Siman - Shabbos Daf 89

• Background behind זכרו תורת משה

Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi taught that when Moshe descended Har Sinai the Satan came and asked Hashem where the Torah was, and was told, “I gave it to the earth”. Satan searched everywhere and could not find it . Hashem told him to go to ben Amram. Moshe responded to the Satan, “Who am I that HaKadosh Baruch Hu would have given me the Torah?”

HaKadosh Baruch Hu said to Moshe that he was a fibber, since of course the Torah was given to him. Moshe responded, “You have this coveted and treasured Torah that You delight in every day; who am I that I should flatter myself that You gave the Torah to me?” HaKadosh Baruch Hu said, “Since you diminished your role in receiving the Torah, it shall be called in your name,” as it says in the passuk, זכרו תורת משה עבדי – Remember the Torah of Moshe, my servant.

• Har Sinai has five names

• Rebbe Yose b’Rebbe Chanina said that Har Sinai has five names:

1.Midbar Tzin, because the Jewish people were commanded upon it to observe the Torah.

2.Midbar Kadesh, because the Jewish people were sanctified upon it.

3.Midbar Kedeimos, because the primordial Torah (kedumah) was given upon it.

4.Midbar Paran, because the Jewish people were fruitful and multiplied next to it.

5.Sinai, because hatred (sinah) to idolaters was brought upon it.

- Rashi says it means that Hashem’s hatred of idolaters descended upon it for not accepting the Torah

- Rambam says it is referring to the idolaters’ hatred for Jews for receiving the Torah.

Its actual name was Choreiv.

• Rebbe Abahu says its actual name was Har Sinai, and it was called Har Choreiv because ruin (churbah) to idolaters descended upon it.

• Yitzchak’s defense of bnei Yisroel

Rebbe Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rebbe Yonasan that in the future, Yitzchak will be the only Patriarch willing to defend Bnei Yisroel from Hashem’s judgement. His successful defense involved calculating the years that a person sins, to a grand total of twelve and a half. A person lives 70 years, and therefore, after deducting the years that one is not punished (20), the years that one sleeps (25), and the years that one prays, eats and goes to the bathroom (12.5), there are only 12.5 years that he has sinned. Yitzchak suggests that Hashem should shoulder them, and if not, he will split them with Hashem, and even shoulder them all if necessary.