A glimmer of this revelation which will take place in the future has already been experienced—at the time of the Giving of the Torah at Sinai,
וְגַם כְּבָר הָיָה לְעוֹלָמִים מֵעֵין זֶה, בִּשְׁעַת מַתַּן תּוֹרָה,
as it is written: “You have been shown to know that G-d is the L-rd; there is nothing else besides Him.”10
כְּדִכְתִיב: "אַתָּה הָרְאֵתָ לָדַעַת כִּי ה' הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים אֵין עוֹד מִלְּבַדּוֹ" –
“You actually ‘revealed Yourself’” (literally: “made Yourself seen”), indicating that the revelation was in a manner [perceptible to] physical sight.
"הָרְאֵתָ" מַמָּשׁ, בִּרְאִיָּה חוּשִׁיִּית,
So it is written: “And all the people saw the thunder”11—“They saw what is [normally] heard,”
כְּדִכְתִיב: "וְכָל הָעָם רוֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלוֹת" – "רוֹאִים אֶת הַנִּשְׁמָע",
As our Rabbis explain:12 They looked eastward and heard the [divine] speech issuing forth, saying: “I am [G-d your L-rd],”
וּפֵירְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: מִסְתַּכְּלִים לַמִּזְרָח וְשׁוֹמְעִין אֶת הַדִּבּוּר יוֹצֵא אָנֹכִי כוּ'.
and so, too, turning toward the four points of the compass and above and below, they heard the words coming from every direction.
וְכֵן לְאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת וּלְמַעְלָה וּלְמַטָּה,
As explained also in Tikkunei Zohar: “There was no place from which He did not speak to them.”13
וְכִדְפֵירְשׁוּ בַּתִּיקּוּנִים "דְּלֵית אֲתַר דְּלָא מַלֵּיל מִינֵּיהּ עִמְּהוֹן כוּ'".
This was so because in the Ten Commandments, His blessed will was revealed,
וְהַיְינוּ, מִפְּנֵי גִּילּוּי רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בַּעֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת,
since they the Ten Commandments comprise the entire Torah, which represents the inner aspect of His will and wisdom, where there is no “concealment of the Countenance” whatsoever,
שֶׁהֵן כְּלָלוּת הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהִיא פְּנִימִית רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ וְחָכְמָתוֹ, וְאֵין שָׁם הֶסְתֵּר פָּנִים כְּלָל,
as we say in our prayers: “For in the light of Your Countenance, You gave us…a Torah of life.”14
כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "כִּי בְאוֹר פָּנֶיךָ נָתַתָּ לָּנוּ תּוֹרַת חַיִּים".
Therefore, they the Jews who stood at Sinai were nullified out of existence, as our Sages have said: “At every [divine] utterance, their soul took flight from their body,
וְלָכֵן הָיוּ בְּטֵלִים בִּמְצִיאוּת מַמָּשׁ, כְּמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה "שֶׁעַל כָּל דִּבּוּר פָּרְחָה נִשְׁמָתָן כוּ',
but G-d restored it to them with the dew with which He will revive the dead in the World to Come.”15
אֶלָּא שֶׁהֶחֱזִירָהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא לָהֶן בְּטַל שֶׁעָתִיד לְהַחֲיוֹת בּוֹ אֶת הַמֵּתִים",
This is the “dew” of Torah, which is called “might”; i.e., the Torah provides the strength that enables us to receive divine revelation without dissolving out of existence, as explained above in reference to the reward of tzaddikim in the World to Come.
וְהוּא טַל תּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּקְרָא "עוֹז",
Similarly, our Sages remark: “Whoever engages in the study of the Torah, the dew of Torah will revive him.”16
כְּמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: "כָּל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה – טַל תּוֹרָה מְחַיֵּיהוּ כוּ'".
The Torah is variously described as dew, rain, and so on, each figure denoting a different level within it. From the statement just paraphrased, we learn that “dew” refers to the Torah’s restorative power, and it was this “dew” by which G-d restored the souls of the Jews which had taken flight upon experiencing a degree of divine revelation foreshadowing that of the Messianic era.
But afterward after the Torah was given their sin caused both them and the world to become gross [again]—until the End of days when G-d’s “right hand” (ימין meaning both “days” and “right”), i.e., His power, will be revealed.
רַק שֶׁאַחַר כָּךְ גָּרַם הַחֵטְא וְנִתְגַּשְּׁמוּ הֵם וְהָעוֹלָם, עַד עֵת קֵץ הַיָּמִין,
Then, the dross of the body and of the world will be refined, and they will be able to receive the revelation of G-d’s light that will shine forth over Israel by means of the Torah, which is called “might.”
שֶׁאָז יִזְדַּכֵּךְ גַּשְׁמִיּוּת הַגּוּף וְהָעוֹלָם, וְיוּכְלוּ לְקַבֵּל גִּילּוּי אוֹר ה', שֶׁיָּאִיר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַל יְדֵי הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת "עוֹז".
Through the superabundance of light which will shine upon the Jewish people, the darkness of the nations will also be lit up,
וּמִיִּתְרוֹן הַהֶאָרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל – יַגִּיהַּ חשֶׁךְ הָאוּמּוֹת גַּם כֵּן,
as it is written: “And nations will walk by your (the Jewish people’s) light,”17
כְּדִכְתִיב: "וְהָלְכוּ גוֹיִם לְאוֹרֵךְ וְגוֹ'",
and it is also written that the nations will say to the Jewish people: “House of Jacob, go, and we will walk along by the light of G-d,”18
וּכְתִיב: "בֵּית יַעֲקֹב לְכוּ וְנֵלְכָה בְּאוֹר ה'",
and again: “And the glory of G-d shall be revealed, and all flesh will see,”…19
וּכְתִיב: "וְנִגְלָה כְּבוֹד ה', וְרָאוּ כָל בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּיו וְגוֹ'",
and: “To enter the holes of the rocks and the clefts of the boulders for fear of G-d and of His majestic glory.”20
וּכְתִיב: "לָבוֹא בְּנִקְרֹת הַצּוּרִים וּבִסְעִיפֵי הַסְּלָעִים מִפְּנֵי פַּחַד ה' וַהֲדַר גְּאוֹנוֹ וְגוֹ'",
This refers to the nations, who will be filled with the dread of G-d, for it cannot be said of Israel, who will be one with G-d, that they will seek refuge from Him.
So also do we pray: “Appear in the majestic splendor of Your might over all the inhabitants of the world,”21 including the other nations.
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים: "וְהוֹפַע בַּהֲדַר גְּאוֹן עוּזֶּךָ עַל כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל אַרְצֶךָ וְגוֹ'":
Thus, we see that in the Messianic era, G-dliness will be revealed to all the nations of the world—and in this state lies the fulfillment of the purpose for which this world was created.
The Torah thus represents the “light of His Countenance,” i.e., the inner light of G-dliness. When this light was revealed through the uttering of the Ten Commandments, the entire world experienced a revelation of G-dliness.