(2002/5762)

In Shemot Chapter 19, the Torah tells us of Bnai Yisrael at Chorev in Chodesh Sivan.  The Or Hachaim compares the giving of the Torah to marriage.  If Hashem loves Bnai Yisrael so much, why didn’t He shorten the path to Chorev so that Bnai Yisrael would have arrived there on כ"ג ניסן?  The Gemara in Sanhedrin (95a) says that Eliezer’s path to Rivka’s house was shortened so she could marry Yitzchak.  If Hashem would perform a miracle so יצחק cold be married, certainly He would perform a miracle so he could be connected to בני ישראל!

The אור החיים answers that בני ישראל were like the חתן נדות.  They had to be purified for seven weeks because they had just left the impure land of Egypt after being slaves for 210 years.  This is why the Torah says לצאת בני ישראל מארץ מצרים, for the only reason they arrived in the third month is because they left Egypt ביום הזה arrived at Har Sinai the day they were purified.

If this is so, the Or Hachaim wonders why did Hashem not immediately bring Bnai Yisrael to Chorev and then have them purified?  He answers that Bnai Yisrael would have wanted to receive the Aseret Hadibrot right away, but they would have had to wait seven weeks in the same manner that a Chatan wants to marry a Kallah right away and not wait seven weeks.  This proves Hashem’s love for them, as He gave them His laws while they were pure and did not delay the “wedding.”

Somebody today may wonder why Hashem does not bring the Messiah right away.  But it is important to know that Bnai Yisrael were cruelly oppressed for 2000 years and less than half of כלל ישראל have left a גלות of materialism and עבודה זרה and settled in Israel.  Perhaps the perils accompanying the Jews and the delaying of the Messiah’s arrival may be part of a purification process.  Once all of בני ישראל reach their destination, then Hashem will perform a “wedding.”