The Consequences of Mt. Sinai: Past, Present, and Future

...It is in accordance with the statement of Reish Lakish, as Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31)? Why do I require the superfluous letter heh, the definite article, which does not appear on any of the other days? It teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, established a condition with the act of Creation, and said to them: If Israel accepts the Torah on the sixth day of Sivan, you will exist; and if they do not accept it, I will return you to the primordial state of chaos and disorder. Therefore, the earth was afraid until the Torah was given to Israel, lest it be returned to a state of chaos. Once the Jewish people accepted the Torah, the earth was calmed.

Thus, on Shavuot after the Counting of the Omer, they will be able to receive the emanation. This is because during the days of the Omer, they are purified from their materialism, and elevate before God through the complete soulful devotion and intense love, and they will purify themselves in body and spirit. Therefore on Shavuot they are capable of being vessels to receive the light and life of the Divine Emanation [that comes down] to them on each of the seven days of Pesach from the Creator, blessed be God.

In addition, in all of the worlds, after their elevation to God, the qualities of sea and dry land which were reversed and changed, will reflect the quality of the reverberated light [that was first created]. And according to their ability and level, each person will receive the emanation of light and life of God. All of this occurs on Shavuot after Sefirat HaOmer, and therefore all of them are now capable and appropriately aligned to be vessels to receive the emanation of God.

As such, Shavuot is also called “atzeret” according to the Mishnah, for it is also according to their capability to absorb and retain the emanation of God within them.

(16) On the third day, as morning dawned, there was thunder, and lightning, and a dense cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the horn; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. (17) Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain. (18) Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for the LORD had come down upon it in fire; the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently. (19) The blare of the horn grew louder and louder. As Moses spoke, God answered him in thunder. (20) The LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain, and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain and Moses went up.

(16) He used to say: It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it. If you have learned much Torah, your reward will be much; and the Master of your work is trustworthy to pay you the wage for your activity. And know, the giving of reward to the righteous is in the future to come.