Komentarz do Powtórzonego Prawa 4:36

ליסרך, to bring you to the level of prophecy on the occasion of your receiving the Torah, Your experience at that time paralleled the experience of the prophet Eliyahu at the same mountain in Kings I 19,11 when he first experienced a tremendously powerful wind, etc. He also, like you experienced the fire (Kings I 19,12), before being addressed by G’d.

מן השמים השמיעך את קולו ליסרך, "He made you hear His voice out of the heaven in order to discipline you, etc." The meaning of this verse is similar to what I have explained on Exodus 20,1. I have already referred to it on verse 12 in our chapter where Moses underlined that the people did not see a visual, image during the revelation at Mount Sinai. We mentioned that the people heard the first two of the Ten Commandments directly from G'd. This is what Moses meant when he said: "out of the heaven, etc." The meaning of the word ליסרך is "in order to remove the residual pollutants from you;" we have explained this concept already repeatedly. When Moses said ועל הארץ הראך את אשו, "He showed you His fire on the earth," he referred to the manner in which the Israelites heard the other eight of the Ten Commandments. He alluded to the people "seeing" those sounds in the form of fiery flames which had been "hewn" from G'd's words. I have explained already that Exodus 20,15 referred to this phenomenon with the verse: "and the whole nation observed the sounds, etc." Moses elaborated on this once more in verse 12 of our chapter which mentioned the absence of a visual image for the people to see at that time.

From the sky. Hashem gave two proofs to know this. Firstly, “From the sky” this shows the level of prophecy and they heard it themselves… First “He made Hisi voice audible to you to afflict you” that it is almost impossible to attain the level of prophecy without afflicting the body… And afterwards, “You heard His words” and after the power of prophecy there is no more room for doubt, and you do not need philosophical investigation.

מן השמים השמיעך את קולו, “He let you hear His voice from the heavens.” The verse means that G’d’s voice emanated from heaven in order to be heard by you, but you did not hear any sound until G’d’s voice had reached the fire so that you appeared to hear His voice as coming out of the fire. If this were not the correct meaning of the verse, how could Moses first say: “you have heard the voice of G’d from the heavens,” and only afterwards: “you heard His words out of the fire?”

V. 36. מן השמימ וגו׳ Er ist dir in Seiner gleichzeitig Himmel und Erde erfüllenden und in dein Inneres dringenden Allgegenwart gegenwärtig geworden, du hörtest Seine Stimme, sahst Sein Feuer auf Erden und vernahmst Seine Worte aus dem Feuer.

The words: "and you have heard His words out of the fire" are most appropriate as they refer to the last eight of the Ten Commandments, the "fire" referring to the angel which materialised and asked each individual Israelite if he accepted the commandment in question.