Introduction
The following interpretation of the events at Mount Sinai derives from a series of statements attributed to the Talmudic sage, Rabbi Joshua ben Levi (see Talmud Shabbat 88b-89a). In the original source, the rabbi offers an important collection of teachings concerning the events at Mount Sinai. While one of these teachings (concerning Moses and the Angels) enjoyed a great deal of popularity, the other teachings are notable and worthy of our attention. In this sheet, the first three statements of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi are reimagined as being delivered in the course of a single late night Shavuot discussion.
The Swooning Souls at Sinai
It was the night of the holiday of Shavuot, Rabbi Joshua ben Levi and his students had gathered together after the festive meal to discuss the teachings and traditions concerning the holiday. At one point, Rabbi Joshua ben Levi grew visibly excited when one of his students asked that he explain the innermost meaning of the event at Sinai. And to his students’ surprise, the rabbi rose up and loudly proclaimed:
"Do you really wish to know the secret of the Sinai story? The first thing you must know is that in the very first moment of the giving of the Torah at Sinai, the entire earth was transformed... For with each and every utterance that emerged from the heavenly mouth of the Holy One, a sweet aroma filled the air, filling this earth from one end to the other. And every single place in the entire world was filled with the sweet smells of the fragrance of the Ten Utterances."
But his students objected:
"Rabbi! If the entire world was filled with the fragrance of the first utterance, how could there be any room for the aroma of the second utterance?"
And Rabbi Joshua ben Levi replied:
"This is certainly true! And for this reason, after the first utterance was completed, the Holy One brought forth a great and mighty wind from the deepest of depths. And the wind blew away the sweet aroma of the first utterance. And the earth was now left without any smell at all... And only then was the earth ready for the second utterance. And with each new utterance, an entirely new and unique fragrance was produced. And after each utterance, the mighty wind caused those sweet smells to dissipate..."
Rabbi Joshua ben Levi returned to his seat and he and his students sat in complete silence. But after a few short moments had passed, the rabbi again spoke:
"You must know that just as the earth was filled with sweet smells of each of the Ten Utterances, these smells were much too powerful an experience for the Children of Israel. For with each and every utterance that emerged from the heavenly mouth of the Holy One, the souls of the Children of Israel left their bodies!"
Again, the students objected:
"If the Children of Israel fell into a dead faint upon hearing the first utterance, how was it possible for them to hear the rest of the utterances?"
And Rabbi Joshua ben Levi smiled and said:
"Yes, this is true! And for this reason, the Holy One was forced to retrieve a special dew from the most hidden of the heavenly treasure-houses. And after each utterance - once the smell caused the Children of Israel to fall in a dead faint, and the great and mighty wind caused the powerful sweet smell to dissipate - the Holy One sprinkled this special dew upon the Children of Israel and they were revived..."
Once again, the rabbi fell silent. But this time, the students waited in anticipation for their teacher to complete his thoughts and add to his first two teachings. And after a few minutes had passed, the rabbi again spoke:
"If you wish to know the secret of Sinai, you must understand just how terribly frightening this entire ordeal was for the Children of Israel. For with each and every utterance that emerged from the heavenly mouth of the Holy One, the Children of Israel retreated in fear a distance of 24,000 cubits... Such was the fright of this encounter!"
Once more, the students asked:
"If the Children of Israel retreated a distance of 24,000 cubits after hearing the first of the ten utterances, how was it possible for them to hear any of the remaining utterances?"
This time, the rabbi grew serious and said:
"Yes, this is true as well! And for this reason, the Holy One sent a host of heavenly angels to accompany the Children of Israel back toward the mountain of Sinai..."
And the room again fell silent...
And no one moved or spoke until morning.
Sources
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״לְחָיָו כַּעֲרוּגַת הַבֹּשֶׂם״ — כׇּל דִּיבּוּר וְדִיבּוּר שֶׁיָּצָא מִפִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נִתְמַלֵּא כָּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ בְּשָׂמִים. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁמִּדִּיבּוּר רִאשׁוֹן נִתְמַלֵּא, דִּיבּוּר שֵׁנִי לְהֵיכָן הָלַךְ? הוֹצִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָרוּחַ מֵאוֹצְרוֹתָיו וְהָיָה מַעֲבִיר רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שִׂפְתוֹתָיו שׁוֹשַׁנִּים נוֹטְפוֹת מוֹר עֹבֵר״. (אַל תִּקְרֵי ״שׁוֹשַׁנִּים״, אֶלָּא ״שֶׁשּׁוֹנִים״). וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כׇּל דִּיבּוּר וְדִיבּוּר שֶׁיָּצָא מִפִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יָצְתָה נִשְׁמָתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״נַפְשִׁי יָצְאָה בְדַבְּרוֹ״. וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁמִּדִּיבּוּר רִאשׁוֹן יָצְתָה נִשְׁמָתָן, דִּיבּוּר שֵׁנִי הֵיאַךְ קִיבְּלוּ? — הוֹרִיד טַל שֶׁעָתִיד לְהַחֲיוֹת בּוֹ מֵתִים וְהֶחְיָה אוֹתָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״גֶּשֶׁם נְדָבוֹת תָּנִיף אֱלֹהִים נַחֲלָתְךָ וְנִלְאָה אַתָּה כוֹנַנְתָּהּ״. וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כׇּל דִּיבּוּר וְדִיבּוּר שֶׁיָּצָא מִפִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חָזְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲחוֹרֵיהֶן שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מִיל וְהָיוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מְדַדִּין אוֹתָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מַלְאֲכֵי צְבָאוֹת יִדֹּדוּן יִדֹּדוּן״ — אַל תִּיקְרֵי ״יִדֹּדוּן״, אֶלָּא ״יְדַדּוּן״.
And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as banks of sweet herbs, his lips are lilies dripping with flowing myrrh” (Song of Songs 5:13)? It is interpreted homiletically: From each and every utterance that emerged from His cheeks, i.e., the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed be He, the entire world was filled with fragrant spices. And since the world was already filled by the first utterance, where was there room for the spices of the second utterance to go? The Holy One, Blessed be He, brought forth wind from His treasuries and made the spices pass one at a time, leaving room for the consequences of the next utterance. As it is stated: “His lips are lilies [shoshanim] dripping with flowing myrrh.” Each and every utterance resulted in flowing myrrh. Do not read the word in the verse as shoshanim; rather, read it as sheshonim, meaning repeat. Each repeat utterance produced its own fragrance. And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: From each and every utterance that emerged from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed be He, the souls of the Jewish people left their bodies, as it is stated: “My soul departed when he spoke” (Song of Songs 5:6). And since their souls left their bodies from the first utterance, how did they receive the second utterance? Rather, God rained the dew upon them that, in the future, will revive the dead, and He revived them, as it is stated: “You, God, poured down a bountiful rain; when Your inheritance was weary You sustained it” (Psalms 68:10). And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: With each and every utterance that emerged from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed be He, the Jewish people retreated in fear twelve mil, and the ministering angels walked them back toward the mountain, as it is stated: “The hosts of angels will scatter [yidodun]” (Psalms 68:13). Do not read the word as yidodun, meaning scattered; rather, read it as yedadun, they walked them.