The New Torah Teachers JOFA UK 17 May 2020

(16) On the third day, as morning dawned, there was thunder, and lightning, and a dense cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the horn; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. (17) Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain. (18) Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for God had come down upon it in fire; the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently. (19) The sound of the horn grew louder and louder. As Moses spoke, God answered him b'kol.

(20) God came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and God called Moses to the top of the mountain and Moses went up. (21) God said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people not to gaze at God, or many of them will die. (22) The priests also, who come near God, must stay pure, or God will break out against them.” (23) Moses said to God, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us saying, ‘Set bounds about the mountain and sanctify it.’” (24) So God said to him, “Go down, and come back together with Aaron; but do not let the priests or the people come up to God, lest God break out against them.” (25) And Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

Come and see how the voice would go out among all of Israel - each and every one according to his strength: the elders according to their strength; the young men according to their strength; the infants according to their strength; the sucklings according to their strength; the women according to their strength; and even Moshe according to his strength, as it is stated (Exodus 19:19), "Moshe would speak and God would answer him with a voice" - with a voice that He could withstand. And so [too,] it states (Psalms 29:4), "The voice of the Lord is in strength" - it is not stated, "in His strength," but rather "in strength"; in the strength of each and every one, and even the pregnant women, according to their strength. Hence one would say each and every one according to his strength.

§ Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: When Moses ascended on High [to Mount Sinai], he found God, sitting and tying crowns on the letters of the Torah. Moses said to God: Master of the Universe, who is preventing You from giving the Torah without these additional crowns?

God said to him: There is a man who is destined to be born after several generations, and Akiva ben Yosef is his name; he is destined to derive from each and every thorn of these crowns mountains upon mountains of laws. It is for his sake that the crowns must be added to the letters of the Torah.

Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, show him [Akiva] to me.

God said to him: Return behind you.

Moses went and sat at the end of the eighth row in Rabbi Akiva’s study hall, and [Moshe] did not understand what they were saying. Moses became weak, as he thought his Torah knowledge was deficient. But when Rabbi Akiva arrived at the discussion of one matter, his students said to him: My teacher, from where do you derive this? Rabbi Akiva said to them: It is a law transmitted to Moses from Sinai. When Moses heard this, his mind was put at ease, as this too was part of the Torah that he was to receive.

Moses returned and came before God, and said to God: Master of the Universe, You have a man as great as this and yet You still chose to give the Torah through me. Why?

God said to him: Quiet; this intention arose before Me.

Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, You have shown me Rabbi Akiva’s Torah, now show me his reward.

God said to him: Return to where you were.

Moses went back and saw that they were weighing Rabbi Akiva’s flesh in a butcher shop [bemakkulin], as Rabbi Akiva was tortured to death by the Romans.

Moses said before Him: Master of the Universe, this is Torah and this is its reward?

God said to him: Quiet; this intention arose before Me.