Moses hears the voice of Ha'Shem

In the Torah we are told that Ha'Shem spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai. One day the wisest rabbis discussed what Ha’Shem must have said.

One rabbi said that Ha’Shem spoke the whole of the Torah to Moses in a moment as a single cacophonous utterance.

Another said that Ha’Shem only spoke the Ten Commandments.

Another said only the first commandment.

לא יהיה־לך אלהים אחרים על־פני אנכי יהוה אלהיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים מבית עבדים

I am Ha’Shem: your god, who brought you out of the Narrow Place, the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.

Another said only the first verse of the first commandment.

אנכי יהוה אלהיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים מבית עבדים

I am Ha’Shem: your god, who brought you out of the Narrow Place, the house of bondage

Another said only the first three words.

אנכי יהוה אלהיך

I am Ha’Shem, your god

Another said only the first word.

אנכי

I am

Another said only the first letter.

א

The other rabbis protested. “But the first letter, א, has no sound!”

That rabbi replied, “א!”