Shadows of Sinai

(2) Having journeyed from Rephidim, they entered the wilderness of Sinai and encamped in the wilderness. Israel encamped there in front of the mountain,

נגד ההר BEFORE THE MOUNTAIN — i. e. at its east side (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 19:2:10), for wherever you find the word נגד referring to a locality it signifies with the face towards the east of the place mentioned.

[AND THERE ISRAEL ENCAMPED.] Scripture reads, and there Israel encamped, after stating, they encamped in the wilderness, because the heads of the tribes and the elders camped before the mountain due to their respected positions. As I will explain, Israel stood around the mountain, in accordance with their status, on the day the Torah was given. Scripture uses the singular form va-yichan (encamped) because they were few in number. Rabbi Solomon (Rashi) says that before (mi-neged) the mount means on the eastern side of the mountain. However, Scripture states, a good way off (mineged) shall they pitch, round about the tent of meeting (Num. 2:2), namely, on all sides of the tent of meeting. For as the standards journeyed, so did they camp.

And there Israel encamped against the mountain: After he said generally, that they encamped in the desert, he interpreted it to say that they encamped against the mountain in that desert, which is Mount Sinai, because the desert is named after him, the Desert of Sinai, and Abraham ben Meir ibn Ezra (and after him the Ramban) thought that they encamped in the desert was said of all Israel , but "Vaichnu", which is a singular language, was said about the few, and they are the heads of the staffs and the elders, that they camped against the mountain because of their honor; And that's "hevel (hot air). Because although speaking about the people in a singular language it is not intended to speak about a few of them, but on the contrary the intention is to speak about the whole people in terms of their being all as one body (refer to what I wrote in the Bechori HaItim 1828 page 44) many, because in a large and wide desert they would appear as individuals scattered here and there, but when he said that we camped against the mountain, here the mountain was as a center for them all, and they all turned to it, and here they were one association and one body, because they all had their eyes and hearts on that mountain, which they already knew was the mountain of God , probably from what is written above (18:5) to the desert where the Mount of God is encamped, therefore it is written in the singular and the name of Israel (all the people as one man) against the mountain.

(18) God ה' said, “It is not good for the Human to be alone; I will make a fitting counterpart for him.”

עזר כנגדו A HELP MEET FOR HIM — (כנגדו literally, opposite, opposed to him) If he is worthy she shall be a help to him; if he is unworthy she shall be opposed to him, to fight him (Yevamot 63a).

Blessed be the Place [of all], Blessed be He; Blessed be the One who Gave the Torah to His people Israel, Blessed be He. Corresponding to four sons did the Torah speak; one [who is] wise, one [who is] evil, one who is innocent and one who doesn't know to ask.

Blessed be the Place [of all], Blessed be He; Blessed be the One who Gave the Torah to His people Israel, Blessed be He. Corresponding to four sons did the Torah speak; one [who is] wise, one [who is] evil, one who is innocent and one who doesn't know to ask.

(17) Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain.

And Moses took out the people towards G-d, [(who was coming towards them, as a groom to a bride)] from the encampment, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

THE RASHI CHUMASH BY RABBI SHRAGA SILVERSTEIN

Come, my beloved, to meet the bride; let us welcome the Sabbath.

Moses led the people out of the camp toward God - Like a groom who goes out to greet the bride, as it says: "He said:
The LORD came from Sinai; (Deuteronomy 33: 2). From Sinai He came? Rather He came to accept Israel, accordinbgly it says "to greet God from the camp"

And Mosheh brought forth the people from the camp to meet the glorious Presence of the Lord; and suddenly the Lord of the world uprooted the mountain, and lifted it in the air, and it became luminous as a beacon, and they stood beneath the mountain.

“Who is that ascending from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I roused you; there your mother was in travail with you; there she who bore you was in travail” (Song of Songs 8:5).
“Under the apple tree I roused you” – Pelatyon of Rome expounded and said: Mount Sinai was detached and positioned in the supernal heavens, and Israel was situated beneath it, as it is stated: “You approached and stood beneath the mountain” (Deuteronomy 4:11).

Another matter: “Under the apple tree I roused you” – this is Sinai. Why is it likened to an apple tree? Just as the apple tree produces fruit in the month of Sivan, so too, the Torah was given in Sivan.

Alternatively, “under the apple tree I roused you” – why not a nut tree or a different tree? Each tree typically grows its leaves first and then its fruit, but the apple tree grows its fruit first and then grows its leaves. Similarly, Israel put performing before hearing, as it is stated: “We will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If you accept My Torah upon yourself, fine, but if not, I will lower this mountain upon you and kill you.’

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Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta said: Wretched is the bride who sins under the wedding canopy.

they say about such a one that if he could "steal" the Higher Mind, he would do so. ...

And who is the greater (thief)? The robber or the robbed? The robbed; for he knows that he is being robbed and remains silent. And thus do we find with our fathers, that when they stood on Mount Sinai, they sought to steal the Higher Mind, as it is written (Exodus 24:7) "Everything that the L rd has spoken, we will do and we will hear" — and it (the Higher Mind) was, as it were, "stolen" by them. As it is written (Devarim 5:26) "Would that this heart of theirs were in them to fear Me and to keep all of My mitzvoth all of the days, etc." And if you would say that not all is revealed and known to Him, it is written (Psalms 78:36-37) "And they beguiled Him (only) with their mouths, and (He knew that) their hearts were not constant with Him" — in spite of which (Ibid. 38) "And He was merciful, forgiving sin and not destroying, etc." And it is written (Mishlei 26:23) "As silver dross covering earthenware are lips running (with love) above an evil heart."