Each Person Heard the Voice at Sinai by His Own Strength

"And all the people saw the voices" (Exodus 20:15). They saw what could be seen and heard what could be heard. They saw a thing of fire going forth from the mouth of the Almighty and being hewn upon the tablets, as it is said "The voice of the LORD hews flames of fire" (Psalms 29:7). "And all the people saw the voices": a voice, voices of voices; and a torch, torches of torches. How many voices were there, and how many torches were there? Rather, He made each person hear according to his own strength, as it is said "The voice of the LORD is in power, the voice of the LORD is in majesty" and so forth (Psalms 29:4). Rabbi says: to make known the praise of Israel, for when they all stood before Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, they would hear the utterance and interpret it, as it is said "He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye" (Deuteronomy 32:10); for as soon as the utterance went forth, they would interpret it. And to make known the praise of Israel when they all stood before Mount Sinai to receive the Torah: there were no blind ones among them, as it is said "And all the people saw." This teaches there were no mute ones among them, as it is said "And all the people answered" (Exodus 19:8). This teaches there were no deaf ones among them, as it is said "All that the LORD has spoken we will do and we will hear" (Exodus 24:7). This teaches there were no lame ones among them, as it is said "And they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain" (Exodus 19:17). This teaches there were no fools among them, as it is said "You have been shown" and so forth (Deuteronomy 4:35). Rabbi Natan says: from where do you say that the Omnipresent showed our father Abraham Gehinnom, and the giving of the Torah, and the splitting of the Sea of Reeds? As it is said "And behold, a smoking furnace" (Genesis 15:17), this is Gehinnom, as it is said "Behold, the day comes, burning like a furnace" (Malachi 3:19); "and a torch of fire" (Genesis 15:17), this is the giving of the Torah, as it is said "And all the people saw the voices and the torches"; "which passed between those pieces," this is the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, as it is said "To Him who cut the Sea of Reeds into pieces" (Psalms 136:13). "And the people saw and they trembled" (Exodus 20:15): "trembling" everywhere means only quaking, as it is said "The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard" (Isaiah 24:20). "And they stood far off," beyond twelve mil. This tells that Israel recoiled backward twelve mil and returned forward twelve mil, that is twenty-four mil for each and every utterance, so that they traveled on that day two hundred and forty mil. At that hour the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the ministering angels: Go down and assist your brothers, as it is said "The kings of hosts flee, they flee" (Psalms 68:13); they fled in the going and they fled in the returning. And not only the ministering angels, but even the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said "His left hand is under my head" (Song of Songs 2:6). Rabbi Yehudah son of Rabbi Ilai says: because Israel were inflamed by the fire of above, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the clouds of glory: Drip the dew of life upon My children, as it is said "O LORD, when You went forth from Seir" and so forth (Judges 5:4), and it says "You poured down a generous rain" and so forth (Psalms 68:10). When was all this glory done? At the hour when the fairest of the nations of the world was honoring the Torah, as it is said "and she who tarries at home divides the spoil" (Psalms 68:13), and "spoil" means only Torah, as it is said "I rejoice over Your word" and so forth (Psalms 119:162).