Summary of the Maamar
Question 1: Why was the Torah given specifically on Mount Sinai, as opposed to another mountain?
Answer 1: Because Mount Sinai was the “lowest” and “most humble” of all the mountains, and in order to receive the Torah one needs humility.
Question 2: If the ego is a contradiction to receiving the Torah, and the tallness of the mountain represents ego, then why was the Torah given on a mountain and not in a plain or a valley?
Answer 2a: Some ego is needed in order for a person to have the motivation to push himself forward in learning Torah and coming close to Hashem. He needs to feel that he wants to come close and that he has a yearning to progress spiritually. However, he needs to keep that small amount of ego in check, so that he shouldn’t think that he is better than others. His “mountain” of yearning for closeness to Hashem needs to be “small,” so he won’t think his greatness makes him more important than others. He needs to maintain in his awareness that it is just a gift from Hashem.
Answer 2b: The idea of the Torah is to bring out the pride and power, the “mountain” of the G-dly soul, and how it overpowers and transforms the animal soul. However, even this holy “pride” needs to be “small,” since the G-dly soul’s pride is only in making Hashem happy, and not for itself. Thus, if someone feels his own ego too much, he can know that it isn’t the legitimate “pride” of the G-dly soul.
