Matan Torah

Matan Torah at Har Sinai was an event where Hashem revealed Himself to Bnei Yisrael at the foot of Har Sinai and gave them the Aseres Hadibros. The event occurred on 6 Sivan (or 7 Sivan according to Rabbi Yosi) in 2448. It took place 50 days after Bnei Yisrael left Mitzrayim. On Rosh Chodesh Sivan, Bnei Yisrael arrived at the foot of Har Sinai. They rested for three days from their journey, and during the next three days they prepared themselves for kabbalas haTorah. These three days are known as Shloshes Yemei Hagbalah. To commemorate this day, we celebrate Chag HaShavuos every year.

Preparation for the Event

Selection of the Mountain

The Midrash tells that there was a dispute between the mountains about which one would be chosen for Hashem to give the Torah. Each mountain advocated for its own merits. Ultimately, Hashem decided to give the Torah specifically on the lowest mountain - Har Sinai.

The Rebbe explains this decision: The purpose of Matan Torah was to connect two opposites - to have gashmius but to transform gashmius into ruchnius. Har Sinai symbolizes these two opposites: on one hand it is a mountain, and on the other hand it is the lowest mountain.

In Torah learning, one needs to combine two opposites: On one hand, learning with hisnasus - fulfilling the Shulchan Aruch's command to "not be embarrassed by mockers," and on the other hand learning with bitul, since regarding gaavah it is said "I [Hashem] and he cannot dwell together."

Naaseh V'Nishma

When Hashem came to give the Torah to Bnei Yisrael, all of Bnei Yisrael declared as one "Naaseh V'Nishma." This declaration became a symbol of kabbalas ol and dedication to Hashem's will. The Rebbe explains that this declaration and kabbalas ol was a preparation and condition for kabbalas haTorah. Even though saying "Nishma" seemingly detracts from kabbalas ol, the perfection of avodah in keeping Torah and mitzvos includes, in addition to "Naaseh" (kabbalas ol), that a person should understand and feel in their sechel and midos the good, importance, and necessity of Torah and mitzvos (Nishma).

The Guarantors

The Midrash relates that when Hashem wanted to give Bnei Yisrael the Torah, He requested guarantors that the Yidden would keep the Torah. The Yidden said: "Our holy fathers - they will be our guarantors," but Hashem did not accept this answer. The Yidden then said: "Our prophets will be our guarantors." But Hashem did not accept this answer either. Then the Yidden said: "Our children will be our guarantors." When Hashem heard this answer, it found favor in His eyes, and He gave the Yidden the Torah.

Giving of the Torah

Chazal teach that the entire Torah, including Torah She'baal Peh and even "everything that a veteran student will innovate in the future," and all the words of "the prophets and sages who stand in each generation" - were all given to Moshe at Matan Torah at Har Sinai. Also pnimius haTorah, Torah of Kabbalah and Chassidus, were given at Har Sinai, and moreover, they were revealed and given openly more than the revealed Torah at that event.

Aseres Hadibros

At the center of the event, Hashem spoke the Aseres Hadibros. Some were said directly to the people, and after the people fainted, Hashem spoke through Moshe. Chassidus explains the reason why the neshamos of Yisrael departed: due to their desire to connect with the Creator, they "forgot" their bodies and physical matters and ascended upward to connect with the divine holiness.

The Aseres Hadibros were engraved on the Luchos HaBris.

The Significance of the Event

The event is referenced in Chassidus as the engagement (Kishurei Tenaim) between Hashem and the Jewish people, the moment when Hashem chose Israel as His "Am Segula" (treasured nation).

Additionally, before Matan Torah, a Jew's Torah study was limited by the capacity of a created being to receive and understand. However, after Matan Torah, the Torah became accessible to everyone.

The Choice of the Essence

At Matan Torah, the concept of "choice" was introduced. Until then, the Jewish people's connection and endearment to Hashem was based on their status as children, as Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu in Mitzrayim, "So said Hashem, My firstborn son is Israel." However, at Matan Torah, a connection based on choice was revealed. This is why halacha states that during prayer, in the blessing of Ahavas Olam, "when saying 'You chose us,' one should remember Matan Torah."

We also find a difference between the text of Kiddush on Shabbos night, which doesn't begin with Hashem's choice of His people, versus the Kiddush for Yomim Tovim, which starts with "Who has chosen us from all peoples." The reason is explained:

"The reason we don't say on Shabbos 'Who has chosen us from all peoples and elevated us above all tongues' as we do on Yomim Tovim, is because the commandment of Shabbos was given at Marah, as it says: 'There He established for him a decree and an ordinance, and there He tested him.' Our Sages said: 'Shabbos and civil laws were commanded at Marah.' Hashem had not yet chosen them until He gave them the Torah, but when they were commanded about Yomim Tovim, they had already received the Torah and He had chosen them, therefore we don't say 'Who has chosen us' on Shabbos."

— Sefer Abudraham, Order of Shabbos Prayers and Its Explanation

The innovation of choice has several aspects: Free choice is defined as being motivated solely by the chooser's will, without any consideration of the chosen object's qualities. Just as a choice made under external coercion isn't considered free choice, neither is a choice motivated by the chosen object's qualities. As the Rebbe explains: "For a rational person, logical reasoning compels and forces more than physical coercion."

The Innovation of Choice

The innovation in choice exists in several details: Free choice is defined as when the only motivator for the choice is the person's will, without any consideration of the qualities and characteristics of the chosen thing. Just as a choice made under external coercion would not be considered free choice, similarly, a choice motivated by the qualities and characteristics of the chosen thing would not be considered free choice. The reason being, just as it's possible to force someone to choose something against their will, similarly when the qualities and characteristics of something stand before the chooser's eyes, the thing itself "forces" and draws the chooser to choose it. As the Rebbe states: "For a rational person, logical reasoning compels and forces them more than physical coercion."

The aforementioned concept (that free choice means: choice not motivated by a person's inclination towards the qualities and characteristics of the chosen thing) necessitates that free choice is only possible within Atzmus (Essence). All levels, since they have some form and definition, cannot possibly avoid having some inclination towards things outside themselves. Similarly in the human soul, from the perspective of its powers, it must have inclination towards things outside its personality. For example: A rational person will necessarily choose things that logic demands, and things that logic opposes will necessarily cause them to oppose them. Similarly, a person with strong emotional feelings will necessarily be drawn to and choose things that affect their heart emotionally, or vice versa.

Similarly in Elokus (Divinity), all levels have form and definition, and therefore have inclinations that they necessitate, whether positive or negative. The only level that has no inclination to any side is Atzmus, because it isn't defined by any definition. Therefore, the chosen thing and its definition don't take up space and don't create an inclination, and the choice in it (for good or otherwise) is only from the perspective of His will and choice.

The Advantage of Jewish Choice at Matan Torah

The love for Jewish people from the aspect of "children" - since the love for a child is natural and comes from them being a child - has definition and comes from the "quality" and characteristic of being a child. Therefore, this connection has limitation and isn't in Atzmus itself (where the concept of "child" doesn't take up space). However, at Matan Torah, the aspect of Atzmus's choice was added - choosing the Jewish people not because of their qualities (on the contrary, in Atzmus there's no special place for Israel, and as it says "Esav is Yaakov's brother, says Hashem" and the reason "I loved Yaakov" is not due to Israel's qualities but only due to choice.) but only due to the will of Atzmus.

This is why "Hashem offered the Torah to every nation and language but they didn't accept it until He came to Israel who accepted it." Because the foundation of the choice to give the Torah specifically to the Jewish people wasn't due to their qualities (that they were worthy to receive the Torah) but due to Atzmus's choice, from whose level Israel has no advantage over other nations, and therefore from this equality He offered it to all nations and finally gave it to Israel solely due to choice.

The Excellence of Choice in Torah and Mitzvos

The Avos kept the Torah before it was given, however Matan Torah innovated things that weren't present with the Avos, with many details as follows:

In the drawing down through Mitzvos: Before Matan Torah, the drawing down of holiness was only spiritual, and not in the physical object with which they fulfilled the Mitzvah, even in the Mitzvos that the Avos fulfilled physically. Because before Matan Torah there was a decree that the higher realms would not descend below and the lower realms would not ascend above, therefore there wasn't a connection between the holiness of the Mitzvah (higher realms) with the physical object with which the Mitzvah was done (lower realms).

Additionally, many Mitzvos were fulfilled by the Avos only spiritually (like Tefillin which mention the exodus from Egypt which hadn't yet occurred).

But after Matan Torah, the decree and partition between higher and lower realms was nullified, therefore the drawing down in fulfilling Mitzvos is in the physical object with which the Mitzvah is fulfilled, creating a connection between the physical object (with which the Mitzvah is fulfilled) and the holiness of the Mitzvah, to the extent that in several Mitzvos, the physical object becomes a Cheftza shel Mitzvah (object of Mitzvah).

And the drawing down is also extremely elevated - drawing down Ohr Ein Sof that's above the definition of higher and lower (upper and lower realms), and this gives the power for the connection of upper and lower realms that occurred at Matan Torah, as well as in the fulfillment of Mitzvos after Matan Torah.

Their Effect in the World

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At Matan Torah, Hashem's decree that "the lower worlds shall not ascend to the higher worlds, and the higher worlds shall not descend to the lower worlds" was nullified: Until Matan Torah, every mitzvah that was performed did not affect the physical object itself. From Matan Torah onwards, this decree was nullified, and since then, a Jew's performance of a mitzvah affects even the physicality of the object.

In the World

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The Jewish People at the Event

Matan Torah was the third revelation that the Jewish people merited since their exodus from Mitzrayim. The first revelation occurred during Yetzias Mitzrayim, when Hakadosh Baruch Hu revealed Himself and redeemed them. The second revelation occurred during Krias Yam Suf, when each person pointed with their finger and said "This is my G-d," and the third revelation was at Maamad Har Sinai, which began with their arrival at Midbar Sinai.

According to Chassidus, when the Jewish people left Mitzrayim, they were immersed in the 49 gates of tumah, therefore they were commanded to count the Omer and each day they ascended in kedusha until Matan Torah. Chassidus teaches that all Jewish neshamos were present at the time of Matan Torah.

In Sefer HaTanya, the Alter Rebbe explains that at Maamad Matan Torah, all of Israel was elevated to the highest and most sublime spiritual levels, like the Avos - Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, and like Moshe Rabbeinu - "the perfection of the chosen human species!"

Matan Torah Today

Extended article - Mivtza Aseres Hadibros

The Torah is given anew each day, and therefore we make a new blessing each day in the morning blessings, concluding with "Blessed are You, Hashem, who gives the Torah" - in present tense.

The Rebbe encouraged that every year on Shavuos, children should gather to hear the "Aseres Hadibros" as at the original Matan Torah when the Torah was given to all of Israel - men, women, and children.