(1) G0d spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the tent of meeting on the first day of the second month, in the second year following the exodus from the land of Egypt.
(ז) וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי (במדבר א, א), לָמָּה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, מִכָּאן שָׁנוּ חֲכָמִים בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים נִתְּנָה הַתּוֹרָה, בָּאֵשׁ, וּבַמַּיִם, וּבַמִּדְבָּר. בָּאֵשׁ מִנַּיִן (שמות יט, יח): וְהַר סִינַי עָשַׁן כֻּלּוֹ וגו'. וּבַמַּיִם מִנַּיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שופטים ה, ד): גַּם שָׁמַיִם נָטָפוּ גַּם עָבִים נָטְפוּ מָיִם. וּבַמִּדְבָּר מִנַּיִן וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, וְלָמָּה נִתְּנָה בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הַלָּלוּ, אֶלָּא מָה אֵלּוּ חִנָּם לְכָל בָּאֵי הָעוֹלָם כָּךְ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה חִנָּם הֵם.
(7) “The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai” – why in the wilderness of Sinai? From here the Sages taught that the Torah was given with three elements: With fire, with water, and in the wilderness. With fire, from where is it derived? “Mount Sinai was all smoke, [because the Lord had descended upon it in fire]” (Exodus 19:18). In water, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Indeed, the heavens dripped, indeed, the clouds dripped water” (Judges 5:4).9The verse is a reference to the giving of the Torah. In the wilderness, from where is it derived? “The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai.” Why was it given with these three elements? It is, that just as these are free for all mankind, so, matters of Torah are free.
(יח) "וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר". נִתְּנָה תוֹרָה דֵּימוֹס פַּרְהֶסְיָא בִּמְקוֹם הֶפְקֵר, שֶׁאִלּוּ נִתְּנָה תוֹרָה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים לָהֶן לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם: אֵין לָכֶם חֵלֶק בָּהּ! לְפִיכָךְ נִתְּנָה בַמִּדְבָּר, דֵּימוֹס פַּרְהֶסְיָא בִּמְקוֹם הֶפְקֵר, וְכָל הָרוֹצֶה לְקַבֵּל, יָבֹא וִיקַבֵּל!
(18) "and they encamped in the wilderness": 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.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי, אֶלָּא כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה עַצְמוֹ כַּמִּדְבָּר, הֶפְקֵר, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִקְנוֹת אֶת הַחָכְמָה וְהַתּוֹרָה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: בְּמִדְבַּר סִינָי.
Another matter: “The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai” – it is, that anyone who does not render himself like a wilderness, accessible to all, is unable to acquire wisdom and the Torah. That is why it is stated: “In the wilderness of Sinai.”
In order to arrive at what you are not
You must go through the way in which you are not
And what you do now know is the only thing you know
T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets
Being polite, Nan-in served the professor a cop of tea. As he poured, the professor's cup became full, but Nan-in kept pouring. As the professor watched the cup overflow, he could no longer contain himself and said, "It is full. No more will go in!"
Nan-in turned to the professor, "Like the cup, you are too full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty the cup?"
Here, the eye learns to appreciate slight variations, the possibilities inherent in emptiness. It sees that the emptiness is full of small things… A person is forced inward by the spareness of what is outward and visible in all this land and sky… Maybe seeing the Plains is like seeing an icon: what seems stern and almost empty is merely open, a door into some simple and holy state.
You are only free when you realize you belong no place—you belong every place—no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great....
True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.....
People often silence themselves, or "agree to disagree" without fully exploring the actual nature of the disagreement, for the sake of protecting a relationship and maintaining connection. But when we avoid certain conversations, and never fully learn how the other person feels about all of the issues, we sometimes end up making assumptions that not only perpetuate but deepen misunderstandings, and that can generate resentment.
וענין ב' הוא השפלות והענוה כי אין דברי תורה מתקיימין אלא במי שמשפיל עצמו ומשים עצמו כמדבר, וכנגד זה אמר ויחנו במדבר פירוש לשון שפלות וענוה כמדבר שהכל דורכים עליו: (ו)
The second step which the Israelites had to take in preparation for מתן תורה was to be modest and humble. Our sages say that only people who are humble can be certain that they will not forget their Torah knowledge. They phrase it thus: אין דברי תורה מתקימין אלא במי שמשפיל עצמו ומשים עצמו כמדבר "Words of Torah do not endure except with people who humble themselves to be like the desert."
This year
I belong to no one
except my cat
I want to sign emails "yours,"
but no one claims me.
My mother is gone,
my marriage is gone,
I am rootless.
This year I go nowhere
exeept Zoom rooms.
I want to soak in presence
like a hot bath, but digital is what there is.
This is wilderness.
This year
I wonder what Torah
there is to receive here.
I want revelation
sparkle my senses, but
can't trust it will come.
Is this readiness?