וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה. אַשְׁרֶיךָ מֹשֶׁה, שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא עוֹמְדִין, וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְּוִיִּים וְהַזְּקֵנִים וְהַכֹּל עוֹמְדִין, וּמִכֻּלָּם לֹא דִּבֵּר אֶלָּא עִם מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה. בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי. וְלָמָּה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי. מִכָּאן שָׁנוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים נִתְּנָה הַתּוֹרָה, בָּאֵשׁ וּבַמַּיִם וּבַמִּדְבָּר. בָּאֵשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהַר סִינַי עָשַׁן כֻּלּוֹ מִפְּנֵי אֲשֶׁר יָרַד עָלָיו ה' בָּאֵשׁ וַיַּעַל עֲשָׁנוֹ כְּעֶשֶׁן הַכִּבְשָׁן וְיֶחְרַד כָּל הָהָר מְאֹד (שמות יט, יח). בַּמַּיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ה' בְּצֵאתְךָ מִשֵּׂעִיר בְּצַעְדְּךָ וְגוֹ' (שופטים ה, ד). בַּמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי לֵאמֹר. וְלָמָּה נִתְּנָה בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ. לוֹמַר לְךָ, מַה דְּבָרִים הַלָּלוּ חִנָּם לְכָל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם, אַף הַתּוֹרָה חִנָּם לְכָל בָּאֵי עוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הוֹי כָּל צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם וַאֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֹ כֶּסֶף לְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ וֶאֱכֹלוּ וּלְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ בְּלוֹא כֶסֶף וּבְלֹא מְחִיר יַיִן וְחָלָב (ישעיה נה, א). בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, לָמָּה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי. אֶלָּא כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ הֶפְקֵר כַּמִּדְבָּר, אֵינוֹ יָכֹל לִקְנוֹת אֶת הַתּוֹרָה. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי. (Numb. 1:1:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses.” Fortunate are you, Moses!25Numb. R. 1:6; cf. Lev. R. 1:1. Six hundred thousand were present with the priests, the Levites, and the elders. They were all present there; yet out of them all, He only spoke there with Moses, as stated (ibid.), “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses.” (Ibid., cont.) “In the Sinai desert.” Why in the Sinai desert?26Numb. R. 1:7. From here our masters have taught, “The Torah was given through three things: through fire, through water, and through the desert.27Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Bashodesh 5. Through fire, as stated (in Exod. 19:18), ‘Now all of Mount Sinai was emitting smoke because the Lord had descended upon it in fire, and the smoke from it arose like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.’ Through water, as stated (in Jud. 5:4), ‘Lord, when You went forth from Seir, when You marched [from the field of Edom, the earth trembled, even the heavens dripped, even the clouds dropped water].’ Through (i.e., in)28In Hebrew the prefix b used here can be translated either “through” or “in.” the desert, as stated (in Numb. 1:1), ‘Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert.’” And why was it given through these three things? It is that, just as these are free for all who come into the world, so too are the words of the Torah free for all who come to the world. Thus it is stated (in Is. 55:1), “Ho, all who are thirsty, come to the waters (of Torah); even if you have no money, come, buy food, and eat. So come, buy food, wine, and milk without money and without cost.” “In the Sinai Desert.” Why in the Sinai desert? It is that whoever does not make himself ownerless like the desert cannot acquire29The Hebrew verb also means “buy.” the Torah.30See ‘Eruv. 54a; Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Bashodesh 1. It is therefore stated, “in the Sinai desert.”