Yitro
Two days to prepare Before God descends Sinai The Presence revealed
Exodus 19:10-11God said to Moses, “Go to the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow ... Let them be ready for the third day; for on the third day God will come down, in the sight of all the people, on Mount SinaiThe people are told when God will appear and are given two days to prepare so they are ready for the moment of Revelation. To recognize when God's presence is revealed to us we also have to be ready, although those moments usually come without warning.Even when we are in a place where we expect an encounter with the Divine, that connection might not come as expected. That was what happened to me at the Kotel during a visit to Israel in 2011.At Sinai, the people were warned, "Beware of going up the mountain or touching the border of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death" (Exodus 19:12). This is similar to one of the lessons of my Kotel experience - we have to be ready, but we can't be too anxious.