Il Libro dei Giubilei, scritto prima del 150 a.e.v., fornisce il collegamento. Nel sesto capitolo l'autore descrive come Noè uscì dall'Arca alla «luna nuova del terzo mese» (cioè Sivan) e, dopo aver espiato con offerte adeguate, stabilì un nuovo patto con Dio. Questo doveva essere "un'alleanza eterna" ma è stato osservato dai Patriarchi, poi dimenticato dai loro discendenti, per rinnovarsi infine al Monte Sinai: "Un giorno nell'anno in questo mese celebreranno la festa. Perché è la festa delle settimane e la festa dei primi frutti" (6:21).
When Shavuot figures in our prayers we call it תורתנו מתן זמן – “the time our Torah was given,” a phrase of which the earliest record we have is the Seder Rav Amram, a 9th century Gaon of Sura. Torah never calls the festival by this name nor anything like it. Even the Mishna doesn’t connect Shavuot with Torah.
The Book of Jubilees, written before 150 BCE, provides the link. In Chapter 6 the author describes how Noah emerged from Ark on “the new moon of the third month” (i.e. Sivan) and, after making atonement by suitable offerings, established a new Covenant with God. This was to be an “eternal covenant,” and was observed by the Patriarchs but forgotten by their descendants until renewed at Mount Sinai: “One day in the year in this month they shall celebrate the festival. For it is the feast of weeks and the feast of first fruits” (6:21).
(16) On the third day, as morning dawned, there was thunder, and lightning, and a dense cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the horn; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. (17) Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain. (18) Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for the Eternal had come down upon it in fire; the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently. (19) The blare of the horn grew louder and louder. As Moses spoke, God answered him in thunder. (20) The Eternal came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and the Eternal called Moses to the top of the mountain and Moses went up.
v19 - literally "Moses spoke and God answered him with a voice"
letteralmente: Mosè parlò e Dio gli rispose con una voce
(ג) וַיָּבֹ֣א מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיְסַפֵּ֤ר לָעָם֙ אֵ֚ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֑ים וַיַּ֨עַן כָּל־הָעָ֜ם ק֤וֹל אֶחָד֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ (ד) וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֵ֚ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה ...(ז) וַיִּקַּח֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע׃
(3) Moses went and repeated to the people all the commands of the LORD and all the rules; and all the people answered with one voice, saying, “All the things that the LORD has commanded we will do!” (4) Moses then wrote down all the commands of the LORD. ..... (7) Then he took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will faithfully do!”
(א) משֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, וּמְסָרָהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ לִזְקֵנִים, וּזְקֵנִים לִנְבִיאִים, וּנְבִיאִים מְסָרוּהָ לְאַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים, הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין, וְהַעֲמִידוּ תַלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה, וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה:
Mosè ricevette la Torah nel Sinai e la trasmise a Giosuè, Giosuè agli anziani, gli anziani ai profeti e i profeti agli uomini della Grande Assemblea. Dissero tre cose: Sii paziente nella [amministrazione della] giustizia, solleva molti discepoli e fai un recinto intorno alla Torah.
(1) Moses received the Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and make a fence round the Torah.
Tutto il popolo vide il tuono (voci) e il fulmine, il suono del corno e il fumo della montagna; e quando la gente lo vide, cadde all'indietro e si fermò a distanza.
(15) All the people saw the thunder (voices) and lightning, the blare of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they fell back and stood at a distance.
"La Torah è stata data attraverso sette voci. E il popolo vide il Maestro dell'Universo rivelato in ognuna di queste voci. Questo è il significato del versetto "Tutte le persone hanno visto le voci". (Esodo 20:15) Queste voci erano accompagnate da scintille di fuoco e lampi di fulmine che avevano la forma delle lettere dei dieci comandamenti. Videro la parola ardente che usciva dalla bocca dell'Onnipotente e guardarono mentre erano inscritte sulle tavole di pietra, come dice: "La voce di Dio inscrive fiamme di fuoco" (Sal 29,4). E quando il popolo vide effettivamente l'Uno che parla il mondo nel mondo, svenne. Alcuni dicono che i loro spiriti hanno lasciato il corpo, mentre altri dicono che sono entrati in una trance profetica. Queste visioni li portarono a tremare e a tremare e ad un blackout dei sensi". (Esodo Midrash Rabbah)
What did they see?
“The Torah was given through seven voices. And the people saw the Master of the Universe revealed in every one of these voices. That's the meaning of the verse ‘All the people saw the the voices.’ (Exodus 20:15) These voices were accompanied by sparks of fire and flashes of lightening that were in the shape of the letters of the ten commandments. They saw the fiery word pouring out from the mouth of the Almighty and watched as they were inscribed on the stone tablets, as it says, ‘The voice of God inscribes flames of fire’ (Ps 29:4). And when the people actually saw The-One-Who-Speaks-the-World-into-Being, they fainted away. Some say that their spirits left their bodies, while others say that they entered a prophetic trance. These visions brought them to trembling and shaking and a blackout of the senses.” (Midrash Exodus Rabbah)
"E tutti hanno visto": i suoni dei suoni e le fiamme delle fiamme. Quanti suoni c'erano e quante fiamme c'erano? L'intento è che ognuno ascoltasse secondo il suo potere (per assorbire ciò che sperimentava), ... Quando si fermarono tutti sul Monte Sinai per ricevere la Torà, non ci furono più ciechi tra loro. "E tutto il popolo ha visto". E da dove deriva che non c'erano muti tra loro? Da (Esodo 19: 8) "E tutto il popolo rispose insieme". E da dove deriva che non c'erano sordi tra loro? Da (24: 7) "Tutto ciò che l'Eterno ha detto, faremo e ascolteremo".
Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 20:15:2
"And all the people saw": the sounds of sounds and the flames of flames. How many sounds were there and how many flames were there? The intent is that each heard according to his power (to absorb what he experienced), ... When they all stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, there were no blind ones among them, . "And all the people saw." And whence is it derived that there were no mutes among them? From (Exodus 19:8) "And all the people answered together." And whence is it derived that there were no deaf ones among them? From (24:7) "All that the Eternal has spoken, we shall do and we shall hear."
"Disse il rabbino Abbahu nel nome del rabbino Yochanan: Quando il Santo diede la Torah, nessun uccello urlò, nessun uccello volò, nessun uccello volò, nessun bue muggì, nessuno degli ophanim (angeli) sbatté un'ala, né i serafini (esseri celesti in fiamme) cantarono "Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh (Santo, Santo, Santo!)" Il mare non ruggiva, e nessuna delle creature emetteva un suono. In tutto il mondo intero c'era solo un silenzio assordante mentre la Voce Divina usciva parlando: Anochi Adonai Elohecha (Io sono il Signore vostro Dio)" (Midrash Esodo Rabbah)
WHAT DID THEY HEAR? “Rabi Yochanan said: When God’s voice came forth at Mt. Sinai, it divided itself into 70 human languages, so that the whole world might understand it. All at Mt. Sinai, young and old, women, children, and infants according to their ability to understand. Moses too, understood only according to his capacity, as it is said (Ex. 19:19), ‘Moses spoke and God answered him with a voice.’ With a voice that Moses could hear.” (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 5:9)
"È possibile che al Sinai non abbiamo sentito nulla dalla bocca di Dio se non la lettera alef della prima frase 'Anochi Adonai Elohechem, io sono YHWH il vostro Dio'. Come si legge in Esodo 20:15, "E tutto il popolo vide il suono". In altre parole, hanno visto ciò che normalmente si sente! Al Sinai abbiamo visto la lettera "alef" che evoca il nome e la presenza di Dio...
They heard ALEF - the barely audible sound before sound is made -
“It is possible that at Sinai we heard nothing from the mouth of God other than the letter alef of the first utterance 'Anochi Adonai Elohechem, I am YHWH your God.' As we read in Exodus 20:15, “And all of the people saw the voice.” In other words, they saw what is normally heard! At Sinai we saw the letter “alef” evoking the name and presence of God…” (Zera Hakodesh- Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Horowitz 19th Cent in the name of his teacher Rabbi Mendl Torum of Rymanov )
tutte le lettere sono solo multipli di Alef. (Rav Kook)
All letters in Torah are just multiples of Alef
“As a report about revelation, the bible itself is a midrash” (A.J.Heschel)
They heard "Anochi" I AM
They heard the ten commandments
Esodo 34:28
(28) Ed egli trascorse là con il Signore quaranta giorni e quaranta notti; non mangiando pane e non bevendo acqua; e scrisse sulle tavole le parole del patto, i Dieci Comandamenti (aseret hadibrot).
Deuteronomio 4: 11-13
(11) Vi avvicinaste e vi fermaste ai piedi del monte, ed esso ardeva di un fuoco che si innalzava fino nel mezzo del cielo mentre c’era all’intorno buio, nuvole e nebbia. (12) Il Signore parlò quindi a voi di mezzo al fuoco: voi udiste il suono delle parole, ma non vedeste immagine alcuna, soltanto una voce udiste. (13) Egli vi espose il Suo patto che vi comandò di eseguire, dieci comandamenti (aseret hadibrot) che Egli scrisse su due tavole di pietra.
Exodus 34:28
(28) And he was there with the Eternal forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water; and he wrote down on the tablets the terms of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. (aseret hadibrot)
Deuteronomy 4:11-13
(11) You came forward and stood at the foot of the mountain. The mountain was ablaze with flames to the very skies, dark with densest clouds. (12) The Eternal spoke to you out of the fire; you heard the sound of words but perceived no shape—nothing but a voice. (13) God declared to you the covenant that He commanded you to observe, the Ten Commandments (aseret hadibrot) ; and God inscribed them on two tablets of stone.
Ancora una volta un testo della Torah recita: Che la gente possa sentire quando parlo con voi, e così via. Questa è la prova che è con lui che si è parlato e che hanno sentito la grande voce, ma non l'articolazione del discorso (Maimonides Moreh Nevuchim 2:33 75a
They heard a sound: Again a text of the Torah reads: That the people may hear when I speak with you, and so on. This is a proof that it was he who was spoken to and they heard the great voice, but not the articulation of speech (Maimonides Moreh Nevuchim
"Cosa fece Dio quando finirono i 40 giorni sul Monte Sinai? Dio ha dato la Torah in dono a Mosè... Ma come ha potuto Mosè imparare l'intera Torah in 40 giorni quando la Torah è descritta come "più lunga della terra e più larga dell'oceano"? La risposta è che Dio ha insegnato a Mosè solo i principi generali". --Shemot Rabbah 41:6
"What did God do when the 40 days on Mount Sinai were finished? God gave the Torah as a gift to Moses…But how could Moses learn the whole Torah in 40 days when the Torah is described as ‘longer than the earth and wider than the ocean’? The answer is that God only taught Moses the general principles.” --Shemot Rabbah 41:6
"L'ottavo principio è che la Torah viene dal cielo. Questo ci impone di credere che l'intera Torah in nostro possesso, che è stata data a Moshe Rabbeinu, proviene dalla "bocca" dell'Onnipotente. Maimonide (Rambam; 1135-1204)
“The eighth principle is that the Torah is from Heaven. This requires us to believe that the entire Torah which is in our possession, which was given to Moshe Rabbeinu is from the ‘mouth’ of the All Powerful One. Maimonides (Rambam; 1135-1204)
Tavole di pietra" - questi sono i dieci comandamenti
la legge" - questo è il Pentateuco
il comandamento" - questo è il Mishnah
che ho scritto" - sono i Profeti e i Ketuvim
che voi molti insegnate loro" questo è il Gemara.
Questo insegna che tutte queste cose sono state date sul Sinai
“R.Levi b. Hama said in the name of R.Shimon ben Lakish: What is the meaning of the verse ‘And I will give you the tables of stone, and the law and the commandment, which I have written, so that you may teach them’ ? (Ex 24:12)
‘Tables of stone’ - these are the ten commandments
‘the law’- this is the Pentateuch
‘the commandment’ - this is the Mishnah
‘which I have written’ - are the Prophets and the Ketuvim
‘that you many teach them’ this is the Gemara.
This teaches that all these things were given on Sinai. (Berachot 5a)
(Sifra Behar 1:1)
What does the mitzvah of shemitah have to do with Mount Sinai (such that they come after one another)? After all,, all of the mitzvot were given at Sinai! Just as shemitah both principles and details were given at Sinai so too (with) all mitzvot both principles and details were given at Sinai. (Sifra Behar 1:1)
“Things which were not revealed to Moshe Rabbeinu were revealed to Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues” Bamidbar Rabbah 19:6
"Rav Judah disse in nome di Rav. Quando Mosè salì in alto, trovò il Santo Benedetto sia Lui, impegnato ad apporre corone alle lettere. Disse Mosè: "Signore dell'universo, chi ti tiene la mano? [cioè, c'è qualcosa che vuole nella Torah che queste aggiunte siano necessarie]. Egli rispose: "Alla fine di molte generazioni sorgerà un uomo, Akiva b.Joseph di nome Akiva, che esporrà ogni piccolo mucchio e mucchio di leggi". Signore dell'Universo, fammelo vedere" disse Mosè. Dio rispose: "Voltati". Mosè andò a sedersi dietro otto file [di studenti del rabbino Akiva, e ascoltò i loro discorsi sulla legge]. Non potendo seguire le loro argomentazioni, si sentì a disagio, ma quando giunsero a un certo argomento e i discepoli dissero al maestro 'da dove lo sai?', il maestro rispose 'È una legge data a Mosè nel Sinai', fu confortato. Allora ritornò al Santo Benedetto sia Egli, e disse: "Signore dell'Universo, tu hai una tale persona, eppure tu dai la Torah da me! (BT Menachot 29b)
“Rav Judah said in the name of Rav. When Moses ascended on high he found the Holy One Blessed be He, engaged in affixing coronets to the letters. Said Moses ‘Lord of the Universe, Who stays your hand?’ [i.e. is there anything wanting in the Torah that these additions are necessary]. He answered ‘There will arise a man, at the end of many generations, Akiva b.Joseph by name, who will expound upon each tittle heaps and heaps of laws.’ ‘Lord of the Universe, let me see him’ said Moses. God replied ‘Turn yourself around’. Moses went and sat down behind eight rows [of Rabbi Akiva’s students, and listened to their discourses on the law]. Not being able to follow their arguments, he was ill at ease, but when they came to a certain subject and the disciples said to the master ‘from where do you know this?’ the master replied ‘It is a law given to Moses at Sinai’, he was comforted. Thereupon he returned to the Holy One Blessed be He, and said ‘Lord of the Universe, You have such a person, and yet you give the Torah by me!’ (BT Menachot 29b)
REVELATION EVERYDAY: The Kotzker Rebbe was asked: ”Why is Shavuot called (z’man matan Torah) 'The Time that the Torah was Given,' rather than 'The time the Torah was Received?” He answered: “The giving took place on one day, but the receiving takes place at all times.” (Martin Buber Tales of Hasidim)
Schocken, 1955), p. 118
"The primary content of revelation is revelation itself. 'He came down' [on Sinai]-this already concludes the revelation; 'He spoke' is the beginning of interpretation." Franz Rosenzweig, On Jewish Learning, ed. Nahum Glatzer ( Schocken, 1955),