A Pre-Shavuos Shiur About Nothing

Rava said: Everyone agrees that the Jews came to the Sinai desert on Rosh Chodesh, as it is written: “In the third month after the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai” (Exodus 19:1).... And everyone agrees that the Torah was given to the Jewish people on Shabbos.... On the second day of the week the New Moon was established, and on the second day of the week Moshe did not say anything to them due to the weariness caused by their journey. On the third day of the week, God said to them: “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex.19:6). On the fourth day of the week, God said to them the mitzva of setting boundaries around Mount Sinai. On the fifth day of the week, the husbands and wives separated from one another.

I gazed into the concept, and I saw the tremendous yearning that the Almighty has for the Jewish people... His yearning to give the Torah to the Jewish people is very great, indeed...

...if one articulates the words of Torah, even if one does not understand what they mean, one nevertheless fulfills the mitzvah to learn Torah. Therefore, [even] an ignoramus should recite the blessings over the Torah every morning, as well as when receiving an aliyah.