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“All of the people witnessed the thunder and lightning and the sound of the blast of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it they fell backwards and stood at a distance. ‘You speak to us,’ the people said to Moshe, ‘and we will obey; but allow not for G-d to speak to us or we will die.” (Exodus 20:15-16)

These pasukim clearly describe something that took place but what exactly was it that took place? There was a seeing and a hearing. But what exactly was it that was seen and what was it that was heard? And how did it all happen?

Rabbi Akiva explains that they saw what was heard and they heard what was seen. There is another view that states that the people heard what was audible and they saw what was visible.

According to this second view (The School of Rabbi Yishmael) the handicapped amongst the Jewish people who stood at the mountain experienced the revelation at Har Sinai within the limits of their disabilities and within the constraints of nature as we know it.

Thus the blind could only hear what was spoken but did not experience what was seen and the deaf were only able to see that portion of the revelation that was visible however due to their handicap they were denied the accessibility to that aspect of the audible nature of the revelation.

As a result of this second opinion only the fully abled, normal, and typical could benefit from the full entire experience at Mount Sinai.

Rabbi Akiva however, offers to us that the limits of handicap were not an obstacle to fully witnessing and experiencing the complete revelation at Har Sinai. So what Rabbi Akiva is positing is that every Jew standing at the Mountain was there at that moment without any limit or obstacle to their ability to receive the Torah.

It is important to note that no place does anyone say or imply that these handicapped and disabled amongst the Jewish people were cured or healed. What is however inferred is that these individual disadvantages, limits, and handicaps were somehow overcome in order that everyone could see, hear and understand.

According to the second opinion (Rabbi Yishmael) the seeing and the hearing at Har Sinai was simply stated a usual hearing and a normal seeing rather than something that was miraculous on a level of audio and visual atypical dissonance.

Rabbi Akiva’s view is that there was a specifically different quality to the sights and sounds of the Sinai experience that defied or perhaps defined the principles of physics if you will.

There was a convergence of time and space that occurred beyond the norm that transcended all of the boundaries of the ordinary. Thus while not being cured they were enabled to fully participate. They were included.

This is our goal as a society to overcome all of the limits and constraints. Our boundaries must transcend to a level of seeing and hearing to arrive at a completely new reality of acceptance and inclusion.

It is this hope and awareness that will lead us to the ultimate and true redemption, now.