Parshat Yitro:
The 4 Stages of Ma’amad Har Sinai
A PowerPoint Review,
to be viewed with the corresponding shiur.
Shiur by Menachem Leibtag
Presentation by
Tammy Weisz
The Four Stages
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Proposition (19:1-9)
Preparation (19:9-15)
Revelation (19:16-19)
Limitation (19:20-25)
Chapter 19: Proposition (19:1-9)
"If: You will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant...
Then: You shall be for Me a 'mamlechet Kohanim v'goy
kadosh' [a kingdom of priests and a holy nation]..." (19:4-6)
"And the people answered together and said, 'Everything
that God has spoken we shall keep,' and Moshe brought
the people's answer back to God." (19:7-8)
Chapter 19: Preparation (19:9-15)
How will Bnei Yisrael receive these laws?
 "And God said to Moshe, 'I will come to you in the thickness of a cloud,
in order that the people hear when I speak with you, and in order that
they believe in you [i.e. that you are My messenger] forever..." (19:9)
Plan A: Moshe will act as an intermediary between God and
Bnei Yisrael
 Rashi: "Et divrei ha'am" The people responded: 'We want to hear from
You [God], for one cannot compare hearing from a "shliach" (a
messenger) to hearing from the King himself, [or they said,] 'We want to
see our King!'”
Plan B: God will speak directly to Bnei Yisrael
Change of Plan= Necessary 3 days preparation
Chapter 19: Revelation (19:16-19)
"The sound of the shofar grew louder and louder; as Moshe
would speak, God would answer him with a kol." (19:19)
Who is saying what? Is it Plan A or Plan B?
Rashi (Based on Mechilta): Moshe delivers last 8 dibrot
(Plan A), God delivers first 2 dibrot (Plan B). Therefor, the
above pasuk refers only to the last 8 dibrot.
Ramban: The above pasuk isn’t talking about 10 dibrot at all.
Chapter 19: Limitation (19:20-25)
"God descended upon Mount Sinai to the top of the mountain
and summoned Moshe to the top of the mountain, and Moshe
ascended ... Then God told Moshe: Go down and warn the
people lest they break through toward God to see, and many
of them will perish. And even the kohanim who are permitted
to come closer must prepare themselves..." (19:20-22)
These psukim reflect Plan A! Has God gone
back to His original plan? If so, why?
Chapter 20
"And the people all saw the kolot, the torches, the sound of the
shofar and the mountain smoking; the people saw and moved back and
stood at a distance. And they told Moshe: 'Why don't you speak to us,
and we will listen to you, but God should not speak to us, lest we die.'
"Moshe responded saying: 'Do not be fearful, for God is coming to
'test' you and instill fear within you so that you will not sin.'
"But the people stood at a distance, and Moshe [alone] entered the
cloud where God was.” (20:14-17)
The nation grew fearful & request Moshe act as an
intermediary. This explains why God reverts from Plan B to
Plan A.
But why is this story mentioned here?
Rashi & Chizkuni: This story happens after the first 2 dibrot.
Ramban: Chronologically, this happened before the dibrot.
First or Third Person?
Rashi’s answer: explains the shift from 1st to 3rd person after
the second commandment.
First 2 Dirbrot
1st Person
Narrative
Spoken directly
to people: Plan B
Last 8 Dibrot
3rd Person
Narrative
Spoken via
intermediary:
Plan A
Plus- since this story took place during the dibrot, the
torah could best record it immediately afterwards.
Summary
 Chapter 19: Unclear whether Bnei Yisrael would hear the
Dibrot via Plan A or B.
 Chapter 20: Bnei Yisrael were frightened and reverted to Plan
A.
 Rashi: First two dibrot were delivered though Plan B,
remainder like Plan A.
 Ramban: Bnei Yisrael heard all Dibrot through Moshe
(Plan A).
 Ibn Ezra: Bnei Yisrael heard all the Dibrot directly from
God! (Plan B)
Proof from Sefer Devarim
"Face to face God spoke to you on the mountain out of the fire
[Plan B]. I stood between God and you at that time to convey
God's words to you [Plan A], for you were afraid of the fire and
did not go up the mountain..." (Devarim 5:4-5)
Both plans were used in Matan Torah!
Summary of Events
According to Rashi
According to Ramban
19:1-8: Proposition: Plan A
19:9: Request for Plan B
19:10-15: Preparation necessary because of Plan B
19:16-18: Beginning of Revelation Plans A&B
20:14-17: Bnei Yisrael Fear the Shchina &
return to Plan A
19:19: “Moshe y’daber v’Ha’Elokim
ye’Anenu b’kol” Plan A
19:20-25: Limitation Plan A
20:1-5: The first 2 Commandments
20:14-17: Bnei Yisrael Fear the
Shchina & return to Plan A
20:6-13: The
last 8
Commandments
Plan A
19:19: “Moshe
y’daber v’Ha’Elokim
ye’Anenu b’kol”
Plan A
20:1-13: The 10 Commandments Plan A
Ahava & Yirah
Q. But why can’t the Torah be more precise? Why do wehave
to guess how the Dibrot were delivered?
A. Perhaps the ambiguity is intentional.
Man must strive to come close to God. (Ahava)
But he must be aware of God’s greatness, he is essentially
unworthy of closeness. (Yirah)
Plan A: The Reality
Plan B: The Ideal
Man must find balance between realism and idealism
God Knows Best
Q: Why does God concede to Bnei Yisrael’s request for Plan B?
A: Parent Child Relationship:
 A wise parent allows child to try, even if child will fail.
 This way the child has ambitions, learns his limitations.
 Responsible parent also knows when to tell child to stop.
Similarly, Bnei Yisrael sruggle to maintain balance between
their Ahava and Yirah.
God must guide & we must strive!