It is well known that the Torah has its end rooted in its beginning, and its beginning in the end. In sacred literature, we learn many reasons for the connection between the last words of the Torah (Deut. 34:12) “Before the eyes of all Israel, “and its first words (Genesis 1:1) “In the beginning . . .”
In our current situation, we could say that the connection hints at the following. When chesed (loving-kindness) is of the revealed sort, meaning that God is bestowing an abundance of kindness, meeting all the needs of the Jewish people, this is chesed “before the eyes of all Israel.” However, when chesed is nistar (concealed), then to begin with it is chesed only in the eyes of God, as it were. Later, when God rescues the Jewish people, it becomes chesed in their eyes also, because then they can see the chesed that was hidden in the hester (concealment).
But look, we lack the strength to bear this kind of chesed. Therefore, our teacher Moses brought it about that “all the signs and miracles . . . and all the mighty acts” (Deut. 34:11) should be “before the eyes of all Israel . . . In the beginning.” That is, from the outset, at the beginning, and immediately, there would be chesed “before the eyes of all Israel,” meaning good, revealed chesed.
It may also be, as we learn in the Talmud (Shabbath 88b); R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Jonathan’s name: “What is meant by the verse (Cant. 4:9) ‘You have ravished my heart, my sister-bride; You have ravished my heart with one of your eyes.’? In the beginning, you do so with one of your eyes; but when you are fulfilled, with both your eyes.” Rashi on the Talmud explains that “In the beginning” refers to when we received the Torah.
At the time of our receiving the Torah, God held the mountain over the Jewish people like a barrel, as the Talmud describes (Shabbath 88a), whereas the Tosaphists in their commentary on the Talmud (ibid.) ask: “Why did God need to hold the mountain over them like a barrel, when the Jewish people had already declared, ‘We will do and we will listen’? They answer, ‘Because the people might renege upon seeing the great fire.’ ”
Because God was showing them fire, He could not be certain that they would adhere to the commitment—“We will do and we will listen”—that they had made upon first being offered the Torah. It was only much later, in the days of Ahasuerus when God rescued them from annihilation in the plot of Haman, that they “confirmed, and took upon them,” (Esther 9:27) committing to abide by the original covenant to “do and listen.” Then, out of love of the miracle and the salvation, they took it upon themselves, voluntarily, to commit to observe the Torah.
This means that when God is leading the Jewish people using pain and fear, it is not certain that they will honor their original agreement to observe the Torah, as taught in Tosaphot above. They could turn back and renege upon seeing the great fire, simply because it is so difficult to fulfill all the commandments in times of suffering. Also, the Jewish soul cleaves more to God when He leads them with love and good deliverance. Then, they are more certain to observe, because they are acceding to the Torah and accepting it with love, as they did in the times of Ahasuerus, when they “confirmed, and took upon them.”
We find that when God leads the Jewish people with punishment, then, as R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Jonathan’s name, “You have ravished my heart with one of your eyes.” As Rashi explained, “with one eye” refers to the receiving of the Torah. It is only afterwards, when fulfilled, that it will be “with both eyes.”
But when God leads the Jewish people with love, then He can trust from the start that their commitment to the Torah will hold. Then, right from the very beginning it is “with both eyes.” Then, “all the signs and miracles . . . and all the mighty acts” are “before the eyes of all Israel”—In the beginning. For then, right from the outset it will be “before their eyes”—in the plural: both eyes.