Rather than seek to resolve the question concerning Tosafos’ query mentioned in the previous section according to the traditional pattern of Torah scholarship, the maamar explains that it can be resolved through an understanding of the implications of the Giving of the Torah in our Divine service.
The above question can be resolved1וְיוּבַן זֶה
based on an analysis of the concepts explained in the maamar entitled BaChodesh HaShilishi in Torah Or.2עַל פִּי הַמְּבֹאָר בְּתוֹרָה אוֹר דִּבּוּר הַמַּתְחִיל זֶה,
That source explains that the fundamental dimension of receiving the Torah3 is reflected in the verseדְּעִקַּר קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה הוּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב
(appearing at the beginning of the account of the Giving of the Torah):4(בְּהַתְחָלַת הָעִנְיָן דְּמַתַּן תּוֹרָה)
“G‑d spoke all these words, saying….”וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹקִים אֵת כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לֵאמֹר,
The word leimor, usually translated as “saying,” is actually the infinitive meaning “to say.” Accordingly, throughout the Torah, leimor is understood as a command to convey G‑d’s message to others. Here, however, this cannot be the case, for all the Jewish people were present at the Giving of the Torah; were even one Jew to have been missing, the Torah would not have been given.5 Nor can leimor be understood as a command for the people to communicate the Torah to their descendants, for the souls of all future generations were also in attendance at Sinai.6
The meaning of the word leimor in this verse must therefore be interpreted differently. Here, the word leimor impliesדְּפֵרוּשׁ תֵּבַת לֵאמֹר בְּפָסוּק זֶה הוּא
that at the time of the Giving of the Torah, every Jew was granted the potentialשֶׁבִּשְׁעַת מַתַּן תּוֹרָה נִתַּן הַכֹּחַ לְכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל,
that his Torah study,שֶׁלִּמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁלּוֹ
[which is alluded to in the above verse by the phrase “all these words,” which refers to the entire Torah,]7[כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, שֶׁקָּאֵי גַּם עַל כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ]
should be carried out in the manner implied by the word leimor,יִהְיֶה בְּאֹפֶן דְּלֵאמֹר,
i.e., to repeat the words that the Holy One, blessed be He, says. When studying the Torah, a Jew should realize that he is not speaking his own words, but merely repeating G‑d’s words,לַחְזֹר הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר,
as reflected in the verse,8 “My tongue will repeat Your sayings.” Ta’an, translated as “repeat,” is used to refer to the manner in which a chorus repeats what the leader says; so tooכְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב תַּעַן לְשׁוֹנִי אִמְרָתֶךָ,
The Torah is “Your sayings”שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה הִיא אִמְרָתֶךָ,
that “My tongue will repeat,” i.e., repeating the words that the Reader, G‑d, speaks.שֶׁלְּשׁוֹנִי תַּעַן כְּעוֹנֶה אַחַר הָאוֹמֵר.
The above concepts can be understood based on an explanation of the connection between the Giving of the Torah and the festival of Shavuos.וְזוֹהִי הַשַּׁיָּכוּת דְּמַתַּן תּוֹרָה לְחַג הַשָּׁבֻעוֹת,
Shavuos differs from all the other Jewish festivals in that it is the only one concerning which the Torah does not mention a specific date on which it is to be celebrated. Instead, its observance is dependent on the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer. The 6th of the month of Sivan is the anniversary of the Giving of the Torah. Although in the present era9 our celebration of the festival of Shavuos links the two events together, according to Scriptural Law, they are not necessarily connected. Thematically, however, there is a clear relationship between the two, as reflected in the correlation between the mystical influences they both convey.10
The rung of Kesser, “the Crown,” the source of the world of Atzilus,11 is drawn down on the holiday of Shavuos,דִּבְחַג הַשָּׁבֻעוֹת הוּא הַמְשָׁכַת הַכֶּתֶר
[as indicated by the well-known interpretation12 of the verse,13 “You shall count 50 days…”[וְכַיָּדוּעַ בְּפֵרוּשׁ הַכָּתוּב תִּסְפְּרוּ חֲמִשִּׁים יוֹם,
On the holiday of Shavuos, the 50th Gate of Understanding is drawn downשֶׁבְּחַג הַשָּׁבֻעוֹת נִמְשָׁךְ שַׁעַר הַנּוּ"ן דְּבִינָה,
and the 50th Gate is identified with the rung of Kesser.]14וְשַׁעַר הַנּוּ"ן הוּא הַכֶּתֶר],
As will be explained shortly, the revelation of Kesser brought about the potential for the Jewish people to study the Torah in a manner characterized by the utter bittul implied by the term leimor.
To focus on the uniqueness of the rung of Kesser: Our Sages15 speak of 50 Gates of Understanding, relating that: “Fifty Gates of Understanding were created in the world. They were all given to Moshe except for one, as [alluded to by] the verse:16 ‘You have made him only a bit less than G‑d.’ ”
As will be explained in the following section, the seven weeks of the Counting of the Omer correlate with G‑d’s seven emotive attributes. The first week corresponds to the attribute of Chessed, the second week, to the attribute of Gevurah, etc., until the final week, which corresponds to the attribute of Malchus.
Each week is associated with the revelation of one of these emotive attributes from Above, and similarly, man’s efforts to refine and develop his expression of that emotional quality within his own character.
More particularly, 49 is the product of 7*7, for each of the seven emotive attributes is complemented and reaches its full potential by incorporating all the other six.17 Just as our human emotions emanate from our intellectual faculties, so too are the sublime emotive qualities rooted in the sublime intellectual attributes. The 49 Gates of Understanding granted to Moshe represent the source of the sublime emotive qualities as they exist within the Sefirah of Binah. Since our world is brought into being from these emotive qualities and their source within Binah,18 these “Gates” can be accessed by our human potential.
The 50th Gate, by contrast, is a unique G‑dly quality: the Sefirah of Binah as it exists unto itself, which transcends any connection to the sublime emotive qualities. More particularly, the 50th Gate is identified with the inner dimension of Binah, which brings about the bond between Chochmah and Binah. The potential to bring together Chochmah and Binah – sefiros that are characterized by opposite tendencies – indicates that this rung is connected with G‑d’s infinite dimension, for it is only through that infinite potential that opposites can be brought together. And that infinite potential is vested in Kesser, as will be explained.
Shavuos is the 50th day after Pesach. Chassidus explains19 that these 50 days parallel the 50 Gates of Understanding. On each of these 50 days, an additional, loftier Gate of Understanding is drawn down, culminating on the holiday of Shavuos when the 50th Gate is drawn down.
To connect this idea to the concepts explained previously:
The potential that was granted at the Giving of the Torah for the Jewish people to study the Torah in a manner characterized by utter bittul,וְזֶה שֶׁבְּמַתַּן תּוֹרָה נִתַּן הַכֹּחַ שֶׁלִּמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה בְּתַכְלִית הַבִּטּוּל,
without being at all conscious of their own identities,שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְצִיאוּת לְעַצְמוֹ כְּלָל
but merely, “responding after the Reader” (as explained above with regard to the Divine service implied by the term leimor),וְהוּא רַק כְּעוֹנֶה אַחַר הַקּוֹרֵא,
resulted from the spiritual transformation brought about by the Giving of the Torah, the fact that the rung of Kesser, the utterly infinite dimension of G‑dliness, was drawn down and revealed.הוּא לְפִי שֶׁבְּמַתַּן תּוֹרָה נִמְשָׁךְ גִּלּוּי הַכֶּתֶר.
The revelation of this level of G‑dliness called forth a spontaneous response of bittul on the part of the Jewish people. To quote the narrative:20 “The people saw and shuddered, and stood at a distance.”
On this basis, we can understand the verse. “In the third month… on this day, they came to the Sinai desert.”וְזֶהוּ בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי גו' בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה בָּאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינָי,
On Rosh Chodesh Sivan, the final stages of preparation to receive the Torah began,שֶׁבְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ סִיוָן הָיְתָה הַהֲכָנָה לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה,
because Rosh Chodesh reflects the birth of the new moon.21כִּי בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ הוּא מוֹלַד הַלְּבָנָה,
Then (at the time of the birth of the new moon) the moon is only a point,שֶׁאָז (בְּעֵת הַמּוֹלָד) הִיא נְקֻדָּה בִּלְבָד,
which highlights the bittul with which it is characterized,וְזֶה מוֹרֶה עַל הַבִּטּוּל שֶׁלָּהּ,
as the Zohar states:22 “It has nothing of its own,”דְּלֵית לָהּ מִגַּרְמָהּ כְּלוּם.
In a literal sense, this means that the moon does not generate light; it merely reflects the light of the sun.
A similar concept applies with regard to the Jewish people,וְכֵן הוּא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל
“who resemble the moon and who structure their calendar according to the moon.”23 They, like the moon, are fundamentally characterized by bittul.שֶׁדּוֹמִין וּמוֹנִין לַלְּבָנָה,
Rosh Chodesh is the befitting time to reveal the power of bittul possessed by every Jew.שֶֶׁבְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ הוּא זְמַן הַמֻּכְשָׁר לְגַלּוֹת כֹּחַ הַבִּטּוּל שֶׁיֶּשְׁנוֹ בְּכָל אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל.
Therefore, Rosh Chodesh Sivan served as a preparatory stage for receiving the Torah.וְלָכֵן בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ סִיוָן הוּא הַהֲכָנָה לְקַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה,
Chassidus explains that it is desirable that the revelation of G‑d’s light be drawn down through man’s Divine service, and, moreover, that the Divine service that draws down His light be representative of the light that is drawn down. Since essential G‑dliness, which evokes utter bittul, was drawn down at the Giving of the Torah, man’s preparation to receive that revelation was the Divine service associated with Rosh Chodesh Sivan. This process enabled
man’s subsequent study of the Torah to be characterized by bittul;שֶׁלִּמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה דְּהָאָדָם יִהְיֶה בְּבִטּוּל,
that the person studying the Torah would be like one merely repeating the words of the Reader.כְּעוֹנֶה אַחַר הַקּוֹרֵא.

Summary

The question regarding Tosafos’ query raised at the beginning of the maamar can be resolved based on an analysis of the implications of the Giving of the Torah in our Divine service. The account of the Giving of the Torah begins: “G‑d then spoke all these words, saying….” Leimor, translated as “saying,” implies that when a Jew studies the Torah he is not speaking his own words, but merely repeating G‑d’s words, as reflected by the verse, “My tongue will repeat Your sayings”; he is merely repeating the words that the Reader, G‑d, speaks.
This reflects the connection between the Giving of the Torah and the festival of Shavuos. On Shavuos, the rung of Kesser is drawn down. The revelation of Kesser calls forth a spontaneous response of bittul on the part of the Jewish people.
On this basis, we can understand the verse: “In the third month… on this day, they came to the Sinai desert.” Rosh Chodesh Sivan began the final stages of preparation to receive the Torah, because Rosh Chodesh reflects the birth of the new moon. At the birth of the new moon, the moon is only a point, which highlights the bittul with which the moon’s light shines.
A similar concept applies with regard to the Jewish people: Rosh Chodesh is the appropriate time to reveal the power of bittul possessed by every Jew. Therefore, Rosh Chodesh Sivan served as a preparatory stage for receiving the Torah, for man’s study of the Torah must be characterized by bittul. He should be like one who is merely repeating the words of the Reader.