"And they journeyed from Refidim and arrived in the desert Sinai and they encamped in the desert, and Bnei Yisroel camped there opposite the mountain."
The verse before this states that Bnei Yisroel left Egypt and arrived to the desert of Sinai and then it says that we left Refidim and arrived at the Sinai. The Ohr Hachaim asked, why did the Torah emphasize the secondary statement prior to the first?
The Ohr Hachaim suggests that the Torah wanted to hint to us three steps which were essential in the preparation to receive the Torah.
#1 “They traveled from Refidim” The term rafui means weak or lazy and can be a play on words. It is a place where the Bnei Yisroel became weak or lazy from the study of Torah, therefore the Torah states they traveled from the place of Laziness.
#2 “Vayachanu bamidbar“ they rested in the desert; the desert is a place where there is no physical grandeur; it's a place desolate from everything materialistic. The main attribute is humility and therefore it’s the prerequisite to receiving the Torah.
#3 "Vayechan shom neged hahar- and they rested there opposite the mountain." The term “vayechen“ is in singular form referring that the nation was united which was necessary in order to receive the Torah.
There are questions regarding these prerequisites needed for receiving the Torah:
#1- How can they be responsible for being lazy in the study of Torah if the Torah was not given yet? All the Torah from the Avot was like extra credit as it was not yet a commandment to study?
#2- If the Torah is a brilliant pursuit of tremendous knowledge, why is humility necessary? It makes sense that a person with the maximum drive and one with the greatest mind for knowledge would succeed in obtaining the Torah?
#3- Why was it considered unity just because the people got along for a few days by the mountain? A few days later, the nation was divided about other issues. We are a free thinking nation and all of the Talmud is full of disputes, does this make us not unified? Additionally, how does that unity enhance our ability to study?
When it comes to Torah study, it is very different from the secular approach to learning and obtaining knowledge. Torah is about being a vessel that can absorb Hashem’s genius. It’s about having the right approach and attitude to carry the Torah. The Torah is ultimately a gift, and all that is needed is for one to be worthy to accept it. These were the three prerequisites to make one able to receive the gift.
#1-We must want and desire the Torah knowledge and understanding whether or not it’s available to us. In the secular world if you don’t have it, you are out of luck. Even though the Jewish nation did not yet have the commandment to study, they needed the intense longing for learning Torah to be in place.
#2-Humility is part of being that vessel to absorb Torah. It's because Torah is ultimate truth and ego will distort truth. Torah cannot be about us, but about the perpetuating truth.
#3-Unity is expressed by the willingness to share, to reach out to the one that doesn’t get it and helps him come along. The Torah is not about me but how I can ingratiate someone else’s life. In the secular world of wisdom, as long as I have more knowledge why should I share it? With Torah, teaching is what is going to make us successful in our learning.
