This last Torah reading starts with the blessing Moses gave to the people of Israel. The first words of the blessing don't seem connected as they recount the historic event of the receiving of the law on Mount Sinai: "And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir to them; He shone forth from Mount Paran, and He came with holy tens of thousands; from His right hand went a fiery law for them." (Deut. 33:2)

The experience of Mount Sinai was the high point of the life of the people of Israel and Moses and it is therefore the closest to the source of their blessing. In the exposition below, the Zohar explains the different names describing Mount Sinai and this peak experience.

Rebbe Chiya opened his discourse with the verse: "Come with me from Lebanon, my bride; look from the peak of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the lion's dens, from the mountains of the leopards." (Songs 4:8) This verse is spoken in relation to Knesset Yisrael at the time when Israel left Egypt and drew close to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah. The Holy One blessed be He said to the Shechina, "Come with Me from Lebanon", meaning come with me together from that higher Eden. …complete in her beauty like the full moon when she receives the full light of the sun, in all its radiance and sparkling…

The word "Lebanon" splits into two syllables in Hebrew, "leb" and "nun". "Leb" is spelled lamed-beit and has a numerical value of 32. "Nun" has a numerical value of 50. Both these numbers have great significance in Kabala because there are 32 paths of chochma and 50 gates of bina. In Appendix 2 of his translation of the Sefer Yetzira, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan lists the 32 different states of consciousness that comprise wisdom. At the end of the Book of Job, Job lists 50 queries into the nature of Creation. These 50 questions correspond to the 50 gates that have to be passed through before one can attain full bina-consciousness.

"My Bride", [the Shechina/sefira of malchut] is complete in her beauty like the full moon when she receives the full light of the sun, in all its radiance and sparkling.

"Come with Me from Lebanon", in order that your sons should receive the Torah.

G‑d calls the Shechina to rise up to these highest levels of consciousness because Her sons, Israel, are to receive the written Torah from the level of G‑d and the Oral Torah from the level of malchut.

"Look [in Hebrew, "tashuri"]from the peak of Amana". "Tashuri" [can also mean a gift], as is said: "and there is not a present [in Hebrew, "teshura"] to bring to the man of G‑d." (Sam. I 9:7) Receive a gift [the Oral Law] on account of your children.

"From the peak of Amanah". This is where they reached the high point of their faith [in Hebrew, "emunah"] and said, "All that the Lord has said we will do and obey." (Ex. 24.7) Both the angels and Israel accepted the commandments of G‑d before understanding them…

The name of the mountain is here transposed into the similar sounding Hebrew word for "faith", showing that at Mount Sinai Israel reached their highpoint of faith, saying they would do the commandments and obey the instructions of G‑d, even though they had had not yet learned what those instructions were.

At this point they were at the same level as the higher angels, as it is written relating to them, "Bless the Lord, O you His angels, you mighty ones, who do His word, listening to the voice of His instructions." (Psalms 103:20)

Here too, the performance of the G‑d's commandments comes before listening to them. The word listening can also be interpreted to mean understanding, as in the English phrase, "I hear what you are saying". The idea then is that both the angels and Israel accepted the commandments of G‑d before understanding them.

Because of this [high level of faith] the Congregation of Israel receives her present.

This present is the same quality of light generated for the highest angelic forces who do G‑d's will.

"From the peak of Senir and Hermon." This is Mount Sinai.

"Senir" is an acrostic for "Soneh Nir", meaning one who hates the usual order of the world run according to wealth and honor; instead he follows the spiritual path. The name "Hermon" is given to it because all the other nations were ostracized (in Hebrew, "nechremu") there as a result of their not accepting the Torah.

It was there that they were drawn towards and gathered beneath it.

"From the lions' dens." These are the sons of Seir [Esau] that the Holy One blessed be He invited to receive the Torah but didn't want to come to receive it.

"From the mountains of the leopards." These are the sons of Ishmael [who also refused the invitation], as is written, "The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir to them; He shone forth from Mount Paran."

Ishmael is described in the Torah as "a wild" (in Hebrew, 'pere') man". The same three-letter root is used in the name of Mount Paran, hinting that this was the dwelling place of his descendants. How mighty is Your name in all the earth, You who have set your glory above the heavens…

"He came with holy tens of thousands." What does this mean? It is as we have learned (Shabbat 89a) that when the Holy One blessed be He came to give the Torah to Israel, camps of higher angels came with Him. The proclaimed, "G‑d, our Master, how mighty is Your name in all the earth, You who have set your glory above the heavens." (Psalms 8:2) This [glory] is the [inner secret of the] Torah that was to be given them.

The Holy One blessed be He said to them [the angels, that the simple meaning of the Torah must also be applied]: Do you have death? For it is written, "when a man dies in a tent." (Num. 19:14) And "If a man has committed a sin deserving death, and he is put to death". Do you [angels] have sin amongst you? And do you come up for judgment? Is there robbery or theft among you? For it is written: "Do not steal." (Ex. 20:13) Do you have women amongst you? For it is written, "You shall not commit adultery". (Ibid.) Is there falsehood amongst you? For it is written: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor". (Ibid.) Do you feel lust? For it is written that you are not to lust after your neighbor's wife. (Ibid. 14) [If all this is so] why do you want to receive the Torah? Immediately they proclaimed, "How mighty is Your name in all the earth, You who have set your glory above the heavens." This is why they came in their tens of thousands [for they agreed that the Torah should be given to Israel]. Then "from His right arm went a fiery law for them".

Zohar, Shemot p.2b; translation and commentary by Simcha-Shmuel Treister

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