The literary play on words that leads to this aggadah is clear. Instead of translating "bi'tahtit ha'har" as at the foot of the mountain, this gemara understands the phrase to mean underneath the mountain. However, the philosophical idea animatin g this aggadah is less clear. In Shemot 19, the Jewish people impressively accept the Torah with a sincere willingness. Indeed, Haazal often praise this act of free acceptance: the statement of "we will do and we will hear." Why would our gemara introduce an element of coercion that seemingly blemishes a perfect story? Why convert a story of loving trust into one of forced compliance?

Commentators offer several answers to this question (see for example the commentaries of Meshekh Hokhmah and Emet Le'Yaakov) but we shall focus on the explanation offered by Maharal in his Gur Aryeh. Maharal understands that the Jewish people did indeed freely choose to accept the Torah. As Judaism values a freely chosen act more than an act done under duress, this choice is a significant moment. The gemara in Shabbat with which we began does not deny the freedom of that choice. Rather, that gemara tries to say something about the gravity of the choice. It was crucial for the world that the Torah be accepted and rejection of the Torah was sure to have catastrophic consequences. "Here will be your burial place" is not a quote of Hashem thre atening immediate punishment but rather a statement about the seriousness of the choice and the potential consequnces for humanity if the wrong choice emerges.

This idea may have special resonance for modern man. We moderns value free choice and sometimes also take a further step and say that whatever the individual chooses is the best choice for them. According to Maharal, we should take the first step but reject the second. Yahadut greatly values free choice and methods of coercion should be employed sparingly. At the same time, this does not mean that our choices are all like selecting a particular flavor of ice cream. We can recognize our free dom of choice as we also affirm the ultimate significnace and the weighty ramifications of our choices.Rather than being dismayed at the gravity of our choices, we can find joy in the ability of our decisions to change the world.

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