Why the Torah Was Given in the Ownerless Wilderness With One Heart

"And they journeyed from Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai" (Exodus 19:2). Why do I need this? Is it not already explained among the journeys that they journeyed from Rephidim and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai? Why then does Scripture say, "And they journeyed from Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai"? Rather, it compares their journeying from Rephidim to their encamping in the wilderness of Sinai: just as their journeying from Rephidim was in a state of "children of testing and quarreling" - "Is the LORD among us or not?" (Exodus 17:7) - so too their encamping in the wilderness of Sinai was in a state of "children of testing and quarreling," "Is the LORD among us or not?" This is to make known how great is the power of repentance, for in the brief moment that Israel repented, they were immediately accepted. "And they encamped in the wilderness" - in the ownerless space of the world the Torah was given to Israel. For had it been given in the land of Israel, the people of the land of Israel would say, "It is ours"; and had it been given in some other place, the people of that place would say, "It is ours." Therefore it was given to them in the ownerless space of the world, so that whoever wishes to take it may come and take it. Another interpretation: just as the wilderness is empty of all delights, so words of Torah endure only in one who keeps himself from all delights. And so it says, "And from the wilderness to Mattanah" (Numbers 21:18) - Torah endures only in one who makes himself like the wilderness. "And there Israel encamped before the mountain" (Exodus 19:2). Elsewhere it says, "And the children of Israel journeyed... and the children of Israel encamped" - journeying in dispute and encamping in dispute. But here it says, "And there encamped" - one encampment; one heart was given them, that they might love one another and receive the Torah. Another interpretation: "And there encamped" - He said to them, you will dwell here a long while. And so we find at the last, that they dwelt twelve months less ten days.