Parshat Yitro:

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Parshat Yitro The 4 Stages of Maamad Har
Sinai A PowerPoint Review, to be viewed with the
corresponding shiur.
Shiur by Menachem Leibtag Presentation by
Tammy Weisz
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The Four Stages

1. Proposition (191-9)
2. Preparation (199-15)
3. Revelation (1916-19)
4. Limitation (1920-25)

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Chapter 19 Proposition (191-9)

• "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..." (194-6)

"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." (197-8)
4
Chapter 19 Preparation (199-15)

• 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..." (199)
• 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
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Chapter 19 Revelation (1916-19)

• "The sound of the shofar grew louder and louder
  as Moshe would speak, God would answer him with a
  kol." (1919)

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 isnt talking about 10
dibrot at all.
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Chapter 19 Limitation (1920-25)

• "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..." (1920-22)

These psukim reflect Plan A! Has God gone back to
His original plan? If so, why?
7
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. (2014-17)
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.
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First or Third Person?

• Rashis 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.
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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)

10
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 54-5)
• Both plans were used in Matan Torah!

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Summary of Events
1919 Moshe ydaber vHaElokim yeAnenu bkol
Plan A
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Ahava Yirah

• Q. But why cant 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 Gods greatness, he is
  essentially unworthy of closeness. (Yirah)

Plan A The Reality Plan B The Ideal Man must
find balance between realism and idealism
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God Knows Best

• Q Why does God concede to Bnei Yisraels 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!