On the first of Sivan, the first day of the third month after the exodus from Egypt, the children of Israel reached the desert of Sinai and camped near the mountain.
During the few weeks of traveling in the desert under Divine protection, with daily miracles, such as the manna and the quail, the miraculous sweetening of the water, the defeat of Amalek, and the crossing of the Red Sea, the Jewish people had become more and more conscious of G-d.
Their faith grew more intense daily, until they attained a standard of holiness, solidarity and unity, never achieved before or after by any other nation. Moses ascended Mount Sinai, and G-d spoke to him the following words: "Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 'Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto Myself. Now, therefore, if ye will hearken unto My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is Mine; and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.'" Moses returned from Sinai and called for the elders of the people and put all these words of G-d before them. Unanimously, with one voice and one mind, the people answered: Naaseh Venishma, "Everything G-d has said, we shall do."
Thus they accepted the Torah outright, with all its precepts, not even asking for a detailed enumeration of the obligations and duties it involved.When Israel had voiced its eagerness to receive the Torah, G-d spoke to Moses again: "Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, and be ready against the third day; for on the third day the L-rd will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai. And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about saying: Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up onto the Mount, or touch the border of it; whatsoever toucheth the Mount shall surely die."
The Revelation at Sinai
The dawn of the third day broke amid thunder and lightning that filled the air. Heavy clouds hung over the mountain, and the steadily growing sounds of the Shofar made the people shake and tremble with fear. Moses led the children of Israel out of the camp and placed them at the foot of Mount Sinai, which was all covered by smoke and was quaking, for G-d had descended upon it in fire. The sound of the Shofar grew louder, but suddenly all sounds ceased, and an absolute silence ensued; and then G-d proclaimed the Ten Commandments as follows: 1. "I am the Lord thy G-d, Who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 2. "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy G-d am a jealous G-d, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children of the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments. 3. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy G-d in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. 4. "Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Lord thy G-d, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day, and hallowed it. 5. "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy G-d giveth thee. 6. "Thou shalt not murder. 7. "Thou shalt not commit adultery. 8. "Thou shalt not steal. 9. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 10. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's
Moses Receives the Torah
The entire people heard the words of G-d, and they became frightened. They begged Moses to be the intermediary between G-d and them, for if G-d Himself would continue to give them the entire Torah, they would surely die. Moses told them not to be afraid, for G-d had revealed Himself to them so that they would fear Him and not sin. Then G-d asked Moses to ascend the mountain; for he alone was able to stand in the presence of G-d. There Moses was to receive the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments and the entire Torah, to teach it to the children of Israel.
Moses went up the mountain and stayed there forty days and forty nights, without food or sleep, for he had become like an angel. During this time, G-d revealed to Moses the entire Torah, with all its laws and the interpretations thereof.
Finally, G-d gave Moses the two stone Tables of Testimony, containing the Ten Commandments, written by G-d Himself.
