The Message of the Thunder and Lightning

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah

In Parshas Yisro, the Torah is given to the Jews on Mount Sinai, amid an awesome display of thunder, lightning, fire, smoke and the sound of shofaros. This scene, known as “Maamad Har Sinai,” so frightened the Jews that they fled 12 mil, and had to be brought back by Moshe (Rashi, Shemos 20:15).

What was the reason for such drama? Of course, at Mount Sinai we received the Torah, and the nation soared to the highest level of prophecy, with every Jew receiving directly from Hashem the first two of the Ten Commandments. This brought the nation to an unparalleled level of emuna in Hashem (see Rambam, Yesodei HaTorah 8:1). However, this does not explain the tumultuous display of sound and lights at Har Sinai.

Rather, in Devarim (4:9-10) we see that the purpose of the sound and lights was “so that they [the Bnei Yisrael] learn to fear Me all the days of their lives.” Indeed, the Ramban states (ibid. verse 9), that Maamad Har Sinai was the basis for the Jews’ fear of Hashem, which they would pass on from generation to generation.

Maamad Har Sinai was the basis for the Jews’ fear of Hashem? As great as the thunder and lightning was at Sinai, could it have been more than the Ten Plagues, where the Jews saw Hashem change the forces of nature in the most open and miraculous ways? Was it a greater demonstration of fear of Hashem than the Splitting of the Red Sea, where it states openly (in Shiras Hayam) that “the nation feared Hashem?” (Shemos 14:31)

Rav Yerucham Brodiansky answers that indeed, the nation acquired fear of Hashem from the Ten Plagues, the Exodus and at the Red Sea. What Maamad Har Sinai taught was how to express this fear — through Torah and mitzvos! Maamad Har Sinai was Hashem showing us: Know the awesome importance of Torah, its might and power — it’s explosive!

Maamad Har Sinai wasn’t just fear of Hashem, it was directing the nation’s natural sense of awe from the fire, sounds and lightning, declaring: Channel the fear that you feel right now into Torah and mitzvos! Know that Torah is the power that created and upholds the world. If for but one moment the world would be bereft of Torah study, the entire universe would cease to exist (Nefesh Hachaim 4:11)! Behold the fire and know that Torah brings exceptional kedusha to those who learn it (see Bach, Orach Chaim 47). Therefore, study Torah intently and keep its mitzvos as precisely as possible.

The power and kedusha of the Torah is enormous. Nefesh Hachaim (4:11) states that it brings tikun to our world and all of the celestial spheres as well, sending blessing and erasing harsh heavenly decrees. Torah spreads kedusha and light throughout the world. You can be learning at home and transmitting kedusha throughout the universe, causing Jews to think to themselves: “I want to better myself. How can I improve my avodas Hashem?” You may even cause Jews a continent away to do teshuva!

The kedusha of Torah is even more than that merited by a prophet. A prophet only merited this special kedusha as he was receiving the spirit of prophecy from Hashem. One who studies the Torah merits this kedusha at all times (ibid. 4:20).

In light of the great kedusha of Torah, the Ramchal (Derech Hashem 4:2,5,6) states that before learning, we should prepare ourselves: Think about how holy the Torah is, and have a mindset of respect and awe. Consider what a privilege it is to learn Torah. This should fill us with joy, but also trepidation — who are we to learn this sacred text? This sense of trepidation should inspire us always to perfect ourselves and become worthy of learning the holy Torah. To the extent that one prepares himself in this way, the Torah he learns will imbue him with more and more kedusha.

A lot of Jews are busy doing good things to the help the tzibbur — they are involved in all sorts of chessed projects, kiruv rechokim, raising money for good purposes, etc. All this is wonderful, but the Chazon Ish would always tell people that the greatest thing they can do for Klal Yisrael is to learn Torah. If they have a solid learning seder, the kedusha that this spreads does more for Klal Yisrael than had they been engaged in other things during that time.

Once, an avreich asked the Chazon Ish which path he should take in life: On the one hand, he had an offer to be a magid shiur in a yeshiva ketana, and would be able to grow in his learning while building up talmidim. On the other hand, he had an offer to work in the field of kashrus, and this avreich felt that he had the unique talents needed to be able to make far-reaching improvements in this area.

“As I see it,” said the avreich, “there are plenty of other avreichim who could do as good a job as me as a magid shiur. Also, I would only be helping a handful of talmidim, whereas in kashrus, I feel I’ll be able to bring benefit to the entire tzibbur.”

The Chazon Ish asked: “Do you think that as a magid shiur, you could influence two of the bachurim to learn during bein hazemanim (the few weeks of the year when the yeshiva is closed)? If so, the kedusha that will come from those two bachurim, learning at a time when much less learning is going on, will be of far more benefit to the tzibbur than any improvements you can make in kashrus.”

May our Torah spread kedusha throughout the world!