(טז) וַיְהִי בַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בִּהְיֹת הַבֹּקֶר וַיְהִי קֹלֹת וּבְרָקִים וְעָנָן כָּבֵד עַל הָהָר וְקֹל שֹׁפָר חָזָק מְאֹד וַיֶּחֱרַד כָּל הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בַּמַּחֲנֶה. (יז) וַיּוֹצֵא מֹשֶׁה אֶת הָעָם לִקְרַאת הָאֱלֹהִים מִן הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר.
(16) And it came to pass on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of a horn exceeding loud; and all the people that were in the camp trembled. (17) And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the bottom of the mountain.
(שמות יט, יז) ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר א"ר אבדימי בר חמא בר חסא מלמד שכפה הקב"ה עליהם את ההר כגיגית ואמר להם אם אתם מקבלים התורה מוטב ואם לאו שם תהא קבורתכם ... כדריש לקיש דאמר ריש לקיש: מאי דכתיב (בראשית א, לא) 'ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום הששי' ה' יתירה למה לי מלמד שהתנה הקב"ה עם מעשה בראשית ואמר להם אם ישראל מקבלים התורה אתם מתקיימין ואם לאו אני מחזיר אתכם לתוהו ובוהו.
“They stood at the foot of the mountain.” (Exodus 19:17) Rav Avdimi bar Chama bar Chasa said: This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be God, covered them with the mountain as though it were an upside-down barrel, and said to them: “If you accept the Torah, fine. But if not, this will be your burial place."
…Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: "And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day?" (Genesis 1:1) Why do I need the extra letter "hay" ("the")? It teaches that the Holy One, Blessed is God, made a condition with the words of the Creation, saying to them: If the Jewish people accept the Torah, you will survive. But if they do not accept the Torah, I will return you to chaos and emptiness.
(Jealous Angels (Exodus Rabbah Parshat Yitro
ת"ל מתנות במתנה נתנה לו, באותה שעה בקשו מלאכי השרת לפגוע במשה עשה בו הקדוש ברוך הוא קלסטירין של פניו של משה דומה לאברהם, אמר להם הקדוש ברוך הוא אי אתם מתביישין הימנו לא זהו שירדתם אצלו ואכלתם בתוך ביתו, אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא למשה לא נתנה לך תורה אלא בזכות אברהם...
At that time [when Moshe went up the mountain] the angels asked if they would be allowed to injure Moshe. God made Moshe's face look like Abraham, and God said to the angels are you embarrassed, here is he that you went down to and you ate at his house. God then said to Moshe, I only have given you the Torah from the merit of Abraham...
You're Giving Torah to the HUMANS?! (Back to Shabbat 88b)b
ואריב"ל בשעה שעלה משה למרום אמרו מלאכי השרת לפני הקב"ה 'רבש"ע מה לילוד אשה בינינו?'
אמר להן 'לקבל תורה בא.' אמרו לפניו 'חמודה גנוזה שגנוזה לך תשע מאות ושבעים וארבעה דורות קודם שנברא העולם אתה מבקש ליתנה לבשר ודם?! ...
מיד הודו לו להקב"ה ...מיד כל אחד ואחד נעשה לו אוהב.
And R'Yehoshua ben Levi said: When Moses ascended to the Heavenly heights the ministering angels said before God, "Master of the Universe, what is someone born of a woman doing among us?" God said to them: "He has come to receive the Torah."
Angels: "The coveted and treasured Torah that was stored by You as a treasure for nine hundred and seventy-four generations before the world was created! You intend to give that to flesh and blood?!...
God says to Moses: Give them and answer.
Moshe (to God): I fear to reply to them for they might burn me with their breath.
God (to Moshe): Take hold of the throne of My Glory and give them an answer
Moshe (to God): Master of the Universe, the Torah that You are giving me, what is written in it? "I am Adonai Your God Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt" (Ex. 20:2)
Moshe (to the angels): Did you descend to Egypt? Were you enslaved by Pharaoh? Why should the Torah be yours?
What else is written in the Torah? "There shall be not be unto you gods of others." (Ex. 20:3) Do you live among nations who worship idols?
What else is written in it? "Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it" (Ex. 20:8). Do you engage in any labor from which you would need to rest?
What else is written in it? "You shall not take the name of God in vain" (Ex. 20:7) Are there any business transactions among you that might lead to oaths taken in vain?
What else is written? "Honor your father and mother" (Ex. 20:12). Do you have a father or a mother?
What else is written? "You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal" (Ex. 20:13). Is there envy among you? Is there an Evil inclination among you?
Immediately the angels conceded to God...and became friends with Moshe.
So, Now We've Got Torah - What should we do with it? (Tanna de-vei Eliyahu Zuta)
A mashal: A king of flesh and blood had two servants whom he loved completely. He gave each of them a measure of wheat and a bundle of flax. The first one what did he do? He wove the flax into a cloth and made flour from the wheat, sifted it, ground it, kneaded it, and baked it and arranged it on the table, spread upon it the cloth and left it until the king returned. The second one did not do anything, though he did keep and treasure it. After a time, the king returned to his house and said to them: ‘My sons, bring me what I gave you.’
One brought out the table set with the bread and the cloth spread upon it, and the other brought the wheat in a basket and the bundle of flax with it. Oh what an embarrassment! Oh what a disgrace! Which do you think was most beloved? The one who brought the table with the bread upon it… (Similarly) when God gave the Torah to Israel, God gave it as wheat from which to make flour and flax from which to make clothing through interpretation.
מפני מה נתנה תורה לישראל? מפני שהן עזין...
Why was the Torah given to Israel? Because they are headstrong. The School of R. Ishmael taught: ‘At God's right hand was a fiery law unto them’; the Holy One, blessed be God, said: These are worthy to be given the fiery law. Some say: The laws of these are like fire, for had not the Law been given to Israel no nation or tongue could withstand them.