Pesach thoughts: Two revelations
Pesach thoughts: Two revelations

We are normally accustomed to think that it was the revelation at Sinai which established the identity of the people of Israel and is the underlying basis for our belief in God.  The Rambam clearly states that it was the unique revelation of that event which was experienced by the entire people of Israel rather than what was based upon the words of any prophet or individual which separated and differentiated Judaism from all other religions.  It was also that revelation which allowed Israel to accept Moshe Rabbeinu (our teacher Moses) as the greatest of all prophets.  See Mishneh Torah, Yesodai Hatorah 8:1.

I would like to advance a somewhat different analysis of revelation which is intimated by the Torah itself.  Prior to the giving of the Ten Commandments, the Torah states that Moshe went up unto God and that God called unto him from the mountain and said the following:

. . .thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell to the children of Israel. You have seen (R’eetem) what I have done to Egypt and that I have carried you upon the wings of eagles and brought you unto me.  Now , if you hearken to my voice and observe my covenant, you will be unto me as a special treasure (distinct) from all other nations. . . (Exodus 19:3-5.)

After the Ten Commandments are given, God speaks to Moshe in a very similar language: “Thus you shall say to the Children of Israel, you have seen (R’eetem) that I have spoken to you from the heavens.”  Exodus 20:19. 

What is the distinction between what was “seen” prior to the Ten Commandments and what was “seen” during the giving of the Ten Commandments.  In explaining what was “seen” prior to the Revelation at Sinai, Rashi uses a formulation which is similar to that used by the Rambam for what was seen during the Revelation.

Moshe states to the Jewish people that what occurred to Egypt at the time of the Exodus, “is not a tradition to you and that I do not transmit words to you nor do I testify through witnesses rather you have seen yourselves what God did to Egypt.  They (Egyptians) were liable for punishment to Me (God) for many transgressions, prior to their entanglement with you (Israel).  But I (God) did not exact punishment from them, except for what they did to you (Israel).”  (Exodus 19:4.)

We must thus conclude that there is a major distinction between the first Divine manifestation which occurred during Passover and the second Divine manifestation which occurred during Shavuot.  Ultimately, the first revelation was rooted in reason and iron clad logic.  The second revelation was based upon personal experience.  There is an open question as to which type of revelation provides the most compelling evidence.

The first revelation was based upon deductive reasoning.  Although many crimes were committed by the Egyptians, only the ones which were committed against the People of Israel ended in punishment.  This shows that this punishment was from God.  Therefore, it requires the correlation of the crime and punishment into a cause and effect relationship which is purely a logically determination.  

The Torah, however, itself testifies and it is elaborated upon by the Ramban, that the revelation as Sinai was marred by passion, emotion, confusion and extreme fear which overtook the people.  All they wanted to do was escape the experience and Moshe had to hold them back. Ultimately, they could not withstand the experience and Moshe had to convey to them the words of God.

We thus see that an event which transcends human experience and which the mind cannot apprehend with the normal tools of reason and logic could readily succumb to panic. Thus, one could readily conclude that it was the revelation during Passover which they clearly understood which actually formed the people of Israel into a cohesive nation.  Reason and logic maintain a stability which passion and emotion cannot.  Under normal circumstances these (passion and emotion) tend to be transitory.

As a result of this interpretation, we can now better understand several issues which require greater analysis both in the Torah and Jewish tradition. First, why does the first and most crucial of the Ten Commandments begin with the statement, “I am the Lord your God who has taken you out of Egypt from the house of Bondage.” Exodus 20:2. Why does it not more directly state directly, “I am the Lord your God who was the creator and the master of all that exists?”  That, ( that God is the creator of the universe) after all is the greatest revelation and communication to Israel.  It seems probable that prior to the overwhelming revelation at Sinai, God wanted to reassure the people of the benign nature of this revelation by relating it to the revelation they have already experienced during the Exodus and which they readily understood and could accept.    

Second, why is it necessary for God to tell Moshe immediately following the revelation at Sinai that he (Moshe) should warn Israel not to form or worship idols. Is that not the major import of the Ten Commandments themselves? “Do not form with me gods of silver and gods of gold, do not make (those) unto you.”  Exodus 20:20.  Why would they even consider doing that after the great revelation at Sinai.

It is interesting that when the revelation of the Exodus is discussed prior to the Ten Commandments, no warning is issued at all. Rather, God tells them if they adhere to his convenant they will be a special treasure unto Him from all other nations.

This demonstrates that the Revelation at Sinai did not leave a lasting impression on the people of Israel. Most experiences that result from passion or emotion tend to be short lived. We see that it is within the nature of the human mind to disregard far more quickly even a supremely great experience, i.e. God’s immediate revelation if that revelation is not clearly understood by reason, rather than a lesser revelation when it is based upon reason and logic.  

It should be noted that even when Israel violated the greater revelation when they worshipped the golden calf, what they emphasized above all was the lesser revelation which was the Exodus from Egypt.

Finally, why is it that on every Shabbat and holy days we sanctify those days by referencing the Exodus from Egypt?  The Ramban maintains that many of the commandments are based upon the requirement to remember the Exodus in order, “that we should have in every generation testimony of (God’s) miracles that should not be forgotten and not to give any denier (heretic) on opportunity to contradict the belief in God.” Ramban on Exodus 13:14. This begs the question, however, why should we not therefore stress the greater miracle or event of the revelation at Sinai?  We therefore see again the lasting nature of a revelation which is better understood.

In addition, in the case of sacred days, one could argue that they (the holidays) are the cornerstone or foundation of the Jewish year and are thus directly rooted in memory of the Exodus.  Indeed, the process of the Exodus really began with the declaration which required the establishment of the Jewish year, “this month is to you the first of the months.” Exodus 12:2.

We thus can conclude that it is within the nature of the human mind to paradoxically disregard more quickly a far greater and deeper experience i.e. God’s immediate revelation, than it is to abandon one that is more clearly understood through reason and logic.  That is why the lesser revelation which occurred during the Exodus could be more effective for the memory of many commandments as was indicated by the Ramban, rather than the more profound one of the Revelation at Sinai.  

Thus it was the Exodus which had to be remembered every day, which is not the case with the Ten Commandments which took a central role in the creation and ongoing existence of the people of Israel.  It would take many years far removed from the experience of slavery and far greater maturation which would finally allow the people of Israel to truly apprehend the meaning of God’s revelation to them.