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The Torah Was Offered to Every Nation and Only One Said Yes

God knocks on every door before Sinai. Each nation asks what is inside. Each hears one commandment. Each nation walks away.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. God Knocks First on Edom's Door
  2. What Israel Heard and Said
  3. The Nations That Refused Come Back
  4. What Sinai Sounded Like

God Knocks First on Edom's Door

Before Israel stood at Sinai, God carried the Torah to every nation on earth. Not as a test they were designed to fail. As a genuine offer, a door-to-door knock, each people given the same question and allowed to give their own answer.

The descendants of Esau were first. God came to them and asked: will you receive the Torah? They asked what was written in it. He told them one commandment: "you shall not murder." They refused on the spot. "The whole essence of our ancestor Esau," they said, "is the hand that kills. The hands are the hands of Esau, the coat of hair, the red birthright traded for a bowl of stew. We cannot become someone who does not murder. That is not who we are." And they walked away.

He went to Ammon and Moab. The same question. The same request to know what was inside. He gave them one commandment: "you shall not commit adultery." They refused. "Our origin is in a cave," they said, "where Lot's daughters slept with their father to preserve the line. What we are comes from that cave. We cannot become someone who does not do this." And they walked away.

He went to the Ishmaelites. "You shall not steal." "Our ancestor lived and died as a raider," they said, "his hand against every man and every man's hand against him. We cannot become someone who does not take what belongs to others." And they walked away.

What Israel Heard and Said

Then God came to Israel. He did not give them one commandment to test their reaction. He offered the entire Torah at once. All of it. Every commandment, every prohibition, every law about the Sabbath and the courts and the treatment of strangers and the firstfruits and the edge of the field left for the poor.

And Israel said: we will do and we will hear. Naaseh v'nishma.

The tradition read those four words as the decisive difference. Every other nation had asked what was inside before agreeing to open the door. Israel agreed to open the door before knowing what was inside. The other nations evaluated the Torah against their existing character and found they could not carry it without becoming different people. Israel said: we will do it first, and then we will understand what we have done.

The rabbis found this almost reckless. You are taking on something you have not fully read, the structure of the reply seemed to say. Yes, said Israel. That is how love works. You do not negotiate the terms of love before you agree to feel it.

The Nations That Refused Come Back

The tradition added a coda that complicated the clean lines of the story. After Sinai, after Israel had received the Torah and carried it through the wilderness and into the Land, the nations would come back. Not to receive what they had refused. To ask for a share in it. To ask for the reward that came from the Torah's observance, the peace and the justice and the long life and the good rain, without having accepted the Torah's demands.

The tradition's answer was clear and a little cold. The offer had been made at the door. The door had been answered. The nations that walked away from a single commandment they could not bear to keep could not afterward claim the fruit of the tree they had refused to plant.

But the tradition did not end there. It left open the possibility of conversion, of a later yes after the original no. The offer had been universal. The refusal was not permanent. Any individual from any nation could approach the same offer again at any time, alone, without a nation's history as their excuse, and say the four words Israel had said at Sinai: we will do and we will hear.

What Sinai Sounded Like

The tradition described the moment when Israel stood at the mountain and heard the divine voice for themselves. The sound went out in all seventy languages of the world simultaneously. Every nation on earth heard it at the same moment. The languages were different. The content was the same.

Seventy nations heard Sinai from their own territories and in their own tongues. Israel heard it standing at the mountain. The difference was not in what was said. The difference was in whether anyone answered.

JudgmentMosesMidrash AggadahSifreiSanhedrin
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From the tradition

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The texts this telling draws on, in full. Open a card to read inline, or expand it for a wider, quieter read.

Sifrei Devarim 343:6Sifrei Devarim

The ancient texts suggest a far more compelling narrative.It opens with the verse, "And he said: The L-rd came from Sinai." But the rabbis of old saw much more in those words. They saw a story of divine outreach, of universal opportunity.

The text posits that when God appeared to give the Torah, it wasn’t from one direction alone. No, no. It was "from four," symbolizing God’s presence encompassing all possibilities. And where do we see this hinted at? The text points to (Habakkuk 3:3): "G-d came from the south." Which implies, doesn't it, that there must be other directions too?

Sifrei Devarim goes on to say that God didn't appear to Israel alone! The offer of the Torah was extended to all nations. Can you imagine? God, knocking on the doors of every people, offering them the ultimate gift.

First, He went to the descendants of Esav. "Will you accept the Torah?" He asked. They inquired, "What's written in it?" God answered, "You shall not kill." (Shemoth 20:13). And their response? A rejection! They said, "The entire essence of our father is murder," citing (Genesis 27:22), "And the hands are the hands of Esav." It was, they claimed, their very nature.

Next, He approached the children of Ammon and Moav. Again, the question: "Will you accept the Torah?" They asked the same thing: "What does it say?" This time, God answered, "You shall not commit adultery." (Shemoth 20:14). Their reply? "Ervah (illicit relations) is our entire essence!" They referenced their origins in (Genesis 19:36), the story of Lot and his daughters.

Finally, He turned to the children of Yishmael. "Will you accept the Torah?" The question echoed. "What is written in it?" they asked. God replied, "You shall not steal." (Shemoth 20:15). And their answer? A resounding, "Our father's entire essence is stealing!" They pointed to (Genesis 16:12), where it says of Yishmael, "And he shall be a wild man, his hand against all."

The text emphasizes that there was "none among all of the nations" that God didn't approach. (Psalm 138:4) states, "All the kings of the earth will acknowledge You, O L-rd, for they heard the words of Your mouth." But hearing isn't the same as accepting, is it? (Ezekiel 33:31) tells us, "And they did not do themh (the mitzvot (commandments) – commandments)." And so, in (Micah 5:14), we read, "And with anger and wrath will I take revenge of the nations because they did not accept (the mitzvoth)."

Even the seven mitzvoth that the descendants of Noah (the Noachide laws) took upon themselves – basic ethical principles for all humanity – they couldn't uphold! They eventually "divested themselves of them and ceded them to Israel."

Sifrei Devarim illustrates this with a powerful analogy. Imagine someone sending an ass and a dog to the threshing floor. The ass is loaded with a lethech (a large dry measure), and the dog with three sa’ah (smaller measures). The dog buckles under the weight, so the owner takes a sa’ah from the dog and puts it on the ass. He does this again and again until the ass carries the full load. Similarly, Israel accepted the Torah "with all of its explanations and inferences," while the other nations couldn't even manage the basics.

So, what does it all mean? This story, found within Sifrei Devarim, paints a picture of a God who offered the Torah universally, not just to one chosen people. But the other nations, bound by their own self-defined natures, refused. Israel, in this narrative, didn't receive a special favor so much as accept a profound responsibility. It's a powerful reminder that accepting a gift is often harder than giving one. And that maybe, just maybe, we are all chosen, but choice is only as meaningful as our capacity to change.

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Sifrei Devarim 41:14Sifrei Devarim

Sifrei Devarim turns to Moses and the King of Sanhedrin.

Sifrei Devarim, in section 41, opens our minds to this very idea, taking us on a fascinating chain of transmission. It all starts with the verse from Deuteronomy (11:13): "Which I command you this day." But the Rabbis saw something deeper. They asked: what does it really mean to receive Torah?

Here’s the kicker: if you hear a word of Torah from a minor, a child, it's as if you heard it from a sage. isn't it? Where does that come from? The verse in Kohelet (Ecclesiastes 12:11) holds the key: "The words of the wise are like goads…" A goad is a tool used to guide animals. The words of the wise, even from the mouths of babes, can guide us on the right path. The potential for profound insight exists within everyone.

The chain doesn't stop there. It keeps climbing, higher and higher. If you hear words of Torah from a sage, it's as if you hear them from the Sanhedrin, the ancient high court. Kohelet (Ecclesiastes, Ibid.) refers to “the man of the gatherings,” and “gatherings” alludes to the Sanhedrin, as we see in Numbers (Bamidbar 11:16) "Gather unto Me seventy men from the elders of Israel."

And if you hear from the Sanhedrin? Then it’s as if you hear from Moses himself. Again, Kohelet (Ecclesiastes, Ibid.) points to this: "given by one shepherd (Moses)." Isaiah (63:11) echoes this sentiment: "And they remembered the days of old, Moses and his people. Where is he who brought them up from the Sea? the shepherd of His flock? who placed in their midst His holy spirit?"

Can you feel the weight of this lineage? It's breathtaking.

And then.. if you hear from Moses, it’s as if you hear from the Holy One, Blessed be He. The verse in Kohelet, "given by one Shepherd," resonates again. And (Psalm 80:2) seals it: "Shepherd of Israel hear, Leader of Joshua as a flock. Dweller above the cherubs, appear!"

The chain culminates in the ultimate source: the Divine. And it all started with a child sharing a nugget of Torah.

The Sifrei Devarim concludes by reminding us of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4): "Hear, O Israel, the L-rd our G-d, the L-rd is One." Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. The very act of hearing, of listening, is paramount. It’s the gateway to receiving this unbroken chain of wisdom, a chain that stretches from the smallest child to the Divine itself.

What does this all mean for us today? Perhaps it’s a call to listen more intently, to be open to wisdom from unexpected sources. Maybe it’s a reminder that we all have the potential to be links in this sacred chain, to transmit Torah to those around us, no matter our age or perceived status. After all, you never know when the spark of divine wisdom might ignite within you, ready to be shared with the world.

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Sifrei Devarim 321:15Sifrei Devarim

The ancient rabbis grappled with this feeling too, and they found ways to understand it through the lens of Torah.

We find a powerful example of this in Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy. Specifically, in section 321, the verse "both young man and virgin" is explored. The text expands this, saying it's "not these alone, but even 'suckling and the man of grey hairs.'" This paints a stark picture: no one is spared.

The verse from Jeremiah (6:11) echoes this sentiment: "Also man and woman are ensnared; the elder with the full of years (and near death)." It’s a sobering reminder of the universality of suffering, isn't it?

Within this seemingly bleak observation, the rabbis find glimmers of meaning. The word for "young man," bachur, is linked to the idea of being "chosen," bechirai. The text references (Numbers 11:28), where Joshua is described as one of Moses' chosen ones, mibachurav. So, perhaps even in times of widespread hardship, there's a sense of divine selection, a purpose even if we can't immediately grasp it.

The text goes on to say that the "virgin" is pure, untouched by sin. The "suckling," it beautifully states, "sucked words of Torah as a babe sucks milk from its mother's breasts." Can you imagine a more nurturing image of learning?

Then comes a fascinating play on words. Instead of reading "ish seva," "the man of grey hairs," the text suggests reading it as "ish yeshivah", a man fit to sit in a yeshivah, a place of Torah study.

The passage then draws a parallel to the exiles described in II (Kings 24:16). These weren't just ordinary people; they were scholars, "heroes in the war of Torah." But what war could they possibly be waging in exile, bound in chains?

The answer, according to Sifrei Devarim, is the intellectual and spiritual battle of Torah study itself. It's described as "giving and taking" in the "war" of Torah, referencing the "Book of the Wars of the L-rd" in (Numbers 21:14). They were "heroic in power, doing His word to hear the voice of His word," just as (Psalms 103:20) describes the angels.

The text even dissects the roles of the scholars, using evocative metaphors. The "charash," literally "mute," is the one who speaks while the others listen in rapt attention. The "masger," the "closer," is the master teacher. "After he 'closes,' no one 'opens,' and after he 'opens,' no one 'closes,'" echoing the absolute authority described in (Isaiah 22:22): "And he (David) will open, and none will close; and he will close, and none will open."

So, what do we take away from this intricate interpretation? It seems to suggest that even in the face of widespread suffering, even in exile and captivity, the study of Torah, the pursuit of wisdom and understanding, remains a powerful act of resistance, a source of meaning, and a evidence of the enduring spirit of the Jewish people. It's a reminder that even when everything seems lost, the power of learning and the pursuit of truth can sustain us.

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Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 286:9Yalkut Shimoni on Torah

Another interpretation: "I am the LORD your God" - when the Omnipresent stood and said "I am the LORD your God," the earth trembled, as it says "LORD, when You went forth from Seir" (Judges 5:4), and it says "the mountains flowed down before the LORD" (Judges 5:5), and it says "the voice of the LORD is in power, the voice of the LORD is in majesty, the voice of the LORD breaks the cedars, the voice of the LORD makes the hinds to calve" (Psalms 29:4-9), until their houses were filled with the radiance of the Divine Presence.

At that hour all the nations of the world gathered and came to Balaam and said to him, Is the Omnipresent perhaps bringing a flood upon the world? He said to them, the Omnipresent has already sworn that He will bring no flood, as it says "for this is as the waters of Noah to Me, that I have sworn" (Isaiah 54:9). They said to him, perhaps He brings no flood of water but He brings a flood of fire. He said to them, He brings neither a flood of water nor a flood of fire; rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to give the Torah to His people, as it says "the LORD will give strength to His people" (Psalms 29:11). When they heard this, they all turned and went, each to his place.

Therefore the nations of the world were called upon for the Torah, so as not to give the nations an opening to say, Had we been asked we would already have accepted it. So they were asked and did not accept it. "And he said, the LORD came from Sinai" (Deuteronomy 33:2): He was revealed to the children of wicked Esau and said to them, Do you accept the Torah upon yourselves? They said to Him, what is written in it? He said to them, "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13). They said to Him, this is the inheritance our father bequeathed us, "by your sword you shall live" (Genesis 27:40). He was revealed to the children of Ammon and Moab; He said to them, Do you accept the Torah? They said to Him, what is written in it? He said to them, "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:13). They said to Him, but they are all the children of adulterers, as it says "thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father" (Genesis 19:36). He was revealed to the children of Ishmael; He said to them, Do you accept the Torah upon yourselves? They said to Him, what is written in it? He said to them, "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:13). They said to Him, this is the blessing our father was given, as it says "and he shall be a wild man" and it is written "for indeed I was stolen away" (Genesis 40:15). And when He came to Israel, "at His right hand was a fiery law for them" (Deuteronomy 33:2), they all opened and said, "all that the LORD has spoken we will do and we will hear" (Exodus 24:7). And so it says "He stood and measured the earth, He beheld and drove asunder the nations" (Habakkuk 3:6).

Rabbi Shimon ben Eleazar says, if with the seven commandments that the children of Noah were commanded they could not stand, how much more so with all the commandments of the Torah. A parable of a king who had two stewards: one appointed over a treasury of silver and gold, and one appointed over a treasury of straw. The one appointed over the treasury of straw was suspected, and he complained that they had not appointed him over the treasury of silver and gold. They said to him, Empty one, if over a treasury of straw you were suspected, how shall they trust you over a treasury of gold and silver? And the matter is an argument from minor to major: if with the seven commandments the children of Noah were commanded they could not stand, how much more so with all the commandments of the Torah. And why was the Torah not given in the land of Israel? So as not to give an opening to the nations of the world to say, because it was given in His land therefore we did not accept it.

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