1)

(a)On the day that they arrived at Har Sinai, both Tana'im agree that Moshe did not say anything to the B'nei Yisrael - because they were weary from the journey.

(b)According to Rebbi Yossi, on the second of Sivan, he repeated to them "ve'Atem Tih'yu Li Mamleches Kohanim ... " (until Chamishi), on ...

1. ... Tuesday, the third, he told them the Mitzvah of - Hagbalah (fencing off the mountain), and on ...

2. ... Wednesday, the fourth - that of 'P'rishah' (separating from their wives).

(c)We learn from the Pasuk ...

1. ... "Hishamru Lachem Alos be'Katzeihu" - the Mitzvah of Hagbalah.

2. ... "ve'Kidashtem Hayom u'Machar" - the Mitzvah of Perishah ...

(d)... despite the fact that they appear in the Chumash - in the reverse order (the former in Pasuk 12, and the latter, in Pasuk 10).

2)

(a)The problem with Rebbi Yossi is that the Pasuk "ve'Kidashtem ha'Yom u'Machar" - clearly implies that there were only two days of Hafrashah, in which case, the Torah would have been given on Friday, and not on Shabbos.

(b)Rebbi Yossi maintains - that, in fact, Moshe added a third day of his own accord.

(c)We know that Hash-m agreed with that - because the Shechinah did not descend on Har Sinai until Shabbos, the day Moshe had ordained.

3)

(a)Besides separating permanently from his wife - Moshe also smashed the Luchos of his own accord.

(b)We know that Hash-m agreed with Moshe's separating from his wife, because, when He eventually permitted Yisrael to return to their wives, he instructed Moshe to remain with Him. And we know that he agrees with the breaking of the Luchos - because He said later (in Ki Sisa) "Asher Shibarta" ... which Resh Lakish interprets as 'Yeyasher she'Shibarta' - 'Thank you for breaking them!'

(c)Moshe added one day to the original two of Hafrashah, because he Darshened "ha'Yom u'Machar" - to imply 'today just like tomorrow'. Just like tomorrow is a full twenty-four hour day, so too, today (though this is not a real Derashah - See Tosfos DH 'ha'Yom'). So in order to comply with that Derashah, he decided to discount today, and to keep two full days without it - i.e. tomorrow and the day after (Thursday and Friday).

(d)In effect, both his decision to separate from his wife and to break the Luchos were based on Kal-ve'Chomers. He arrived at the decision to ...

1. ... separate from his wife from a 'Kal va'Chomer' from Yisrael, who were only receiving the Shechinah on this one occasion, yet they were told to separate from their wives, then he, who would receive the Shechinah on numerous occasions, must certainly be ready for that, whenever he would be called.

2. ... smashed the Luchos too, from a 'Kal va'Chomer' from the Korban Pesach, which is just one of the Taryag Mitzvos, yet it is forbidden to a 'Ben-Nechar' (a Jew who has served idols), then how could he possibly give the entire Torah (which was contained on the Luchos) to Yisrael, who were dancing round the Golden Calf (See Tosfos DH 'u'Mah')?

4)

(a)Others learn the earlier Limud from the Pasuk "Peh el Peh Adaber bo", which he interprets to mean - that Hash-m gave him explicit instructions to separate from his wife (Maharshal; see also Agados Maharsha)

(b)Rebbi Yossi has no problem with the Pasuk "Vehayu Nechonim la'Yom ha'Shelishi" - since he maintains that it was only later that Moshe added a day (as we already explained).

(c)The problem the Beraisa 'Shelishi, Shelishi ba'Chodesh, u'Shelishi be'Shabbos' poses on Rava is - that according to the Rabbanan, the Tana ought to have said Revi'i be'Shabbos.

(d)And we answer by establishing the Beraisa according to Rebbi Yossi.

5)

(a)The Torah writes "va'Yashev Moshe es Divrei ha'Am el Hash-m", and then, without any apparent reply on the part of Yisrael, it goes on to say "va'Yaged Moshe es Divrei ha'Am el Hash-m". According to Rebbi Yossi b'Rebbi Yehudah - the latter Pasuk refers to the Mitzvah of Hagbalah, which Yisrael had accepted on themselves (even though it is only written three Pesukim later (Rashi in Chumash, interprets the Pesukim differently).

(b)According to the first version of Rebbi however, "va'Yashev Moshe" ... means that he first told them things that would normally cause one to rebel (Shovav) - i.e. the punishments, and then "va'Yaged Moshe" - he told them things that attract like Agadah (the rewards due to those who keep the Torah). Alternatively - "va'Yashev Moshe" means that he first told them the reward (things that make the heart feel settled ['she'Mashivin' ... ], and then "va'Yaged Moshe" - the things that are hard like a bitter herb called 'Gidin' (the punishments).

(c)We already established the author of the Beraisa which states 'Shelishi, Shelishi ba'Chodesh, u'Shelishi be'Shabbos' as Rebbi Yossi. What the Tana ...

1. ... now means is - that the Torah was given on the third day (as we will explain shortly) from the third day (Tuesday) of the third month.

2. ... of a second Beraisa (we also establish like Rebbi Yossi) means, when he says 'Shishi, Shishi ba'Chodesh, Shishi be'Shabbos, is - that the Torah was given on the sixth day as we will explains shortly) on Friday the sixth of Sivan.

(d)The first Shelishi in the Beraisa - refers to the third day after "Va'yashev Moshe" (as we just explained).

(e)According to Rebbi Yossi, 'Shelishi' in the first Beraisa and 'Shishi' in the second - refer to Friday (before Moshe initiated the extra day).

6)

(a)The author of the Beraisa ('Shishi, Shishi ba'Chodesh' ... ) too, which equates Friday with the sixth of the month - must be Rebbi Yossi, because according to the Rabbanan, Friday was the fifth of Sivan, and not the sixth.

(b)The first version establishes the first 'Shishi' as the sixth day after they encamped. Rav Acha bar Ya'akov establishes it - as the day after they left Refidim.

(c)The Machlokes between these two opinions is with regard to the Pasuk in Va'eschanan (in connection with the Mitzvah of Shabbos in the second Dibros). "Ka'asher Tzivcha Hash-m Elokecha", which Rav Yehudah Amar Rav explains - in connection with Marah (where they were given Shabbos, among other Mitzvos).

(d)The basis of their Machlokes is whether they were also given 'Techumin' (Rav Acha bar Ya'akov) or not (Rava), which will explain the opinion of the former, that they left Refidim on Sunday, the same day as they arrived at Midbar Sinai.

7)

(a)A Beraisa discusses the timetable of the actual Exodus from Egypt - which took place on Thursday.

(b)If the fifteenth of Nisan fell on Thursday, that means that Rosh Chodesh Nisan too, fell on Thursday. Consequently (since Nisan is generally a full month), Rosh Chodesh Iyar must have fallen on Shabbos, and (since Iyar is generally a short month) Rosh Chodesh Sivan, on Sunday.

(c)The Rabbanan will say that, even if they did leave Egypt on Thursday, Rosh Chodesh Sivan could still have fallen on Monday - because they declared Iyar of that year a full month.

8)

(a)We query the Rabbanan however, from another Beraisa - which specifically states that they did not declare Iyar a full month, and that Sivan therefore fell on Sunday.

(b)And we reconcile the Rabanan with that Beraisa - by establishing it like Rebbi Yossi.

9)

(a)The Beraisa discusses Yisrael's arrival in Midbar Sin (from Eilim, upon which they began to grumble - on account of the fact that the remains of the Matzos which they took with them out of Egypt, ran out.

(b)We know that they arrived in Midbar Sin on Shabbos - because the Pasuk informs us that on the very next morning the Manna began to fall and that it fell for six days, and that on the seventh day, Shabbos there would be o Manna.

(c)We extrapolate from here - that if the fifteenth of Iyar fell on a Shabbos, then Rosh Chodesh Sivan must have fallen on Sunday (a Kashya on the Rabbanan, who do not argue with the above Beraisa).

(d)The Rabbanan however, maintain - that Iyar of that year was a full month (as we already explained).

10)

(a)The Tana of the Beraisa cited by Rav Chavivi from Chuzna'ah encapsulates the importance of the first of Nisan in a nutshell - by describing it as having taken ten crowns (meaning that ten things happened for the first time, which we will now proceed to explain).

(b)'Rishon ...

1. ... le'Ma'aseh Bereishis' - means that the first of Nisan of that year fell on Sunday (the first day of the creation).

2. ... li'Nesi'im' - the day that Nachshon ben Aminadav, the first of the Princes, brought his inaugural offerings for the dedication of the Mizbei'ach.

3. ... li'Kehunah' - means that that day (the eighth day of the inauguration) was the first time that the Avodah was performed by Aharon and his sons. Until then, it had been performed by the first-born and by Moshe.

4. ... la'Avodah' - means that this was the first time that the daily routine regarding the Korban Tamid and the regular Korbanos was practiced.

5. ... la'Achilas Kodshim' - means that this was the first time that Kodshim had to be eaten within a specified Mechitzah; until now, they could be eaten anywhere.

(c)Rosh Chodesh Nisan was also the first time that the fire came down from Heaven to consume the Korban Tzibur ... that the Shechinah dwelt in the midst of Klal Yisrael ... that the Kohanim blessed Yisrael - that Bamos became forbidden, and it became the first of the months (a distinction which until now, was a distinction that belonged to Tishri).

(d)This took place - the year after they left Egypt (the second year in the desert).

11)

(a)According to the current Beraisa, Rosh Chodesh Nisan of the previous year (the year that they left Egypt) must have fallen on Wednesday, based on a statement of Acherim, who said in a Beraisa - that there are always four days difference between Shevu'os of one year and that of the next (five in a leap year). In other words, if any given Rosh Chodesh falls for example, on Sunday one year, it will fall on Thursday (four days later) the following year (and if it is a leap-year, on Friday).

(b)This based on the fact - that the months are bound to follow the same pattern: Nisan full, Iyar short. Sivan full, Tamuz short etc. Consequently, after counting three hundred and fifty days (seven full weeks), one is left with four days.

(c)That being the case, Rosh Chodesh Nisan of the second year must have fallen on Thursday, Rosh Chodesh Iyar, on Friday, and Rosh Chodesh Sivan, on Shabbos - and neither on Sunday, like Rebbi Yossi, nor on Monday, like the Rabbanan.

(d)And we answer that both Tana'im disagree with Acherim, and that according to ...

1. ... Rebbi Yossi, they fixed one short month in the previous year, so that Rosh Chodesh Nisan of the that year fell on Friday (despite the fact that there will only have been three days between the two Nisans - and not four, like Acherim), whereas according to ...

2. ... the Rabbanan, they even fixed two extra short months, so that Rosh Chodesh Nisan will have fallen not on Thursday, but on Friday (leaving only two days between the two Nisans).