Dear Friends,
Mt. Sinai is a fascinating place, and even more, it is a fascinating idea.
Unlike Mt. Olympus in Greece, which is well-known, the actual place of Mt. Sinai is uncertain. Some biblical historians and archeologists claim it is in Saudi Arabia, some believe it is in the Sinai Peninsula, and some don’t proffer a guess. It really is not that important; far more vital than the location of the mountain is the idea of Mt. Sinai.
Again, similar to the Greek mountain, Sinai was tantamount to an abode for God. Exodus recounted, “And Moses went up to God. The Eternal One called out to him from the mountain…” (Exodus 19:3)
We have learned for generations that God is everywhere. Maimonides taught a millennium ago that God’s physical boundaries are infinite; hence, God is in all places. Earlier, the Rabbinic sages offered the otherwise innocuous title, “The Place – haMaqom” as a shortcut for God’s name. The endeavor was to make God placeless, and thus, everywhere.
The continuing mystery and majesty of Mt. Sinai abides. Was it God’s abode? Perhaps, at least temporarily, while the Israelites were encamped nearby during their 40-year trek. The mountaintop was convenient. It also was shrouded in secrecy, as well as smoke and fire.
Over the years, Mt. Sinai became a symbol of God’s nearness and numinous presence, while also demonstrating God’s concomitant distance and illusiveness. The two opposites coexisted as a hendiadys – two counterparts which comprised a single, holistic concept.
Thus, the mountain became a powerful symbol and name in Jewish context. If a law was ancient and its origin was uncertain, one said, “It’s been ever since Sinai…” If someone bumped into a seemingly familiar person, but could not discern from where they knew the other, one said, “We were together at Sinai…” When discussing the powerful human impetus for freedom, going “to the mountaintop” became a common metaphor, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. expressed. And, Sinai offered a metaphysical boundary, reminding us of the distinctions between the Godly and the human. We were not allowed to ascend, nor even to touch the mountain while God and Moses sojourned during the giving of the Commandments.
This week, we again read of the Ten Commandments, and Mt. Sinai is as present as the tablets themselves. Perhaps, it has a powerful meaning, no less than the Commandments!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
Mt. Sinai is a fascinating place, and even more, it is a fascinating idea.
Unlike Mt. Olympus in Greece, which is well-known, the actual place of Mt. Sinai is uncertain. Some biblical historians and archeologists claim it is in Saudi Arabia, some believe it is in the Sinai Peninsula, and some don’t proffer a guess. It really is not that important; far more vital than the location of the mountain is the idea of Mt. Sinai.
Again, similar to the Greek mountain, Sinai was tantamount to an abode for God. Exodus recounted, “And Moses went up to God. The Eternal One called out to him from the mountain…” (Exodus 19:3)
We have learned for generations that God is everywhere. Maimonides taught a millennium ago that God’s physical boundaries are infinite; hence, God is in all places. Earlier, the Rabbinic sages offered the otherwise innocuous title, “The Place – haMaqom” as a shortcut for God’s name. The endeavor was to make God placeless, and thus, everywhere.
The continuing mystery and majesty of Mt. Sinai abides. Was it God’s abode? Perhaps, at least temporarily, while the Israelites were encamped nearby during their 40-year trek. The mountaintop was convenient. It also was shrouded in secrecy, as well as smoke and fire.
Over the years, Mt. Sinai became a symbol of God’s nearness and numinous presence, while also demonstrating God’s concomitant distance and illusiveness. The two opposites coexisted as a hendiadys – two counterparts which comprised a single, holistic concept.
Thus, the mountain became a powerful symbol and name in Jewish context. If a law was ancient and its origin was uncertain, one said, “It’s been ever since Sinai…” If someone bumped into a seemingly familiar person, but could not discern from where they knew the other, one said, “We were together at Sinai…” When discussing the powerful human impetus for freedom, going “to the mountaintop” became a common metaphor, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. expressed. And, Sinai offered a metaphysical boundary, reminding us of the distinctions between the Godly and the human. We were not allowed to ascend, nor even to touch the mountain while God and Moses sojourned during the giving of the Commandments.
This week, we again read of the Ten Commandments, and Mt. Sinai is as present as the tablets themselves. Perhaps, it has a powerful meaning, no less than the Commandments!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Douglas Kohn
