מוסר אויף דברים 5:20

(Moreover, according to the common conventions of right conduct-Derech Eretz-דרך ארץ, which precedes Torah,¹⁴Tanna D’Bei Eliyahu Rabba 1:1; Also see Mishnah Avot 3:17, 2:2 it is incumbent that young children obey the discipline of their parents. Is not our holy faith received from fathers to sons, from generation to generation going back to the first generation when 600,000 men from age twenty and up, besides the women and children, all stood at Mount Sinai and saw with their own eyes, as written,¹⁵Deuteronomy 5:20 “Today we have seen that God speaks to man and he still lives.”)

ותקרבון אלי כלכם . Rashi comments that it was a mob that approached Moses. Later on, in 5,20, however, Moses says of the people ותקרבון אלי כל ראשי שבטיכם וזקניכם, "You approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders." At that time they asked Moses to become their intermediary since the people were afraid that being exposed to G–d's voice directly would become fatal for them. This latter approach (at the time of the revelation) was correct; children showed respect for their elders. Humility is one of the best traits a person can practice. Only by allowing others זכות קדימה, the right of precedence, can one prove that one deserves a measure of honour oneself.

When G–d gave the Jewish people the Torah at Mount Sinai, the people said to Moses: ואת תדבר אלינו, "You speak to us," that Moses should be the intermediary between G–d and them because they were afraid they would die if they would be exposed to G–d's voice any longer (Deut. 5,20-25). We may assume that the Israelites did not speak about this concern of theirs to the elders [which would have been the normal channel of communication with Moses at that time. Ed.], but, since they were afraid to look and die, they turned to Moses directly. Their concern was that the very fact that they had achieved such a high level of insight had brought them so close to G–d that their souls would return to their Creator and remain there due to the affinity established with Him. Such a "death" achieves far more in the way of תיקון, rehabilitation, than any ordinary death meant to atone for sins committed. It would have been a greater תיקון even than that achieved by Ben Azzai's death as a result of his entering the פרדס, even though his death was of the category described in Psalms 116,15. The elders mentioned in the Mishnah outlived Joshua.