Never the Twain Shall Meet?

B"H

"G-d Descended onto Mt. Sinai, to the peak of the mountain.

G-d Summoned Moshe to the peak of the mountain, and Moshe ascended."

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Tomorrow morning in synagogues worldwide, the epic "10 commandments" will be read from the Torah scroll.

From Bibles to plaques in courthouses, these 10 commandments have played quite a pivotal role in the ways in which many people worldwide view G-d and morality in this world until this very day.

But besides for giving us a rule book made up of "do's" & "don'ts", what exactly was happening when G-d

Gave His Torah to 3 million Jewish men, women, and children? [to fully appreciate this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime event, see here]

Well, to understand what the giving of the Torah achieved in the world, let's take a look at what was happening beforehand.

Before the giving of the Torah, when a person would do a command of G-d, the physical object used in the deed would remain as mundane after being used as it had been before.

The 1st example that comes to mind is a story of our forefather Jacob.

The Torah tells us that Jacob used sticks (in place of the Tefillin that we have today) in order to draw down G-dliness into the world.

But what did he do with them when he was done? Were the sticks delicately placed in a bag and kept protected and cherished like a man does with his Tefillin today? Not at all! Jacob tossed the sticks out.

How come?

B/C the physical sticks hadn't changed. The physical & the spiritual had not, and could not, meet.

When G-d momentarily Revealed Himself to the world on that day in the Sinai desert and Spoke to us,

it wasn't a ONE time event. The effect was everlasting, and altered the world forever.

Before this event, there was a decree from above that the spiritual reality and the physical reality could not meet. Physical was to stay physical, and spiritual - spiritual.

When "G-d Descended onto the peak of the mountain...and Moshe ascended" - the rules changed forever.

Physical could now be infused with the spiritual.

Now, when a man takes cow's hide and wraps it around his arm and head (Tefillin), he hasforever elevated that physical object.

It is now holy.

And it must be treated as such, for it has changed; it has been elevated.

When a woman lights Shabbat candles Friday afternoon, the wax, wick & flame have now been permeated with G-dliness.

And that was the whole underlying purpose behind G-d's Revelation at Mt. Sinai.

To enable us to elevate His world from its natural mundane state - to a holy one.

To make the world into 1 big Mitzvah - a physical world that is, nonetheless, a holy world.

May each of us take full advantage of this ability re-generated at this time every year,

to work on infusing every physical object we come in contact with - with holiness.

Whether it be a spare nickel for charity, or saying a blessing to G-d over a cookie, each of us every day meets with the physical world - and we are entrusted with lifting it up.

May we all have much success, and may the blessings pour forth upon us bountifully, until

the coming of Moshiach when the whole world will be completely permeated through and through with all

of the holiness generated by all of our good deeds. May it happen now!

Shabbat Shalom!

-Daniel