Parashat Yitro - What happened at Saini

This week’s torah portion contains the central event in Jewish history, the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

It’ important to understand what was given and how it was given. Most people’s understandings of this are based on Cecil B. DeMille’s movie; if you liked the movie, try the book… it’s much better.

In the movie, Moses goes up the mountain, gets the two tablets, and goes and gives them to the Israelites. This is very different from the account in the Torah. The Torah version goes basically like this.

The Israelites are camped by the foot of the mountain and are told by Moses (who was told by G-d) to get ready for the revelation. G-d then speaks directly to the entire nations (more 2 million people) and tells them the 10 commandments.

There are a variety of positions about what G-d actually said to the people. Some hold that G-d speaks all 10 directly to the people; this is what the simple reading of the text implies. Others hold that G-d only spoke the first two, and then the people begged G-d to use Moses as an intermediary (because the experience was to powerful for them). This is supported by the fact that the first two commandments are given in the first person (“I am the Lord your G-d”), and the rest are in the second person (“You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain”). Others hold that G-d spoke all 10 simultaneously, and then Moses was used as an intermediary to explain them. Others hold that G-d only spoke the first letter of the first commandment, and the people intuitively understood the rest. This is a very interesting topic that is far to involved for this forum.

After G-d speaks directly to the people, Moses goes up the mountain and is there for 40 days. While there he gets 2 things. Firstly, Moses received the two tablets. (Most people only know about that one, but if that’s all he got why did it take 40 days?) Secondly he was taught all of the 613 mitzvot (commandments) and the principles of how to apply them. In short he was given what Jews refer to as the Oral Law. So if anyone ever tells you that the Oral law is just Rabbi’s interpretation of the written law, you can tell them they have it backwards. The oral law was given first. The written law (the Torah) was dictated to Moses over the next 40 years in the dessert.

The fact that G-d spoke directly to the entire people is a key bit of information that was left out of the movie. It’s the basis of the entire Jewish religion. Why is it so important? Because it is what separates Judaism from all other religions. All other religions are based on one person claiming to have been spoken to by G-d, and then convincing others of that fact. The problem with that claim is that it can never be proved or discredited. The Jewish claim is different; our claim is one that can not be faked.

Imagine the following. You’re sitting at dinner, and someone speaks up and says “Guess what, G-d spoke to me yesterday. He gave me a new set of laws and said that everyone should follow me.” Would you believe this? Maybe, it depends how charismatic the person is. You can not disprove it, but you can never know for sure.

Now try this one. You’re sitting at dinner, and someone speaks up and says “Do you remember 5 minutes ago, when G-d spoke to all of us and gave us some new laws and told you to follow me?” Do you believe that one? This one you can either prove or disprove. If you did experience what he claims you did, then you know he tells the truth. If you didn’t, then you know he’s lying.

Judaism is based on the second claim. All other religions are based on the first. That’s why no other religion disputes the events at Sinai. It can be taken as a historical fact.

I could talk for hours on this subject… but I’d better not.