Reverberation
The Unique Sound of Sinai
Shavuos is the anniversary of the most momentous occasion ever. On this day, over 3300 years ago, G-d revealed Himself to the entire Jewish people on Mount Sinai and gave them the Torah.
When the A-mighty uttered the Ten Commandments everyone trembled. The words spoken by G-d were more than just sensible and proper modes of behavior He was advocating. The Torah represented G-d’s wisdom and plan for the universe.
Accordingly, our sages inform us that the sound of the Ten Commandments reverberated throughout the entire world and did not produce any echo.
What is the significance of the fact that the sound of the Torah reverberated throughout the world. G-d willing, in the next essay we will discuss the significance of the fact that the sound of the Ten Commandments had no echo.
Seven Noahide Commandments Reiterated
That the words of G-d reverberated throughout the world was a meaningful way of illustrating how the Torah is Universal. And in three ways:
First, while the Torah was given exclusively to the Jewish people it relates to the entire world. The Seven Noahide commandments that were previously given to Noah and his sons were reiterated at Sinai and the Jewish people were entrusted with the responsibility to transmit these seven basic categories of law to the entire population of the world.
According to Maimonides, a person must follow these laws because they were given by G-d at Mount Sinai. Hence the revelation at Mount Sinai related to the entire world.
Stabilized the Entire World
Second, our Sages taught that until the Torah was given at Mount Sinai the entire world was hanging in the balance. The world was created with a stipulation. If the Torah would be accepted the World will continue to exist. If not it would revert to nothingness.
The Midrash, cited by Rashi, focuses on the words “Yom Hashshi-the Sixth Day.” Why does the Torah use the definite article when it refers ot the sixth day of creation? What distinguished that day form all the other days of the week?
The answer is that it alludes to the sixth day of Sivan, when the Torah was given. That day was the day creation was truly completed.
The Talmud relates that when the Torah was given the Nations of the world were terrified and they came to the heathen prophet Bilam to inquire what was happening. They were fearful that the world was coming to an end.
Bilam comforted them and stated the Biblical verse: “G-d gave strength to His people and G-d blessed His people with peace.”
Rather than the Torah upsetting the worlds standing it solidified it and brought peace and tranquility to the world.
Hence, the sound of Sinai reverberated throughout the entire world to declare that the whole world was now safe, secure, tranquil and at peace. It will endure because now the world has meaning and purpose.
Torah Affects Everything
Third, the reverberation of G-d’s words at Sinai throughout the world was a meaningful way of illustrating how the Torah relates to every facet of creation. There is no nook and cranny that was not affected by the giving of the Torah.
Moreover, the objective of the giving of the Torah at Sinai is for us to transform the world through its Divine teachings. No part of the world can be left out of our mission. We must use the light of Torah to illuminate every part of the world, which includes our own little universe, as well as the macro universe.
The teachings of Chassidus and Kabbalah reveal to us how we affect parts of the worlds with which we have no contact. Whenever we perform a Mitzvah it sis connected to the entire universe in two ways.
For example: If we eat Matzah on Passover, that Matzah was produced by the wheat that grew in the earth nourished by the sun. It was further cultivate by the fertilizer and harvested by farm implements. All of these had their existence created by other forces. For example the tractor was produced by steel mined form the earth. The sun which provided light for the wheat is affected by its position in the entire cosmos.
Once we eat that Matzah it affects our bodies, which in turn influence our behavior towards others etc.
In short, every Mitzvah is facilitated by and influences myriad of other objects and experiences within our Universe.
Now since the Mitzvah is a Divine command, every Mitzvah we do elevates every part of the entire universe which was instrumental in and facilitated the performance of the Mitzvah. And every part of the world the Mitzvah impacted will also have a ripple effect and change the entire world.
Because we are still in Galus-exile we cannot see the way the world has changed and changed irreversibly. In order for us to still have free choice all the dramatic and cataclysmic changes we have produced through our Mitzvos are imperceptible to the average eye.
However, with the imminent coming of Moshiach, every flesh will perceive the phenomenal changes in the world that will endure forever.
From the book Light from the Future: Shavuos by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
