
וְאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת־לֻחֹת הָאֶבֶן וְהַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר כָּתַבְתִּי לְהוֹרֹתָם -
And I will give thee the tables of stone, and the Torah and the ...
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Death of all Jews at Har Sinai
According to the Midrash (quoted in Rashi on the Parsha), when Hashem spoke at Sinai, the effect was so powerful that פרחו נשמתם - the souls of the Jewish nation left their bodies. Hashem resurrected ...
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The Torah offered to other nations
We are taught that Hashem offered the Torah to other nations but they declined because there were prohibitions within they could not agree to. My question is, how could the Torah, which is ...
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Sinai vs. Horev
As every word used in Torah is specific, when is the word Sinai vs Horeb used. What is the significance/meaning for when one vs the other is used? Could the gematria for each word provide some ...
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Proof from Arvos Moav to Har Sinai regarding who was there
גמרא שבת קמו עמוד א
ישראל שעמדו על הר סיני פסקה זוהמתן גוים שלא עמדו על הר סיני לא פסקה
זוהמתן אמר ליה רב אחא בריה דרבא לרב אשי גרים מאי אמר ליה אף על גב
דאינהו לא הוו מזלייהו הוו דכתיב (דברים ...
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Sinai and hatred
What is the exact meaning of this Gemara [Shabbat 89a]:
דרב חסדא ורבה ברי' דרב הונא דאמרי תרווייהו מאי הר סיני הר שירדה שנאה לעכו"ם עליו
It is usually translated as:
Rav Ḥisda and Rabba, son of ...
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crowd arrangement at Mt. Sinai
I was making an artistic recreation of the scene of Mt. Sinai on the 6th of Sivan, and I want it to be as accurate as possible.
When I got up to making the crowd of people, I was wondering -- were ...
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Is Mt. Horeb the same as Mt Sinai? [duplicate]
It says in the Torah that G-d spoke to the Jews on Mt. Sinai then later on in the Torah it says G-d spoke to the Jews on Mt. Horeb, so which Mt. did G-d really speak to the Jews on.
Moses called all ...
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Native American Traditions and Mass Revelations
In Deuteronomy(4:32-34), two points are made in reassuring Israel that God has not abandoned them. The reader is tasked with searching from one end of the heavens to the other to see if a God ever ...
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Why was Har Sinai considered humble?
We know the medrash as to why the Torah was given on Har Sinai. My question is, how is the fact that Har Sinai had no reasons to give as to why the Torah should be given on it considered humility? ...
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What was given in Har Sinai? [duplicate]
It's common knowledge that Moshe received the Torah in Har Sinai. He wrote the Pentateuch directly dictated from Hashem there and brought it down. But we also learn that he came down with the Ten ...
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What PRECISELY is meant by the idea that the Torah was "given at Sinai" when only some of it was [duplicate]
Why is it said that the Torah was "given at Sinai," in light of the fact that the Torah recounts events AFTER the Israelites departed from Sinai. Numbers Chapter 10 states the Israelites departed ...
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Location of source for a midrash of Zipporah on Har Sinai?
A friend was expounding a midrash to me about Zipporah but was unaware of the provenance. The story involves Zipporah, prior to meeting Moshe, searching for her lost flocks near Har Sinai. She ...
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Why is the Mountain Sinai called Chorev as well?
I was studying today parashat ha shavua (Devorim) and it is written there that Jews went from the Mountain of Chorev. Why is not called Sinai? What significance lies behind this name?
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Were the "ending" Hebrew letters (kaf, mem, nun. peh and tzadi) used in the original version of the Torah given at Mt. Sinai?
I have heard that the original Torah that Moshe Rabbeinu wrote, being dictated by Hashem, had no spaces, and that they were added in later. In the original Torah, were the final letters (ךםןףץ) ...
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Where was Moses when the Ten Commandments were given?
I am trying to picture in my mind the events here. Reading from Exodus 19-20:
Ex 19:24 Then the LORD said to him, “Go down and come up again, you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and ...
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Why do we refer to Shavuot as the "time of receiving the Torah" when all that occured was hearing the 10 Commandments?
During Shavu'ot, during Shmoneh Esreh and bentching we refer to the holiday as Z'man Matan Torateinu - "The time of the giving of our Torah"
Discounting the discussions of the exact calendar date of ...
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Punctuation of Genesis 22:14
The verse in Genesis (22:14) states: "And Abraham called the name of the site 'Hashem Yir'eh' as it is said to this day, on the mountain Hashem will be seen."
וַיִּקְרָ֧א אַבְרָהָ֛ם שֵֽׁם־...
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Whats up With Ascending Sinai: Moshe's Refusal
Hashem tells Moshe to descend Har Sinai and warn the Jews not to ascend (Exodus 19:21). He responds (v. 23) that they cant ascend because they have already been prohibited.
Did Moshe argue with a ...
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Whats Up With Ascending Sinai: Kohanim
What is the role of the Kohanim in the ascent of Sinai? They are listed second in Exodus (19:22) as being prohibited from ascending, but are listed first in v. 24.
Why single them out?
why switch the ...
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Whats Up With Ascending Sinai: Repeated Warning
Hashem commands Moshe to warn the people not to touch the mountain (Exodus 19:12). Although the Torah doesn't mention it, Moshe's words in v. 23 imply that he indeed warned the people not to touch it....
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Whats up with Ascending Har Sinai: prohibition
What is the significance of the ascent onto Har Sinai and its prohibition?
Why is the prohibition introduced in Exodus (19:12) not with the more traditional expression of "don't" but with the less ...
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How would worshiping G-d at Mt. Sinai be proof that G-d sent Moshe as a messenger?
In Shmot 3:12 G-d says that the proof that G-d sent Moses as a messenger to B'nai Yisra'el is that when he takes them out of Egypt, they will worship G-d at the very mountain that G-d is speaking to ...
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Why believe in the revelation at Sinai other than the "Kuzari mesora" argument? [duplicate]
I was reading this post the other day, and came across a comment by user DoubleAA who stated in the comments something to the effect of "if the only reason you believe is because of the Kuzari ...
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In Devarim 5:5 why does Moshe connect the people's fear with not going up Mt. Sinai?
In Devarim 5:5 Moshe says:
"Because you were afraid of the fire and you didn't go up the mountain..."
It seems that Moshe is saying that the fear of the fire coming from the mountain was why B'nai ...
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When did Moshe warn Bnei Yisrael not to go up Har Sinai?
Shemos 19:23
ויאמר משה אל יהוה לא יוכל העם לעלת אל הר סיני כי אתה העדתה בנו לאמר הגבל את ההר וקדשתו
Moshe said "the nation can't come up, because you warned us to set boundaries around the ...
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Around what was the boundary set at Har Sinai?
Shemos 19:12
והגבלת את העם סביב לאמר השמרו לכם עלות בהר ונגע בקצהו כל הנגע בהר מות יומת
And you shall set boundaries around the nation saying, "be careful not to go up the mountain..."
...
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