Echoes of Sinai

The Torah was given to the people of Israel at a singular and awe-inspiring event known as Maamad Har Sinai (the Revelation at Mount Sinai). This foundational moment in Jewish history took place on the 6th of Sivan in the year 2448 from Creation.

Remembering Maamad Har Sinai is a daily mitzvah (commandment) that includes both a positive and a negative commandment. The positive mitzvah is: “Remember, do not forget the day you stood before Hashem your God at Choreb” (Devarim 4:9–10). The negative mitzvah warns: “Guard yourself and carefully guard your soul, lest you forget the things your eyes saw… and make them known to your children and your children’s children.”

The Magen Avraham (Orach Chaim 60:2) writes that when one recites the blessing “u’vanu vacharta” (“and You chose us”) in the morning Shema, he should reflect on the giving of the Torah.

Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin explains that remembering Maamad Har Sinai daily means renewing our personal acceptance of the yoke of Heaven, just as the Israelites proclaimed at Sinai: “All that Hashem has spoken, we will do and we will hear” (Shemot 24:7). Each day, one should strive to hear and accept the Torah with the same readiness and awe all over again (Pri Tzaddik, Mishpatim 3).

The Ramban (Nachmanides) explains the purpose of this mitzvah: If the Torah had come solely through Moshe, even with all the miracles confirming his prophecy, people might be swayed by a future prophet claiming to nullify the Torah. But since the Torah was given directly by Hashem to the entire nation, with no intermediary, there can be no legitimate doubt. This is the meaning of the verse, “And they will believe in you forever” (Shemot 19:9).

The Sfat Emet on Parashat Yitro cites the Zohar, which teaches that before birth, the soul stands directly before Hashem. At Maamad Har Sinai, the Israelites reached that same level of pure connection, with no barriers between them and the Divine. Our Sages say that during this moment, their souls left their bodies because they had become as holy as the ministering angels. For this reason, the verse uses the word “stood,” as angels are called “those who stand.” Remembering Sinai reminds us of that state of spiritual clarity and closeness, when even physicality was refined.

In his Iggeret Teiman (Letter to Yemen), the Rambam encourages all Jews - especially those dispersed or persecuted - to constantly recall Maamad Har Sinai. He urges parents to raise their children with stories of that great revelation, as it is “the pillar upon which our faith rests” and the ultimate proof of truth. He calls it “greater than any other greatness,” referencing the verse: “Ask now about the former days that came before you…” (Devarim 4:32).

When the Jews of Yemen were suffering under forced conversion, the Rambam wrote the Iggeret Teiman to support and guide them. There, he strongly advises them to instill in their children the memory of Maamad Har Sinai, so its impact would remain with them and protect their Jewish identity, even under pressure. He explains that this monumental event, which occurred before the entire nation, solidified faith in a way that no suffering or persecution could undermine.

Rabbi Yehoshua of Apt, in his work Ohev Yisrael, writes that the Torah commands us to remember four foundational events. The first is Maamad Har Sinai. Every Jew should see himself at all times as if he is standing at Sinai to receive the Torah. While humans live within time, Hashem transcends time, and every day is another day of “giving the Torah.” When a person opens a Torah book to learn, he should imagine himself receiving the Torah directly from Hashem, leading to reverence and awe, as described in the verse: “And the entire people in the camp trembled” (Shemot 19:16). This trembling should be felt in all 248 limbs.

On the verse “velo yasaf” (“and it did not cease”) referring to the giving of the Torah, the sages explain that Torah was not only given once at Sinai but continues to be given every single day. Every new insight discovered by a dedicated student of the Torah is part of this ongoing revelation (Zohar, Va’etchanan 261a).