AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE THIRD DAY. R. Abba connected this with the following verse: “We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts; what shall we do to our sister in the day when she will be spoken for?” (S.S. 8, 8). ‘The “little sister” is the Community of Israel, who is called the Holy One’s sister; “she hath no breasts”, i.e. when they approached Mount Sinai she had no merits, no good works to protect her; “what shall we do to our sister?”, when the Holy One shall reveal Himself on Mount Sinai to proclaim the words of the Torah, and her soul will fly away (out of fear).’
Said R. Jose: ‘When the Israelites approached Mount Sinai, on that night which followed the three days during which the people abstained from conjugal intercourse, the heavenly angels came and received them with brotherly affection. For as they are angels above, so are the Israelites angels below; as they sanctify the Supreme Name above, so do the Israelites sanctify it below.
And the Israelites were crowned with seventy crowns on that night. Then it was that the angels said: “We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts. What shall we do to our sister? How should we honour her on the day when the Holy One will reveal Himself to give her the Torah?”
R. Simeon said that when the Holy One came to reveal Himself on Mount Sinai, He called together His whole celestial Family and said to them: “At present the Israelites are like children, they will not know how to deport themselves in My Presence. If I should reveal Myself to them in the attribute of Power (Geburah) they will not be able to bear it, but when I manifest Myself to them in love (Rahamim) they will accept My Law.” Therefore the manifestation on Mount Sinai took place on the third day, which is the Day of love (Rahamim).
In this manner did He revealed Himself first in Love; and then gave them the Torah from the side of Power; and that on the third day, for it is because of the “Three” that they are called Israel;
and in the morning, in “a morning without clouds” (2 Sam. 23, 4), since had it been a cloudy morning darkness would have been found in it, and Grace would not have been revealed. And when does Grace reveal itself? In the morning: “The morning is light”; for as soon as the day breaks Grace is manifested and Judgement passes away, but when the light of morning does not enter the judgements do not vanish away, as it is written: “When the morning stars sing together, and all the sons of God shout for joy” (Job 38, 7; i.e. the angels of judgement shout for joy as long as night continues); but as soon as those stars set and the sun shines, behold there is “a morning without clouds”, and Grace is awakened in the lower world.’
R. Jose said: ‘The Holy One began to reveal Himself on Mount Sinai “in the morning”, and we have been taught that it took place when the merit of Abraham, who “rose up early in the morning” (to sacrifice Isaac, Gen. 22, 3), was aroused. ‘
וַיְהִי בַיּוֹם הַשְׁלִישִׁי וְגוֹ'. ר' אַבָּא פָּתַח, (שיר השירים ח׳:ח׳) אָחוֹת לָנוּ קְטַנָּה וְשָׁדַיִם אֵין לָהּ מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה לַאֲחוֹתֵנוּ בַּיּוֹם שֶׁיְּדֻבַּר בָּהּ. אָחוֹת לָנוּ קְטַנָּה, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִקְרֵי אָחוֹת לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְשָׁדַיִם אֵין לָהּ, הַיְינוּ דְּתָנֵינָן, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקָרִיבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְטוּרָא דְּסִינַי, לָא הֲוָה בְּהוֹן זַכְוָון, וְעוֹבָדִין טָבִין, לְאַגָּנָא עָלַיְיהוּ, דִּכְתִּיב וְשָׁדַיִם אֵין לָהּ. דְּהָא אִינּוּן תִּקּוּנָא וּשְׁפִירוּ דְּאִתְּתָא, וְלֵית שַׁפִּירוּ דְּאִתְּתָא אֶלָּא אִינּוּן. מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה לַאֲחוֹתֵנוּ. מַה יִתְעֲבִיד מִינָהּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, יִתְגְּלֵי בְּטוּרָא דְּסִינַי, לְמַלְּלָא בְּפִתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְיִפְרַח נִשְׁמָתְהוֹן מִנַיְיהוּ.
AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE THIRD DAY. R. Abba connected this with the following verse: “We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts; what shall we do to our sister in the day when she will be spoken for?” (S.S. 8, 8). ‘The “little sister” is the Community of Israel, who is called the Holy One’s sister; “she hath no breasts”, i.e. when they approached Mount Sinai she had no merits, no good works to protect her; “what shall we do to our sister?”, when the Holy One shall reveal Himself on Mount Sinai to proclaim the words of the Torah, and her soul will fly away (out of fear).’
אָמַר ר' יוֹסֵי. בְּהַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא דְּקָרִיבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְטוּרָא דְּסִינַי, בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא וְנַגְהֵי, תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין דְּלָא אִזְדַּוְּוגוּ לְאִנְתְּתַיְיהוּ, אָתוּ מַלְאָכִין עִלָּאִין, וְקַבִּילוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאַחְוָותָא. אִינּוּן מַלְאָכִין לְעֵילָּא, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַלְאָכִין לְתַתָּא. אִינּוּן מְקַדְּשִׁין שְׁמָא עִלָּאָה לְעֵילָּא, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מְקַדְּשִׁין שְׁמָא עִלָּאָה לְתַתָּא.
Said R. Jose: ‘When the Israelites approached Mount Sinai, on that night which followed the three days during which the people abstained from conjugal intercourse, the heavenly angels came and received them with brotherly affection. For as they are angels above, so are the Israelites angels below; as they sanctify the Supreme Name above, so do the Israelites sanctify it below.
וְאִתְעַטְּרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשִׁבְעִין כִּתְרִין בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא. וּמַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי הֲווֹ אַמְרֵי אָחוֹת לָנוּ קְטַנָּה וְשָׁדַיִם אֵין לָהּ, דְּלֵית בְּהוּ זַכְוָון וְעוֹבָדִין טָבִין. מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה לַאֲחוֹתֵנוּ, כְּלוֹמַר מַה יְקָר וּרְבוּ נַּעְבִיד לְאַחֲתָנָא דָּא בְּיוֹמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יִתְגְּלֵי בְּטוּרָא דְּסִינַי לְמֵיהָב לְהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא.
And the Israelites were crowned with seventy crowns on that night. Then it was that the angels said: “We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts. What shall we do to our sister? How should we honour her on the day when the Holy One will reveal Himself to give her the Torah?”
וַיְהִי בַיּוֹם הַשְׁלִישִׁי, כְּתִיב היוּ נְכוֹנִים לִשְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים אַל תִּגְּשׁוּ אֶל אִשָּׁה וְהַיְינוּ בַיּוֹם הַשְׁלִישִׁי. ר' שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעָא לְאִתְגַּלָּאָה בְּטוּרָא דְּסִינַי, קָרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְכָל פָּמַלְיָיא דִּילֵיהּ, אָמַר לוֹן, הַשְׁתָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל רַבְיָין, דְּלָא יַדְעִין נִימוּסַי, וַאֲנָא בָּעֵי לְאִתְגְּלֵי עָלַיְיהוּ, אִי אִתְגְּלֵי עָלַיְיהוּ בְּחֵילָא דִּגְבוּרָה, לָא יַכְלִין לְמִסְבַּל. אֲבָל אִתְגְּלֵי עָלַיְיהוּ בְּרַחֲמֵי, וִיקַבְּלוּן נִימוּסַי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיְהִי בַיּוֹם הַשְׁלִישִׁי. בַיּוֹם הַשְׁלִישִׁי וַדַּאי דְּאִיהוּ רַחֲמֵי מְנָלָן. דִּכְתִּיב, (שמואל ב כ״ב:י׳) וַיֵּט שָׁמַיִם וַיֵּרַד.
R. Simeon said that when the Holy One came to reveal Himself on Mount Sinai, He called together His whole celestial Family and said to them: “At present the Israelites are like children, they will not know how to deport themselves in My Presence. If I should reveal Myself to them in the attribute of Power (Geburah) they will not be able to bear it, but when I manifest Myself to them in love (Rahamim) they will accept My Law.” Therefore the manifestation on Mount Sinai took place on the third day, which is the Day of love (Rahamim).
וּבְהַאי אִתְגְּלֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַקְדִּים לְהוּ רַחֲמֵי בְּקַדְמִיתָא. וּלְבָתַר אִתְיְיהִיב לְהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא, מִסִּטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה. בַיּוֹם הַשְׁלִישִׁי, דְּהָכִי אִתְחָזֵי לְהוּ, דִּבְגִינֵי כַּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אִקְרוּן.
In this manner did He revealed Himself first in Love; and then gave them the Torah from the side of Power; and that on the third day, for it is because of the “Three” that they are called Israel;
בִּהְיוֹת הַבֹּקֶר, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמואל ב כ״ג:ד׳) בֹּקֶר לֹא עָבוֹת. הָא אִי הֲוָה עָבוֹת קַדְרוּתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח, וְלָא אִתְגַּלְּיָיא חֶסֶ"ד. וְאֵימָתַי אִתְגַּלְּיָיא חֶסֶ"ד. בַּבֹּקֶר. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית מה) הַבֹּקֶר אוֹר. דְּכַד נָהִיר צַפְרָא, חֶסֶ"ד אִשְׁתְּכַח בְּעָלְמָא, וְדִינִין מִתְעַבְּרָן. וּבְזִמְנָא דְּלָא נָהִיר בֹּקֶר, דִּינִין עַד כְּעַן לָא מִתְעַבְּרָן. דִּכְתִּיב, (איוב ל״ח:ז׳) בְּרָן יַחַד כֹּכְבֵי בֹּקֶר וַיָּרִיעוּ כָּל בְּנֵי אֱלהִים. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְעַבְּרָן אִינּוּן כֹּכָבַיָּא וְנָהִיר שִׁמְשָׁא, בֵּיהּ שַׁעֲתָא כְּתִיב, בֹּקֶר לֹא עָבוֹת. וְחֶסֶ"ד אִתְּעַר בְּעָלְמָא תַּתָּאָה, בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא כְּתִיב, בִּהְיוֹת הַבֹּקֶר. וְכֵיוָן דְּמִתְעַבְּרָן כֹּכָבַיָּא בֹּקֶר אִשְׁתְּכַח. (נ"א דאתער בקר, דינין לא אשתכחו)
and in the morning, in “a morning without clouds” (2 Sam. 23, 4), since had it been a cloudy morning darkness would have been found in it, and Grace would not have been revealed. And when does Grace reveal itself? In the morning: “The morning is light”; for as soon as the day breaks Grace is manifested and Judgement passes away, but when the light of morning does not enter the judgements do not vanish away, as it is written: “When the morning stars sing together, and all the sons of God shout for joy” (Job 38, 7; i.e. the angels of judgement shout for joy as long as night continues); but as soon as those stars set and the sun shines, behold there is “a morning without clouds”, and Grace is awakened in the lower world.’
אָמַר ר' יוֹסֵי, בִּהְיוֹת הַבֹּקֶר שָׁארֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְגַּלָּאָה בְּטוּרָא דְּסִינַי. תָּאנָא, בִּהְיוֹת הַבֹּקֶר, כַּד אִתְּעַר זְכוּתֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם, דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ (בראשית י״ט:כ״ז) וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר.
R. Jose said: ‘The Holy One began to reveal Himself on Mount Sinai “in the morning”, and we have been taught that it took place when the merit of Abraham, who “rose up early in the morning” (to sacrifice Isaac, Gen. 22, 3), was aroused. ‘