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קריאת ים סוף
21st day of Nissan. Hashem splits the Red Sea for Bnei Yisrael to safely walk through and escape the Egyptians. He also ensures that Bnei Yisrael watch as their enemies are drowned in the waters of the sea. This traumatic event is purposely done in order to break the people's slave mentality. Bnei Yisrael needed to physically watch their former masters die in order to take that next step toward true freedom. -
מדבר שור
Bnei Yisrael travel in this desert for 3 days, but cannot find water. This occured in the 3 days (22-25 of Nissan) following קריאת ים סןף.
Why did Bnei even go here in the first place, instead of just going straight to הר סיני? Well, Bnei Yisrael were not spiritually ready to receive the Torah so they HAD to go through the desert- Hashem wanted to test them through traumatic events and changing their daily experiences. -
מרה
Bnei Yisrael complained to Moshe saying, "What shall we drink?" because there was no good water. Moshe then cried out to Hashem who instructs him to throw a tree into the bitter water, making it sweet. Hashem said that He will protect Bnei Yisrael if they keep the Mitzvot. מרה was to teach Bnei Yisrael that they rely on Hashem for sustenence. Both קריאת ים סוף and מרה are traumatic experiences- show that God is our real Master and Lord. Also, water comes with Mitzvot (support and sustenence). -
אילים
Here, there were 12 springs of water and 70 date-palms. What's the purpose? The 12 springs represent the 12 tribes and the 70 trees symbolize the 70 nations. These 12 springs are sustaining the 70 trees; so too, when Bnei Yisrael do Mitzvot, they can sustain all of the other nations- we should be an אור לגויים. -
מדבר סין
Bnie Yisrael see that there is a lack of food and they say: "If only Hashem had killed us while we were satiated in Egypt, now you (Moshe and Aharon) have taken us into the desert to be killed by famine!" In response to this complaint, Hashem provides his people with מן, along with some accompaniying guidelines (do not leave it over until the morning, only take a double portion on Friday, etc.). Since בנ"י spoke rudely, Hashem gave them a routine to change their behavior. Also, the מן teaches -
מדבר סין (continued)
Bnei Yisrael that 'man does not live on bread alone, rather, man lives by whatever God commands.' Hashem does not expect that they will pass the test; rather He is showing them the correct way in which to obey Hashem -
רפידים
Bnei Yisrael see that there is a lack of good water and they therefore say: "Give us water that we may drink!" and "Why have you taken us out of Egypt to kill us in the desert through thirst?" Moshe says to the people, "Why do you contend with me? Why do you test Hashem?" To Hashem, Moshe says, "What shall I do for these people?" Hashem tells Moshe to strike the rock and water flows from it. Amalek cowardly attacks Bnei Yisrael, who fight back successfully- Mitzvah of erasing all of Amalek. -
רפידים (continued)
חורב, the location of הר סיני, acts as a new source of water for the Jews, replacing the Nile. The stick used to hit the Nile was the one used to make water come out of the rock at חורב. The battle of Amalek shows that the ultimate salvation is from Hashem. The Jews needed to be proactive in their גאולה. -
יתרו's visit- Ramban
(see Ebn Ezra for details on the visit itself) Ramban thinks that the story occurred before מתן תורה because when Moshe is telling Yitro the miracles that Hashem did, he did not mention מתן תורה! This event actually occurred after the war with עמלק, while Bnei Yisrael were still in Refidim. (He rejects the Ebn Ezra's best proof by saying that the mountain was already considered הר האלוקים: a. the burning bush was there and b. Aharon met Moshe there. Har Sinai, Refidim, + Midbar Seen = same area. -
יתרו's visit- Rashi
(See Ebn Ezra for details about the visit itself) Rashi says that the event occurred after the war with עמלק but before Matan Torah. Yitro was inspired to meet with Moshe after hearing rumors of Yam Suf and Amalek. Rashi bases his opinion in the definition of the word מחרת- which he says means atfer Moshe came down from the mountain- if it meant sometime before Moshe descended the mountain, how could Moshe have said "I have taught you the laws...?"- he would not have received the laws yet. -
מדבר סיני / הר סיני
This occurred on Rosh Chodesh (according to Rashi) of the 3rd month from Yitziat Mitzraim (Sivan). Moses goes up on Har Sinai on the 4th day of Sivan and speaks with Hashem. Moshe tells the people to prepare themselves for 3 days. On the third day, the 6th day of Sivan, there was thunder, lightening, a heavy cloud, and a great sound of shofar from Har Sinai. Moshe ascends the mountain in order to receive the 10 Commandments. -
20: 15-18- Ramban
These Pesukim describe how the people saw the voices, torches, sound of the shofar, and smoking mountain so they backed up. They asked Moshe to speak instead of God because they were afraid they would die. Moshe says don't be scared, but the people still stayed back- Moshe went alone into the cloud of Hashem. Ramban- these Pesukim actually occur right before Matan Torah and should be read with 19:16-18. It would makes sense then, why in 19:20-25 Hashem had to limit his revelation to just Moshe. -
Har Sinai- 10 Commandments
This event occurred on the day when we celebrate Shavuot (6th or 7th day of Sivan).
Rashi- Hashem says the first two Dibrot to the people and then Moshe says the other 8. (For further details on the 10 Commandments, see part 2 of the project.)
Ramban- All 10 Dibrot were told to Bnei Yisrael by Moshe.
Ebn Ezra- All 10 Dibrot were told to Bnei Yisrael from Hashem. -
20: 15-18- Rashi
These pesukim occur in between the 2nd and 3rd Dibrot, during Matan Torah. A proof for this is that the first two commandments are written in first person (by Hashem), and then the last eight are in third person (by Moshe). -
20: 15-18- Ebn Ezra
The Ebn Ezra thinks that these Pesukim were placed in the correct spot as the story occured after Matan Torah- the people heard all 10 of the Dibrot from Hashem and then they were scared. -
יתרו's visit- Ebn Ezra
Yitro visits Moshe and brings with him Tzipora and her two sons. Moshe tells Yitro of the miracles that Hashem did for His people. Yitro sees the current, inefficient judical system that Bnei Yisrael have and suggests a new and improved one. Ebn Ezra- this occurs after the building of the Mishkan, in the second year after Yitziat Mitzraim. He brings many proofs, his best one being that the Torah says that Yitro came to "הר האלוקים" and this mountain didn't get that name until after מתן תורה. -
יתרו's visit- Ebn Ezra (continued)
This story was placed in its current spot in order to juxtapose the bad deed of עמלק with the good deed of יתרו. Also, יתרו offered sacrifices to Hashem during his visit.
