Reward for Every Ascent and the People Who Asked to Hear God

Another interpretation: in order to give a reward to Moses for each and every ascent and for each and every descent. "And the LORD said to Moses, Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud" (Exodus 19:9), that is, in a dense cloud. And which cloud is this? It is the thick darkness, as it is said, "And Moses drew near to the thick darkness" (Exodus 20:18) and so forth. "That the people may hear" and so forth. Rabbi Yehudah says: From where do you say that the Omnipresent said to Moses, "Behold, I am telling you a matter, and you will answer Me back, and I will concede to you," so that Israel would say, "Great is Moses, to whom the Omnipresent conceded"? "And they will also believe in you forever" (Exodus 19:9). Rabbi [Yehudah HaNasi] says: We need not make Moses great if doing so requires us to make it appear that the Holy One, blessed be He, retracted His own word. Rather, this teaches that the Omnipresent said to Moses, "Behold, I will call to you from the top of the mountain and you will ascend," as it is said, "And the LORD called Moses" (Exodus 19:20). "And they will also believe in you forever" (Exodus 19:9) means both in you and in the prophets destined to arise after you. "And Moses told the words of the people" and so forth (Exodus 19:9). But what did the Omnipresent say to Moses to tell Israel, or what did Israel say to tell the Omnipresent? Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: Since it is said, "And Moses came and recounted to the people" (Exodus 24:3), he said to them, "If you accept the punishments with joy, behold, you will receive reward; and if not, behold, you will receive retribution." And they took the punishments upon themselves with joy. Rabbi [Yehudah HaNasi] says: But what did the Omnipresent say to Moses to tell Israel, or what did Israel say to tell the Omnipresent? Rather, they said, "Our desire is to hear from the mouth of our King," for one who hears from behind a curtain is not like one who hears from the mouth of the King. The Omnipresent said, "Give them what they requested," so that the people may hear when I speak with you.