Chazal teach us that this Torah transmission was unlike the usual procedure for Torah transmission. The standard procedure was that Moshe would teach the mitzvos first to Aharon, then Nadav and Avihu, followed by the zekeinim, elders, and finally, the entire nation. In this instance, Moshe taught the mitzvos to the entire Klal Yisrael simultaneously. The reason for this change is that these mitzvos include the essential laws of the Torah. The extreme nature of these mitzvos required that everyone be present together. The various commentators focus upon the need for the entire assembly of Klal Yisrael to convene in order to hear these mitzvos. They all suggest that the nature of the mitzvos required the presence of the entire Klal.
Horav Shlomo Yosef Zevin, zl, feels that the demand for holiness is an imperative to go beyond simply performing mitzvos. One is obligated to elevate himself via mitzvos to a higher level of kedushah. This obligation mandates that all of Klal Yisrael gather together as one unit to hear Hashem’s word. Horav Zevin explains that kedushas Yisrael, the sanctity of our people, originates in Hashem, the source of all kedushah. Regardless of his individual level of spiritual achievement, every Jew has a certain amount of kedushah. Thus, sanctity is relative to the individual’s personal level of spiritual development. It is clear, however, that everyone is holy.
At Har Sinai, every Jew heard the voice of Hashem and was inspired by its sublime message. Hashem spoke to each individual Jew according to his personal level of understanding and commensurate with his personal character traits. Consequently, each Jew interpreted the mitzvos and their inherent demands differently.
When Hashem said, “Do not kill,” the poshut’e, simple, Jew understood this to mean, “Do not cause your friend to die.” We observe that Bais Din must ask for penance for not accompanying a stranger when he was leaving the city. If he was murdered, the onus of guilt was theoretically placed upon the members of the Bais Din, as a result of their insensitivity to his needs. The more devout Jew interprets “Do not kill” as implying that one who embarrasses another Jew is viewed as a murderer. Every Jew “heard” the mitzvos according to his own level. All the Jews were, therefore, assembled together to signify that the imperative to be holy applies to all Jews – each according to his own individual level.
