Preparation for Revelation is not about purity. Even though God commands us to wash our clothes, to stay away from sex and to “be ready”, I refuse to believe these instructions are about cleanliness. But the preparation is very much a path to Holiness. We are commanded twice to be ready, nechonim, once by God and once by Moses. To imagine that we can scrub ourselves clean and have the truth beamed to us is the same as if we wash and dress in vegan white for Yom Kippur only to come away empty and disappointed that God did not answer our prayers.

To be ready is more than abstinence and more than omission. Nachon is to be right, to believe we are worthy of Truth and to actively engage with whatever awe comes our way. When we are commanded not to approach a woman we are redirected to approach the mountain as a nation of priests. Ascent is not about elevation, but the gesture towards the Divine. Do not stand still. Do not flee. Lean toward the terrifying mystery in the coming dawn.

Tonight we gather until dawn studying Torah that is yet to be revealed. How do you learn something not yet taught? Be prepared for surprises; do not distract yourself with the side shows of pyrotechnics that define the preamble of God. When we collectively lean into the darkness surrounding the mountain we will hear the first letter sing at the crack of dawn: I am.

Rabbi Micah Hyman is the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Sholom. To read more about Rabbi Hyman click to his bio here: Rabbi Hyman's Bio.

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