I. Passing Down Tradition From Har Sinai
(א) משֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, וּמְסָרָהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ לִזְקֵנִים, וּזְקֵנִים לִנְבִיאִים, וּנְבִיאִים מְסָרוּהָ לְאַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים, הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין, וְהַעֲמִידוּ תַלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה, וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה:
(1) Moses received the Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and make a fence round the Torah.
Moshe received the Torah from Sinai: I say: Since this tractate is not founded on the exegesis of commandments from among the Torah’s commandments, like the rest of the tractates which are in the Mishna, but is rather wholly morals and principles, and whereas the sages of the (other) nations of the world have also composed books according to the fabrication of their hearts, concerning moral paths, how a person should behave with his fellow; therefore, in this tractate the tanna began "Moshe received Torah from Sinai," to tell you that the principles and morals which are in this tractate were not fabricated by the hearts of the Mishna’s sages; rather, they too were stated at Sinai.
II. How did the Jewish people prepare for Har Sinai?
The Giving of Torah as a Moment of Rebirth Through Mikvah (Like a Birthday!)
| 5) Now therefore, if ye will hearken unto My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is Mine; (6) and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.’ (7) And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. (8) And all the people answered together, and said: ‘All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.’ And Moses reported the words of the people unto the LORD. (9) And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and may also believe thee for ever.’ And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. (10) And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let them wash their garments, (11) and be ready against the third day; for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. |
V’KIDASHTAM’ TODAY AND TOMORROW. Rashi explained: “V’kidashtam means ‘and thou shalt prepare them.’”... Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained it as meaning that they should bathe themselves in water. ...And it is known that [before the Giving of the Torah the people] bathed themselves in water, this being derived logically from the required washing of garments. And so did the Rabbis say in the Mechilta: “There is no case where washing of garments is required in the Torah without the requirement of immersion [of one’s body].”
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When a person immerses his entire body in such water, (viz. water that has not lost its’ elemental character) and sinks completely, into this element...This person leaves the ground of human beings, and returns for a moment to the world of elements, in order to begin a new life of purity. Symbolically, this person is reborn. -Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (Parshat Shmini) |
III. Uncovering God in Everything; Ongoing Revelation & Communication with God
David Hartman, A Living Covenant, p.8
Belief in the giving of the Torah at Sinai does not necessarily imply that the full truth has already been given and that our task is only to unfold what was already present in the fullness of the founding moment of revelation. Sinai gave the community a direction, an arrow pointing toward a future filled with many surprises. Halakhah, which literally means “walking,” is like a road that has not been fully paved and completed. The Sinai moment of revelation, as mediated by the ongoing discussion in the tradition, invites one and all to acquire the competence to explore the terrain and extend the road. It does not require passive obedience and submission to the wisdom of the past.
REVELATION EVERYDAY: The Kotzker Rebbe was asked: ”Why is Shavuot called (z’man matan Torah) 'The Time that the Torah was Given,' rather than 'The time the Torah was Received?” He answered: “The giving took place on one day, but the receiving takes place at all times.” (Martin Buber Tales of Hasidim)
IV. Revelation of Torah Is For All Humankind
(3) and Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel: (4) ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me. (5) Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine, (6) but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel.” (7) Moses came and summoned the elders of the people and put before them all that the LORD had commanded him.
(5) Thus said God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and what it brings forth, Who gave breath to the people upon it And life to those who walk thereon: (6) I the LORD, in My grace, have summoned you, And I have grasped you by the hand. I created you, and appointed you A covenant people, a light of nations— (7) Opening eyes deprived of light, Rescuing prisoners from confinement, From the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Nelly Altenburger, "Yitro, Moshe, and Yaakov"
Torah has this dual identity: it speaks about one people, but addresses all peoples. Our responsibility is to spread the ideas of acceptance and tolerance in the world. Even as the Torah brings specific laws for us, its ethical and spiritual vision is for all humans. This is why I have insisted many times: the Torah opens with the affirmation that we are all children of God. All of us. And that is why we need to receive Torah through someone who is above the particulars of a people, someone who can criticize our people objectively.
This is also why the portion that has the revelation is named after Yitro, a non-Jew. This is also significant. And this is why both Yaakov and Moshe need to feel alienated and experience exile before they lead the people, in its different levels of development. Yaakov needs to realize that for the family to survive Egypt he himself needs to have a history of exile, loss, resilience and survival. Moshe needs to be able to identify with those who suffer, and remind us that...we need to empathize with those who suffer, whether they are Jewish or not. More than any other nation, we are called to be transnational as well. We are called to learn how to walk the balancing act of keeping our identity while defending those oppressed who do not share our identity.