(Numb. 1:1) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert.” [Sinai] was called by six names: Mountain of God (as in Ps. 68:16), Mount Bashan (ibid.), Mountain of Peaks (ibid.), Mountain of Desire (<i>hmd</i>), Mount Horeb (Exod. 3:1; 33:6; etc.), and Mount Sinai.<sup class="footnote-marker">31</sup><i class="footnote">Numb. R. 1:8.</i> The Mountain of God is [so called] because on it God sat in judgment, as stated (in Exod. 21:1), “Now these are the judgments<sup class="footnote-marker">32</sup><i class="footnote"><i>Mishpatim.</i> In the biblical context the word would more normally be translated ordinances.</i> which you shall set before them.” Mount Bashan is the mountain where (<i>sham</i>) Holy One, blessed be He, came (<i>ba</i>').<sup class="footnote-marker">33</sup><i class="footnote">In the Hebrew text <i>sham</i> and <i>ba</i>’ appear in the opposite order and next to each other as <i>ba’ sham.</i></i> The Mountain of Peaks (<i>gavenunnim,</i> rt.: <i>gbn</i>) is the mountain where He disqualified all the [other] mountains,<sup class="footnote-marker">34</sup><i class="footnote">See Gen. R. 109:1, which depicts the mountains contending with each other to host the revelation of the Torah and generally expands what follows.</i> just as you say (in Lev. 21:20), “or a hunchback (<i>gbn</i>) or a dwarf.”<sup class="footnote-marker">35</sup><i class="footnote">The context is a list of those rejected from serving in the priesthood. The implication here is that, unlike Sinai where the ordinances for priesthood where given, the other mountains were hunchbacks or dwarfs and therefore rejected.</i> Mountain of Desire (rt.: <i>hmd</i>) is [so called], because on it the Holy One, blessed be He, desired (<i>hmd</i>) to dwell, as stated (in Ps. 68:17), “the mountain God desired for His dwelling.” Mount Horeb (rt.: <i>hrb</i>) is [so called], because upon it the sword (rt.: <i>hrb</i>) [of judgment] was unsheathed, as stated (in Lev. 20:10), “the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death,” [and] (in Numb. 35:16), “the murderer shall surely be put to death.” Mount Sinai is [so called], because on it the peoples of the world became hateful (rt.: <i>sn</i>') to the Holy One, blessed be He; and He rendered a verdict<sup class="footnote-marker">36</sup><i class="footnote">Gk.: <i>apophasis.</i></i> against them, as stated (in is. 60:12), “and the gentiles shall be utterly (<i>hrb</i>) destroyed (rt.: <i>hrb</i>).” R. Abba bar Kahana said in the name of R. Johanan, “’And the gentiles shall be utterly destroyed’ – it was where they received a verdict.”