שמות, פרק י״ט, פסוק י״ג

The revelation at Mount Sinai is accompanied by severe warnings regarding the sanctity of the location, establishing rigid physical boundaries, harsh consequences for trespassers, and a precise signal to indicate the end of the spiritual state of emergency.

The strict directive that no hand may touch is primarily understood as referring to the trespasser—whether human or animal—rather than the mountain itself. If an individual crosses the forbidden boundary, others must not reach out to grab or kill them. Doing so would force the pursuers into the restricted zone, thereby incurring the death penalty themselves [אבן עזרא, רשב״ם, שד״ל, חזקוני]. Alternatively, some commentators maintain that the warning is a direct prohibition against touching the mountain itself [רלב״ג, הדר זקנים].

Because approaching a trespasser is forbidden, the punishment must be carried out from a distance. On a literal level, this involves throwing stones or shooting arrows at the offender [אבן עזרא, רשב״ם, בכור שור]. A unique perspective suggests that the passive phrasing of the punishment indicates death by Heavenly decree rather than human execution. In this view, the mountain itself would eject the sinner, or God would strike them down with hailstones and arrows from heaven [ביאור יש״ר, חזקוני].

Beyond the literal meaning, commentators agree that the laws for the execution method of stoning for future generations are derived from these events. The act of shooting is interpreted conceptually as casting down, indicating that the condemned is first pushed from a high place. Only if the individual does not die from the fall are stones then thrown at them [רש״י, מזרחי, קיצור בעל הטורים, הדר זקנים, תורה תמימה].

This severe restriction applies to all living creatures, including birds [אבן עזרא, חזקוני, תורה תמימה]. From this, a legal principle is established: an animal condemned to death must be tried before a court of twenty-three judges, exactly like a human being [תורה תמימה, צפנת פענח]. On a conceptual level, the beast symbolizes the wicked while man represents the righteous. In this world, the strict standard of justice applies equally to both, and neither can survive a violation of the mountain's sanctity, even though their ultimate fates will differ in the World to Come [רבנו בחיי].

Following the details of the penalties, a specific signal marks the end of the restriction: a long blast from a ram's horn [רש״י, אבן עזרא]. A rich Midrashic tradition identifies this specific horn as belonging to the ram Abraham sacrificed in place of his son Isaac [רש״י, רמב״ן, רבנו בחיי, גור אריה]. Since that ram was entirely consumed by fire, commentators offer various explanations for the horn's survival. Some explain that God reconstituted the ashes of the horns [רמב״ן, הטור הארוך], while others suggest the horn was detached before the animal was sacrificed [מזרחי]. Another approach views this ram as a miraculous creature formed at the twilight of creation, unconstrained by the natural laws of destruction [גור אריה]. Mystically, the sound of this horn symbolizes the "Fear of Isaac"—the profound attribute of strict justice and overwhelming awe that enveloped the nation at Sinai [רמב״ן, רבנו בחיי, רקנאטי].

The sounding of the horn is described as a long, continuous blast. Much like musicians holding a final, extended note to conclude a performance, this prolonged sound signaled the departure of the Divine Presence and the cessation of the heavenly voices [רשב״ם, מזרחי, מלבי״ם]. This establishes a foundational legal principle: any prohibition enacted by a special decree requires another distinct decree to lift it. Even though the Divine Presence had already departed, the people still required the clear auditory signal of the horn to know the restriction was officially removed [רבנו בחיי, תורה תמימה].

Once the signal was heard, ascending the mountain was permitted. Some interpret this permission as applying exclusively to the spiritual elite—Aaron, his sons, and the seventy elders—while the general populace remained restricted [אבן עזרא, שד״ל]. Conversely, others maintain that permission was granted to the entire nation [שד״ל, קאסוטו]. A final perspective views this moment as a profound spiritual missed opportunity. Had the Israelites overcome their fear of the fire of revelation, the sound of the horn would have continued, and the entire nation would have merited ascending the mountain to receive the Torah directly from God. Because they succumbed to fear, the privilege of ascending was ultimately fulfilled only by Moses and the elders [מלבי״ם].