(א) ויוצא משה את העם לקראת האלהים מן המחנה.
אמר ר' יוסי, יהודה היה דורש,
(דברים לג) ויאמר ה' מסיני בא, אל תקרא כן, אלא ה' לסיני בא, ליתן תורה לישראל
או אינו אומר כן, אלא ה' מסיני בא, לקבל את ישראל, כחתן זה שהוא יוצא לקראת כלה.
(Exodus 19:17) "And Moses took out the people to meet God."
R. Yossi said: R. Yehudah would interpret Scripture this way:
(Devarim 33:2) "And he (Moses) said: 'YHWH came from Sinai.'
[Why does the Torah say that God came from Sinai? It should say to Sinai!] So rather, read it as to Sinai. I.e., To give the Torah to Israel.
Alternatively, it means indeed from Sinai, and here is what it is saying; "YHWH came from Sinai" in order to receive Israel, just as a groom goes out to receive his bride.
(יד) יוֹנָתִ֞י בְּחַגְוֵ֣י הַסֶּ֗לַע בְּסֵ֙תֶר֙ הַמַּדְרֵגָ֔ה הַרְאִ֙ינִי֙ אֶתּ־מַרְאַ֔יִךְ הַשְׁמִיעִ֖ינִי אֶת־קוֹלֵ֑ךְ כִּי־קוֹלֵ֥ךְ עָרֵ֖ב וּמַרְאֵ֥יךְ נָאוֶֽה׃ (ס)
O my dove! In the cranny of the rocks, hidden by the cliff - Let me see your face!
Let me hear your voice!
For your voice is sweet And your face is comely.
אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא
שֶׁאֵין כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ כְדַאי כַּיּוֹם שֶׁנִּתַּן בּוֹ שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁכָּל הַכְּתוּבִים קֹדֶשׁ, וְשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים.
Rabbi Akiba said:
For the whole world is not as worthy as the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the writings are holy but the Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies!
בתחתית ההר].
מלמד שנתלש ההר ממקומו, וקרבו ועמדו תחת ההר, שנאמר
(שם ד) ותקרבון ותעמדון תחת ההר.
עליהם מפורש בקבלה (שה"ש ב) יונתי בחגוי הסלע בסתר המדרגה הראיני את מראיך השמיעיני את קולך כי קולך ערב ומראיך נאוה.
הראיני את מראיך אלו שתים עשרה מצבה לשנים עשר שבטי ישראל;
השמיעני את קולך, אלו עשרת הדברות;
כי קולך ערב, לאחר הדברות;
ומראך נאוה, (ויקרא ט) ויקרבו כל העדה ויעמדו לפני ה'.
"Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain." (Exodus 17:2)
This teaches that the mountain was uprooted from its place, and the Nation came near and stood underneath it, as the verse says:
(Deuteronomy 4:11) You came forward and stood at the foot of the mountain."
This is explained in the Song of Songs 2:14: "My Dove in the clefts of the rock … Show me Your face; let me hear Your voice. For Your voice is sweet and Your face is fair."
"Show me Your face" — This refers to the twelve monuments for the twelve tribes of Israel (See Exodus 24:4).
"Let me hear Your voice" — This refers to the Ten Commandments.
"And your voice is sweet" — This was after hearing the Ten Commandments.
"And Your face is fair" This corresponds to (Leviticus 9:5): And the entire congregation came forward (on the eighth day of the investiture of the Cohanim) and they stood before YHWH"
(כ) וְכָרַתִּ֨י לָהֶ֤ם בְּרִית֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא עִם־חַיַּ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְעִם־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה וְקֶ֨שֶׁת וְחֶ֤רֶב וּמִלְחָמָה֙ אֶשְׁבּ֣וֹר מִן־הָאָ֔רֶץ וְהִשְׁכַּבְתִּ֖ים לָבֶֽטַח׃
(כא) וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י לְעוֹלָ֑ם וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִי֙ בְּצֶ֣דֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּבְחֶ֖סֶד וּֽבְרַחֲמִֽים׃ (כב) וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י בֶּאֱמוּנָ֑ה וְיָדַ֖עַתְּ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃ (ס)
(20) In that day, I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground;
I will also banish bow, sword, and war from the land. Thus I will let them lie down in safety.
(21) And I will espouse you forever: I will espouse you with righteousness and justice, And with goodness and mercy, (22) And I will espouse you with faithfulness; Then you shall truly know YHWH.
(ד) שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד׃
Hear, O Israel!
YHWH is our god;
YHWH alone!
Rabbi Avin bar Rav Adda said that Rabbi Yitzḥak said: From where is it derived that the Holy One, Blessed be He, wears phylacteries?
As it is stated: “YHWH has sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength” (Isaiah 62:8). (Since it is customary to swear upon holy objects, it is understood that His right hand and the arm of His strength are the holy objects upon which God swore.)
Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said to Rav Ḥiyya bar Avin: What is written in the phylacteries of the Master of the world?
Rav Ḥiyya bar Avin replied:
It is written: “Who is like Your people, Israel? One nation in the land?” (I Chronicles 17:21).