Healing Well of Miriam

Parshat Yitro

When the people of Israel were offered the Torah they answered: “We will do and we will hear” (Exodus 24:7). The Talmud (Avodah Zorah 2a) says the mountain was suspended over their heads. If they refused, that would be their grave.  What would have been the ramification of that possible refusal?  Other nations had been offered and had refused…

…HaShem came from Sinai—having shone forth to them from Seir, having appeared from Mount Paran, and then approached with some of the holy myriads—from His right hand He presented the fiery Torah to them.—Deuteronomy 33:2

Before HaShem offered the Torah to Israel, it was offered to the Nations.

First, Esau (Mount Seir) was approached through his angel, Samael.  “What is in it?” he asked.

“You shall not kill.”

“Oh, no, Master of the Universe, I do not want it,” he replied, “If there be no wars, my dominion will pass from the earth, for it is based on slaughter.  Rather, give it to Jacob.”

“But you are the firstborn,” HaShem said.

Samael answered, “I sold my birthright to Jacob.  Therefore, give his children the Torah.”

“How shall I entice them to take it?”

Samael replied, “Offer them some of the light of the powers of the Heavens.  And you may begin with some of my own light.”

Hashem then went to Ishmael (Mount Paran) to offer the Torah to his angel, Rahab, who likewise asked, “What is in it?”

“You shall not commit adultery.”

“Alas, Master, this is my inheritance, for I have received the blessing of the waters, to be fruitful and multiply.  This would destroy my dominion,” he lamented.  “Rather, give it to the sons of Isaac.”

“I cannot, for you are the firstborn.”

Rahab continued, “Let him have my birthright, and I give him some of my light as well.”

After this initial exchange HaShem went to the ministering angels of the Nations and received similar answers, with the gift of some of their light.  (Zohar (192a-192b) Parshat Balak)

Although the example in the Zohar only gives the answer of two nations, this represents the answers of all the 70 ministering angels of the Nations.  Notice that their answer was not a simple “No.”  They went further and said to give Israel some of their light.  This light would be the inherent wisdom of that particular nation, given temporarily to the safekeeping of Israel.  So, at Sinai, if Israel—holding all that light—had refused the Torah, the whole world would have collapsed.  This is what is being symbolized with the mountain hanging over their heads.

Israel accepted the Torah, and the light of the other nations. We can see this allusion in Isaiah’s prophecy (49:6) that Israel will be a light unto the nations.  What is this light?  Could it be, or certainly include, the light of the Nations’ own angels, their own national wisdom?  Thinking of if this way, we also come to see how the Seventy Faces of Torah are revealed—when the Nations receive back their own light and then have this unique wisdom to offer the world.  The world is rectified, and the people of the Nations and Israel jointly bring Redemption.

Shabbat shalom,

Miriam Leah