Sinai Yetziah El Arish Har Karkom Har Sinai Midbar Paran

On the 15^th of 3^rdmonth, c B.C.E. , when Yi•sᵊr•â•eilꞋ caravanned from Rᵊphid•imꞋ, they came to Mi•dᵊbârꞋ Sin•aiꞋ and pitched camp beside Har Sin•aiꞋ.

Then Mōsh•ëhꞋ climbed up Har Sin•­aiꞋ, to ha-ël•oh•imꞋ, where he perceived a ma•lâkhꞋ י‑‑ה calling him from the Har, saying,

Har Sin•aiꞋ (Kar•kōmꞋ), Summit Cave

“Thus shall you tell Beit Ya•a•qovꞋ and relate to Bᵊn•eiꞋ-Yi•sᵊrâ•eilꞋ:
‘You saw what I did to the Mi•tzᵊraꞋyim; how I carried you on eagle's wings, bringing you to Me.

So now, if you will absolutely-hearken to My Voice and keep My Bᵊrit, then you shall be My Property more than any other of hâ-am•imꞋ (because all of hâ-ârꞋëtz is already Mine as well). So you shall be Mine, a Ma•mᵊlâkh•âhꞋ of Ko•han•imꞋ, a Goy Qâ•dōshꞋ’

These are the matters that you shall speak to Bᵊn•eiꞋ-Yi•sᵊrâ•eilꞋ.”

So Mōsh•ëhꞋ came and summoned all of the Zi•qᵊn•eiꞋ hâ-âm and placed all of these matters before them, as י‑‑ה had commanded.

Then hâ-âm answered together, saying,

“Everything that י‑‑ה has spoken we will do.”

So Mōsh•ëhꞋ conveyed the answers of hâ-âm back to י‑‑ה.

Then י‑‑ה said to Mōsh•ëhꞋ,

“Look, I came to you in a cumulus cloud so that hâ-âm would hearken to My talks with you; so that they would believe in you, Mōsh•ëhꞋ, lᵊ-o•lâmꞋ.”

When Mōsh•ëhꞋ relayed the answers of hâ-âm to י‑‑ה, י‑‑ה replied to Mōsh•ëhꞋ,

“Go to hâ-âm and consecrate them today and tomorrow; and have them launder their kaftans to be ready for Yom Shᵊlish•iꞋ; because on Yom Shᵊlish•iꞋ, י‑‑ה will descend above Har Sin•aiꞋ in sight of all hâ-âm. So, block-off Har Sin•aiꞋ. Any man or beast that so much as touches the Har, shall be shot! No hand may touch but, whether man or beast, must be stoned or shot absolutely dead.

“Only so long as the Yo•veilꞋ continues may they climb the Har.”

Obediently, Mōsh•ëhꞋ descended from Har Sin•aiꞋ and did accordingly.

Lightnings & thunderings imbue mountains with super­stitious awesome ancient sacredness (Superstition Mountains, AZ, 2018, photo Jarred Truschke)

Then, on the morning of Yom Shᵊlish•iꞋ, there was a howling wind, lightnings and a heavy cumulonimbus raincloud above Har Sin•aiꞋ, with the deafening thunder of a heavenly shō•phârꞋ, causing all of hâ-âm in the camp to quake.

Next, Mōsh•ëhꞋ brought hâ-âm from the camp to meet ha-ël•oh•imꞋ; and they stationed themselves at the foot of the Har.

Har Sin•aiꞋ (Kar•kōmꞋ), Summit Cleft

Har Sin•aiꞋ was shrouded in smoke because the lightning of י‑‑ה had started a fire among some brush near the summit. So smoke ascended like smoke from a furnace; and the flashing lightning made the Har appear to quake violently. When the sound of the deafening thunder of a heavenly shō•phârꞋ, grew ear-splitting loud, Mōsh•ëhꞋ spoke… and ha-ël•oh•imꞋ answered with a deafening peal of thunder.

Thus י‑‑ה was perceived to descend over Har Sin•aiꞋ, toward the summit of the Har. And י‑‑ה summoned Mōsh•ëhꞋ to the summit of the Har, and Mōsh•ëhꞋ went up.

Then י‑‑ה told Mōsh•ëhꞋ:

Har Kar•kōmꞋ (Har Sin•aiꞋ): treacherous climb trail (photo: www.harkarkom.com/ #173)

“Go back down and reemphasize to hâ-âm lest many of them become distracted straining to see י‑‑ה, misstep, fall and be flung down the mountainside along with the ko•han•imꞋ who approach י‑‑ה. They must consecrate themselves lest the excitement of seeing י‑‑ה burst within them, they become distracted straining to see and they misstep and fall down the mountainside.”

Then Mōsh•ëhꞋ replied to י‑‑ה, "hâ-âm cannot climb up to Har Sin•aiꞋ, because You reemphasized that, telling us:

“Put up a border around the Har and consecrate it.”

So י‑‑ה told him,

“Go down now. Come back up with A•ha•ronꞋ. But the other ko•han•imꞋ and hâ-âm may not ascend to י‑‑ה lest the excitement burst within them and they become distracted, misstep and fall down the mountainside.”

Then Mōsh•ëhꞋ went down to hâ-âm and told them.