OU TORAH YU TORAH and NAALEH.COM Awareness – Acceptance – Attachment By Shira Smiles
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
Bnei Yisroel were finally out of Egypt. They had arrived at the foot of Mount Sinai where they were destined to receive the Torah. Although Hashem had obviously interacted with them before and had acted on their behalf, Hashem now instructs Moshe to make a “formal introduction”. In this introduction, Hashem is reminding Bnei Yisroel that He is not a stranger to them.; “You have seen what I did to Egypt, and that I have borne you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me.” This introduction is then followed by the terms of the covenant Hashem is now establishing with Bnei Yisroel. Our Sages see three stages of our relationship with Hakodosh Boruch Hu in this introduction. Each stage is interpreted by Rashi and then expounded upon by other commentators.
The first stage, Rashi points out, is that Hashem is not really a stranger to Bnei Yisroel. You personally have seen what I have done to Egypt. It was not told to you by your parents. As Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch adds, Bnei Yisroel’s awareness of Hashem is not a matter of faith, but of actual experience. It is this same language, “You [yourselves] have seen…” that Hashem later uses to remind Bnei Yisroel of how He spoke to us personally at Har Sinai. In this way, our salvation from Egypt and our accepting the Torah are forever linked, by our personal awareness and witness to both. In both of these experiences, adds Rabbi Beyfus in Yalkut Lekach Tov, we saw the hand of God involved in our lives. This is knowledge we carry deep within our core and is the cornerstone of our religion. Therefore, it is commanded that we teach our children and all future generations about both these events, our leaving Egypt and our stand at Sinai, and mentioning both daily in our prayers. Both these events were part of the process of granting Heavenly existence to Klal Yisroel, adds Rabbi Schmeltzer in Heart of Emunah.
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
Bnei Yisroel were finally out of Egypt. They had arrived at the foot of Mount Sinai where they were destined to receive the Torah. Although Hashem had obviously interacted with them before and had acted on their behalf, Hashem now instructs Moshe to make a “formal introduction”. In this introduction, Hashem is reminding Bnei Yisroel that He is not a stranger to them.; “You have seen what I did to Egypt, and that I have borne you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me.” This introduction is then followed by the terms of the covenant Hashem is now establishing with Bnei Yisroel. Our Sages see three stages of our relationship with Hakodosh Boruch Hu in this introduction. Each stage is interpreted by Rashi and then expounded upon by other commentators.
The first stage, Rashi points out, is that Hashem is not really a stranger to Bnei Yisroel. You personally have seen what I have done to Egypt. It was not told to you by your parents. As Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch adds, Bnei Yisroel’s awareness of Hashem is not a matter of faith, but of actual experience. It is this same language, “You [yourselves] have seen…” that Hashem later uses to remind Bnei Yisroel of how He spoke to us personally at Har Sinai. In this way, our salvation from Egypt and our accepting the Torah are forever linked, by our personal awareness and witness to both. In both of these experiences, adds Rabbi Beyfus in Yalkut Lekach Tov, we saw the hand of God involved in our lives. This is knowledge we carry deep within our core and is the cornerstone of our religion. Therefore, it is commanded that we teach our children and all future generations about both these events, our leaving Egypt and our stand at Sinai, and mentioning both daily in our prayers. Both these events were part of the process of granting Heavenly existence to Klal Yisroel, adds Rabbi Schmeltzer in Heart of Emunah.
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