The Mass Ascent of Mt Sinai
During the preparations for Matan Torah, the people are cautioned not to
ascend the mountain. Alongside the ominous warnings, Moshe is informed that at
a certain stage they may (or should) ascend:
לֹא־תִגַּע בּוֹ יָד כִּי־סָקוֹל יִסָּקֵל אוֹ־יָרֹה יִיָּרֶה אִם־בְּהֵמָה אִם־אִישׁ לֹא יִחְיֶה בִּמְשֹׁךְ הַיֹּבֵל הֵמָּה יַעֲלוּ בָהָר (שמות י"ג:יט)
Rashi interprets this to mean that a Shofar (Yovel) sound will declare the departure of the divine presence, hence enabling them to ascend:
כְּשֶׁיִּמְשֹׁךְ הַיּוֹבֵל קוֹל
אָרֹךְ, הוּא סִימָן סִלּוּק שְׁכִינָה וְהַפְסָקַת הַקּוֹל, וְכֵיוָן
שֶׁאֶסְתַּלֵּק, הֵם רַשָּׁאִין לַעֲלוֹת
But this interpretation encounters a number of difficulties. The first problem
is that we do not read of such a Shofar as the events unfold. If the plan
dictates that a Shofar sound announces the departure of the divine presence, we
may expect a reference to appear within the recorded events.[1]
We do of course hear of a prominent Shofar during the events of Matan Torah, but it is the exact opposite of the one Rashi tells us about. The Shofar we read about heralds the arrival of the divine presence and not its departure:
וְקֹל שֹׁפָר חָזָק מְאֹד וַיֶּחֱרַד
כָּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בַּמַּחֲנֶה... וַיְהִי קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר הוֹלֵךְ וְחָזֵק מְאֹד
מֹשֶׁה יְדַבֵּר וְהָאֱלֹוקים יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְקוֹל (ט"ז:יט)
עָלָה אֱלֹהִים בִּתְרוּעָה ה' בְּקוֹל שׁוֹפָר (תהילים מ"ז:ו)
וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִתָּקַע
בְּשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל וּבָאוּ הָאֹבְדִים בְּאֶרֶץ אַשּׁוּר וְהַנִּדָּחִים בְּאֶרֶץ
מִצְרָיִם וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַה' בְּהַר הַקֹּדֶשׁ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם (ישעיהו כ"ז:יג)
Presumably due to this problem, Rashbam understands that the Shofar referred to in our verse is, in fact, identical with the Shofar we subsequently read about. According to the Rashbam, the word bimshoch in this context refers to the cessation of the sound. The meaning is that when the Shofar sound subsides, the revelation has concluded and therefore it is permissible to ascend.
This interpretation, however, is contradicted by a parallel verse in
Sefer Yehoshua which clearly demonstrates that these words, taken together,
refer to the actual sounding of the Shofar and not its cessation:
וְהָיָה בִּמְשֹׁךְ בְּקֶרֶן
הַיּוֹבֵל בשמעכם [כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶם] אֶת־קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר יָרִיעוּ כָל־הָעָם
תְּרוּעָה גְדוֹלָה וְנָפְלָה חוֹמַת הָעִיר תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְעָלוּ הָעָם אִישׁ
נֶגְדּוֹ׃ (יהושע ו':ה)
When the Israelites surrounded the city of Yericho, they were instructed to
charge towards the city at the sound of the Shofar. There are a number wider
parallels between the capture of Yericho and Matan Torah beyond this specific phrase
which we will return shortly. For our
immediate purposes, the context makes it clear that the phrase – bimshoch ha-yovel
- refers to the sound of the Shofar (either its commencement or its elongation)
as Rashi suggested, and not its termination per Rashbam. The phrase is
basically identical to the phrase in our verse making it untenable to interpret
them differently.
This leads us to a more profound problem affecting either interpretation.
The idea of ascending Mt. Sinai once the divine presence has already departed, seems
to lack significance. It seems strange to inform the people that they are
permitted to ascend once there is nothing to see and the party is all over. More
importantly, ascending a mountain in Tanakh has the connotation of a purposeful
spiritual ascent, as in the verse:
מִי־יַעֲלֶה בְהַר־ה' וּמִי־יָקוּם
בִּמְקוֹם קָדְשׁוֹ (תהילים כ"ד:ג)
The critical point is that our verse seems to contain an invitation for the people to participate in the spiritual union at the summit, and not just for a leisurely hike when all is over. The sense is that there will come a later stage, heralded by the Shofar, when everyone is called upon, to 'ascend the mountain' to personally encounter the divine presence.
Ascending at peak time
As mentioned above, Matan Torah shares a number of wider parallels with
the conquest of Yericho, in addition to the role of the Shofar already
discussed. Both events are prefaced with a personal revelation involving an
angel whereby the leader (Moshe/Yehoshua) is instructed to remove his shoes.
Both events are associated with counts of seven (post-facto in the case of
Matan Torah in the form of sefirat ha-omer). Both prominently feature a
separation barrier, a leading position for the priests, and the centrality of
the ark/tablets. The miraculous nature of the conquest may also be seen as a
function of divine revelation comparable in concept to Sinai.
Based on these parallels, Jonathan Grossman argues that we are to
understand the plan at Mt. Sinai at face value.[2]
When the Shofar would sound as indeed it did - during the revelation itself,
not once it had concluded - the people were meant to ascend and join Moshe at
the summit. This would model what happened at Yericho whereby the Shofar
sounded at the climax, the walls collapsed, and the people ascended (ve-alu
ish ke-negdo).
Why did this not happen in practice? The Torah itself provides the
reason - because the people were too fearful:
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה
דַּבֵּר־אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ וְנִשְׁמָעָה וְאַל־יְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ אֱלֹקים
פֶּן־נָמוּת׃ (שמות כ':טז)
This emerges even more explicitly from the review of the events in Sefer Devarim:
אָנֹכִי עֹמֵד בֵּין־ה' וּבֵינֵיכֶם בָּעֵת הַהִוא לְהַגִּיד לָכֶם אֶת־דְּבַר ה' כִּי יְרֵאתֶם מִפְּנֵי הָאֵשׁ וְלֹא־עֲלִיתֶם בָּהָר לֵאמֹר׃ (דברים ה':ה)
According to this verse the sole reason they did not ascend was that they were overawed by the divine presence manifest through the fire.
As enticing and simple as this proposal sounds, there seems to be good reason that it was not proposed by the classical commentators. Firstly, there is a technical issue that the prohibition against ascending is referred to again after the Shofar sounds (see v. 21-24). The straightforward reading suggests the same restriction remained in place even after the Shofar.
Furthermore, if there was really a dramatic point at which they were
supposed to ascend, one would expect this to be far better defined. The
five-word instruction seems far too concise and vague to counter the forcefulness
of the restriction. Too many questions remain open, some more difficult than
others. How were they supposed to physically overcome the barrier? Were they
all simply meant to rush to the top? How could the summit of the mountain
contain them all? What were they supposed to actually do once they reached the
top?
In the case of Yericho the plan is clearly set out – the walls are to come
crashing down enabling them to enter and fight. But at Mt Sinai, according to
this reading, all is left to the imagination.[3]
The idea of a mass of people chaotically rushing up a mountain, lacks the order
and structure we are familiar with when it comes to divine service (at least as
far as concerns the Torah).[4]
Transposing Mt. Sinai into the Land of Israel
Understanding the deeper meaning of the verse perhaps requires an
abstraction of the mountain reference. As mentioned before, 'ascending the
mountain' in biblical language correlates with spiritual ascent more generally,
which loosens its attachment to the specific reality in front of us. For
example, in the verse referred to earlier (mi ya'aleh vehar hashem), it is
unclear that 'ascending the mountain' refers to a geographical movement
altogether. I do not mean to allegorise the ascent altogether but to locate it elsewhere.
Within the Torah, there is only one other prominent reference to a mass ascent
of a mountain and that is the entry to the Land of Israel. When Moshe instructs
the spies, he tells them to 'ascend the mountain':[5]
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם עֲלוּ זֶה
בַּנֶּגֶב וַעֲלִיתֶם אֶת־הָהָר (במדבר י"ג:יז)
The identity of the mountain in the verse is unclear and the reference seems somewhat
odd as the approach from the south is not known as a mountainous region. Rashi,
for example, simply assumes there was some mountain on route. Yet it seems the
Torah deliberately wishes to describe the entry into the land in terms of
ascending a mountain. When God instructs them to turn around to commence the 40
years of wondering in the wilderness, some of the people refuse and insist on
'ascending the mountain':
וַיַּעְפִּלוּ לַעֲלוֹת אֶל־רֹאשׁ
הָהָר (במדבר י"ד:מד)
The determination of the group to ascend the mountain without God's consent may
be seen as a continuation of the tension at Mt. Sinai, where God had to
repeatedly warn against a forced ascent.[6]
The dialogue between Mt. Sinai and the Land of Israel is further
supported by the description of the approach to the land in the historical review
in Sefer Devarim:
ה' אֱלֹקינוּ דִּבֶּר אֵלֵינוּ
בְּחֹרֵב לֵאמֹר רַב־לָכֶם שֶׁבֶת בָּהָר הַזֶּה: פְּנוּ וּסְעוּ לָכֶם וּבֹאוּ
הַר הָאֱמֹרִי... (דברים א':ו)
The choice of words here is dramatic. God demands that they stop lingering at 'this mountain' – Mt. Sinai – in favour of a different mountain which is none other than the Land of Israel.[7] In light of this relationship between the two 'mountains', we might suggest that the mass ascent referenced at Mt. Sinai is realised in the entry into the land.
To support this approach, however, we need to locate the Yovel/Shofar associated
with this event. Here we may return to the presentation of the conquest of Yericho
which was the entry point to the land. As already mentioned, the episode
contains numerous parallels to the Sinai experience, but most significant for
our purposes is the call to ascend following the blast of the Shofar with the
exact same expression used at Mt Sinai.
If correct, the symbolic significance is that the Land of Israel represents
an expansion of Mt. Sinai on the spiritual plane. The Torah's laws guide the
people living throughout the length and breadth of land, on a private-individual
as well as a national level. Thus, the Torah received on top of Mt Sinai
infuses holiness to the entire nation and land.[8]
Yovel of Sinai and the Yovel laws
Perhaps the most significant corroboration within the Torah, of the
nexus between the ascent of Mt. Sinai and ascent to the land, is the law of
Yovel. Aside from the Yovel laws and the Yovel at Sinai, there is no
other reference to 'Yovel' in the Torah.
The location of the Yovel laws is highly significant. The beginning of Parashat
Behar notably geolocates us at the summit of Mt. Sinai. As we now approach the conclusion
of the covenant with the blessing and curses, we may indeed expect to hear the
Yovel (=Shofar) to enable their ascent of the mountain.
Instead, we are presented with the Shofar announcing the advent of the Yovel year. [9] The Yovel year comprises of two central tenets - emancipation of Jewish slaves and the return of the land to its original owners in accordance with the initial allocations. These laws are themselves premised on God's ownership of the Land of Israel and his acquisition of the Israelites as the Chosen People.
כִּי־לִי בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדִים
עֲבָדַי הֵם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵאתִי אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹקיכֶם (ויקרא
כ"ה:נה)
וְהָאָרֶץ לֹא תִמָּכֵר לִצְמִתֻת
כִּי־לִי הָאָרֶץ כִּי־גֵרִים וְתוֹשָׁבִים אַתֶּם עִמָּדִי (ויקרא כ"ה:כג)
Both of these points were strongly emphasised in the prelude to the
Sinai covenant:[10]
וְעַתָּה אִם־שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ
בְּקֹלִי וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־בְּרִיתִי וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכׇּל־הָעַמִּים
כִּי־לִי כׇּל־הָאָרֶץ׃ (שמות י"ט:ה)
It follows therefore, that the Yovel law, which recalls and renews the experience
of the entry to the land and sanctity of the people, stands in for the Yovel of
Sinai. The purpose of this transposition is to highlight that the Mt. Sinai covenant
sets the blueprint for a holy existence in the land which embraces the entire
nation. If all goes to plan, the divine presence which only Moshe was privy to
encounter directly at the summit of Sinai, diffuses across the entire land and
people. In other words, the settlement of the land on the basis of the Torah's
value system, constitutes the fulfilment of the ascent of the mountain as instructed
at Sinai.
[1]
Another potential issue emerges
from the Talmud (TB Beitzah 5a) which considers the clause redundant on the assumption
that it was self-evident that the restriction was contingent on the divine
presence residing on the mountain.
One might counter that the temporary nature of the prohibition was indeed obvious; the function of the Shofar was primarily to signify the departure of the divine presence to determine the precise point of reversion. Perhaps this is implied in Rashi, but it should be noted that the Talmud takes a different direction and derives from here the law: כל דבר שבמניין צריך מניין אחר להתירו.
[3] One might suggest that God knew
that no one would dare ascend in the midst of the revelation. The concern was
that people would approach before the fireworks kicked-off and then it would be
too late to retreat. The purpose of such a hypothetical instruction would be to
convey the message that God invites everyone to approach, whereas distance is a
result of human limitation. In any event, this doesn't address the technical
issue.
[4] Chaotic crowds on a mountain trying
to get close to a fire may conjure up images of Mt. Meron on Lag BaOmer. Depending
on one's viewpoint that may or may not inspire.
[5] The Akeidah also refers to an ascent
of a mountain (albeit not a mass ascent) and there are indeed many correspondences
between the Akeidah and Matan Torah.
[6] The question of whether or not to 'ascend
the mountain' seems to be a recurring theme in Jewish history. Some of the debates
around religious Zionism centred on the Talmud's alleged injunction against ascending
en masse to the land (TB Ketubot 111a) שלא יעלו ישראל בחומה. Incidentally, I wonder whether the use of
word chomah is intended to recall the chomah of Yericho which they
were prohibited from approaching until the 'appointed time' on the seventh day.
(The controversies around ascending to Har HaBayit may also be added to the
list.)
[7] Another place we find such a phrase
is with Korach who challenged the privileged position of Moshe under a cynical
claim of equality. Korach argued that the entire congregation is holy (as God
indeed declared at Mt. Sinai) and therefore challenged the uniqueness of Moshe
and the Kohanim. In the terms of this article, in Korach's view everyone has a
right to 'ascend the mountain' and this should not have been the exclusive remit
of Moshe and the Kohanim.
[8] The expansion of holiness as
described resonates with the structural form of Sefer Vayikra (an example of the
principle of form follows function), discussed here.
[10] Another connection between Yovel and Shavu'ot is that both are preceded by a 7x7 counting period. Interestingly, there are also a number of similarities between the presentation of Yom Kippur (on which the shofar of the Yovel was sounded) and Shavu'ot in Parashat Emor (e.g the phrase etzem ha-yom ha-zeh appears in both).
No comments:
Post a Comment