Sweep of Sinai: Commitment or Coercion? : The Talmud on the giving of the Torah (Part 7)
The straightforward Torah narrative indicates collective willingness and joyous commitment by our ancestors; however Midrashic tradition seems to tell a very different story, which includes coercion by dint of extraordinary pressure and extreme consequences. Accordingly, the Jewish people did not fully except the Torah willingly until the historic Purim period. Will the truth please rise? This incisive Talmudic teaching provides context and clarity on Matan Torah in the sweep of Jewish history.
Masechet/Tractate Shabbos Taf/Page 88a
