Maimad Har Sinai
Fear of Losing the Chance to Serve Hashem:
The following is related in Sefer Imros Moshe:
One year on Chag Hashuvos, the Kobriner Rebbe zy”a began his tish by quoting the pasuk (Shemos 20:16) that states: “You should speak to us and we will hear. But Hashem should not speak to us, lest we die.” He asked: Klal Yisroel was on a very lofty level at that time. How could it be that they did not want to hear Hashem speaking to them directly? Were they so scared of death? Weren’t they willing to risk their lives to reach the great state of hearing Hashem’s voice addressing them? Isn’t such a revelation worth more than one’s entire life?
He enthusiastically repeated this question several times, getting more and more excited until he fainted from the exertion. He lay there unmoving for several seconds, as those around him began to panic. They threw cold water on him to revive him and he finally awoke and said, “The reason they were afraid of dying is because they knew that if they died, they would no longer be able to serve Hashem.”
A Split-Second Transformation:
The pasuk states (Shemos 19:1): “In the third month from when bnei Yisroel went out of Mitzrayim, on that day they came to the Sinai desert.”
My father, the Kretchnifer Rebbe shlita (Gilyon Divrei Torah Kretchnif-Yerushalaim, Shavuos 5773) asked that the pasuk seems to be saying that they arrived on Har Sinai “on that day”, as if they “just happened” to get there on that particular day. However, we know that this was not a coincidence. Rather, Hashem decreed that they should receive the Torah exactly 49 days after leaving Egypt so that they should be able to prepare themselves for this great event. Accordingly, it would seem that the pasuk should say, “In the third month... they came to the Sinai desert.” What is meant by the words “on that day”?
He answers this question by citing the following story, which the Ruzhiner Rebbe zy”a told his son, the Husyatiner Rebbe zy”a, when he put on tefillin for the first time:
A group of chasidim once came to the Magid of Mezheritzh zy”a and bemoaned the fact that they lived far away and, therefore, were unable to regularly visit the Rebbe and thereby improve in their avodas Hashem. They asked him to send a righteous and pious man to settle in their city and to become their spiritual guide.
The Magid got up and walked over to his closet. He took out his coat and told them to travel to the city of Hardak. In this city, they would find a man named R’ Mendele. They should give him this coat and tell him that the Magid had sent them to appoint him as their Rebbe. The Magid said that this man could guide them in all matters.
The group immediately set out for Hardak. They assumed that R’ Mendele must be a well-known, distinguished person, who would be very easy to find. As soon as they got to the city, they asked the first people they met where they could find Rav Mendele.
They were surprised when the people replied, “Who is Rav Mendele? We never heard of him.”
The chasidim then understood that R’ Mendele must be a hidden tzadik whose greatness had yet to be revealed to the world. Only the Magid of Mezheritzh, with his ruach hakodesh, was able to see his greatness. Therefore, they asked, “Is there a man in this city named Mendel?”
They were then told that there was a teacher of young children with that name.
The chasidim made their way to his house and told him that they had come on a mission from the Magid of Mezheritzh, who had chosen him to be their Rebbe. Rav Mendel immediately took the coat from their hands and put it on. Incredibly, as soon as he donned the coat, the group was struck with an indescribable fear and awe of this man. It is known that if one feels a sense of fear towards someone, it is a sign that he is an appropriate leader for him and that he can be his guide in avodas Hashem. Thus, they all understood that R’ Mendele was, in fact, the man who was destined to be their Rebbe.
Rav Mendel went back with them to their city of Vitebsk, and he is known until today as “Rav Mendel of Vitbesk zy”a.”
After the Ruzhiner Rebbe finished relating this story to his son, he added, “You see that as soon as he put on the special coat, he became a new man and everyone fell in awe of him.”
This was the guidance he gave his son before he put on tefillin for the first time. He was saying that as soon as he put on the tefillin, he would become a new person.
With this story in mind, my father explains the meaning of the words “on that day.” Although Klal Yisroel had not previously been worthy of receiving the Torah, when they came close to Har Sinai they immediately transformed into loftier people and they were ready for Matan Torah. They were lifted to this level as a gift from Shomayim, as is stated: “I shall lift you up on the wings of eagles and bring you to Me.”
Every Jew is Worthy of Receiving the Torah:
The pasuk states (Devarim 33:2): “Hashem came from Sinai and shone forth from Se’ir to them. He appeared from Har Paran...” Chazal say (Avodah Zara 2B): “What was He doing in Se’ir and what He doing in Paran? Rav Yochanon said that this teaches us that Hashem went to every nation (and asked if they wanted the Torah), and they did not accept it – until He came to Yisroel and they accepted it.”
The Lisker Rebbe zy”a (Sefer Hayashar V’hatov) asks why Hashem offered the Torah to the gentiles if He knew that they wouldn’t accept it. Furthermore, they weren’t worthy of receiving it, so why did He offer it to them?
He answers that Hashem did this for the good of Klal Yisroel. He wanted to take away the yeitzer hara’s ability of discouraging a Jew by telling him that he is unworthy of having the Torah due to his many sins. Since even the non-Jews were offered the chance to accept the Torah, despite all of their decadent actions, it is obvious that every Jew is able to accept it. Since Hashem gave the Torah as an act of chesed, everyone can have a share in it, whether he is worthy or not.
This explains the final words of the pasuk: “On His right was a fiery law for them.” Although it is a fiery Torah that is well beyond our ability to fully comprehend, it was given to us with Hashem’s right hand – which symbolizes His middah of chesed and drawing us close (Sanhedrin 117B); therefore, everyone can have a share in it.
Moshe Influenced Every Future Generation:
In this vein, the pasuk states (Shemos 19:19): “Moshe will speak and Hashem will answer him with a voice.” The Bais Aharon of Karlin zy”a notes that this verse uses the future tense (will speak), as opposed to the past tense (spoke) to hint that Moshe speaks to every Jew in every generation, and anyone who wishes to purify himself by accepting the yoke of Torah will be influenced by Moshe’s words.
This is in accordance with the words of the Tikunei Zohar (Tikun 69) that states that the influence of Moshe is felt in every generation and within every tzadik.
