The Revelation of Purpose

Beyond its importance in solidifying our internal awareness of G‑d, Sinai had another important theme.

Central to Judaism is the realization that the physical universe, and all that exists within it, has been created deliberately by G‑d, and that man has purpose in life.27 It is inconceivable that G‑d did not communicate this purpose to His creation.28 We believe that G‑d communicated His purpose and desire in creation to man and that this communication was received through ­prophecy.29 Initially, G‑d spoke to Adam, Noach, and Avraham, but the greatest of all prophets was Moshe.30 It was Moshe who received the Torah at Sinai.31

Torah means “instruction” or “teaching” and is G‑d’s teaching to mankind.32 G‑d communicates His purpose and desire for creation in His Torah. It contains directives for all mankind, both Jew and gentile.33 We refer to the Torah as Toras Chaim,34 a living Torah, for it contains directives for daily life.35

The revelation at Sinai began with G‑d introducing Himself to the Jewish People: “I am G‑d, your G‑d, who took you out of the land of Egypt.”36 In this verse, the first of the Ten Commandments, G‑d is identified not only as the Creator of heaven and earth, but also as the G‑d of history and providence.37 He is the One who has chosen a nation from amongst other nations to serve as a “kingdom of nobles,” charged with fulfilling a priestly function.38 It is He Who took us out of Egyptian slavery, tasking us to become “a light unto the nations.”39

The revelation at Sinai is so vital to Jewish identity that this was the primary goal of the Exodus. Somehow more integral than their physical liberation from Egyptian slavery was the gift of destiny granted to them by receiving the Torah. Only by the Jewish People hearing the Ten Commandments directly from G‑d and becoming dedicated to Him and His mission did they truly become free.40

Significantly, although G‑d was speaking to the entire people, the Ten Commandments were all addressed in the singular form.41 This indicates that regardless of the crowds, each individual was specifically addressed and empowered by G‑d to fulfill the Divine instruction. This made the encounter personal, with each and every individual being granted a G‑dly mission and purpose.42

In simple terms, the aforementioned priestly function of the Jewish People is to bring G‑d to the world and to bring the world closer to G‑d. We are assigned the challenging task of spreading the Unity of G‑d, true monotheism, throughout the entire world by illuminating even the furthest corners with the light of Torah and mitzvos.43