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Why did God force the Torah (תורה) on the Jewish people at Sinai when they had already willingly declared 'Naasu v'Nishma'? The Maharal explains that Torah acceptance must be coercive because Torah is essential for existence itself. During Purim (פורים), through experiencing God's hiddenness, the Jewish people realized their absolute dependence on God, making their will align with necessity.
This shiur addresses one of the most famous questions in Torah (תורה) study: Why did God need to force the Torah upon the Jewish people by holding Mount Sinai over them like a barrel (kafa aleihem es hahar kakigis) when they had already willingly declared 'Naasu v'Nishma' (We will do and we will understand)? While Tosafos (תוספות) suggests they might have reconsidered after seeing the great fire, the Maharal offers a profound philosophical explanation. The Maharal explains that while the Jewish people genuinely accepted the Torah with complete willingness, the very nature of Torah acceptance cannot be based on free choice (ratzon) but must be coercive (ones). This is because Torah itself is essential (muchrah) to existence - the world cannot exist without Torah. Just as Torah's existence is not optional, neither can its acceptance be optional. If the Torah were accepted purely through choice, it would imply that rejecting it was also a viable option, which would mean that even after acceptance, the world's relationship with Torah would be based on preference rather than necessity.
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Parshas Mishpatim - Naasu v'Nishma
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