Parshat Yitro documents the giving of the ten commandments. This revelation is at the core of the Jewish eperience and we learn from our tradition that the memory of this event is imprinted on all Jews for all times.
As I write this poem, I know in my heart that it has probably been written many times before by many poets in ways far more elegant and authentic, but on this page I have tried to imagine the anticipation of the event and contrast between the noise around the people, the silence of the camp and the prohibition of approaching the mountain. I hope that in some small way that I have captured that moment, not just for the people who were there, but for the many other witnesses to Sinai.
As God's Mountain Trembled
And the horns sounded
And the earth was unstable
And the pebbles huddled close together And the dust clung in fear to the earth And the wind stopped its weeping
And the air stood still And the lightning bolts stood at attention
And the ancient stones leaned on each other
And smoke permeated the air
And all were witnesses
As God's mountain trembled And the sun emerged from her golden covers and rose in the sky And the moon was suspended as an ivory witness
And the stars in the sky blinked their assent
And the planets observed with baited breath And dark clouds fiercely guarded the mountain And the armies of angels waited
As God's mountain trembled And the air was electric And the dogs retreated with tails between their legs
And the vultures spied from on high And the ibex ceased butting heads
And the field mice paused their dance
And the bird's wings were stilled
And the snakes retreated to their lairs
And the foxes halted their hunts
And the spiders spied through their webs As God's mountain trembled
And the smoke rose And the babes' eyes watched
And the women held their children tight
And tots buried their heads in their mother's robes
And peeked out in fear
And the children pretended to be brave
And the men trembled and bowed their heads
And the old were humbled and wept
And the thunder's bellows reached the ground
And were answered by the cry of the horns
And all hearts beat loudly as one strong heart
And all were in awe
As God's mountain trembled And it was a time like no other
And the people waited
And n'er a breath was drawn
And their eyes were unblinking as they stood witness
And although none touched the trembling mountain
None were left untouched
And the memory of that time was forever remembered
As God's mountain trembled
I cannot find the credit for this photo, but I took the image from https://livingpassages.com/real-mount-sinai-forgotten/
Exodus 19: 16-19. Translation from Sefaria
וַיְהִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֜י בִּֽהְיֹ֣ת הַבֹּ֗קֶר וַיְהִי֩ קֹלֹ֨ת וּבְרָקִ֜ים וְעָנָ֤ן כָּבֵד֙ עַל־הָהָ֔ר וְקֹ֥ל שֹׁפָ֖ר חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֑ד וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד כָּל־הָעָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ On the third day, as morning dawned, there was thunder, and lightning, and a dense cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the horn; and all the people who were in the camp trembled.
וַיּוֹצֵ֨א מֹשֶׁ֧ה אֶת־הָעָ֛ם לִקְרַ֥את הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים מִן־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וַיִּֽתְיַצְּב֖וּ בְּתַחְתִּ֥ית הָהָֽר׃ Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain.
וְהַ֤ר סִינַי֙ עָשַׁ֣ן כֻּלּ֔וֹ מִ֠פְּנֵי אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרַ֥ד עָלָ֛יו יְהוָ֖ה בָּאֵ֑שׁ וַיַּ֤עַל עֲשָׁנוֹ֙ כְּעֶ֣שֶׁן הַכִּבְשָׁ֔ן וַיֶּחֱרַ֥ד כָּל־הָהָ֖ר מְאֹֽד׃
Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for the LORD had come down upon it in fire; the smoke rose like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled violently.