At Shavuot it is good to meditate on the giving of the Torah at Sinai. It is said that all Israel was there to hear it, not just those alive at the time, but all of our generations as well. So, as we read the account, we should imagine ourselves to be there at the Mountain, actually hearing Torah as it is first spoken to us.

In Parshas Yisro we read the account of how we were gathered at the foot of Sinai. And, as I was reading through I noticed some peculiar phrasing. Look at Exodus 20:15 (for my readers who are not using a Jewish Bible that would be verse 18).

וְכָל-הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת-הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת-הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת-הָהָר עָשֵׁן | וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק:

"And all the people saw ET HaQolot (the Voices), and ET HaLapiydim (the Fires) and ET Qol HaShofar (the Voice of the Shofar) and ET HaHar Ashayn (the Mountain smoking) and the people saw and trembled and stood afar."

This language is peculiar. We would expect Sh’ma – that the people would hear the Torah being spoken. But instead the word Ro'iym is used which means “to see”. How does one “see Voices”? And why isn’t it one Voice (Qol) instead of Qolot (Voices) that are “seen”?

We are told that the Eruv Rav (“mixed multitude”) went out from Egypt with Israel. These would perhaps include first-born Egyptians who were unwilling to bet their lives on Moses being right about the first 9 plagues, but wrong about the last plague, who had then converted and come inside the protected houses of Israel. Also, there were perhaps other slaves, whom Egypt had kidnapped from other nations, which also left with Israel. There is also a tradition that the entire world went silent and heard when these Commandments were spoken, so that literally "all the people saw" - not just those assembled at Sinai, but "all the people" of the world. If that is the case then seventy “Voices” would be required so that each of the 70 nations would be able to “hear” in their own tongue.

This idea is found in Midrash Exodus Rabbah V:9 where we read:

"When God gave the Torah on Sinai, He displayed untold marvels to Israel with His Voice. What happened? God spoke and the Voice reverberated throughout the world... It says: "And all the people saw the Voices" (Ex 20:15). Note that it does not say "The Voice", but "The Voices"; therefore R. Yochanan said that God's Voice, as it was uttered, split up into Seventy Voices, in seventy Tongues, so that all the nations should understand. When each nation heard the Voice in their own vernacular their souls departed [they fell to the ground in fear], save Israel who heard but were not harmed."

Perhaps the visible “Voices” which were seen were actually visible words of each of the Commandments that appeared as they were spoken. What would they then look like? Tradition tells us that the earthly Torah is “black fire on white fire” while the heavenly Torah is “white fire on black fire”. If this is the case then we would expect these visible “Voices” to be in the form of the words coming down from the Heavenly Torah in the form of White Fire. Then the “Voices” would be visible to each in their own tongue. “Tongues of Fire” if you will.

The tongue can be used to bless, and the tongue can be used to curse. Fire can be used to warm the home, and fire can be used to destroy. The Torah was given with Tongues of Fire to be a blessing on those who would follow it, but it is also a curse upon those who would reject it. As we read in Isaiah 5:24

לָכֵן כֶּאֱכֹל קַשׁ לְשׁוֹן אֵשׁ, וַחֲשַׁשׁ לֶהָבָה יִרְפֶּה, שָׁרְשָׁם כַּמָּק יִהְיֶה, וּפִרְחָם כָּאָבָק יַעֲלֶה: כִּי מָאֲסוּ, אֵת תּוֹרַת יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, וְאֵת אִמְרַת קְדוֹשׁ-יִשְׂרָאֵל, נִאֵצוּ.

Therefore as the Tongue of Fire devours the stubble, and as the chaff is consumed in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the Torah of HaShem of Hosts; and despised the Word of the Holy One of Israel.

The concept of Tongues of Fire is further supported by the fact that the next thing which they saw was אֶת-הַלַּפִּידִם "the Fires" (Lapiydim). This is only the second time in Torah that this word has occurred. The first time it is used the word is in the singular form, Lapiyd, and is in reference to the first Covenant made with Avram. Avram was instructed to take a 3 year old heifer, a 3 year old female goat, a 3 year old ram, and cut them all in half and lay them out along with a turtledove and a pigeon. Then Avram slept and we read in Parshas Lech Lecha Genesis 15:17 –

וַיְהִי הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָה וַעֲלָטָה הָיָה | וְהִנֵּה תַנּוּר עָשָׁן וְלַפִּיד אֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָבַר בֵּין הַגְּזָרִים הָאֵלֶּה:

Then, when the sun went down and it became dark, behold a Tannur Ashan [furnace smoking] and a Lapiyd Eish [fire burning] passed between the pieces.

The Lapiyd that appeared to Avram was of the same nature as the Lapiydim which all Israel saw at Mount Sinai. It is a description of the White Fire of the Voices which were seen by all Israel. Another place where Lapiydim appears is in Ezekiel’s vision. We read in Ezekiel 1:13

וּדְמוּת הַחַיּוֹת מַרְאֵיהֶם כְּגַחֲלֵי-אֵשׁ בֹּעֲרוֹת כְּמַרְאֵה הַלַּפִּדִים הִיא מִתְהַלֶּכֶת בֵּין הַחַיּוֹת | וְנֹגַהּ לָאֵשׁ וּמִן-הָאֵשׁ יוֹצֵא בָרָק:

As for the likeness of the Chayos [living creatures], their appearance was like coals of fire, burning like the appearance of HaLapidiym [the fires] it manifested among the Chayos. There was a brilliance to the fire, and from the fire went forth lightning.

Again, this demonstrates that the Lapidiym is heavenly in nature. Another place where the Lapid is found is in Isaiah 62:1

לְמַעַן צִיּוֹן לֹא אֶחֱשֶׁה וּלְמַעַן יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֹא אֶשְׁקוֹט | עַד-יֵצֵא כַנֹּגַהּ צִדְקָהּ וִישׁוּעָתָהּ כְּלַפִּיד יִבְעָר:

For Tziyon’s sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her triumph goes forth like brightness and ViY’shuatah k’lapiyd yiv’ar [Salvation as a fire that burns].

This is speaking of the Geulah (the time of Yeshuah / Redemption) when Moshiach will reign over the earth.

Thirdly, they saw אֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר Et Qol HaShophar, "the Voice of the Shofar". Again, the question of how they can possibly see the "Voice" of the Shofar would arise. There is no evidence that Moses had told Aaron or anyone else to be blowing a shofar, so I am taking this to be the Heavenly Shofar -- the same one that will announce the coming of Moshiach.

Fourthly, they saw אֶת-הָהָר עָשֵׁן Et HaHar Ashayn, "the mountain smoking". This is only the second time that the word Ashayn has appeared in Torah. We have already referred to the first occurrence back in Genesis 15:17 where the furnace is also described as Ashayn. Again, we find this word tied into the time of Geulah in Isaiah 4:5

וּבָרָא יְיְ עַל כָּל-מְכוֹן הַר-צִיּוֹן וְעַל-מִקְרָאֶהָ עָנָן יוֹמָם וְעָשָׁן וְנֹגַהּ אֵשׁ לֶהָבָה לָיְלָה | כִּי עַל-כָּל-כָּבוֹד חֻפָּה:

And HaShem will create over the whole habitation of Mount Tziyon, and over her assemblies, a cloud and Ashan [smoke] by day, and the shining of flaming fire by night, for over all the Kavod [Glory] shall be a Chupah [canopy].

The other thing to note here is that each of these four mystical things that were seen are preceeded by “et” – the Hebrew letters Aleph and Tav, the first and last letters of the Hebrew Alephbet. This reminds me of Isaiah 44:6

כֹּה-אָמַר יְי מֶלֶךְ-יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגֹאֲלוֹ יְי צְבָאוֹת | אֲנִי רִאשׁוֹן וַאֲנִי אַחֲרוֹן וּמִבַּלְעָדַי אֵין אֱלֹהִים:

Thus says HaShem, the King of Israel, and His Redeemer HaShem of Hosts: ‘I Am the First, and I am the Last, and beside Me there are no gods.”

HaShem identifies Himself as being that Aleph Tav which specifically deals with these four manifestations. He appears here both as King of Israel and as His Redeemer, HaShem Tz’vaot. The Aleph and Tav, the First and Last letters of the Hebrew aleph-bet refer to HaShem, the King of Israel and to His Redeemer - Moshiach. If we take the first letter of Moshiach, Mem and place it between the Aleph and Tav we get the word אֱמֶת Emet, which means "Truth". From beginning to end, His Word is Truth, just as He is Truth.

So the time of Geulah we will have a repetition of the same things that occured with the giving of Torah at Mount Sinai - the sounding of that Great Shofar, announcing the coming of Moshiach, the Fires, and the Smoke. This possibly suggests that Shavuot is not just tied with the giving of Torah, but is also tied in with the coming of the Redemption. May that happen soon and at this season!