One of the greatest moments in Jewish History is the biblical account of the revelation of Hashem on Mount Sinai. It was a pivotal time in which all Israel had a corporate encounter with the G-d of their forefathers, Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov. It also met the purpose of Israel becoming a covenant partner and to become a light to the nations. We will look at how Hashem did this at mount Sinai and how He made to happen a second time, at the revelation of His Ruach HaKodesh on the 120 talmidim of Mashiach.
We will begin in Parashat Yitro
וַיְהִי בַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בִּהְיֹת הַבֹּקֶר וַיְהִי קֹלֹת וּבְרָקִים וְעָנָן כָּבֵד עַל־הָהָר וְקֹל שֹׁפָר חָזָק מְאֹד וַיֶּחֱרַד כׇּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בַּמַּחֲנֶה׃
On the third day, as morning dawned, there was thunder, and lightning, and a dense cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the horn; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.
-Exodus 19:16
This is the first time that all Israel corporately get to meet the King of the Universe. Once they said Naaseh Venishma, we will do and we will hear/obey (Hashem), then Hashem was to make himself known to them.
Been in a terrible storm? Or earthquake? Hearing anointed shofarot? Experienced the presence of the King? All of the above did Israel experience. The Torah has a hidden clue of what more they experienced
וַיְהִי קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר הוֹלֵךְ וְחָזֵק מְאֹד מֹשֶׁה יְדַבֵּר וְהָאֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְקוֹל׃
The blare of the horn grew louder and louder. As Moses spoke, God answered him in thunder.
– Exodus 19:19
Kolot, Thunderings/Voices
Ra’am or Kolot
Here kolot is translated as thunders. If we look in scripture, we find that there’s another word for thunder. Psalm 81:8 uses the word raam
בַּצָּרָה קָרָאתָ וָאֲחַלְּצֶךָּ אֶעֶנְךָ בְּסֵתֶר רַעַם אֶבְחׇנְךָ עַל־מֵי מְרִיבָה סֶלָה׃
Thou didst call in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meriva. (Sela.)
-Psalm 81:8
So what is kolot? The word kol means voice or sound. So the plural for kol is kolot, voices/sounds. The passage in Psalms is making a distinction between the Peshat and the Remez. It is simply relating to the account about the thunderings in correlation to the lightnings. However, in the book of Exodus, the text uses the term Kolot more liberally.
וְכׇל־הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת־הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת־הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק׃
All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blare of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they fell back and stood at a distance.
-Exodus 20:15
Here, Rashi states:
ראים את הקולת. רוֹאִין אֶת הַנִּשְׁמָע, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לִרְאוֹת בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר:
THEY] SAW THE SOUNDS — they saw that which should be heard (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 20:15:1) — something which is impossible to see on any other occasion.
It may be asked, how is it possible to “see a sound”? The Ohr Hachayim comments,
He alluded to the people “seeing” those sounds in the form of fiery flames which had been “hewn” from G’d’s words. I have explained already that Exodus 20,15 referred to this phenomenon with the verse: “and the whole nation observed the sounds, etc.” Moses elaborated on this once more in verse 12 of our chapter which mentioned the absence of a visual image for the people to see at that time.
The Torah relates the details of the astounding event. Interestingly, the Midrash picks up on a remez/clue in the Torah text. The word ro’im/ רֹאִים relates that the people saw these things. The Midrash states:
And it is stated (Exodus 20:15), “And all the people saw the sounds (literally, voices)” – it is not written, “sound,” here, but rather, “sounds.” Rabbi Yochanan said, “The voice would go out and divide into seventy voices for the seventy languages, so that all the nations would hear.
– Shemot Rabbah 5:9
Moshe Weissman author of “The Midrash Says” adds this fascinating detail of the historical event:
“On the occasion of [the giving of ] the Torah, the [children of Israel] not only heard the Lord’s voice, but actually saw the sound waves as they emerged from the Lord’s mouth. They visualized them as a fiery substance. Each commandment that left the Lord’s mouth traveled around the entire camp and then came back to every Jew individually.”
-Weissman, Moshe. The Midrash Says, Shemos, Bnai Yaakov Publications. (1995) p. 182 citing Midrash Chazit.
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״ה׳ יִתֶּן אֹמֶר הַמְבַשְּׂרוֹת צָבָא רָב״ — כׇּל דִּיבּוּר וְדִיבּוּר שֶׁיָּצָא מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה נֶחֱלַק לְשִׁבְעִים לְשׁוֹנוֹת. תָּנֵי דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: ״וּכְפַטִּישׁ יְפֹצֵץ סָלַע״, מָה פַּטִּישׁ זֶה נֶחֱלָק לְכַמָּה נִיצוֹצוֹת — אַף כׇּל דִּיבּוּר וְדִיבּוּר שֶׁיָּצָא מִפִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נֶחֱלַק לְשִׁבְעִים לְשׁוֹנוֹת.
With regard to the revelation at Sinai, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The Lord gives the word; the women that proclaim the tidings are a great host” (Psalms 68:12)? It means that each and every utterance that emerged from the mouth of the Almighty divided into seventy languages, a great host. And, similarly, the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught with regard to the verse: “Behold, is My word not like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that shatters a rock?” (Jeremiah 23:29). Just as this hammer breaks a stone into several fragments, so too, each and every utterance that emerged from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed be He, divided into seventy languages.
-Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 88b
This emphasis is very important to our study, as we sill see shortly.
What is his reward if he causes the groom to rejoice? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He is privileged to acquire the Torah, which was given with five voices, as it is stated: “And it was on the third day, when it was morning, there were sounds [kolot], and lightning and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and the voice of the shofar” (Exodus 19:16). The plural kolot indicates at least two sounds, while “the voice of the shofar” is one more. The passage continues: “And when the voice of the shofar grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him by a voice” (Exodus 19:19). Along with the three previous voices, the second shofar and the voice with which God answered Moses amount to a total of five voices at the revelation at Sinai.
-Talmud Bavli, Berachot 6b:30
And so a person [must] remember [this] and take care during his learning the Torah how he speaks the letters of the Torah, for with them was the world created, and by himself attach the letters to their root letters in the Torah, which was given like this to the world through ‘thunder and lightening’ in order that ‘the fear of God should be upon you and you will be without sin’, as explained. In any case, if ‘awe’ and ‘fear’ befall a person in ‘thunder and lightening’, its seems apparent that he would not sing, God forbid. For how could there be the possibility of sin with all that. And this is the idea of the ‘heavenly voice which goes forth’, they are the letter of the Torah inside every person who recalls and declares them daily. And he who doesn’t not hear the heavenly voice [and for whom] it is as if he did not declare, ‘woe unto him…for insulting the Torah’ which is inside of him. And this is the meaning of ‘for anyone who does not involve himself in the Torah’ meaning – who is not inscribed in the Torah, “he is called “rebuked”‘; for this is the idea of rebuke for a person which changes his ‘face to redness’
– Pri HaAretz, Beha’alotcha, 4
Shavuot and the Connection to Matan Torah
On Shavu ‘ot the firstfruits of the wheat harvest were presented to Adonai in the Temple. The offering consisted of two loaves of bread baked with leavened flour (Leviticus 23:17). Thus was celebrated G-d’s providence at the start of the wheat season. Besides its primary agricultural significance Shavu ‘ot later came to be understood as commemorating the giving of the Torah. Matan Torah, the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, is the central event remembered and celebrated on Shavuot. This is when the people of Israel received the Torah from G-d the foundation of Jewish faith.
אמר רבי אלעזר הכל מודים בעצרת דבעינן נמי לכם מאי טעמא יום שניתנה בו תורה
Rabbi Elazar said: All agree with regard to Atzeret, the holiday of Shavuot, that we require that it be also “for you,” meaning that it is a mitzva to eat, drink, and rejoice on that day. What is the reason? It is the day on which the Torah was given, and one must celebrate the fact that the Torah was given to the Jewish people.
-Talmud Bavli, Pesachim 68b
Shavuot thus marks both the physical harvest in the Land of Israel and the spiritual “harvest” of Torah, closely linking the festival to the transformative experience of divine revelation at Sinai. In a timely fashion, this was the event that Mashiach was referring to regarding the promise of the Father, and the harvest.
The festival of Shavu‘ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
–Acts 2:1-4
The place that they were gathered was the Beit Hamikdash, the Holy Temple. For this was the place that, according to Hashem in His Torah, were to go to the place that He would choose, which is Zion, Har Habayit. For the shacharit/morning prayers and offerings for Shavuot, the talmidim of R. Yeshua were faithful. So it was there, as Mashiach said, that they were to wait for the promise of the Father.
The nature of the outpouring of the Ruach Hakodesh is nuanced in a phenomenal way.
- Sound of a mighty rushing wind/spirit
- Tongues as a fire
- Separation and resting
Sound of a Mighty rushing wind/spirit
הֲוָא מִן שִׁליָא מִן שׁמַיָּא קָלָא אַיך דּרוּחָא עַזִּיזתָּא. ואִתמלִי הוָא מִנֵּהּ כֻּלֵּהּ בַּיתָּא הָו דּבֵהּ יָתבִּין הוָו.
“And there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.”
-Peshitta, Maasei HaShlichim 2:2
דּרוּחָא עַזִּיזתָּא, d’rucha aziz’ta in Aramaic is similar to the Hebrew רוּחַ עַזָּה, ruach azah. This could be interpreted as “a strong wind” or “mighty spirit”. The latter interpretation gives the implication that such a spirit rushes like a warrior into battle. Here are two examples:
It is written of Shimshon/Samson:
וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ יְהֹוָה וַיְשַׁסְּעֵהוּ כְּשַׁסַּע הַגְּדִי וּמְאוּמָה אֵין בְּיָדוֹ וְלֹא הִגִּיד לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה׃
The spirit of the Lord gripped him, and he tore him asunder with his bare hands as one might tear a kid asunder; but he did not tell his father and mother what he had done.
-Judges 14:6
In context, Samson is fighting a lion and being empowered by the Ruach Hashem, he defeats him. In its simplest form, ruah Hashem stands for the infusion of supernatural physical strength into a mere man.
It is also written of King Shaul:
וַיָּבֹאוּ שָׁם הַגִּבְעָתָה וְהִנֵּה חֶבֶל־נְבִאִים לִקְרָאתוֹ וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים וַיִּתְנַבֵּא בְּתוֹכָם׃
And when they came there, to the Hill, he saw a band of prophets coming toward him. Thereupon the spirit of God gripped him, and he spoke in ecstasy among them.
-1 Samuel 10:10
“When Saul, who went on his famous search of his father’s asses and found a kingdom, left Samuel and met, as predicted, a “band of prophets,” the Bible says of him: “and the ruah of Elohim came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them.”…Quite clearly, ruah Elohim stands for prophetic inspiration. When the ruah of Elohim came upon Azariah the son of Oded or when the ruah of Elohim clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, they went with their message to king and people as the prophets of God.”
-Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Berkovits, Man and God, Chapter 2 the Spirit of God 27, cited at sefaria.org
It is beyond the scope of this article to examine each of the passages in detail (Judges 14:19; 15:14, 1 Samuel 11:6; 16:13; and 18:10). However, suffice it to say, the presence of the Ruach Hashem Elohim rushing or gripping an individual or a people is meant to ignite the spark of divine service through physical action or through nevuah/prophetic utterances. Hence, the rushing wind/spirit was sign of a mighty Divine work about to be done.
In ancient times certain individuals had the Holy Spirit “in” or “with” them (Yn 14:17N); Here in Acts 2, He fills them all, bringing to pass what Moshe had prayed for long ago, that G-d would put his Spirit on all His people (Numbers 11:29), and fulfilling Yeshua’s promise (Lk 24:49; Yn 14:16, 20:22; Ac 1:8).
Tongues as a Fire
Now there were staying in Yerushalayim religious Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered; they were confused, because each one heard the believers speaking in his own language. Totally amazed, they asked, “How is this possible? Aren’t all these people who are speaking from the Galil? How is it that we hear them speaking in our native languages? We are Parthians, Medes, Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Y’hudah, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome; Jews by birth and proselytes; Jews from Crete and from Arabia. . . ! How is it that we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things God has done?” Amazed and confused, they all went on asking each other, “What can this mean?”
-Acts 2:5-12
Separation and Resting
Just as it says in Shabbat 88b, that “each and every utterance that emerged from the mouth of the Almighty divided into seventy languages“, so too, did the same happen on that Shavuot.
There appeared on them divided languages of fire. That sounds amazing! But what purpose does that serve? What’s the symbolism? There is often mention of fiery apparitions on the heads of studying or disputing rabbis.
It happened that Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai was on the road, riding on a donkey, and Rebbi Eleazar ben Arakh was walking behind him. He said to him, my teacher, instruct me in a Chapter about the Work of the Chariot. He told him, did the Sages not state, “nor the Chariot unless he was wise and understood by himself.” He said to him, my teacher, permit me to say it before you. He told him, say. When Rebbi Eleazar ben Arakh started about the Work of the Chariot, Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai descended from the donkey…They went and sat under a tree, when fire descended from Heaven and surrounded them, and the angels of Service were dancing before them like wedding guests happy with the bridegroom. An angel addressed from inside the fire and said, the Work of the Chariot is as you said, Eleazar ben Arakh.
-Jerusalem Talmud Hagigah 2:1
In this account, the meaning of the detail is that Torah Study is likened to the revelation at Har Sinai. Holy individuals walking in Torah, a sign to others of their testimony.
וּמִנַּיִן לַעֲשָׂרָה שֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִין שֶׁשְּׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶם — שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֱלֹהִים נִצָּב בַּעֲדַת אֵל״.
And from where is it derived that ten people who pray, the Divine Presence is with them? As it is stated: “God stands in the congregation of God,” and the minimum number of people that constitute a congregation is a quorum of ten.
-Talmud Bavli, Berachot 6a
Also, the Gemara relates Ravin bar Rav Adda stated:
וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ אֶחָד שֶׁיּוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁשְּׁכִינָה עִמּוֹ — שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״בְּכָל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת שְׁמִי אָבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וּבֵרַכְתִּיךָ״.
…And from where is it derived that when even one who sits and engages in Torah study, the Divine Presence is with him? As it is stated: “In every place where I cause My Name to be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you” (Exodus 20:21); God blesses even a single person who mentions God’s name, a reference to Torah study (Iyyun Ya’akov).
-Talmud Bavli, Berachot 6a
“What does this mean”?
The 50th day of Sefirat HaOmer, also known as Shavuot, holds significant spiritual power. It is a time for personal refinement and introspection, as it marks the transition from the 49th gate of Tumah (impurity) to the 50th gate of Kedusha (holiness). This period is associated with the anticipation of Shavuot, the 50th day, when the Torah was given to the Israelites. There was much anticipation for the festival of Shavuot, but also in connection with the instruction from Rebbe Yeshua, there was much more anticipation and introspection for his talmidim.
וּבְאָכְלוֹ עִמָּהֶם צִוָּה אֹתָם לְבִלְתִּי סוּר מִירוּשָׁלָיִם וּלְהוֹחִיל לְהַבְטָחַת הָאָב אֲשֶׁר שְׁמַעְתֶּם מִמֶּנִּי׃ כִּי יוֹחָנָן הִטְבִּיל בַּמָּיִם וְאַתֶּם תִּטָּבְלוּ בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ בְּקָרוֹב אַחֲרֵי הַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה׃
At one of these gatherings, he instructed them not to leave Yerushalayim but to wait for “what the Father promised, which you heard about from me. For Yochanan used to immerse people in water; but in a few days, you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh!”
-Acts 1:4-5
Thus, the Tanakh states throught the prophet Isaiah:
וְיִרְאוּ מִמַּעֲרָב אֶת־שֵׁם יְהֹוָה וּמִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁמֶשׁ אֶת־כְּבוֹדוֹ כִּי־יָבוֹא כַנָּהָר צָר רוּחַ יְהֹוָה נֹסְסָה בוֹ׃וּבָא לְצִיּוֹן גּוֹאֵל וּלְשָׁבֵי פֶשַׁע בְּיַעֲקֹב נְאֻם יְהֹוָה׃
From the west, they shall revere GOD’s name, And from the east, the divine Presence. For [God] shall come like a hemmed-in stream That the wind of the ETERNAL drives on; and shall come as redeemer to Zion, To those in Jacob who turn back from sin—declares GOD.
-Isaiah 59:19-20
This is also seen in Ezekiel 36:27, in which the purpose of the infilling of His Ruach (Spirit of Holiness).
וְאֶת־רוּחִי אֶתֵּן בְּקִרְבְּכֶם וְעָשִׂיתִי אֵת אֲשֶׁר־בְּחֻקַּי תֵּלֵכוּ וּמִשְׁפָּטַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם׃
and I will put My spirit into you. Thus I will cause you to follow My laws and faithfully to observe My rules.
-Ezekiel 36:27
The aim of the mission is for klal Yisrael to do a tikkun, a repair. This is the work of Teshuva, repentance. As the Prophet Isaiah declared, so it is a work that the Ruach Hashem drives on. The purpose of His ruach is for the peoples to return. He empowers willing vessels and those chosen by Him to be mevaserim/heralds (of good news), yet not exactly as neviim/prophets. It began in the outskirts via Mashiach, yet this work begins in Yerushalayim via His ruach to His Talmidim. It extends to such a point that the sect called “HaDerech” (the way) has such an impact in Yerushalayim. This is testified by the Kohen Gadol:
וַיָּבִיאוּ אֹתָם וַיַּעֲמִידוּם לִפְנֵי סַנְהֶדְרִין וַיִּשְׁאָלֵם הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל לֵאמֹר׃ הֲלֹא צַוֹּה צִוִּינוּ עֲלֵיכֶם לְבִלְתִּי לַמֵּד בַּשֵּׁם הַזֶּה וְהִנֵּה מִלֵּאתֶם אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלַיִם תּוֹרַתְכֶם וְתַחְפְּצוּ לְהָבִיא עָלֵינוּ אֶת־דְּמֵי הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה׃
They conducted them to the Sanhedrin, where the cohen hagadol demanded of them, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name! Look here! you have filled Yerushalayim with your teaching; moreover, you are determined to make us responsible for this man’s death!”
-Acts 5:27-28
This coincides with the rabbinic thought that the talmidim of a tzaddik
אמר רבי יצחק: כל האומר דבר בשם אומרו — מביא גאולה לעולם.
Rabbi Yitzchak said: Whoever transmits a teaching in the name of the one who said it brings redemption to the world.
-Talmud Bavli, Yevamot 96b
This is foundational: the voice of the tzaddik continues through the mouths of his students, and that continuation is described in explicitly redemptive terms.
“The life of the tzaddik is not fleshly life, but spiritual life — faith, awe, and love of God — and these live on in all those who receive them from him.”
–Tanya, Iggeret HaKodesh, Epistle 27
תלמידי חכמים אין להם מנוחה לא בעולם הזה ולא בעולם הבא, שנאמר: ילכו מחיל אל חיל, יראה אל אלקים בציון
Torah scholars have no rest — neither in this world nor in the World to Come, as it is said:“They go from strength to strength; he appears before God in Zion.” (Psalms 84:8)
-Talmud Bavli, Berachot 64a
Chazal interpret this verse not as physical travel, but as continuous spiritual ascent through Torah. The verse’s conclusion — “before God in Zion” — is taken seriously: Torah ascent culminates in Zion / Jerusalem. The goal of this move is found in Isaiah 59:21, which states:
וַאֲנִי זֹאת בְּרִיתִי אוֹתָם אָמַר יְהֹוָה רוּחִי אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיךָ וּדְבָרַי אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי בְּפִיךָ לֹא־יָמוּשׁוּ מִפִּיךָ וּמִפִּי זַרְעֲךָ וּמִפִּי זֶרַע זַרְעֲךָ אָמַר יְהֹוָה מֵעַתָּה וְעַד־עוֹלָם׃ {ס}
And this shall be My covenant with them, said GOD: My spirit that is upon you, and the words that I have placed in your mouth, shall not be absent from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your children, nor from the mouth of your children’s children—said GOD—from now on, for all time.
-Isaiah 59:21
The final ten days of the sefirat HaOmer leading up to Shavuot were days of preparation. It was through these original Talmidim of R. Yeshua that the message of the Besorah HaGeulah would go forth in His merit. They had become living mountains upon which the Shechinah (Ruach HaKodesh) rested upon in the appearance of fire. As they spoke, they became living conduits, holy vessels for divine utterance.
Hashem’s Torah and Mashiach to the nations.
B”H
