In perek aleph pasuk aleph it says, "וידבר ה' אל משה במדבר סיני" – “and G-d spoke to moses in the wilderness of sinai” Why did Hashem give the torah to the jewish people in a wilderness? Chabad.org explains that since the wilderness has no owner, this symbolizes to Bnei yisroel that the torah does not belong to one person, but rather it belongs equally to everyone. Why do you think the torah was given in a wilderness, and why was the torah given in a dry land with no water?
Ohr.edu explains that Hashem gave Bnei yisroel the Torah in the wilderness to prepare them for the special quality of Eretz Yisroel. He was preparing them for the elevating experience of entering the land, and ensured that Eretz Yisroel would be properly respected by Bnei Yisroel observing the mitzvot before they entered. Additionally, HaShem was making a point that just because they're not in Eretz Yisroel, doesn't mean they can't observe HaShem and His mitzvot. While being committed to Torah in Eretz Yisroel is the ultimate ideal, it is better to be out of Eretz Yisroel learning Torah than in Eretz Yisroel with no Torah.
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According to the Mechilta, the Torah was given in the wilderness instead of being given in Eretz Yisrael in order to ensure that there will be no arguements between the twelve shevatim since if it was given in one Shevet’s land, all the other shevatim would be jealous. The Torah being given in the wilderness symbolizes the fact that the Torah is available to everyone to learn from.
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Rabbi Yirmiyahu Ullman gives a possible explanation for why the torah was given in the wilderness and not a place that is more holy to Hashem and the Jewish people. He says that if the torah had been given in Israel, the jewish people might come to think that the torah was created exclusively for them, and have no involvement of the non Jews. The non Jews would have never even heard or been inspired by any truths of the torah. So as a result, the Jewish people received the the Land of Israel, from which would be the future light for all nations, and from there the torah would be the light and be present in everyone’s lives. Due to the fact that the Torah was originally given outside of Israel enables its universal message to be heard by everyone including both Jews and non-jews.
ReplyDeletemyjewishlearing.com says that in the wilderness there is no human contact. Therefore it is a time for Hashem and Bnei Yisroel to connect with no other nations or people. In addition, the dessert does not have an owner, so too we should not have an owner and only listen to the torah and Hashem.
ReplyDeleteRabbi Kamitsky explains that Hashem gave us the Torah in the wilderness instead of in Eretz Yisrael because we were not holy enough to enter Eretz Yisrael until Bnei Yisrael received the Torah. In addition, the Torah was not given to us in Bnei Yisrael so the Non Jews can not say we did not accept it because we were in the Jewish land when accepting it.
ReplyDeleteI got this idea from Ohr.edu
ReplyDeleteThe Midrash Tanchuma Explains:
We may think that the jewish people should have gotten the torah in Israel, however that isn't so. It was quote imperative that we received the foundation and basis of our religion in the wilderness. Just as the wilderness is ownerless and accessible to all, so too the Torah is ownerless and accessible to all that wish to seek its ways.
Bamidbar Raba adds that just as the wilderness isn't materialistic and it's quite simple, so too the Torah is as well.
From these sources we have to understand the beauty of receiving such a holy book in such a basic place. We have to understand that things and places may be holy or special, but whats important is really believing and following in the ways of Hashem.
According to Rabbi Naftali Reich on torah.org, it seems obvious that the Torah was given in the wilderness. He explains that their must be a connection. In order for someone to be receptive to the Torah, they need to make themselves a "wilderness" meaning he needs to distance himself from society to live a live more isolated. The torah is explaining the mental, not the physical.
ReplyDeleteJewishrecon.org says it was given in the wilderness because the wilderness does not belong to any nation. So other nations or even beni yesroel can't say it belongs to them because it was given in there land because it was given in a land that belongs to no one
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Chizkuni the reason HaShem specifically gave Bnei Yisroel the torah in the wilderness because that is where HaShem gave the Jews the ten commandments. Once HaShem gave bnei yisroel the ten commandments his schiena stayed there.
ReplyDeleteThe pardes yosef hachadash says that the torah was given in a wilderness because that is a portion of land open to all people and somewhat abandoned. The lesson can be learned that to learn torah one must be humble and lower himself to think that he is a simple man accepting of all Jews. He brings the gemara in Eiruvin that says that "if a person treats himself as a wilderness then a gift will be presented to him"- the "gift" is torah.
ReplyDeleteaccording to Pasha.net the Torah was given in the wilderness because no nation could claim the wilderness as there own. Meaning the Torah can't be claimed as a nations because it was given on "no mans land" . So other nations or even beni yesroel can't say it belongs to them because it was given in a land that belongs to no one.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the midrash, the Torah was given in the wilderness because a wilderness represents a vast and open terrain. Hashem wanted to show the people that despite all of the new rules and regulations they would have, there is opportunities to grow and thrive as a nation. It is also know that the Torah is often compared to water. the reason why the Torah was given in a place with no water was to show that all that the Jewish people wanted, they would have to work for nothing would just be handed to them
ReplyDeleteThe torah was given in the wilderness according to Jewishrecon.org because the wilderness does not belong to any nation. So no one can claim it was given in a place that belongs to their nation. Not even Bnei Yisroel
ReplyDeleteUnlike all the other nations of the world, the Jewish people did not derive our identity from the land that we live in. Every other nation has a “homeland” where the nation was born. Even though Israel is a special part of the Jewish nation, the Jewish people were born where the Torah was given, in the desert. The essence of the identity of the Jewish people is our relationship with the Torah and Hashem, not with any land. This is from shemayisrael.com
ReplyDeletethe torah had to be given in the wilderness as opposed to a busy city so that the jews had a place to clear their mind and only focus on the torah so too is when we're learning torah we should just be focused on the torah and not on other stuff busing our mind.
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All across tanach the torah or the word of God are represented by water. Hashem refers to Himself as a "Mekor Mayim Chaim" a source of water because water is a basic human need for survival. Torah is considered a spiritual human need. The dry desert highlights how nourishing and quenching torah is
ReplyDeleteThe torah was given in the desert so that Bnei Yisrael could prepare to live in Eretz Yisrael. If they had only received the torah once they were actually in Israel they wouldn't have been able to the Mitzvot, particular to Israel right away
ReplyDeletemyjewishlearing.com says that in the wilderness there is no other people or nations. Therefore it is a time for Hashem and Bnei Yisroel to connect with each other and no one else. The dessert also doesn't belong to anyone, therefore we shouldn't belong to anyone and only follow Hashem and the Torah
ReplyDeleteThe midrash explains that the reason Bnei Yisroel had to be given the mitzvot in the wilderness was to help their concentration. They had to be given the best conditions to be able to fully take in and focus on the Torah and Mitzvot. Had they been given the mitzvot in a city or somewhere busy, they would have been distracted and unable to concentrate on the mitzvot and Torah.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible that god gave the Torah to beni Israel in the wilderness to symbolize that before the Torah beni Israel were wild, they didn't have a set book of rules to follow but now since they got the Torah they are no longer wild or alone. Throughout the year in bible we continuesly learned that beni Israel liked being free from mitzvots, well there they are considered wild and despite them still making mistakes after getting the Torah they still are no longer "wild" because wild means no structure but now beni Israel has structure they are no longer wild. Similarly they are supposed to go into the chosen land after and this proves that beni israel aren't wild anymore.
ReplyDeleteTalmud, Nedarim 55a says that the torah was given in the wilderness because when one makes themselves free and open like the wilderness, they are able to fully accept the torah as a gift
ReplyDeleteA reason given for the Torah being given in the middle of the desert, in the middle of the wilderness, is that the Jews were surrounded by nothing. No cultural influences or physical, materialistic influences, showing them that all they need in life is the Torah and to follow hashem and he will give to them all they need and all they want.
ReplyDeletethe Torah was given the wilderness because the wilderness is start of life and was pure before people came and made cities so too the Torah is the start of life for the Jews and is pure
ReplyDeleteOhr.edu days HaShem is showing how even though they are not in erertz Yisroel they can still observe the Torah. It doesn't matter where you are you can always serve HaShem and listen to the Torah
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