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Why does the Torah (תורה) call Matan Torah 'yom hakahal' (day of gathering) rather than emphasizing receiving the Torah? The Rambam (רמב"ם) understood that Hakhel every seven years reenacts the Sinai experience. This reveals that Sinai created not just spiritual revelation but also a unified community — a dimension reflected in the Mishkan and aliyah l'regel.
Rabbi Zweig explores a fascinating description of Matan Torah (תורה) found in this week's parsha. In Devarim 18:17, the Torah refers to the Sinai experience as 'yom hakahal' (the day of gathering/community), which seems like an unusual way to describe receiving the Torah. This terminology appears to emphasize the communal aspect rather than the spiritual revelation we typically associate with Sinai. The shiur demonstrates how this phrase provides the source for the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s understanding of the mitzvah (מצוה) of Hakhel. In Hilchos Chagigah, the Rambam explains that every seven years on Sukkos (סוכות) after the Shemitah year, all of Klal Yisrael would gather at the Beis Hamikdash while the king read certain Torah portions. The Rambam emphasizes that people should listen 'k'yom she'nitnu b'Sinai' (as the day they were given at Sinai) with the same awe as at Har Sinai, treating the king as Hashem (ה׳)'s agent. This connection between Hakhel and Sinai comes from understanding that Hakhel literally means to reenact the 'yom hakahal' - the gathering aspect of the Sinai experience.
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Parshas Shoftim, Devarim 18:17
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