SATURDAY PRAYER: YESOD-YESHIVAT HAVERIM יְשִׁיבָה חברים – BABYLONIAN TALMUD p162

READING: BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN OF SATURDAY

A Galilean lectured in the presence of R. Hisda: Praised be the merciful God, who gave a triple
law (the Pentateuch, Prophets, and Hagiographa) to a triple people (Kahanites, Levites, and
Israelites) through a man who was the third child of his parents (Miriam, Aaron, and Moses), on
the third day of sanctification and in the third month. We see from this that the Galilean held in
accordance with the teachings of the rabbis.
It is written [Ex. xix. 17]: “And they placed themselves at the foot of the mount.” Said R.
Abhdimi b. Hama b. Hassa: “It appears from this passage that the Holy One, blessed be He,
inclined the mountain toward the children of Israel and gave them the choice of either accepting
the Torah or being buried right under the mountain.” Said R. Aha b. Jacob: “This would accord
us the right to protest against any punishment inflicted upon us for violating the law. (For we
were compelled to accept it.)” Said Rabha: Although (at that time they were compelled to accept
it), at the time of Ahasuerus (King of Persia) they accepted it voluntarily. For it is written
[Esther, ix. 27]: “The Jews confirmed it as a duty, and took upon themselves and upon their
seed.” And it is to be explained: “They took upon themselves voluntarily what at one time they
were compelled to accept.” R. Simai lectured: “At that time, when Israel answered to the
information of Moses, ‘We will do and we will obey,’ six hundred thousand angels had furnished
to every one of Israel two crowns: one for the answer ‘We will do,’ and one for the answer ‘We
will obey.’ Thereafter when Israel sinned (with the Golden Calf) twelve hundred thousand
destroying angels descended and took them away; as it is written [Exodus, xxxiii. 6]: ‘The
children of Israel then stripped themselves of their ornaments (they wore) from (the time they
were at) Mount Horeb.'” Said R. Hami b. R. Hanina: “For in the same passage it may be
deduced that in the same place where they were furnished they were taken away from them.”
Said R. Johanan: All of them were given as a reward to Moses, as immediately after the verse
cited it is written: “And Moses took the tent,” etc. Said Resh Lakish: We hope, however, that the
Holy One, blessed be He, will return them to us, as it is written [Isaiah, xxxv. 10]: “And the
ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with song, with everlasting joy upon their
head.” The expression everlasting means that it was already upon their heads at the time of
reception of the Torah.