[Avodah] Illu keir'vanu lifnei Har Sinai...

[rabbirichwolpoe at gmail.com]

In dayyeinu we recite
"Illu keirvanu lifnei Har Sinai V'lo nassan lanu es haTorah - dayyeinu!"

Q1 Isn't the whole purpose of Maamad Har Sinai to get the Torah, not to
simply arrive at a destination?

Q2. The late Leo Weiss once asked me: "[Given the same Torah readings]
what's the connection between the haftara of Yisro and the Haftara
of Shavuos?"

Given: The Mihsnah Brura (494:4) states a minhag that anyone silently
reading the Haftara along with the Maftir should stand while reciting
it due to its honor."

Q3. What is this great honor accorded to this Haftara of Shavuos?

[Note a Litvak answers multiple questions with a single answer:-)]

Take this single approach...

The approach to Sinai was about revelation of G-d's Presence - a national,
societal encounter with The Shechina. Therefore:

1 Just being at Sinai elevated the entire nation to the level of prophecy
2. The Haftara of Yisro is the revelation of G-d to Yeshaya, similarly
the Haftara of Shavuos is the revelation of G-d to )echezkel. NB:
Both donate a passuk into the daily Qedusha
3. When encountering the Shechina one stands as per Abbaye re: Qiddush
Levana. So the encounter of Shechinah and Yechezkel (Ma'aseh Merkava)
triggers standning

Note that even the Haftara themes omit the mitzva component of Ma'amad
Har Sinai in favor of the Revelation Component! Spirituality trumping
legalism?

-RRW
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