קול דממה

(7) "and they encamped in the desert": The Torah was given openly, in a public place. For if it were given in Eretz Yisrael, they could say to the nations of the world: You have no portion in it. But it was given openly, in a public place, and all who want to take it may come and take it. I might think it was given at night; it is, therefore, written (Ibid. 19:16) "And it was on the third day, when it was morning, etc." I might think that it was given in silence; it is, therefore, written (Ibid.) "and there were thunders and lightnings." I might think that they did not hear the thunders; it is, therefore, written (Ibid. 20:15) "And all the people saw the thunders and the lightnings," and (Psalms 29:4) "the voice of the L rd in majesty, etc." The wicked Bilam said to all those standing with him (Ibid. 11) "The L rd will give strength to His people," and they all responded (Ibid.) "The L rd will bless His people in peace."

(6) Variantly: "And He said: The L-rd came from Sinai": When the L-rd appeared to give Torah to Israel, it is not to Israel alone that He appeared, but to all of the nations. First He went to the children of Esav, and He asked them: Will you accept the Torah? They asked: What is written in it? He answered: "You shall not kill" (Shemoth 20:13). They answered: The entire essence of our father is murder, as it is written (Bereshith 27:22) "And the hands are the hands of Esav." And it is with this that his father assured him (Ibid. 27:40) "And by your sword shall you live." He then went to the children of Ammon and Moav and asked them: Will you accept the Torah? They asked: What is written in it? He answered "You shall not commit adultery." They answered: L-rd of the Universe, ervah (illicit relations) is our entire essence, as it is written (Ibid. 19:36) "And the two daughters of Lot conceived by their father." He then went and found the children of Yishmael and asked them: Will you accept the Torah? They asked: What is written in it? He answered: "You shall not steal" (Shemoth, Ibid.) They answered: L-rd of the Universe, our father's entire essence is stealing, viz. (Bereshith 16:12) "And he (Yishmael) shall be a wild man, his hand against all." There was none among all of the nations to whom He did not go and speak and knock at their door, asking if they would accept the Torah, viz. (Psalms 138:4) "All the kings of the earth will acknowledge You, O L-rd, for they heard the words of Your mouth." I might think they heard and accepted; it is, therefore, written (Ezekiel 33:31) "And they did not do them (the mitzvoth)." And (Michah 5:14) "And with anger and wrath will I take revenge of the nations because they did not accept (the mitzvoth)." And even the seven mitzvoth that the sons of Noach took upon themselves they could not abide by, until they divested themselves of them and ceded them to Israel. An analogy: One sent his ass and his dog to the threshing floor, loading his ass with a lethech (a dry measure) and his dog with three sa’ah. The ass went and the dog buckled, whereupon he took a sa'ah from it and put it on the ass; and so with the second (sa’ah) and so with the third. Here, too, Israel accepted the Torah with all of its explanations and inferences; but the sons of Noach could not even abide by the seven mitzvoth that they did take upon themselves, until they divested themselves of them and ceded them to Israel, wherefore it is written "And he said: The L-rd came from Sinai, etc."

(7) "And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Wilderness" (Numbers 1:1). Why the Sinai Wilderness? From here the sages taught that the Torah was given through three things: fire, water, and wilderness. How do we know it was given through fire? From Exodus 19:18: "And Mount Sinai was all in smoke as God had come down upon it in fire." How do we know it was given through water? As it says in Judges 5:4, "The heavens dripped and the clouds dripped water [at Sinai]." How do we know it was given through wilderness? [As it says above,] "And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Wilderness." And why was the Torah given through these three things? Just as [fire, water, and wilderness] are free to all the inhabitants of the world, so too are the words of Torah free to them, as it says in Isaiah 55:1, "Oh, all who are thirsty, come for water... even if you have no money." Another explanation: "And God spoke to Moses in the Sinai Wilderness" — Anyone who does not make themselves ownerless like the wilderness cannot acquire the wisdom and the Torah. Therefore it says, "the Sinai Wilderness."

(17) The dead cannot praise the LORD,
nor any who go down into silence. (18) But we will bless the LORD
now and forever.
Hallelujah.

(13) Rabbi Akiva said:Merriment and frivolity accustom one to sexual licentiousness; Tradition is a fence to the Torah; Tithes a fence to wealth, Vows a fence to abstinence; A fence to wisdom is silence.

(17) Shimon, his son, used to say: all my days I grew up among the sages, and I have found nothing better for a person than silence. Study is not the most important thing, but actions; whoever indulges in too many words brings about sin.

(1) For the leader. A psalm of David. (2) The heavens declare the glory of God,
the sky proclaims His handiwork. (3) Day to day makes utterance,
night to night speaks out. (4) There is no utterance,
there are no words,
whose sound goes unheard.^-a (5) Their voice carries throughout the earth,
their words to the end of the world.
He placed in them a tent for the sun,