Kabbalat HaTorah Then and Now

In this week’s parsha, Parshat Yitro, we reach the climax of the Exodus; the very purpose for which we were extracted from Egypt – to receive the Torah. What does our tradition tells us about Kabbalat haTorah and how can that inform and inspire our own personal relationship to Torah?

 There are two famous midrashim about Matan Torah that seem to contradict. In Jewish day school we are taught that Hashem offered the Torah to each of the nations of the world. Each one asked, ‘what is in this Torah’? When Hashem responded with an example from the Aseret HaDibrot, like do not kill or do not steal, the nation rejected the offer. Hashem then gave the same proposal to Am Yisrael. Instead of making inquiries, Bnei Yisrael proudly accepted the gift of the Torah with the famous words, “Na’aseh, V’Nishma, we will do and we will obey” (Shemot 24:7). In this midrash (Sifri, Devarim 342), Chazal highlight two points: we willingly chose to accept the Torah and we had faith in Hashem that this would be the best path for our nation; we did not need to question.

The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (88a), however, gives an entirely different story. As Bnei Yisrael stood at the foot of Har Sinai to receive the Torah, the Torah writes: “ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר” (Shemot 19:17) . Read literally, this can translates as: ‘They stood under the mountain.’ Chazal expound on this literal reading:
 

We learn from here that Hashem lifted the mountain over their heads and threatened them: If you accept the Torah, great. But if you do not, you will be buried here under this mountain. (Shabbat 88a)

We do not need to take this midrash literally. Chazal describe this image for us to highlight our nation’s hesitance at Matan Torah. Hashem, so to speak, had to twist our arm to accept the Torah. (The gemara continues that in the days of Purim, we re-accepted the Torah, this time willingly).

So which was it? Did we choose to accept the Torah or were we forced into it? It’s plausible to argue that these midrashim reflect two different views within Chazal. However, I’d like to share two other approaches:

The first is given by the midrash Tanchuma (נח פרק ו סימן ג) which quotes R’ Avdimi’s statement that Hashem threatened Bnei Yisrael with the mountain and asks: but Bnei Yisrael had already said נעשה ונשמע? The midrash here answers that Bnei Yisrael had responded נעשה ונשמע to the תורה שבכתב – which is easier to follow. But with regard to תורה שבעל פה, with its myriad of details plus the addition of Rabbinic law, here Bnei Yisrael hesitated and needed a “push,” so to speak.

The second, a personal favorite, is a message for all generations. Perhaps these midrashim are not meant to teach us something historical – what happened in the hearts of Bnei Yisrael at the time of Har Sinai. But rather, what should happen in our hearts, when we as individuals and as a collective nation accept the Torah in each generation. These midrashim reflect two different models of our relationship with Hashem: top-down and bottom-up. In the top-down model, Hashem descends and forces His will upon us. In the bottom-up model, man chooses to accept the will of G-d.   On the one hand, coercion destroys our personal individuality. On the other hand, free choice alone minimizes our relationship to one that is dependent upon the whims of man. We need both of these elements combined to create a complete Kabbalat HaTorah; both the choosing to serve G-d and the commitment to His Service even when it does not suit us, as if it were forced upon us. It is this very dialectic that we seek in our relationship with Hashem to create a lasting bond with the Torah.

Shabbat Shalom!