In the section of Parshas Yisro dealing with the preparation for Matan Torah, I raised a few questions, and I want to clarify some of them.
One issue concerns tevilah. From Rashi, it seems at first glance that only the women went to the mikvah. On the pasuk “וְקִדַּשְׁתָּם”, Rashi explains “וְזִמַּנְתָּם”, meaning that they should prepare themselves. Rashi does not explicitly mention immersion in a mikvah there; he only speaks about washing the garments.
However, other mefarshim, based on the Gemara and explicitly stated in the Mechilta, say:
“אֵין כִּבּוּס בְּגָדִים בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁאֵינוֹ טָעוּן טְבִילָה”—whenever the Torah commands washing garments, it automatically includes immersion in a mikvah as well. Therefore, when the Torah says “וְכִבְּסוּ שִׂמְלֹתָם”, that itself includes tevilah.
The question, then, is why Rashi, when explaining “וְקִדַּשְׁתָּם הַיּוֹם וּמָחָר”, does not explicitly state that this sanctification involved immersion of the people themselves, and instead focuses only on preparation and garment-washing.
Later, however, on pasuk 15—“אַל תִּגְּשׁוּ אֶל אִשָּׁה”—Rashi does explicitly mention immersion. He explains:
“כָּל שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים הַלָּלוּ כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַנָּשִׁים טוֹבְלוֹת לְיוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וְתִּהְיֶינָה טְהוֹרוֹת לְקַבֵּל תּוֹרָה.”
Here, Rashi explains why the preparation lasted three days: so that the women could immerse on the third day and be fully tahor. This is based on a kal va’chomer from the pasuk in Metzora (Vayikra 15:18), concerning the concern that a woman might later discharge and become tamei.
What Rashi is doing here is not teaching the requirement of immersion itself, but explaining why the separation needed to be three days. It is self-understood that this concern would apply not only to the women, but also to the men, and even to the garments.
According to this, it seems that Rashi assumes immersion was necessary for everyone before Matan Torah, even though he does not spell it out explicitly when explaining “וְקִדַּשְׁתָּם.” His focus there is on the concept of preparation, not on the technical details.
This leads to a broader question. Rashi famously writes his commentary for a בן חמש למקרא. Yet there are places where Rashi addresses issues that, by today’s standards of tznius, we might hesitate to explain in detail to young children.
Rashi himself says, “אֲנִי לֹא בָּאתִי אֶלָּא לְפַשְּׁטוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא.” In such cases, it may be that educational norms were different in Rashi’s time, or that Rashi relied on later pesukim to clarify matters without spelling out every detail explicitly. Unlike other commentaries, Rashi limits himself to the straightforward meaning of the verse.
Perhaps not every Rashi was meant to be explained in full detail to a young child—or perhaps every Rashi truly was meant for a בן חמש למקרא, and our modern hesitation is not entirely accurate. I’m not resolving that question here; I simply wanted to raise it.
Another question concerns the mikvah itself: where was it, and how did they immerse in the desert?
There is a Rashi later in Bamidbar (21:20) on the pasuk “מִבָּמוֹת הַגַּיְא אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׂדֵי מוֹאָב.” Rashi explains an earlier pasuk, “כָּרוּהָ נְדִיבֵי הָעָם,” and says that each נָשִׂיא would take his staff and draw it toward his camp, and the waters of the בְּאֵר—the Well of Miriam—would be drawn along those markings and flow to each tribe’s encampment.
This took place by the time of the דְּגָלִים, when the tribes were organized into camps. We see clearly that flowing water from the Be’er reached each camp, providing a natural source suitable for a mikvah. Even earlier, before the camps were fully arranged, the Be’er already existed and provided flowing water.
Another issue arises from pasuk 22: “וְגַם הַכֹּהֲנִים הַנִּגָּשִׁים אֶל ה׳ יִתְקַדָּשׁוּ.” Who were these Kohanim?
Although Rashi does not explain it here, later in Parshas Mishpatim the Torah describes korbanos brought by the “נַעֲרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.” Rashi explains there that this refers to the בְּכוֹרִים, the firstborns, who served as Kohanim at that time.
This means that the Bechorim brought korbanos on the fifth day, before Matan Torah, as part of the preparation. That explains the phrase “הַנִּגָּשִׁים אֶל ה׳”—those who approach Hashem through sacrificial service.
A question was raised whether the Olos and Zevachim brought by Yisro required Bechorim as well. The Gemara indicates that offerings brought on a בָּמָה do not require a Kohen, so it may be that the Bechorim were not necessary in that context. This would require further investigation.
In this context, however, Rashi clearly understands “נַעֲרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל” to mean the Bechorim. The pasuk therefore warns them not to rely on their status. Even though they were bringing the korbanos, they were still commanded not to approach improperly.
This was taking place on the day of Matan Torah itself—whether that was the sixth or the seventh day, depending on the opinion. By that time, the Bechorim had already brought the korbanos. Even though the Torah records this later in Parshas Mishpatim, Rashi already refers us there earlier, noting that Moshe built the altar and the twelve pillars on the fifth day.
Since Rashi has already told us that the details appear in Mishpatim, he expects us to look there and understand that the Bechorim were the ones performing the service. That is why here he simply refers to them as the Kohanim who must be careful not to draw too close, despite their role in bringing the sacrifices.