YISRO

"MOSHE SAID TO HASHEM, "THE PEOPLE CANNOT CLIMB MOUNT SINAI. YOU HAVE ALREADY WARNED THEM TO SET A BOUNDARY AROUND THE MOUNTAIN AND TO DECLARE IT SACRED." HASHEM SAID TO HIM, "GO DOWN...(Shmos 19:23,24)"

The psukim relate that prior to the giving of the Torah, Hashem spoke to Moshe to warn the Klal Yisroel to set a boundary around Mount Sinai. Anyone that would climb the mountain or even touch it would die. Three days later, on the designated day of the giving of the Torah, there was thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud on the mountain. An intensely loud and piercing shofar blast was heard. The entire mountain was in smoke and trembled violently. The great moment had arrived. The Al-Mighty Himself in all His Glory, descended upon the peak of Mount Sinai.

At this holy moment a strange dialogue took place between HaKadosh Boruch Hu and Moshe Rabbeinu. Hashem said to Moshe, "Go back down and warn the people not to cross the boundary." Moshe Rabbeinu's response to Hashem was that it was unnecessary to go back down and warn them again, since they had already been warned three days earlier not to touch the mountain. Since they have no permission they definitely will not climb the mountain. Hashem's response to Moshe was, "Go back down and warn the people a second time, for one should warn a person both prior to the deed, and again at the time of the deed. {This is the way Rashi understands the dialogue.}

Thus according to Rashi, although Moshe Rabbeinu deemed it to be unnecessary to descend the mountain and warn the people a second time not to climb the mountain, Hashem felt otherwise. It is very necessary to go back down and warn the people a second time. For although they were already warned three days earlier not to touch the mountain, now at the actual time of the giving of the Torah they must be warned a second time not to go near the mountain.

This is mystifying. Moshe Rabbeinu's logic seems to be more compelling than that of HaKadosh Boruch Hu. Why should it be necessary to go back down and warn the people once again not to touch the mountain? For who were these people that we are discussing? This was the Dor Deah, the most knowledgeable generation that ever lived. The generation that was worthy to see Divine revelations at Yetzias Mitzrayim, the splitting of the sea, and now at Har Sinai. This was a generation of Gedolim and Tzaddikim. Do people of such greatness require to be continually reminded not to touch the mountain?

Moreover, who warned them three days earlier not to touch the mountain? It was Moshe Rabbeinu, and he did so in the name of the Al-Mighty Himself! Wouldn't a warning by the man of G-D in the name of Hashem be sufficiently awe-inspiring to impress upon them not to climb or touch the mountain? Is it necessary to remind them once again being that the initial warning came from such an eminent source?

Furthermore, Moshe Rabbeinu himself testified that the people heard and understood the first warning three days earlier, not to climb or even touch the mountain. They had understood it so clearly, that Moshe Rabbeinu exclaimed, "The people cannot climb mount Sinai," as if to say that it would be impossible for them to climb Mount Sinai since they clearly understood this to be utterly forbidden. If Moshe Rabbeinu himself testified that they did indeed understand, why then did Hashem insist that Moshe go back down and warn the people a second time? Isn't it entirely unnecessary? Doesn't Moshe Rabbeinu's logic seem to be more compelling than that of HaKadosh Boruch Hu?

The answer is a resounding, "NO!" Hashem is saying to Moshe Rabbeinu, "I created man..I know his weaknesses and deficiencies. I know that although they are a generation of Gedolim and Tzadikim and you Moshe warned them in my Holy Name and you yourself testified that they clearly understood the first warning three days earlier not to touch the mountain, they nevertheless must be warned a second time. For such is the human nature of man. Unless he is constantly reminded, prior to the deed and at the time of the deed, the keenest and most obvious perceptions tend to wear off. The passage of even a short amount of time make his most obvious perceptions as if they never occurred.

May we be ever conscious of our human weaknesses and deficiencies. Unless a person constantly stirs and awakens himself, the most simple and obvious truths will wear off. If this can happen to even a Dor Deah, who were warned by Moshe Rabbeinu in the name of Hashem and after Moshe Rabbeinu's confirmed testimony that they clearly understood him, then certainly this applies to us. We, who are not on the level of the Dor Deah must constantly remind ourselves, "ma chovaso baolamo - what is our duty on Earth." What does Hashem expect of us? How should we conduct our lives? Hashem created us for the express purpose that our lives revolve around Torah, learning it and observing it. We were created to develop our character traits to be good, kind, and generous. We were created to be sincere, holy, and pure. We must consistently remind ourselves of these obligations and more.

Therefore, how incumbant it is for each and every one of us to become proficient in the seforim hakedoshim particularly in the classical Sifrei Mussar that open our very eyes to these lofty concepts - The Chovos HaLvavos, Mesilas Yesharim, Orchos Tzaddikim, and the Shaarei Teshuvah LeRabeinu Yonah.

May we be zoche to constantly awaken ourselves to "mah chovaso baOlamo" and thereby live a life of holiness and purity. Amen.