The Four Faces of God at Sinai and the Word Each Israelite Heard

Another interpretation: "I am the LORD your God" (Exodus 20:2). Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa said: The Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to them with an angry face, with a neutral face, with an explaining face, and with a laughing face. An angry face for Scripture, for when a person teaches his son Torah he is obligated to teach him with awe; a neutral face for Mishnah; an explaining face for Talmud; a laughing face for Aggadah. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Even though you see all these likenesses, "I am the LORD your God." Rabbi Levi said: The Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to them like this image which has faces from every direction. A thousand people gaze at it, and it gazes at all of them. So too the Holy One, blessed be He: when He spoke, each and every one of Israel said, "The speech was with me." "I am the LORD your God" is written. Rabbi Yose bar Hanina said: According to the strength of each and every one the speech spoke with him. And do not be astonished at this matter, for we find with the manna that when it came down to Israel, each one of them tasted it according to his strength; the speech, how much more so! David said, "The voice of the LORD is in power" (Psalms 29:4). "In His power" is not written here, but "in power"—in the power of each and every one. In this world Israel was redeemed from Egypt and was enslaved in Babylon, and from Babylon to Media, and from Media to Greece, and from Greece to Edom; and from Edom the Holy One, blessed be He, will redeem them, and they will be enslaved no more, as it is said, "Israel is saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you shall not be ashamed nor confounded forever and ever" (Isaiah 45:17).