IN THE PARSHA:
Last week, in פרשת יתרו, we learned about מתן תורה. This week, at the end of פרשת משפטים, we learn additional details about the preparation for מתן תורה.
QUESTION:
Although not everything in the תורה is written in the order in which it happened, there must be a reason to why things are out of order when they are.
Why weren’t all the details about the preparations for מתן תורה included earlier, in פרשת יתרו?
ANSWER:
There were 2 things that happened at מתן תורה.
Hashem gave us the תורה and its מצוות which we must fulfill.
In addition, we entered a “covenant”, a covenant with Hashem to be מְשֻׁעְבָּד, completely subservient to Him.
So the narrative of מתן תורה is divided into two parts, each highlighting a different part of מתן תורה:
First, in פרשת יתרו, the תורה begins by describing the מצוות that Hashem commanded them to do in preparation for מתן תורה, then the מצוות that Hashem gave at הר סיני, the עשרת הדברות, and then the מצוות that Hashem told משה during his 40 days on the mountain, which are detailed in the first part of פרשת משפטים.
Now, at the end of פרשת משפטים, the תורה relates how the Yidden accepted Hashem’s rule by saying נ ע ש ה וְ נ שְ מ ע, the writing of ספר הברית, etc. which describe how we entered into a ברית with Hashem.
Further discussion:
Why are also the events that took place after מתן תורה divided in two separate parts?
(See אות ד in the שיחה)
