We all know that Shavuoth happens on the 6th of Sivan and that the Torah was either received
on Shavuoth itself or on the 7th of Sivan. (Rav Hirsch explains that if the Torah was received on
Shavuoth then Shavuoth celebrates the receipt of the Torah. However if the Torah was received
on the 7th of Sivan then Shavuoth celebrates our preparation and being ready for receipt of the Torah -
that is, the preparation to receive the Torah would be considered the primary thing to celebrate).
The Table below presents the verses that support the calculation that the Torah was received on the
6th or 7th of Sivan.
Justifying Verse
| Event
| Date of Occurrence
| Rational
|
Ex19-01a
| Jews arrive at Sinai
| 1st Day of Sivan
| Verse explicitly says: On 1st of 3rd month they arrived at Sinai.
|
Ex19-03a
| Moses receives his 1st prophetic orders from God to nation (That if they observe the law God will make them a precious nation)
| 2nd Day of Sivan
| Reasonable assumption that each event was done on a new day giving time to prepare responses.
|
Ex19-03a
| Moses delivers his 1st prophetic orders from God to nation
| 2nd Day of Sivan
| Part of dialogue of 2nd day.
|
Ex19-07:08
| The Nation accepts God's offer
| 2nd day of Sivan
| Part of dialogue of 2nd day.
|
Ex19-08
| Moses presents response of nation(acceptance) to God's offer
| 3rd day of Sivan
| Reasonable assumption that each event was done on a new day giving time to prepare responses.
|
Ex19-09
| God relates 2nd prophetic message (That God will speak to Moses prophetically before
the whole nation)
| 3rd day of Sivan
| Part of dialogue of 3rd day.
|
Ex19-09c
| Moses relates to God the nations second response that they will accept God's order provided that they personally hear God
(cf. Ex19-08 vs Ex24-07 we'll do vs. we'll do what we hear)
| 4th day of Sivan
| Reasonable assumption that each event was done on a new day giving time to prepare responses.
|
Ex19-10:11b
| God gives 3rd prophetic order - nation must prepare (by separating from women)
so that they can prophetically receive the decalogue on the 3rd day
| 4th day of Sivan (Preparation on 4th and 5th to receive Torah on 6th)
| Part of dialogue of 4th day.
|
Ex24
| Nation offers sacrifices in preparation for receipt of Torah; prophetic visions happen
| Day 5 of Sivan
| Ex24-01 states that God had told Moses to prepare for ascent to receive
Bible (So this, Ex24, happened prior to revelation). Ex24-04 speaks
about getting up in morning so this happened the next day on 5th.
|
Ex19-15b
| Nation receives Torah (Prophetic revelation of decalogue)
| Day 6 or 7 of Sivan
| God asked for preparation for the 3rd day (Ex19-11). Moses
asked for a triplet of days of preparation (Ex19-15). This could
mean to be prepared for the 3rd day (6th Sivan), or, it could mean to prepare 3 days
(day 4,5,6) so that the Torah was received on the 7th.
|
Advanced Rashi: Rashi points out that Ex24, the sacrifices prior to the
receipt of the Torah happened on the 5th of Sivan while the Decalogue itself is stated in a prior chapter Ex20.
Rashi concludes that Textual Biblical sequence does not necessarily indicate temporal sequence.
It is important to supplement this Rashi comment with the grammatical observation that in Biblical
Hebrew, the past, as indicated by a future conjugation preceded by a vav, indicates the simple past, while
the past, as indicated by the past conjugation, indicates the past perfect (Which in English is indicated
with the participle had.) Hence Ex24-01, stated in a chapter
that occurs after the chapter with the description of the revealed law,
states, And God had told Moses to come up for revelation... The use of the past perfect,
had told gives grammatical support to the temporal precedence of Ex24 to the revelation
mentioned in Ex20, Ex21, Ex22, Ex23. This simple but convincing grammatical proof for the dictum
Textual Biblical sequence does not indicate temporal sequence seems to be an innovation of mine
not mentioned by other Biblical commentators.
|