Pre-Sinaitic Revelation

To better understand this unifying element of Torah, let us look at the manner in which we came to receive the Torah from G‑d.

As we mentioned earlier, G‑d surely did not create the world for a purpose without communicating that purpose to those living in it. However, due to the specific conditions of this Divine purpose, it was deliberately revealed in a gradual manner.

In particular, the fact that the physical world itself is meant to be transformed into a home for G‑d requires that it be by means of a gradual process.59 Such a process allows mankind to use their free choice to navigate the world, make mistakes, learn how to heal those errors, and ultimately reach the desired destination.

The incremental phases of infancy and childhood are essential to the conditioning of a person as they develop through adolescence, ultimately becoming an emotionally and intellectually balanced adult.60 Similarly, the process of development and maturation allows the world to reach a self-attained appreciation of G‑d’s unity.61

Moreover, not only must the achievement be self-attained, but even the guidance from Above must be stage-appropriate as well.62 Thus, in preparation for the revelation at Sinai, the world first had to progress through numerous stages. Therefore, instead of an immediate Sinai-like revelation of Torah, the world first received guidance by the lesser means of nevuah and ruach hakodesh, prophecy and Divine inspiration.63

Upon creating Adam, G‑d instructed him not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge and told him to be fruitful and multiply and “conquer” the world.64 He was also instructed with a universal code for mankind.65 These laws constitute the basis of faith in G‑d and human morality, remaining until this day as the constitution for a moral and decent society.66

The Chumash describes the decadence of the early generations, resulting in the flood in the times of Noach, and thereafter the idolatrous practices that prevailed in society until the times of Avraham. It was at that time that it became evident that for the world to heal and regain focus on fulfilling the Divine purpose, there was a need for a nation who would emerge as a “light unto the nations.”67

G‑d spoke to Avraham, telling him to leave his birthplace and start a nation that would be faithful to monotheism.68 He was instructed to circumcise himself and all his children.69

This prophecy carried on to Yitzchak and Yaakov, who each took on additional mitzvos.70

Furthermore, our Sages tell us that our forefathers studied and kept the entire Torah, which they were aware of through Divine intuition, despite it having not yet been given at Sinai.71

However, as stated, these were all stages in a process of preparation, conditioning the world for the revelation at Sinai.72 Accordingly, there is a qualitative difference between the prophetic revelation and Torah as it existed prior to the revelation at Sinai, and the Torah and mitzvos from Sinai onwards.73

Anochi, the Revolution of Sinai

Before the Giving of the Torah, although esoteric wisdom and even prophecy were accessible, they were constrained to the limitations of man. While the intellectual human being is equipped with the ability to attune themselves to the knowledge of the Divine, they were only able to receive select “frequencies.”

To use the analogy of radio waves, only a device which was designed with the appropriate receptivity to the particular bandwidth is able to receive these specific frequencies. Similarly, before the revelation at Sinai, the world was only able to “receive or transmit” the expressions of G‑dliness that were related to or invested within the world, known as Memalei kol almin. However, the essence of the Divine remained beyond the scope of the created worlds, irrespective of human efforts.75

It is thus no coincidence that the opening word of the Ten Commandments is Anochi, “I,” referring to G‑d’s ineffable Essence, which is so sublime that it cannot be referred to by any name or adjective. This is because specifically at Sinai G‑d Himself was revealed, investing Himself within the Torah and mitzvos.76

This revelation surpassed the capacity of all created reality, both the physical and the spiritual. This revelation of G‑d’s Essence overwhelmed and “ripped through” the facade of independent identity that naturally pervades both the spiritual and the physical. At Sinai, G‑d “tore open” the entire hierarchy of creation, displaying that He is the only true reality altogether.

In the words of Rashi: “When G‑d gave the Torah, He opened the seven heavens for Israel, and just as He tore open the upper realms, so did He tear open the lower realms, and they saw that He is Singular.”77

Thus, it was at Sinai that we were granted the Torah as it is G‑d’s pristine Wisdom and the mitzvos as they are His Divine Will.78 Sinai was when the world graduated from being ego-­centered to being G‑d-centered.79

Unity of Realms

The revelation of Anochi at Sinai affected the basic dynamics of existence. Before the Giving of the Torah, there was a division between the upper and lower realms. This meant that although earthly creatures did at times receive Divine revelation, it carried little relevance to the tangible, physical deed.80 Instead, spirituality remained transcendent, and the physical retained its inherent insensitivity, limited by the constraints of its earthly existence.

The Midrash explains this concept with a metaphor:

A king once decreed that Roman citizens were not allowed to descend to Syria and the Syrians were similarly forbidden from ascending to Rome. Later, this decree was abolished, allowing travel between the two countries.81

Likewise, when G‑d initially created the world He decreed that “The heavens are heavens of G‑d, but the earth was given to man.”82 But when He gave the Torah to Israel, G‑d rescinded His original decree. Reversing the schism which divided the upper and lower realms,83 G‑d declared: “The lower realms shall ascend to the higher realms, and the higher realms shall descend to the lower realms. And I Myself will be the initiator [by descending onto Mount Sinai].”84

As explained, prior to the Giving of the Torah, there was no fusion of the spiritual and material domains; each were separate entities. At Sinai, this division was abolished and the Torah began to function as a synthesis of the spiritual and the material, of heaven and earth, of body and soul.85

At Sinai, the ultimate purpose of mitzvos began to be implemented, as it allowed “the lower realms to ascend to the higher realms.” Namely, that the spiritual should infuse the physical,86 permeating it with spiritual purpose, thereby elevating the physical and creating an abode for Divinity on earth.87

It was at Sinai that the Torah took on its reconciliatory, peacemaking role, healing a divided world, unifying the lower and higher, the physical and the spiritual, the mundane and the holy. Despite their inherent differences, these opposites can now fuse together and unite; since they are all created by one G‑d, it is only natural that they all serve one single purpose.88