(שמות יט, יז) ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר א"ר אבדימי בר חמא בר חסא מלמד שכפה הקב"ה עליהם את ההר כגיגית ואמר להם אם אתם מקבלים התורה מוטב ואם לאו שם תהא קבורתכם ... כדריש לקיש דאמר ריש לקיש מאי דכתיב (בראשית א, לא) ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום הששי ה' יתירה למה לי מלמד שהתנה הקב"ה עם מעשה בראשית ואמר להם אם ישראל מקבלים התורה אתם מתקיימין ואם לאו אני מחזיר אתכם לתוהו ובוהו
“They stood at the foot of the mountain.” (Exodus 19:17) Rav Avdimi bar Chama bar Chasa said: This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, covered them with the mountain as though it were an upside-down barrel, and said to them: “If you accept the Torah, fine. But if not, this will be your burial place."
…Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: "And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day?" (Genesis 1:1) Why do I need the extra letter "hay" ("the")? It teaches that the Holy One, Blessed is He, made a condition with the words of the Creation, saying to them: If the Jewish people accept the Torah, you will endure. But if they do not accept the Torah, I will return you to chaos and emptiness.
אמר רבי אלעזר בשעה שהקדימו ישראל נעשה לנשמע יצתה בת קול ואמרה להן מי גילה לבני רז זה שמלאכי השרת משתמשין בו דכתיב (תהלים קג, כ) ברכו ה' מלאכיו גבורי כח עושי דברו לשמוע בקול דברו ברישא עושי והדר לשמוע
Rabbi Elazer said: At the time that Israel preceded “we will do” to “we will hear,” a heavenly voice emerged and said to them: Who revealed to My children this secret which the ministering angels use? For it is written (Psalms 103:20): "Bless God, His angels, the strong warriors who do His bidding, to hear the voice of His word." First it is written, “who do,” and then “to hear.”
ותאמר רות אל תפגעי בי לעזבך לשוב מאחריך מהו אל תפגעי בי? אמרה לה: לא תחטא עלי, לא תסבין פגעיך מני לעזבך לשוב מאחריך. מכל מקום דעתי להתגייר. אלא מוטב על ידך ולא על ידי אחרת. כיון ששמעה נעמי כך, התחילה סודרת לה הלכות גרים. אמרה לה: בתי אין דרכן של בנות ישראל לילך לבתי תיאטראות ולבתי קרקסיאות שלהם. אמרה לה: אל אשר תלכי אלך. אמרה לה: בתי אין דרכן של ישראל לדור בבית שאין שם מזוזה. אמרה לה: באשר תליני אלין. עמך עמי אלו עונשין ואזהרות. ואלהיך אלהי שאר מצות.
Ruth said: Don't bother me to leave you, to turn away from you...for anyway I have made up my mind to convert, and better it should be by your hand than with another. When Naomi heard this, she began to present to her the laws of conversion. She said: “My daughter, it is not the way of the daughters of Israel to go to the Roman theatres and circuses,” and she replied, “where you go I shall follow.” She said: “My daughter, it is not the way of the daughters of Israel to live in a house without a mezuzah,” and she replied, “where you sleep I shall sleep.” “Your nation is my nation” - this is [her acceptance of] punishments and warnings, “and you God is my God” - this is [her acceptance of] the rest of the commandments.
And Rabbi Chanina said: And if one who is not commanded, but nonetheless performs a deed – this is his reward, how much more so one who is in fact commanded to do so, and obeys! For Rabbi Chanina believed: One who is commanded and performs the commandment is greater than one who is not commanded and performs the commandment anyway. Rav Yosef said: Originally I thought, anyone who tells me that the law is in accordance with Rabbi Judah, who said that a blind person is exempt from mitsvot – I would make a party for the Rabbis, for I was not commanded but performed the mitsvot nonetheless. But now that I heard what Rabbi Chanina said, that one who is commanded and performs is greater than one who is not commanded – now, if anyone would tell me that the law is NOT in accordance with Rabbi Judah, I would make a festival for the Rabbis.
But didn't we learn: Rabbi Meir said: How do we know that even a non-Jew who is involved in Torah is like a High Priest? For we learned: “that a person should perform them and live by them (Leviticus 18:5),” it does not say, “priests,” or “Levites,” or “Israelites,” but rather “a person,” so we learn that even a non-Jew who is involved in Torah is like a High Priest! It was said in response: They do not get a reward like one who is commanded to perform and obeys, but rather like one who is not commanded to perform, for Rabbi Chanina said: One who is commanded and performs the commandments is greater than one who is not commanded and performs the commandments anyway.
(16) And it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of a horn exceeding loud; and all the people that were in the camp trembled. (17) And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
"And they stood at the bottom of the mountain (Exodus 19:17)-" Rabbi Avdimi the son of Chama the son of Chasa said, "This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, held the mountain over them like a barrel and said, 'If you accept the Torah, it is good. And if not, here shall be your graves.'" Rav Acha Bar Yaakov said, "From here there is a great claim against the Torah!" Rav said, "Even so, they accepted it again [willingly] in the days of Ahasuerus, as it is written, (Esther 9:27) 'They upheld and accepted' - they upheld what they already accepted." Hezkiah said, "Why is it written: (Psalms 76:9) "From the heavens was heard judgement. The earth was frightened and quiet." If frightened, why quiet? If quiet, why frightened? Rather in the beginning they were frightened and in the end they were quiet. And why were they frightened? According to Resh Lakish, it is written: (Genesis 1:31) "Then it was evening and it was morning of 'the' sixth day." 'The' is extra. Why do I have it? It teaches that G-d made a condition with the act of creation and said to it, "If Israel accepts the Torah, you will exist; if not, I will return you to chaos."