According to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, the experience was so intense that if other nations had understood the benefit of the Ohel Mo'ed, the Tent of Meeting, they would have protected it fiercely. Why? Because before the Tent of Meeting existed, they, too, heard the divine voice. And it scared them senseless! Shir HaShirim Rabbah 3 tells us they would "lose control of their bowels in the halls of their palaces." Some, we’re told, even died from the sheer terror.
Think about that for a second. The unfiltered voice of the Divine, so overwhelming it could cause physical collapse and even death. Deuteronomy 5:23 asks, "For who of all flesh who heard the voice of the living God… [has lived?]" It's a rhetorical question, of course. The implication is clear: the experience was almost too much to bear.
Rabbi Simon takes it a step further. He suggests the divine speech had a dual effect: "an elixir of life for Israel and an elixir of death for the nations of the world." For Israel, it was transformative, life-affirming. As Deuteronomy 4:33 says, "[Has a people heard the voice of God speaking…] as you heard, and lived?" You heard, and you lived. But for the nations? They heard, and they… well, didn't.
This idea of God "rousing" Israel after the revelation, but not the other nations, is linked to the verse, "Under the apple tree I roused you" (Song of Songs 8:5). The Maharzu commentary understands the "apple tree" as an allusion to Mount Sinai. God revived Israel after speaking to them, but the other nations were left reeling, untouched by this divine resuscitation.
So, what changed? Why did this terrifying, potentially lethal, divine communication become primarily a source of life for Israel? The establishment of the Tent of Meeting seems to be the key. "The Lord called to Moses, and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting" (Leviticus 1:1). Rabbi Ḥiyya explains that the voice stopped there. It didn't go beyond the tent.
Rabbi Yitzchak adds another layer. Before the Tent of Meeting, prophecy was accessible to all nations. But once the Tent was established, prophecy ceased for them. It was contained, focused, directed. "I grasped him and I would not release him" (Song of Songs 3:4) – a verse, we're told, that speaks to this idea of prophecy being held close.
Now, some might object: What about Bilam ben Beor? Didn't he prophesy, and wasn't he a non-Israelite? The answer given is that Bilam's prophecy, ultimately, was for the benefit of Israel. His famous words, "How goodly are your tents, Jacob" (Numbers 24:5) and others like "one has seen no iniquity in Jacob" (Numbers 23:21), "for there is no divination in Jacob" (Numbers 23:23), "who has counted the dust of Jacob" (Numbers 23:10); "a star has risen from Jacob" (Numbers 24:17); "one from Jacob will rule" (Numbers 24:19) all served to highlight Israel's unique destiny and relationship with God.
What does this all mean? Perhaps it suggests that the divine voice, while powerful and potentially overwhelming, needed a vessel, a container, a focal point. The Tent of Meeting, and later the Temple, served that purpose. It channeled the divine energy, making it accessible and life-giving for Israel, while protecting the rest of the world from its unbridled intensity. It's a reminder that sometimes, even the most profound and transformative experiences need to be approached with reverence, intention, and a carefully constructed framework. Without it, we might just lose control of our bowels in the halls of our palaces.