If God Revealed Himself at Sinai, Why Doesn’t He Do It Again?

On a quiet Shabbat afternoon, a rabbi had just finished a two-hour lecture — a logical, well-reasoned presentation proving the revelation of God to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai.

The audience was impressed. Many sat inspired and moved. Then, from the back of the room, a man called out: “Rabbi, if it’s so easy for God to reveal Himself to Israel, why all the fuss? Why do you have to stand here for hours giving us proofs and arguments? Why doesn’t God just reveal Himself again — you know, a little refresher now and then? Doesn’t He see that so many people don’t believe? Why make it so complicated?”

Laughter rippled through the room. It seemed like the man’s question had undone the powerful atmosphere the rabbi had created.

Then came the rabbi’s quiet, unexpected answer: “Even if God were to reveal Himself to you personally,” he said with a smile, “it wouldn’t make any difference.”

The man laughed again. “Oh, come on, Rabbi! If God revealed Himself to me, I’d follow Him forever!”

The rabbi turned to the audience. “Tell me,” he said, “how many of you attended morning prayers today?” Dozens raised their hands. “And what did we read in the Torah today?” he asked. “The portion of Ki Tisa — the story of the Golden Calf.”

Seeing Miracles Is Not the Same as Believing

“The sin of the Golden Calf,” said the rabbi, “is the clearest proof that human beings always have free choice.

“The Israelites saw God’s revelation with their own eyes. They witnessed the Ten Plagues, the Splitting of the Sea, and that very morning they had eaten manna from heaven — yet they still turned around and danced around a golden idol.

“They didn’t deny God’s existence; they simply reinterpreted His will. When Moses didn’t return, they said, ‘Surely it must be God’s will that we make a new leader or a visible mediator.’

“That’s human nature. Even after revelation, people still rationalize, still justify, still choose.”

The rabbi continued: “If God revealed Himself today, we’d all be moved — for a few minutes. But the moment the experience fades, we’d still be left with choice. Someone cuts you off in traffic, or insults you — would you still act kindly? You’d still need to decide. Revelation doesn’t remove choice; it only raises the stakes.”

Why God Doesn’t Keep “Refreshing” Miracles

“Even revelation,” said the rabbi, “isn’t a permanent solution to disbelief.

“Suppose God revealed Himself once every hundred years. Within decades, skeptics would say: ‘That was for primitive people who didn’t know science.’ Then, a century later, new skeptics would say the same about those before them.

“There would always be people who refuse to believe unless they themselves see it — and even then, they’d find reasons to dismiss it.”

Faith Can’t Be Inherited — It Must Be Chosen

“Imagine,” said the rabbi, “that you personally experienced a divine revelation. You’d be inspired — but what about your children? How would you pass that faith on?

“They’d tell you, ‘That’s nice that God revealed Himself to you, but He didn’t reveal Himself to us. If He wants us to believe, let Him show Himself again.’

“Faith built on revelation alone doesn’t last beyond one generation. Real faith must continually be renewed through free choice.”

Modern Miracles and Human Choice

We’ve all seen modern miracles — wars Israel should never have survived, moments when disaster was miraculously averted. Even secular newspapers called them “miracles.”

Did everyone repent? Some did, but many simply moved on. Even when people witness the hand of God, they still have the freedom to explain it away. Miracles don’t force faith — they only invite it.

A Story About Choice

At a social gathering, a man once told a true story.

A platoon of soldiers was sleeping in the desert when someone noticed a deadly viper coiled on one man’s sleeping bag. If it bit him, he’d die within minutes — and there was no antivenom.

The commander froze. One wrong move and the soldier was dead. “We’ll have the sniper shoot the snake,” he finally said.

The men protested: “You’re crazy! One wrong angle and you’ll shoot your own man!” Then one religious soldier said quietly, “Before we do anything, let’s say Shema Yisrael together — what do we have to lose?”

The platoon agreed. They all whispered, “Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad…” As soon as they finished, the snake raised its head, and slithered away.

The audience listening to the story gasped. Someone asked the storyteller, “So, did that miracle make you religious?”

He laughed. “Of course not! The snake was on him — not on me!”

The Freedom to Believe — or Not

Even when the truth is obvious, a person can still avoid it. Human beings are masters of justification.

God could have created a world without free will, where every sin triggered instant punishment, and every wrong choice brought immediate pain. However, then we would be robots and we'd do good only out of fear or programming.

God wanted us to be more than obedient creatures. He wanted us to be partners in creation, capable of choosing goodness freely. He therefore hides — not to distance Himself, but to give us space to seek, choose, and grow.

Ultimately, what matters is not whether God reveals Himself to us — but whether we reveal ourselves to Him.