Fire
Many pesukim and sources mention the fire that was on Har Sinai. For example, it states (Devarim 4:11) השמים לב עד באש בוער וההר, "The mountain was burning like fire until the heart of the heaven." And it states (Shemos 19:18) באש 'ה עליו ירד אשר מפני, "because Hashem has descended [on Har Sinai] with fire." Ramban (Devarim 4:9) writes, "You mustn't forget the maamad Har Sinai [how it appeared when we received the Torah on Har Sinai. You mustn't forget] all the things your eyes saw: the sounds, the torches, Hashem's honor and greatness, and His words that you heard emerging from within the fire."
The Tur (Orach Chaim 47:7) writes that in birchas haTorah, when we say בנו בחר אשר, "We should think about maamad har Sinai, that Hashem chose us from among all nations and brought us to Har Sinai. We heard His words through the fire, and he gave us His holy Torah, which is our life, and His precious utensil, which He had pleasure with every day."
There is an emphasis on remembering the fire on Har Sinai. The Beis Aharon zt'l explains that the Jewish nation had hislahavus, a strong desire to receive the Torah, and to meet with Hashem. The fire is a symbol of the hislahavus of the nation, at that time. Hashem gives us the Torah every year again, and therefore, every year, we should fill our hearts with a fire of hislahavus.
Chazal (Shabbos 88.) tell us that Hakadosh Baruch Hu held Har Sinai above the nation, as it states ההר בתחתית ויתיצבו, "They stood under the mountain." Hashem told them, "Accept the Torah, or you will be buried here." Tosfos asks why it was necessary to place the mountain over them if the nation had already said ונשמע נעשה, "We will do, and we will hear!"? Tosfos answers that Hashem knew that when they saw the fire on Har Sinai, they might be afraid and change their minds. Therefore, Hashem raised the mountain above them, forcing them to receive the Torah. However, why couldn’t Hashem have removed the fire from Har Sinai? Why did the fire need to be on Har Sinai and risk scaring off the nation from receiving the Torah? The answer is that there needed to be a fire on Har Sinai. The only way to receive the Torah is with hislahavus. Without hislahavus, it is impossible to receive the Torah.
The Midrash (Tanchuma, Ki Sisa 31) explains that the first luchos were given in a very open, public manner (with fire, thunder, lightning, etc.), and therefore, they were broken. The second luchos were given in a tzanua, concealed manner, and consequently, they remained intact. The Midrash concludes, "This teaches us that there is nothing more beautiful to Hashem than tznius."
The Sfas Emes (Ki Sisa, 5639) asks: If Hashem loves tznius, why did Hashem give the first luchos in a revealed manner? Furthermore, Hashem knows the future. He knew that by giving the luchos in a revealed manner, they wouldn’t survive. So why did Hashem give the first luchos in a revealed manner? The Sfas Emes replies that this was the first time that Hashem was speaking with the Jewish nation, and He was giving them the Torah! At such a time, the only way to give the Torah was with hislahavus. It is impossible to begin in a silent, concealed manner.
We quote the Sfas Emes: "If it weren't for the hislahavus at the beginning, with great revelation, it would be impossible to give the Torah in a concealed manner afterwards. However, once the Torah was given with קולות קולי, in a loud voice, it was then able to be given in a concealed manner. This is a lesson for all generations. You have to begin with great hislahavus, even if the hislahavus won't last..."
When a person prepares a cup of coffee, he boils water to a high temperature and then makes the coffee. But he can't drink it when it is so hot; he will wait until it cools off. So, why doesn't he initially boil the water to the degree at which he plans to drink it? It is because if it isn't boiling at the beginning, when you make the coffee, it won't taste good. This is a mashal to the need to begin with hislahavus. The hislahavus may cool off with time, but there must be hislahavus at the beginning.
The Midrash (Bereishis Rabba 17:5) states, תחילה שינה מפלה, "The beginning of a downfall is sleep." Literally, this means that a person must be busy with work or learning Torah. He can't laze and sleep. Laziness breeds failure. We can add that sleep alludes to coldness and lack of hislahavus. This attitude leads to downfall. Hislahavus is the key to success in the holy Torah and mitzvos.
