The One Voice at Sinai Split Into Seventy Tongues

"And all the people saw the voices" (Exodus 20:18). What is the meaning of "the voices"? Rather, the one voice was turned into seven voices, and from seven into seventy tongues. And why into seventy tongues? So that all the nations would hear. And when the voice went forth, every single nation heard the voice of the Holy One, blessed be He, and its soul departed; but Israel were not harmed. How? [The voice went forth. Rabbi Tanchuma said:] The voice went forth and slew the nations, [because they did not accept] the Torah, and gave life to Israel, [because they accepted] the Torah. This is what Moses said to them at the end of forty years: "For who is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?" (Deuteronomy 5:26). And it says: "Did ever a people hear the voice of God..." (Deuteronomy 4:33). You heard and lived, but the nations heard and died. Come and see how the voice went forth to Israel: each and every one heard according to his strength — the elders according to their strength, the young men according to their strength, the youths, the little ones, the sucklings, and the babes according to their strength, and even Moses according to his strength, as it is said: "Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice" (Exodus 19:19). What is the meaning of "by a voice"? Rather, by a voice that Moses was able to bear. And so it says: "The voice of the Lord is in strength" (Psalms 29:4) — by the strength of each and every one: the pregnant women according to their strength, and all according to their strength. Rabbi Yose son of Rabbi Chanina said: If you are astonished at this, learn from the manna.