Sinai and "Sin’a"

Our Sages, in a play on words, explain that the name Sinai is derived from the word sin’a (hatred), for it is because of Mount Sinai that the Jews are hated. The Sages wish to convey that the Jews are hated because we accepted the word of God, which other nations rejected. My father explained that, in some sense, because we accepted Torah, we became the conscience of the world, and one does not always appreciate his/her conscience.

While it is true that Sinai brought hatred upon the Jews, it is also true that it was Sinai which endowed us with the power of survival. We have outlived great empires which crumbled into dust because of our acceptance of Torah at Sinai.

This, my father explained, is the meaning of our Sages’ comment: “The ark carried those who carried it.” We carry the Torah and Torah carries us.