Getting ready for Revelation TB Shabbat 86

Because of the Mishnah on TB Shabbat 86a, a discussion ensues when does a woman become ritually ready after she discharges semen. Rabbi Eliezer Ben Azaria holds two days. Rabbi Yishmael requires three days. Rabbi Akiva demands a full 60 hours. Finally the sages holds a woman needs to wait 72 hours. Everybody agrees that a man needs to wait until the semen is dry. Depending upon how long a person needs to wait will determine when that person goes to the mikvah. This debate has a direct impact on the episode concerning Revelation upon Mount Sinai. The Israelites had to become ritually ready to receive the 10 utterances (עשרת הדברות mistakenly translated as the 10 Commandments). “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and warn them to stay pure today and tomorrow. Let them wash their clothes. Let them be ready for the third day; from the third day the Lord will come down, the sight of all the people, and Mount Sinai.’” (Exodus 19: 10-11). According to tradition Revelation was on Shabbat.

To understand today’s daf TB Shabbat 86b, one must first know about the two step process of becoming ritually ready. The first step is immersing oneself in a mikvah. The second step is waiting for the next night to arrive before one is completely ritually ready. The in between stage between step one and step two is called tivul yom, טיבול יום.

“The Gemara asks: Didn’t some of the people have status of those who immersed themselves during the day when they received the Torah? Some of the women immersed themselves on Shabbat evening to purify themselves from the discharge of semen. Even after immersion, the purification process is not complete until sunset. It was Abaye bar Ravin and Rav Ḥanina bar Avin who both said in response: The Torah was given to those who immersed themselves during the day, and that in no way diminishes the magnitude of the revelation. The Gemara relates that Mareimar sat and stated this halakha. Ravina said to Mareimar: Did you say that the Torah was actually given to those who immersed themselves during the day, or did you say that it was fit to be given to those who immersed themselves during the day, but, in reality, it was not? He said to him: I said that the Torah was fit to be given, but in actuality the nation was ritually pure, and the women did not discharge semen on the third day

“The Gemara asks: And let them immerse during twilight on Shabbat eve and receive the Torah just after that during twilight. Why was it necessary to delay revelation until Shabbat morning? Rabbi Yitzḥak said that the verse said in that regard: “From the first, I did not speak in concealment” (Isaiah 48:16). God did not give the Torah under the cloak of night, but rather in the light of day. The Gemara asks: And let them immerse themselves on Shabbat morning and receive the Torah on Shabbat morning. In that case, according to all opinions, the period of separation could have begun one twelve-hour period later. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This was not done so that there would not be a situation where these, one segment of the people, would be going to receive the Torah while those, another segment of the people, would be going to immerse themselves. Optimally, the entire nation should go to receive the Torah together. .” (Sefaria.org translation)

The rabbis emphasized that the entire people were ritually ready and were altogether to receive the Torah on Shavuot. But that’s not the end of the story. Tomorrow’s daf has more to say on this topic. As my sons would say, “To be continued.”